Creating or Editing a Matrix Rule

You can use the interactive matrix to create or edit a complex rule that defines valid, invalid, and required selections for specific combinations of variants, variant values, option groups, and options for the model version. You can create matrix rules for a model version until it reaches the Review state.

Important: The Rules Tab lists matrix rules created in both Variant Management and Model Definition. You can only view matrix rules created in the Model Definition app in Model Definition. They are not listed on the Matrix Rules page in Variant Management.

This task shows you how to:

Create a Matrix Rule

Before you begin: Do the following:
  1. Create the model version. For more information, see Creating a Model Version.
  2. Open the model version. For more information, see Opening a Model Version.
  3. Allocate variability to the model version. For more information, see Allocating Variability to a Model Version.
  1. Select the Rules tab.
  2. From the page toolbar, select New > New Matrix Rule.
  3. Enter a title for the new matrix rule.
  4. Optional: Enter a description and select an image for the new matrix rule.
  5. To create the matrix rule, do one of the following:

    Option Actions
    Create a Single Matrix Rule Click Create.
    Create Multiple Matrix Rules Click Create another.

    Your matrix rule is created. The dialog box remains open so that you can create another matrix rule by changing the information.

  6. To open the matrix rule, do one of the following:
    • Double-click the matrix rule.
    • From the matrix rule's context menu or Action column, select Open.
    • To view the content of the matrix rule, do the following:
      1. From the page toolbar, click View Content to view the matrix rule in the preview pane.
      2. Click in the preview pane to expand the matrix rule editor to the full page.
    The matrix rule's Driving Criteria tab opens.

Open an Existing Matrix Rule

Before you begin: Open the model version. For more information, see Opening a Model Version.
  1. Select the Rules tab.
  2. To open the matrix rule, do one of the following:
    • Double-click the matrix rule.
    • From the matrix rule's context menu or Action menu, select Open.
    The matrix rule's Content tab opens, showing the matrix rule definition. Skip to Define the Matrix.

Define the Driving Criteria

  1. Select the Driving Criteria tab.
  2. To define the driving criteria, click Add Variants/Options.
  3. In the Model Version Variability pane, select the in the Actions column of the variant or variant values that you want to specify as the driving criteria for the matrix rule.

    Only the variants and variant values that you can use as driving criteria are active and available for selection. A variant must be in the Private or Available lifecycle states to be available for selection.

    Tip: You can filter the variability in the Model Version Variability pane. For more information, see Filtering Listed Items by Title.

  4. Optional: To remove variants or variant values, do one of the following:

    Object to Remove Actions
    Single variant value In the variant value's row, click Remove.
    Single variant and all of its variant values

    Note: If you remove a variant, all of its variant values are also removed.

    		 In the variant's row, click Remove.
    Multiple variants and variant values Select all of the variants and single variant values, then in the page toolbar, click Remove.

  5. Click Save.

Define the Constrained Criteria

  1. Select the Constrained Criteria tab.
  2. To define the constrained criteria, click Add Variants/Options.
  3. In the Model Version Variability pane, select the in the Actions column of the variants, variant values, option groups, and options that you want to specify as the constrained criteria for the matrix rule.

    Only the variants, variant values, option groups, and options that you can use as constrained criteria are active and available for selection. Variants and option groups must be in the Preliminary or Active lifecycle states to be available for selection.

    Tip: You can filter the variability in the Model Version Variability pane. For more information, see Filtering Listed Items by Title.

  4. Optional: To remove variants, variant values, option groups, or options, do one of the following:

    Object to Remove Actions
    Single variant value or option In the variant value' or option's row, click Remove.
    Variant and all of its variant values or option group and all of its options

    Note: If you remove a variant or option group, all of its variant values or options are also removed.

    		 In the variant's or option group's row, click Remove.
    Multiple variants, variant values, option groups, or options Select all of the variants, option groups, single variant values, and single options, then in the page toolbar, click Remove.

  5. Click Save.

Define the Matrix

  1. Select the Content tab.

    The matrix rule loads progressively to allow quicker display of the matrix. The status bar shows the number of rows, columns, and cells with conflicts in the matrix. After the matrix displays, conflicts are calculated per column then displayed. Finally, suggestions are calculated per column then displayed. The calculation completion percentage for each updates in the status bar in real time.

    You can begin editing the matrix rule at any time, but each saved change causes the matrix rule to reload using the same progressive display process.

    Any combinations of driving and constrained criteria that are not allowed or are required based on other rules are indicated by gray shading and a white icon in the matrix cell's corner:

    Icon Meaning
    This combination of driving and constrained criteria is incompatible with another rule defined for the model version. It is not a valid selection in the product configuration. Click the icon to view the tooltip that explains which existing rule makes this combination of criteria an invalid selection.
    This combination of driving and constrained criteria is required by another rule defined for the model version. It is a required selection in the product configuration. Click the icon to view the tooltip that explains which existing rule makes the combination a required selection.

    For example, if an external rule dictates the status of a cell, a white icon in gray shading appears in the cell's upper right corner indicating its required status. If a user selection in one cell of the matrix dictates the status of another cell in the matrix, for example, if you specify a default value for a variant and other values cannot be selected, a dark white in gray shading appears in the other cells' upper right corners.

    All criteria columns are displayed in the matrix, even if there are no valid combinations of criteria available to select in a column.

    Tip: To sort the constrained criteria alphabetically, click Constrained Criteria in the upper left of the matrix. This reverses the current order of display of the constrained criteria.
    Note: Invalid columns are indicated by a dark gray background, the word (Invalid) in the column title, and all inactive cells. The total number of invalid columns is displayed in the rule's status bar.
  2. To filter the matrix to show only columns with valid combinations of criteria (that is, to hide columns where none of the suggested values or valid values for the driving criteria are available), select Filter Column > Valid column only.

    Tip: Select Filter Column > Clear to display all of the columns in the matrix again. The total number of invalid columns is updated in the rule's status bar to show how many out of the total number of invalid columns are visible.

  3. To change the size of the matrix to make it easier to view and edit, click Resize-Column, then select one of the following display size options:
    OptionDescription
    Large The matrix cells are displayed in their largest format.
    Medium The matrix cells are displayed in a more compact format.
    Small The matrix cells are displayed in their most compact format.
  4. To define which selections are available during product configuration, for each combination of driving and constrained criteria do the following:
    1. Click in the matrix cell.
    2. From the list, select the status for this combination of criteria during product configuration:
    OptionDescription
    Selected This combination of criteria is automatically selected in the product configuration. You cannot clear it if rules are enabled for product configurations. All other cells in the constrained criteria are unavailable for selection, as indicated by the in their upper right corners. All other cells for options in the constrained criteria are available for additional selection, if any.
    Default This combination of criteria is selected by default in the product configuration. You can clear the criteria combination to reject it.
    Not Available This combination of criteria is not available for selection in the product configuration. You cannot clear it if rules are enabled for product configurations.
    Available This combination of criteria is available for selection in the product configuration. You cannot select it if rules are enabled for product configurations.
  5. To filter the matrix to see only selected driving criteria, do the following:
    1. Right-click the driving criteria's title at the upper left side of the matrix.
    2. Select Filter.
    3. Select the driving criteria that you want to hide in the matrix.

    Tip: To show hidden driving criteria in the matrix, select Filter, then select any cleared criteria.

  6. To sort the driving criteria by sequence number, do the following:
    1. Right-click the driving criteria's title at the upper left side of the matrix.
    2. Select Sort By > Sequence Number.
    3. Select either Ascending or Descending as the order to sort the driving criteria by sequence numbers.
  7. To sort the driving criteria by title, do the following:
    1. Right-click the driving criteria's title at the upper left side of the matrix.
    2. Select Sort By > Title.
    3. Select either Ascending or Descending as the order to sort the driving criteria alphabetically.
  8. To specify the values of all cells in a column to the same value, do the following:
    1. Right-click one of the driving criteria's values at the top of the matrix.
    2. To make all of the cells in the column unavailable for selection during product configuration, select Set Column > Not Available.
    3. To make all of the cells in the column available for selection during product configuration, select Set Column > Available.

    Note: You cannot use the Set Column commands to set all of the values in an invalid column.

  9. To apply the same value to more than one cell at a time, do the following:
    1. Click Painter.
    2. From the list, select the value that you want to paint to multiple cells.
    3. Click each of the cells in the matrix that you want to paint with the selected value.
    OptionDescription
    Not Available The selected criteria combinations are not available for selection in the product configuration.
    Available The selected criteria combinations are available for selection in the product configuration.
    Default The selected criteria combinations are selected by default in the product configuration.
    Selected The selected criteria combinations are selected in the product configuration.
    None The painter capability is reset.

    Tip: Click Undo to return the matrix rule to its last saved state. This can be useful if you have made several changes, but cannot resolve all of the conflicts that your selections have created, and want to start again.

  10. Click Save.

Resolve Conflicts with Other Rules

Any conflict between a cell's specified status and any other rules is immediately indicated by in the right side of the cell. This means that the current cell definition conflicts with this matrix rule or another rule defined for the model version.

  1. Click in a matrix cell.
    The List Conflict Rules panel opens.
  2. To navigate to the conflicting rule, do one of the following:

    Cntext Actions
    List Conflict Rules pane Double-click the tile of the conflicting rule.
    From the context menu of the conflicting rule, select Open.
    Browser toolbar Click Back in the browser to return to the Rules tab, then select the conflicting rule.
    Page breadcrumbs Click a link in the breadcrumbs at the top of the page.

    Note: If you have unsaved changes in the current matrix rule, you are prompted to save them before navigating to the conflicting rule.

  3. Update the rule to remove the conflict with the rule you navigated from.
  4. Save the changes you made to resolve the conflict.
  5. Navigate back to the rule that you were defining using either your browser's Back button or the app's breadcrumbs at the top of the page.
  6. Click Save.

Tip: You can successfully save a matrix rule that has conflicts, but you should resolve all conflicts before you complete a product configuration for the model version.

Resolve Invalid Columns

You can resolve the issues that are causing invalid columns in the rule matrix. Invalid columns are indicated by a dark gray background, the word (invalid) and in the column header, and all inactive cells. The number of invalid columns in the rule matrix is specified in the status bar. If you have hidden some invalid columns, the number of visible invalid columns out of the total number of invalid columns is displayed in the status bar.

  1. Click in the column header.
    The Invalid Column panel opens.
  2. To navigate to the rule causing the invalid column, do one of the following:

    Context Actions
    Invalid Column pane Double-click the tile of the rule.
    From the context menu of the conflicting rule, select Open.
    Browser toolbar Click Back in the browser to return to the Rules tab, then select the invalid rule.
    Page breadcrumbs Click a link in the breadcrumbs at the top of the page.

    Note: If you have unsaved changes in the current matrix rule, you are prompted to save them before navigating to the conflicting rule.

  3. Update the rule to ensure that you have resolved the issue that caused the invalid column that you navigated from.
  4. Save the changes you made to resolve the invalid column.
  5. Navigate back to the rule that you were defining using either your browser's Back button or the app's breadcrumbs at the top of the page.
  6. Click Save.