Decomposing Interfaces

You can decompose functional or logical interfaces to structure flows and types. Creating subflows or subtypes enables you to easily create and manage connections between interfaces in a complex model.

This task shows you how to:

See Also
About Interfaces, Ports and Flow Associations

Insert New Flow

You can structure a functional interface by inserting a subflow to a flow.

  1. Select a functional interface.
  2. From the Edition section of the action bar, click Insert New Flow .

    Tip: The command is also available in the context menu.

    The Flow Reference dialog box appears.
  3. In the Flow Reference tab:
    1. In the Title box, enter the title to be displayed in the tree and in the 2D representation.

      Note: The Name box displays the non-editable and unique key server identifier.

    2. Optional: Enter a description.
    3. In the Category list, select one of the following categories:

      • Data:This flow models the data exchange.
      • Control:This flow models the activation/deactivation of functions.

  4. In the Flow Instance tab, enter a Flow Instance Identifier.

    Tip: This identifier can be automatically generated. For more information, see Me > Preferences > App Preferences > 3D Modeling > Systems Architecture > Functional & Logical Design > General > Flow and Type Indentifiers. For more information, see Native Apps Preferences Guide: General.

  5. Click OK to validate.
    The new subflow is inserted in the functional interface and appears in the Interfaces folder in the tree.

Insert New System Type

You can structure a logical interface by inserting a subtype to a system type.

  1. Select a logical interface.
  2. From the Edition section of the action bar, click Insert New System Type .

    Tip: The command is also available from the context menu.

    The New dialog box appears.
    Important: For more about the New content dialog box, see 3DEXPERIENCE Platform: Creating New Objects.

    For the purpose of this scenario, the Set attributes at creation option must be selected.

  3. Expand Logical and click System Type Reference.
    The System Type Reference dialog box appears.
  4. In the System Type Reference tab:
    1. In the Title box, enter the title to be displayed in the tree and in the 2D representation.

      Note: The Name box displays the non-editable and unique key server identifier.

    2. Optional: Enter a description.
  5. In the System Type Instance tab, enter a Type Instance Identifier.

    Tip: This identifier can be automatically generated. For more information, see Me > Preferences > App Preferences > 3D Modeling > Systems Architecture > Functional & Logical Design > General > Flow and Type Indentifiers. For more information, see Native Apps Preferences Guide: General.

  6. Click OK to validate.
    The new subtype is inserted in the logical interface and appears in the Interfaces folder in the tree.

Insert Existing Flow or Type

You can structure a functional or logical interface by inserting an existing flow or type.

  1. Select an interface.
  2. From the Edition section of the action bar, click Insert Existing Flow/System Type .

    Tip: The command is also available from the context menu.

    The Select an existing Flow/System Type dialog box appears.

    A message appears asking you to either:

    • Select an object in the tree or in the work area. A Filter symbol appears under your pointer to let you select the object in the session.
    • Run a query using the Search field. The Search Results panel lets you select the existing object. For more about the search functionality, see the 3DEXPERIENCE Native Apps user's guide.

  3. Browse to select the object you want insert then click OK.
    The Flow/Type Instance dialog box appears.
  4. In the Flow/Type Instance dialog box, enter a Flow/Type Instance Identifier.

    Tip: This identifier can be automatically generated. For more information, see Me > Preferences > App Preferences > 3D Modeling > Systems Architecture > Functional & Logical Design > General > Flow and Type Indentifiers. For more information, see Native Apps Preferences Guide: General.

  5. Click OK to validate.
    The existing subflow or subtype is inserted and appears in the Interface folder in the tree.

Display the Interface Decomposition Panel

You can display the structure of a decomposed interface in the Interface Decomposition panel. The scenario is identical for functional and logical interfaces.

  1. Right-click an interface to display the context menu.
  2. In the context menu, click Interface Decomposition Panel.
    A browser displays the interface structure in a table and enables you to create connections between interfaces.