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<< Click to Display Table of Contents >> Define Relationships Types |
  
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<< Click to Display Table of Contents >> Define Relationships Types |
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This chapter describes how you can create you own Relationship Types beyond the ones defined by Plant 3D.
Currently PlantDataManager supports defining your own Relationship Types only for P&ID.
Relationships allow you to relate one object to another one. Plant 3D already has build-in relationships which can neither be changed nor extended. Relationships are vital for Plant 3D in order to acquire data from an object. For example the Pipe Line Segment acquires the Line Number from the Pipe Line Group in order to build up the Tag of the Pipe Line Segment. Or the Hand Valve acquires the size and spec from the Pipe Line Segment
With the introduction of Not Placed Objects (NPOs) in version 1.24.0.0. we also implemented the possibility to define your own Relationship Types. For example, you want to related a stirrer to a vessel.
In this chapter you see how you actually can define a Relationship Types. How the Relationship Types are used can be seen in under Using Relationships.
When you want to use relationships the first time in your project you click on the Relationship Types button.
This opens the Relationship Types dialog where you can see the available Plant 3D Relationship Types as well as some predefined Relationship Types we provide out-of-the-box.
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The greyed-out Relationship Types cannot be deleted, because those are the ones defined through Plant 3D.
If you select one of the predefined Relationship Types, the Delete button gets activated allowing you to delete a Relationship Type.
And now the Relationship Type is gone.
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Creating a new Relationship Types
In the following example we will create a new Relationship Type. Therefore we click on New.
In the next dialog you set the owner on the left side and the owned class on the right. In the right class tree you might see classed which are disabled. This is the case if such a relationship already exists (in this example between Engineering Items and Engineering Items and between Engineering Items and Non Engineering Items). You can expand the class, but not select it. This avoid creating the same Relationship Type multiple times.
What we want to do next is relate stirrers to all equipment. On the left side we select the Equipment class and on the right side the Mixing Equipment (under there you will find the Stirrers) class. This means that you will be able to relate all type of agitators/stirrers to any equipment. Sub-sequential it also means that you can related a stirrer to a stirrer. So if you later add a stirrer you might want to avoid relating a stirrer to a stirrer. If you want to have a fool proof case you define multiple relationship types where it makes sense to relate a stirrer to an equipment. For example Tanks/Mixing Equipment, Vessels/Mixing Equipment, Filters/Mixing Equipment. This way you later cannot accidentally relate a Stirrer to a Pump.
After you click on OK the new Relationship Type will be listed with the others.
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To edit Relationship Types you double-click on the Relationship Type you want to edit.
Now the dialog is in edit mode and you can check both the owner and owned class.
For example, changing from Mechanical Drivers to Mixing Equipment.
When you click OK the change is shown.
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If you click on Cancel, then all your changes will be lost.
Next Chapter: Using Relationships
