Reusable Attributes

[Turko]

Version: Windchill 13.0

Use Case: I have several global attributes contained under object types which have been linked to reusable attributes. However, the basis for selecting which reusable attribute should be linked to the attributes of the object has been solely down to the data type of the reusable attribute and if it aligns with the data type of the attribute I want to associate with my object type.

Description:

Is this bad practice and should I have more control of my understanding of where I have used my reusable attributes? For example, I could have three reusable attributes called "Material", "Manufacturing Process" and "Product Type" which are linked to the global attributes called "Material", "Manufacturing Process" and "Product Type" in an object type called "Object A". These reusable attributes could be contained in an attribute organizer folder called "Object A Attributes" to make it clear where they are used and to which attributes they are associated to. What are the risks associated with only using the "Data Type" attribute of a reusable attribute as the criteria for deciding which reusable attributes can be used to associate to my new global attribute?

[TDT · Accepted solution]

Hi @Turko,

In my practice, I always maintain consistent naming between reusable attributes and global attributes. I do not create global attributes with names that differ from their corresponding reusable attributes. This approach avoids confusion and makes the association straightforward.

In some cases developers may create attributes with different names—for example, attributeA as a reusable attribute and attributeB as a global attribute. Even in such scenarios, I do not see any functional issues.

If a standard or controlled procedure is required, it is best to cross-check the mapping either through the UI or directly in the database before pushing the changes to production.

You can identify which reusable attribute is used for a global attribute from the UI, as shown in the image below

[Turko]

Thank you for your advice @TDT !