Using Attributes

You can browse and modify the attributes of objects in all authoring and navigation apps.

The Revision attribute gathers information about major and minor revisions.

Kind of Discipline and Nature attributes are not available in the interface for true types. Drawing, for example, can have its specific interface showing this Nature attribute.

The Collaborative Policy attribute provides information about which collaborative feature is available for the type. This information is useful to refer to specific features in the documentation. For native apps, this is usually one of the following, but it may also be more specific:

  • Global Design Definition
  • Global Design Evaluation
  • Global Design Resource
  • Personal Design

Sometimes, a single type may exist in the system with several policies. This information enables you to understand the different behaviors for that type. For example, a Part can exist as Development Part or Production Part: same type, but different policy.

Required access roles: Reader, Contributor, Author, Leader, Owner. For more information, see Collaborative Lifecycle Access to Content.

Before you begin:
  1. Open a search results list.
  2. Open or explore a product structure.
  1. From the Compass, click Collaborative Lifecycle.
  2. From the Lifecycle section of the action bar, click Attributes.
    The Attributes panel appears. Its content is refreshed every time you select an object in the tree or in the work area.

    By default, the Attributes panel is available in Browse mode.

    Notes:
    • If no object is selected, no attributes are displayed in the Attributes panel.
    • If you switch between apps, the Attributes panel is available with the attributes of the selected object.
    • The Attributes panel does not support multiselection.

  3. To refresh the attribute values from the database, click Refresh attribute values .
    Note: If the modified attributes are not updated, an Information dialog box appears for confirmation. If you modify the attributes in a work area, the Refresh attribute values command turns red, indicating that the attribute value is not refreshed: Refresh PLM Attributes  .
  4. To filter the selected attributes of the object, click Filter Attributes .
    The Filter Attributes dialog box appears.
    Tip: To display only the attributes of your choice in the Attributes panel, you can select the attributes check box from the Filter Attributes dialog box.
  5. To modify the attributes values, do the following:
    1. To shift from browse mode to edition mode, click Switch to edition mode .
    2. Modify one or more attribute values.
    3. To save the modifications, click commit .

      Important: If you modify one or more attribute values, and then select another object while still in the Attributes panel, the modifications are automatically saved.
      The modification triggers the Check business rules of saving. If the rule raises an error, the object is not committed and a warning message appears. The commit states vary depending on the modifications. The following table lists the possible commit states in all authoring and navigation apps:

      Commit State Meaning
      Some modifications are waiting to be committed.
      Some modifications are waiting to be committed but some warning has been raised from Check business rules.
      Commit is not authorized.

    In authoring apps, the modifications are saved in session, and will be saved in the database when you save the object. In navigation apps, the modifications are directly saved in the database.
    Notes:
    • You cannot modify attributes in the following cases:
      • When the selected object is open in Product Structure Design work area, you cannot edit its attributes in the Collaborative Lifecycle work area.
      • When the selected object in session is in read-only mode.
      • When the selected object is modified using another command. To enable modification again, end the other command and refresh the Attributes panel.
    • To switch back to browse mode once the attributes are modified, click Switch to browse mode .