Attributes with Units

[avillanueva]

If this answer changes depending on PartsLink, please elaborate.



I have some attributes for electrical components that are described by our Engineers in different ways. Say I use an attribute with units for resistance and capacitance. Those are defined OOTB as ohms and Farads. In the world of electronics, sometimes those discrete values are not used by default. For capacitance, a unit like μF (micro-Farad) or pF (pico-Farad). For Resistance, it might be K (1000 Ohms) or M for (1000000 ohms). This presents a problem between how the system might want to manage them and how they should best be presented to users.



I would like to eventually use classification search with PartsLink and enter ranges for these values. If the units are not the same, I would think that would fall apart no? However, I would like to spare the user from looking at values such as 1x10^6 ohms (1M) or 4.70 X10^-10 F (470pF). Do I have to give up and use Strings?

[cc-2]

Hello,

we have tried to use attribute type Real with units and we noticed that there is a bug. When we export the search results into a text file (use the export functionality in PDMLink) the attributes with type Real number with units were not exported. It could be other bugs. So we decided to use the type Real number and write the unit in the attribute name.

If you choose string, this may cause issues in sorting the results.

Best regards

[patrick.chin1]

A suggestion is to use a mapping for the unit increment values based on your classification of WTPart. For various mappings tied to the classification, the display would be in the appropriate unit of measure. Instead of ^{1X10^(-6)} you would show 1 μ (Unit). ^{If you use the color codes as part of the heirarchy of branches classification, it is appropriate unit of measure can be displayed based on a tabulated mapped conversion view. You should show 2 of the values like RBB = 26000000 Ohms (Ω) or 26 MΩ. The conversion value can be an extra variable/attribute that is derived from the original IBA and the mapping conversion table. The only problem is that you will have multiple IBAs that will be duplicated from the original to show the appropriate display value. If you don't want multiple duplicate IBAs, you have to create a on demand conversion table.}

[sdrzewiczewski]

Patrick can you elaborate a bit more on this? We are working on PartsLink right now and the two largets complaints are around the units, 1st search results, 2nd data entry.

1) Is it a customization to get Windchill to present the UOM with the correct prefix, instead of just the Base Unit?

2) Can a user when enter a value specify a prefix like KOhm instead of Ohm, etc...

Thx,
Steve D,

In Reply to Patrick Chin:

A suggestion is to use a mapping for the unit increment values based on your classification of WTPart. For various mappings tied to the classification, the display would be in the appropriate unit of measure. Instead of ^{1X10^(-6)} you would show 1 μ (Unit). ^{If you use the color codes as part of the heirarchy of branches classification, it is appropriate unit of measure can be displayed based on a tabulated mapped conversion view. You should show 2 of the values like RBB = 26000000 Ohms (Ω) or 26 MΩ. The conversion value can be an extra variable/attribute that is derived from the original IBA and the mapping conversion table. The only problem is that you will have multiple IBAs that will be duplicated from the original to show the appropriate display value. If you don't want multiple duplicate IBAs, you have to create a on demand conversion table.}<sup>

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[avillanueva]

I believe you need to create a new measurement system for your users (like SI but yours would have the preferred units of how the users want to see it). then you use the override for resistance and specify you want to see it in units of Kohm. Each user must set this as there measurement system in their user preferences.

[sdrzewiczewski]

The problem (as stated by my users) Resistance could range from milliOhms to megaOhms and then want the tool (Windchill) to put the appropriate prefix in for them.

[sdrzewiczewski]

So from the online help

This topic provides symbols for use when specifying exponential notation in a supported unit string.

Rather than use exponential notation for unit values, use the following prefixes from the Symbol column in front of supported unit strings.

For example, for 23 microns, the system is designed to recognize "23 um", as well as 23e-6 m.

Does that mean when you are entering a value for an attribute you can type in 23 um to set it to 23 microns? I've tried with no luck, and feel that it is not supported.

[avillanueva]

The values are all stored in SI units (Base units). You enter then in
your personal units based on your preference. You are not able to
specify units when entering, just the value. You must convert to your
personal units. This is not the same for IXB import (Spreadsheet of new
Parts) however where units can be specified.

[LewisLawrence]

In Reply to Stephen Drzewiczewski:

So from the online help

This topic provides symbols for use when specifying exponential notation in a supported unit string.

Rather than use exponential notation for unit values, use the following prefixes from the Symbol column in front of supported unit strings.

For example, for 23 microns, the system is designed to recognize "23 um", as well as 23e-6 m.

Does that mean when you are entering a value for an attribute you can type in 23 um to set it to 23 microns? I've tried with no luck, and feel that it is not supported.

Hello,

I haven’t tried this in Product Structure Explorer (PSE). We don’t use PSE because applets suck. It used to be possible to specify units when editing a parts attributes using the Edit attributes from Windchill Explorer, E.G you could enter a value of “20.0 mm”. This functionality is not currently supported from the browser Interface, perhaps someone using PSE can advise if it still works from there or not?

-----

Lewis

[crosato]

I may not entirely understand what you're getting at, but I setup a UOM family on our system, so there's families like each, length, weight, etc. Basically, when the user creates the part, the base unit selected determines the UOM "family". Then when the user adds the part to a BOM the only UOMs they can use are those in the base unit family. So, if the base part is IN (length), they can't set the UOM to LB (weight) on the BOM.

It sounds like this is sort of along the lines of what you are trying to do.

In Reply to Stephen Drzewiczewski:

Patrick can you elaborate a bit more on this? We are working on PartsLink right now and the two largets complaints are around the units, 1st search results, 2nd data entry.

1) Is it a customization to get Windchill to present the UOM with the correct prefix, instead of just the Base Unit?

2) Can a user when enter a value specify a prefix like KOhm instead of Ohm, etc...

Thx,
Steve D,

[sdrzewiczewski]

Just tested and confirmed, that if you use PSE you can indeed specify the units and it will convert it to your preferred unit.

So if the unit is kg, and you specify 5 g, it will then convert it to .005 kg.

Thanks! I also agree that the applets suck, but at least there is a way to do what they are asking.

Steve D.

In Reply to Lewis Lawrence:

In Reply to Stephen Drzewiczewski:

So from the online help

This topic provides symbols for use when specifying exponential notation in a supported unit string.

Rather than use exponential notation for unit values, use the following prefixes from the Symbol column in front of supported unit strings.

For example, for 23 microns, the system is designed to recognize "23 um", as well as 23e-6 m.

Does that mean when you are entering a value for an attribute you can type in 23 um to set it to 23 microns? I've tried with no luck, and feel that it is not supported.

Hello,

I haven’t tried this in Product Structure Explorer (PSE). We don’t use PSE because applets suck. It used to be possible to specify units when editing a parts attributes using the Edit attributes from Windchill Explorer, E.G you could enter a value of “20.0 mm”. This functionality is not currently supported from the browser Interface, perhaps someone using PSE can advise if it still works from there or not?

-----

Lewis

[sdrzewiczewski]

I believe you are talking about Unit of Measure for quantity. I'm referring to part attributes that are Real Number with Units.

Steve D.

In Reply to Chris Rosato:

I may not entirely understand what you're getting at, but I setup a UOM family on our system, so there's families like each, length, weight, etc. Basically, when the user creates the part, the base unit selected determines the UOM "family". Then when the user adds the part to a BOM the only UOMs they can use are those in the base unit family. So, if the base part is IN (length), they can't set the UOM to LB (weight) on the BOM.

It sounds like this is sort of along the lines of what you are trying to do.

In Reply to Stephen Drzewiczewski:

Patrick can you elaborate a bit more on this? We are working on PartsLink right now and the two largets complaints are around the units, 1st search results, 2nd data entry.

1) Is it a customization to get Windchill to present the UOM with the correct prefix, instead of just the Base Unit?

2) Can a user when enter a value specify a prefix like KOhm instead of Ohm, etc...

Thx,
Steve D,