Creating Text and Table Templates

You can define and store text templates to be instantiated (that is reused). Once instantiated, the texts are associated with features or PLM attributes. Text templates rely on feature attributes and PLM attributes.

Similarly, you can create and store table templates containing a link template on a PLM attribute and instantiate them when required. Once instantiated, the text is associated with the PLM attribute.

Important: You can create text templates or table templates only in the detail sheets of a layout or from Symbols of Schematic apps.

This task shows you how to:

Before you begin:

  • Create new drawing representation.
  • Create a detail sheet.

See Also
About Text and Table Templates
Instantiating Text Templates

Create a Text Template

You can create a text template by creating a text and then inserting a link template or by directly using Text Template which automatically proposes to insert the link template.

  1. Create a text template using either of the following ways:
    1. From the Annotation section of the action bar, click Text or Text with Leader .
    2. Click anywhere in the drawing. If you are creating a text with leader, click once again in the free space to position the text.
    3. In the Text Editor dialog box, add text.
    4. Optional: Change the text properties or add a leader to the created text.

      Or

    1. From the Template section of the action bar, click Text Template .
    2. Indicate the text anchor point.
      The main view of the detail sheet is activated and the sheet is now in the edition mode. However, it only allows selection of elements located in the main view of the sheet to define the text's position. The Text Editor and the Insert Link Template dialog box appear simultaneously.
  2. Insert the link template.

Create a Table Template

You can create a table template in the main view of a detail sheet of a layout by creating a table and then editing it or by directly using the Table Template command.

  1. Create a table template using either of the following ways:
    1. Create a table.
    2. Double-click it to edit.
      The Insert Link Template dialog box appears. You can now insert a link template in each of the table cells.

    Or

    1. From the Template section of the action bar, click Table Template .
    2. Create a table with or without using a reference.
      The table is created and placed in the editing mode and simultaneously the Insert Link Template dialog box appears.
  2. Insert the link template.

Insert a Link Template

You can insert a link template in a text or in a table cell. In the case of table templates, a Cell box is added to specify the name of the table cell, which is being used to insert the link template.

  1. In the Link Template dialog box, enter the name of the template.
    This name is used to identify the table/text template in the catalog.
  2. In the Cell box, enter a name for the cell.

    You can also right-click the table cell and select Edit cell name.

    This name is used in the catalog browser to know which link templates are in the table. You can change the table cell name, if required.
  3. Under Type, perform the following actions:
    1. From the Package list, select a package.
    2. To make a package favorite, click the next to the package.
    • The selected package is activated.
    • The package marked as favorite is moved to Favorite Packages section.
  4. Filter the package list using the following steps:
    1. Click Retrieve package(s) from element .
    2. Select an element to retrieve the related packages. Select the DrawingXXXX node in the tree, for example.
      The package list is now filtered and shows the relevant packages. It also displays the Remove filter to help you remove the filter if required.
    3. Optional: Click Remove filter to remove the applied filter and restore the entire list of packages.

      You can reapply another filter by clicking Retrieve package(s) from element.

    4. Select the required package from the Package list.
      Accordingly, all the types included in the selected package are displayed in the Type list.
  5. Select a type from the Name list.
    The corresponding attributes along with their icons are displayed in several collapsible lists, each one corresponding to an inherited type, in an order, which displays the selected type's attributes on top.
  6. Under Attributes, select an attribute.
  7. Select a display type from the Placeholder display list.
  8. Click Insert.
    The link template is inserted in the upper-left table cell.

    Important: You can select additional attributes and insert them in the same table cell or you can select attributes of different types and insert them in the same table cell. Similarly, you can select attributes of different types and insert them in the text template.

  9. Optional: Double-click the table cell and follow the steps from 2 through 7 to insert the link template.
    Attributes of different types are inserted in the same table cell.
  10. Select another table cell and follow the steps from 2 through 7 to insert the link template.
    Additional attributes of the same type are inserted in the same table cell.
  11. Click to validate.
    The table template is created.

You can now store the templates in a catalog. For more information, see Storing Text and Table Templates in a Catalog.