About Parameters

When creating a representation, you often start by creating a sketch. You can also create a pad by extruding the initial sketch, then you add other features to the created pad. The final document is made up of features that define the intrinsic properties of the document. Removing one of these features results in a modification of the document. These features are called parameters.

Parameters are key features used to drive models. They are divided into two families:

• Intrinsic parameters.
• User parameters.

Intrinsic parameters are parameters created by the 3DEXPERIENCE, not the user. The user creates a geometric feature such as a plane offset, a point on surface, or a line normal to a surface. Depending on its nature, the corresponding parameters are automatically created. This includes offset parameters, H, and V components, and Start and End parameters.

User parameters are created by the end user.

In addition to intrinsic parameters, you can create user parameters. These parameters are extra pieces of information added to a document.

User parameters can be very handy in knowledge applications because they can be:

• Used to add specific information to a document.
• Defined or constrained by relations.
• Used as the arguments of a relation.
• Locked to prevent user modifications.

Important: Editing a locked parameter is not allowed. However, a parameter can be valuated by any type of relation. The parameter value is updated even if it appears as locked in the tree. In editing mode, you can pin your favorite parameters clicking in the Edit Parameter dialog box. The favorite parameters are displayed at the upper-right corner of the app. You can dock them anywhere. Click this icon again to remove the parameter from your favorites list.

Parameters are created clicking one of the following icons:

	The parameters can be created using the Formulas editor. For more information, see Formulas.
	The parameters can be created using the Parameters Explorer Editor.
	The parameters you create using this icon only apply to edges, faces, and vertex.
	The set of parameters enables you to gather user parameters below a set.

User parameters have two types of names: Local Name and Name.

You can view the names of user parameters either through the Properties or the Parameter Explorer windows.

Local Name	The Local Name represents the name of the parameter local to its parent feature (parameter set or geometric feature). The chosen name through the script is the Local Name when a parameter is created automatically with EKL.
Name	By default, the Name contains the path to reach the parameter, from the main container, such as 3DShape or Knowledge Engineering. If the parameter is created under a series of parameter sets, the path contains the chain of parameter sets separated by a \ until reaching the parameter itself.

Important: The Name must be unique in your model. You cannot have two parameters with the same Name. Because it can be considered as a “global name,” its modification is not advised. If the Name was unintentionally modified, you can revert to the previous version by clicking Reset at the right of the Name field.