Using the System Editor

You can use the System Editor to define and detail system structures.

This task shows you how to:

See Also
About the System Editor

Open the System Editor

When you start your app, the System Editor appears in the main frame. It is easily identified by its characteristic grid.

By default, a root System reference is created:
  • as a node in the tree
  • as a Workplan system tile on the grid.

When you leave your app, the System Editor is replaced with the default editor of the target application.

Create Systems and Operations in the System Editor

When you open the System Editor, a PPR Context object and a root System are created. You can then create systems and operations on the System Editor grid. One way of doing this is by using the System/Operation Authoring context toolbar that appears when you double-click in the editor.

If Process Planning is started by changing from another application, then no PPR Context object is created and the existing context is used. If there are already Systems below this PPR Context, no new Systems are created and System Editor displays the existing root System.

  1. To create a new system or operation, double-click the grid.
    The new System tile must be at least one tile away from any other tile.

    A context toolbar appears for inserting new or existing systems and operations on the grid. For details, see System/Operation Authoring Context Toolbar.



  2. Click Insert a General System in the Systems Authoring context toolbar.
    A new system tile is created on the grid.

  3. In a similar way, create operations on the grid using the Operation Authoring context toolbar.


    You can reposition a system or operation tile by dragging it to a free location on the grid.

    For more information, see Defining Systems and Defining Operations.

Edit System or Operation Properties

You can edit the reference, instance, configuration, and effectivity attributes of a system or an operation in the Properties dialog box.

  1. Right-click a system or an operation in the System Editor and select Properties.

    The Properties dialog box appears. The attributes are organized in tabs as follows:

    • Reference
    • Instance
    • Effectivity
    • Configuration
  2. Make the required modifications to the attributes and click OK.

Access Properties of Implemented Objects

You can access the properties of implemented objects (such as products or fasteners) of a system in the Properties dialog box.

  1. Right-click the required System tile or tree node and select Implemented Object Properties.
    The Properties dialog box appears.
  2. In the Current selection list, select an implemented object of the selected system (a product, for example).
    The properties of the implemented object appear.

Delete a System or Operation

You can delete a system or an operation using the Delete contextual command.

  1. Right-click the system or operation that you require to delete.
  2. Click Delete.
    The Edit Links & Relations Options dialog box appears. It proposes options for handling broken links.
  3. Select an option as follows:
    • Automatic: automatically reconnects broken links whenever it is possible to do so. Otherwise a warning is displayed. This is the recommended option.
    • Browse: displays the Edit Links & Relations dialog box, which you can use for manually reconnecting any broken links. For more information, refer to 3DEXPERIENCE Native Apps: Links and Relations.
    • No analysis: the links are not analyzed and any broken links are not reconnected.
  4. Click OK to delete the system or operation.
    Note: If required, you can click Undo to recover the system or operation.

Reframe the System Editor on a Tile

When you use the Reframe On contextual command on a system or operation tile or tree node, the editor zooms and centers on the tile.

  1. In the tree, right-click the system or operation that you want to reframe.


  2. Click Reframe On.
    The editor zooms and centers on the corresponding tile.



Note: You can run Reframe On on an operation in the tree when the operation's system tile is visible on the grid. In this case, the system tile expands and the Reframe is done on the operation tile.

Center Tree to Locate a System or Operation

When you use the Center Tree contextual command on a system or operation tile, the tree expands and positions the corresponding tree node in the middle of the work area.

  1. Right-click a system or operation tile.


  2. Click Center Tree.
    The tree is expanded and the corresponding tree node is positioned in the middle of the work area.



Use Visualization Modes

You can manage the display of the 3D representation on system and operation tiles using a number of visualization modes.

Use Visualization Modes on System Tiles

You can manage the display of the 3D representation on a system tile using visualization modes. The 3D view on the tile is the result of the items realized on the system.

  1. From the App Options panel, click Show All Parts .



    All parts are visible on the system tiles.

  2. Click Show Only Concerned Parts .



    Only the parts concerned are visible on the system tiles.

  3. Click Show Unconcerned Parts as Transparent .



    Only the parts concerned are visible on the system tiles and the other parts are transparent.

  4. Click Hide All Parts .

    Parts are no longer displayed on the system tiles. This is particularly useful for improving performance when large 3D representations are used.

Use Visualization Modes on Operation Tiles

You can manage the display of the 3D representation on an operation tile using the visualization modes. The representation is determined by the items implemented by the operation and the visualization mode. This may be a 3D representation of the implemented item or a 2D icon representing the item type.

The following scenario illustrates the case where an Unloading operation implements a Provided Part.

  1. Add an Unloading operation that implements the Provided Part of the Air Filter part shown below.



  2. From the App Options panel, click Show All Parts .



    All parts are visible on the operation tiles. The Air Filter is not shown on the Unloading operation tile because it is no longer part of the resulting output of this operation.

  3. Click Show Only Concerned Parts .



    Only the concerned parts are visible on the operation tiles. The Air Filter is shown because the concerned part of the Unloading operation is the Air Filter.

  4. Click Show Unconcerned Parts as Transparent .



    Only the concerned parts are visible on the operation tiles and the other parts are transparent.

    The Air Filter is shown on the Unloading operation tile because it is concerned by that operation. All the other parts from previous operations are transparent.

  5. Click Hide All Parts .



    Parts are no longer displayed on the operation tiles. If operations implement items, the 2D icon images of the implemented items are displayed on the tiles. This is particularly useful for improving performance when large 3D representations are used.

  6. Optional: Collapse the operations to visualize on the father System tile.
    Because the Air Filter is not part of the output of this system, the system tile displays the following result as output:



Use Scale Modes

You can manage the scale of the 3D representation on the System tile using a number of visualization modes.

  1. Load your 3D representation in the System Editor.


  2. Expand the root system.
  3. From the App Options panel, click Display Parts in Absolute Scale .
    The 3D representations displayed above each tile are displayed in an absolute way: they take up the same percentage of space above the tile.



  4. Click Display Parts in Relative Scale .
    The 3D representations are displayed within the context of the highest scoped item. This lets you see the relative size and positioning of each 3D representation.



The 3D representations are displayed according to the Scale factor for 3D representation above the tile specified in Me > Preferences > App Preferences > Simulation > Process Engineering > Process Planning > Grid Editors.

Item to System Assignments Using the Item Editor

You can drag items from the Item Editor to assign them to systems in the System Editor. By doing this, you can create operations on target systems.

  1. In the Item Editor, under the root Manufacturing Assembly create a Manufacturing Assembly with several Provided Parts.
  2. Switch to the System Editor, and create two systems.
  3. Create a scope between and root System.
  4. Switch back to the Item Editor.
  5. Position the Item Editor and the System Editor in the top and bottom frames of the window.
  6. Drag the Manufacturing Assembly tile from the Item Editor to the first System tile in the System Editor.
    The Manufacturing Assembly is assigned to the system. Several operations are created.
  7. Drag a part from the Item Editor to the second System tile in the System Editor.
    The corresponding Provided Part is now assigned to the system. A Loading operation is created.

Use the F5 Key to List Objects Assigned to Systems and Operations

By pressing the F5 key, you can list the objects that are assigned to systems and operations. For each system, the assigned parts, items, operations, and fasteners are listed. For each operation, the assigned parts and items are listed. You can customize the displayed attributes with the Customize F5 List with Attributes business logic.

  1. Press F5 on the keyboard to display assigned objects in an F5 list.
    The Parts tab is selected by default. Clicking any part in the list highlights the corresponding part in the 3D representation on the tile.



  2. Select the Man. Items tab to list the items implemented in the system or the items implemented by the operation.
    Note: The Item Editor has a similar F5 list. You can drag an item from the F5 list of the Item Editor to the System Editor.
  3. Select the Operations tab to list the operations contained in the system.
    Clicking any operation in the list highlights the corresponding part in the 3D representation on the tile.

    You can use the Process Gantt for displaying the operations owned or executed by a system.

Show Information for Selected System and Operation Tiles

You can use the Show Information contextual command to display information panels for selected system and operation tiles.

  1. Select one or more System or Operation tiles, then right-click and select Show Information.
    An information panel appears next to each selected tile.
  2. Optional: Press the F4 key to hide the information panels.

    You can show the panels again by pressing the F4 key again.

Note: By default, the description of the system or operation is given in the information panel.

Business logics are available to let you customize the information to be shown in the panel:

By default, DELPPRCustomizedLabelInformation_ID returns a single attribute name Description and DELPPRGetValueCustomizedInformation_ID returns the corresponding V_description attribute value of the system or operation instance.