Assign Methods

To run methods on designpointset entities, the methods must first be assigned. Creating methods simply adds new designpointmethod entities to the database, but no reference is added to any designpointset.

  1. From the Certification ribbon, Method tool group, click the Assign tool.
    Figure 1.


  2. Select designpointset(s) on which to assign methods.
    • If this tool is entered from another tool with a designpointset selected, the selection is maintained.
    • Otherwise, the designpointsets available using advanced selection are filtered based on the config type defined in the options menu .
    • By default, the config option is derived from the last created designpointset entity.
  3. Click the Method selector on the guide bar.
  4. Select designpointmethod entities to assign to designpointset(s) in the following ways:
    • Use advanced selection.
    • Right-click the Method selector and choose Create method from template.

      The same dialog used to create methods opens with the current category (config) filtered. Click Create to create designpointmethods and populate the method selector.

  5. On the guide bar, click one of the following:
    • - Save changes and stay in the tool.
    • - Save changes and close the tool.

A method (designpointmethod entity) can be assigned to a single designpointset at a time. When a designpointmethod entity selected to be assigned is already in use, a deep copy is first created and assigned to the destination. If multiple destinations are selected, a copy of the method per destination is created.

If a method registration refers to a user input attribute (see Author Custom Methods), it means it relies on extended attributes not part of regular entity attributes in the model. Such extended attributes are lively added upon clicking the Proceed icon. Extended attributes can be added to:
  • Method entities
  • Structural properties
  • Properties
  • Materials

If the extended entity is either a property or a material, the tool scans the structural properties and searches if a property is assigned to it; otherwise, it selects an elemental property from elements inside the structural element. The collected list of properties/materials referenced by structural elements in the designpointset where a method is assigned are extended by metadata if they did not exist before.

Metadata is visible in the Entity Editor (of extended entity) under the category Metadata Values.

User inputs on methods or structural properties results in new attributes appended to the list of regular entity attributes.