About the Know-how Apps Logic

The Know-how Apps Logic is designed to describe CAD data through Concepts containing attributes and rules.

This page discusses:

See Also
About the Know-how Apps Logic Engine
Creating a Library
Creating a Concept

Know-how Apps Logic Introduction

The Know-how Apps Logic is designed to describe CAD data through concepts containing attributes and rules.

Its goal is to allow the generation of models based on a general definition describing a variability through rules and formulas. It provides an extension of the Enterprise EKL Action you can use to create data structures that may be difficult to create with the current Knowledgeware technology:

  • Structure whose elements vary in number and depth (Dynamic structure).
  • On the fly selection of elements.

The Know-how Apps Logic application is made up of a script editor and a set of tools that allow you to use the edited script to create Data.

Know-how Apps Logic Concepts

This section details the new notions introduced by the Know-how Apps Logic.

Library

KML Knowledge is stored in a Library which is a script in EKL language. These Libraries are reusable and can be referenced by other libraries. Libraries are features stored inside Know-how Apps component representations.

Concept

The equivalent of a class in an object-oriented design. It describes a set of objects having Attributes, Children, Rules and Properties. The Concept knows how to build its own KML Objects according to its Attributes. It contains the information of what it will look like (structure) as well as how it is supposed to be built (logic). For example, in an "Automotive" Library, possible Concepts are Car, Wheel, Crankshaft.

Attribute

An attribute is composed of a name, a type (Real, VPMReference, Feature …) declared in the Concept (along with a possible formula) and a value of this Type which will be used in the instances of the Concept. The Attribute value is used in KML Rules. Attributes are defined as Input, Output or Neutral for a Concept.

Child

A special Attribute with a strong aggregation link to its Concept. A child type can only be a KML Concept.

  • In a "Plane" Concept, possible Children would include "RightWing" (type PlaneWing), "Nose" (type PlaneNose), Engine (type PlaneEngine)
  • In a "Car" Concept, a typical Attribute would be "Codename" (a String), "Horsepower" (Integer), "GearsNumber" (Integer)

Evaluator

While Attributes and Children describe the structure of a Concept, the Evaluators will describe their Behavior. There are several kinds of Evaluators all of which aim at evaluating the Children and Attributes of the instance of the Concept. In a "Car" Concept, a possible rule would be:

If CarEngineType == "Hybrid"
Then CarEngine = new HybridCarEngine
Else CarEngine = new FuelCarEngine
Endif

CarEngineType is an Attribute of the Car Concept and CarEngine is a Child

Include

A way for a Library to specify that it requires another one. For example a "Computer" Library might include an "Electronic Components" Library.

Property

Attribute defined for the Concept. It can be used to share information about a Concept. For example the "Visible" property is a Boolean indicating whether the Concept is visible from outside the library for instantiation.

KML Object

An instance of a KML Concept. It has all the Attributes and Children defined at the Concept level as well as an optional concrete Object which represents it in the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform World, the KML Object itself having no persistence. This Object can be of any type from a Reference to a feature.

Global Variable

Variables that can be shared throughout a whole library. A typical example of commonly used global variable is a variable which counts the number of objects of a certain type that were created.

Concrete Attribute

An attribute is Concrete if it is linked to a Parameter in a Representation. Any modification done on a Concrete Attribute is automatically reflected on the Parameter.

Path

Path is composed of an undefined number of elements which are all Children except for the last one that can be an Attribute.