Defining a Single Configuration for the Whole Session

You can define the configuration for all the operations you perform on the structure in the Product Structure Design work area by selecting the Session Effectivity mode.

This task shows you how to:

Use Define Session Effectivity
Select Session Effectivity Mode

Before you begin: Open a configured product structure in Product Structure Design work area. For more information about opening, see Product Structure Design User Guide: Working with Products: Opening a Product.

Use Define Session Effectivity

You can define the session effectivity for the current session.

Select Define Effectivity as the configuration mode.
For more information about selecting the effectivity modes, see Selecting a Configuration Mode.
Insert an existing product instance under a configured product to perform a configured design change.
For more information about inserting a product, see Product Structure Design User Guide: Working with Products: Inserting an Existing Product.

The Define Effectivity dialog box appears. If there is only one model attached to the root object, the effectivity options for that model are displayed. If there are multiple models attached to the root object, the model list for the instance opens so that you can specify the effectivity using one or more of them.
Define the effectivity criteria and effectivity expression for each relevant model.
1. To specify the effectivity using one of the available criteria types, click in that criteria field and enter the model's Name or Display Name.
  After you entered 3 or more characters of a model's Name or its Marketing Name in the search field, the model list progressively filters based on the characters. You can select a model from the list. Only models that can be used as a configuration context, and which are not already selected, are listed. If you have not yet entered 3 characters and press ENTER, the 3DSearch results dialog box opens. All models that start with the entered characters, but that are not already selected, are listed.
2. Use the Infinite Select Mode slider to configure the selection mode:
  - Disabled (slider to the left): Define the effectivity using only the selected revisions. You may select more than one.
  - Enabled (slider to the right): Define the effectivity using all of the revisions from the one selected to infinity. You select only the earliest applicable revision and all others to infinity are automatically selected for you.
3. Select the single or range of revisions to define effectivity.
4. To maximize the Expression field, click .
5. To minimize the Expression field again, click .
6. To hide the effectivity expression, click .
7. After you complete the instance effectivity expression, click Apply.
Tip: The available configuration criteria types vary depending on model selection.
To use the same expression as session effectivity in this current work area, select the Keep this effectivity for next operation in Session check box.
Click OK.

Select Session Effectivity Mode

You can work in Session Effectivity mode. In this scenario, you can establish the effectivity for your session using the Define Effectivity mode.

Note: You can apply the Session Effectivity mode to configured operations if:

One common configuration context is available, both for the parent reference of the modified instance and Session Effectivity.
Session effectivity contents correspond to the enabled axis on the modified instance's parent reference.

Select Session Effectivity as the configuration mode.
For more information about selecting the effectivity modes, see Selecting a Configuration Mode.

If Session Effectivity is already configured, click to edit it. Complete Steps 3 and 4.

If Session Effectivity is not already configured, the Define Session Effectivity dialog box appears. Complete Steps 2 through 5.
Search for and select one or more models to define as session effectivity.
Define the session's effectivity criteria and expression for each relevant model.
1. To specify the session effectivity using one of the available criteria types, click in that criteria field.
2. Use the Infinite Select Mode slider to configure the selection mode:
  - Disabled (slider to the left): Define the effectivity using only the selected revisions. You may select more than one.
  - Enabled (slider to the right): Define the effectivity using all of the revisions from the one selected to infinity. You select only the earliest applicable revision and all others to infinity are automatically selected for you.
3. Select the single or range of revisions to define effectivity for the session.
4. To maximize the Expression field, click .
5. To minimize the Expression field again, click .
6. To hide the effectivity expression, click .
7. After you complete the instance effectivity expression, click Apply.
Tip: The available configuration criteria types vary depending on model selection.
Click OK.

Insert an existing product instance under a configured product, to perform a configured design change.

For more information about inserting a product, see Product Structure Design User Guide: Working with Products: Inserting an Existing Product.

The session effectivity expression is automatically assigned to the operation.

Important:

If you select the Session Effectivity mode without defining the local effectivity expression, a message appears in the upper right corner of the screen indicating that no session effectivity is defined for the selected work area and the Define Effectivity mode is automatically selected.
If you shift from one work area where session effectivity is applied to another work area that does not have a session effectivity expression specify, a message appears in the upper right corner of the screen indicating that no session effectivity is defined for the selected work area and the Define Effectivity mode is automatically selected.
If the effectivity defined for one operation (on one configurable product) is incompatible with the model dictionary associated with a product involved in a subsequent operation, a message appears in the top right corner of the screen indicating incompatibility and the operation is cancelled. This happens when there are multiple model dictionaries assigned throughout your structure.