About Technological Tables

A technological table contains engineering information—resources and processes—that helps designers achieve their tasks according to standards defined and used by their enterprise.

This page discusses:

See Also
About Part Filters and Filter Units
About the Spreadsheet

What is a Technological Table?

A technological table displays only authorized parameters and technical solutions clearly identified to solve a set of issues specific to a given technological context.

Technological tables are useful to:

  • Restrict the choices designers can make when designing systems. This ensures that the enterprise can focus on the best ways of meeting its design requirements.
  • Reduce the number of mistakes the end users can make when choosing data.
  • Drive designers to what can be done or not with respect to the standards defined by the enterprise.

In a piping environment, for example, you can use technological tables to:

  • List all the different part types that can solve branching issues
  • List all the part types that are authorized
  • List all the authorized sizes for the parts, etc
Note: You can manage tables up to 30,000 rows.

After the technological tables are complete, the next steps of specification construction consist of creating part filters and specifications. These three types of objects are linked to each other and constitute the know-how of an enterprise.

Technological Tables Edition

Editing technological tables consists of adding, removing or changing data.

You can enter values and objects in a technological table by:

  • Completing freely the cells
    Important: The units for values displayed are those defined in Me > Preferences.
  • Using a subset of authorized values. For more information, see Reference Technological Tables.
  • Choosing the objects stored in the database.

Technological Tables Analysis

There are different symbols and status that identify issues with technological tables.For more information, see About Symbols Used in Technological Tables and Part Filters.

Truncated Values

A symbol identifies truncated values in cells. For example, 1.22 mm is displayed but the full value is 1.2196 mm.

  • : indicates that the cell value is truncated
Note: You can display the full value by selecting the cell.

Free Edition Mode

You can temporarily edit a technological table without constraints using the Free Edition Mode command available in the action bar. This command lets you edit technological tables without:

  • Having valid links for every column
  • Having all columns required by the app
  • Valuating multiple linked column by rows.

Note: Opening another technological table automatically switches from free edition mode to normal mode.

Unset Value

You can define the value of a cell as <unset> by selecting Unset in the context menu.

The Unset command in the context menu is available only if:

  • The cell is not already unset.
  • The cell is not constrained to take the value of a linked technological table.
If the cell is constrained, the <unset> value can be available inside the list of values, depending on the linked column values.

You can use the <unset> value for cells that should have any value. Depending on the discipline, you give to the <unset> value a meaning in terms of behavior. Usually, the <unset> value means that the row is applicable whatever the value of the cell.

Reference Technological Tables

Referencing columns is another way of reusing data that is already specified in existing technological tables. You can thereby take advantage of mechanisms for reusing data that is stored in other technological tables or values that are used by objects.

Referencing a technological table to another technological table facilitates your design. When you reference columns, any modifications you make to the original column is detected when opening the referencing table.

You can link one or more columns in a technological table to another table.

Important: To create links between objects, these must be displayed in the tree.

Linking columns is useful when you are working with large amounts of data for which you want to ensure data consistency.

Various Links to the Same Technological Table

You can link various columns to different columns of the same technological table. In such a case, it is the combination of values in the source table that must exist in the target table.

Inconsistency Detection

The app prevents design conflicts. Designers cannot create and associate objects, such as technological tables, part filters and specifications, that would lead to engineering process inconsistencies.

The app displays warning messages or information whenever the creation of specifications is not consistent.