SAP Engineering Control Center 5.1

Transcription

1 Application Help Document Version: CUSTOMER

2 Typographical Conventions Format Example Description Words or characters that are quoted from the screen display. These include field names, captions, button names, menu paths and menu options. Cross-references to text in other documentation. Example EXAMPLE Example Example <Example> EXAMPLE Highlighted words or expressions. Technical names of system objects. These include report names, program names, transaction codes, table names and individual core terms of a programming language that are surrounded by continuous text, such as SELECT and INCLUDE. Output on the screen. This includes file and directory names and their paths, messages, names of variables and parameters, source code and names of installation, upgrade and database tools. Exact user input. This includes words or characters, which you enter in exactly the way they are specified in the documentation. Variable user input. Pointy brackets indicate that you replace these words and characters for entries in the system with corresponding entries. Buttons on the keyboard, e.g. F2 or ENTER. 2 Typographical Conventions

3 Document History Note Before you start the implementation, make sure you have the latest version of this document. The latest version is available on SAP Service Marketplace at Version Date Change Initial creation Information added to "Checking SAP Engineering Control Center Settings" section Functions added to "Microsoft Office Integration" section Information added to "Troubleshooting" section Note added to the "SmartContainers" subsection of the "General Functions" section Function description changed in the "Document" subsection of the "Microsoft Office Integration" section Heading changed in chapter "Logfiles" Functions added to "Microsoft Office Integration" section "Presettings Browser" changed to "Preferences Browser" Subsection "Change Part to Standard Part" added to "Description of Administrator Functions" DADIs deleted Subsection "Layout Manager" added to "Window Description" section Description of the preference variable "plm.bom.itemkey = <DIRKEY>;ITEM_NO" added to "Preference Variables for Controlling the Bill of Material Process" section "Copying From" subsection added to "Layout Manager" section Information added to "Product Assistance for Systemadministrators" section Information added to "Cloning Window" section Information added to "Folder Operations" section Subsection "Table Functions" added to "Application Help for Endusers" section Subsection "Load Functions" added to "Assemblies Window" section Document History 3

4 Version Date Change Subsection "Asset Browser Window" added to "Window Description" section Note added to "Search Queries" section Information added to "Microsoft Office Integration" section Subsection "Search Parameters" added to "Search Queries" section Information added to "Administrator Menu section Terminology Changes Smartlist changes into SmartList and Smartcontainer into SmartContainer Note added to "Asset Browser Window" section Subsection "Options" added to "Application Help for Endusers" section Section "Canceling Editing and Discarding Work for External Documents" added "Desktop Window" section optimized "Product Assistance for System Administrators" section optimizied New subsection "Reload Classification Cache" added to "Description of the Administrator Functions" section "3D Viewer Window" section optimized Information added to "Folder Operations" section "Document Operations" section optimized "Clear File Space" section added "Cloning Window" section optimized "Application Help for System Administrators" section optimized "Administrator Menu in SAP Engineering Control Center" section optimized "Protecting Administrator Functions Against Use by Non- Administrators" section optimized Disclaimer added to the "Cloning Window" section "Materials" section optimized Information added to the "Folder Operations" section Information added to the "Desktop Window" section Information added to "Folder Operations" section Information added to "Troubleshooting" section "Transferring Settings to the Configuration Document in the SAP System" section added "Product Structure Management (PSM) in SAP Engineering Control Center section added Interface texts adjusted in "General Functions" section Note added to "Classification Data of SAP Objects in the Object Browser" section Document History 4

5 Version Date Change "Help Menu" section added Information added to the "Active List Window" section "3D Viewer Window" section optimized "Desktop Window" section optimized Link added to the " Application Structur Window" section "PSM Window" added "Product Strukture Management (PSM) in SAP Engineering Control Center" section optimized "General Functions" section optimized Document History 5

6 Contents 1 Application Help for Endusers Starting SAP Engineering Control Center Logging on to the SAP System with SAP Engineering Control Center Possible Messages after Logging On Obsolete DType Settings Log on to SAP System Failed Transport Imported during SAP Engineering Control Center Runtime SAP Security Warning SAP Engineering Control Center: Document Concept Master Documents and Dependent Documents Documents and Files File Handling DTypes Materials Window Description Layout Manager Desktop Window Object Browser Window Active List Window Assemblies Window Classification Window SAP Office Window Bills of Material Window D Viewer Window Cloning Window Application Structure Window Asset Browser Window PSM Window Functional Description Folder Operations Document Operations General Functions Product Structure Management (PSM) in SAP Engineering Control Center Table Functions Ad-hoc Filter Managing the Layout Manager Sorting by Column Values Context Menu for Individual Columns List and Tile Display Search Queries Search Parameters Options Help Menu...42 Contents 6

7 1.11 Logfiles Microsoft Office Integration Application Help for System Administrators Administrator Menu in SAP Engineering Control Center Protecting Administrator Functions Against Use by Non-Administrators Description of the Administrator Functions Preferences Browser Change User Fields Change Administrator Activation Key Change DType (Administrator) Change Part to Standard Part Cancel Check-out Foreign Documents Reload Classification Cache Clean File Space Clean Preview Directory Fileserver Information Show Deleted Documents Create Heap dump Save Protected Layouts Create API Repository Upload Settings to SAP System Maintain the DSC ABAP Switches Select Object Data Check Settings Transferring the settings into the Configuration Document in the SAP System SAP Lock Entries SAP Update Recordings SAP Process Overview Remove Administrator Menu Searching the Status Log Replacement Rules for File Names Logging on to the SAPSystem Outputting the SAP System Message Bill of Material Process Preference Variables for Controlling the Bill of Material Process Processes FAQs Troubleshooting Contents 7

8 1 Application Help for Endusers SAP Engineering Control Center is an information cockpit. SAP Engineering Control Center features an intuitive, user-friendly interface with context-related functions, which enables easy management and efficient handling of objects. Objects are: Documents Material data Bills of material Other SAP objects Master and structure data provides the basis for business processes as well as the information basis for different business areas. SAP Engineering Control Center directly accesses SAP data and processes. The SAP authorization concept ensures that only authorized users can use the data. SAP Engineering Control Center is a modular solution that can be adapted flexibly and quickly to your individual company processes. 1.1 Starting SAP Engineering Control Center SAP Engineering Control Center can be started in two different ways: Without an authoring system (standalone) With an authoring system If a user wants to view or change a document in SAP Engineering Control Center, the software communicates with different authoring systems in the background. SAP Engineering Control Center automatically starts the right authoring system. 1.2 Logging on to the SAP System with SAP Engineering Control Center When you log on, enter the following data: SAP system User Password Language CAD assembly The CAD group calls a user role in the background. The user role controls the provided functions and configuration options. If a demo role has been set up, SAP Engineering Control Center is started in demo mode. Application Help for Endusers 8

9 This mode gives you access to all the functions of SAP Engineering Control Center. Demo mode is only available for test systems. SAP Engineering Control Center also offers optional Single-Sign-On support for the SAP system. Here, the system remembers the data for logging on again on the same day. Contact your system administrator in regard to this. 1.3 Possible Messages after Logging On Obsolete DType Settings If you receive an error message after logging on to the system, the document types (DTypes) have been changed but this data has not been transferred to the SAP system. Please contact your system administrator in regard to this Log on to SAP System Failed When you start SAP Engineering Control Center, the SAP system prerequisites are checked. If these system prerequisites are not fulfilled, a notification window refers you to the corresponding SAP Notes. If a general error occurs during the logon to the SAP system, additional details are provided in a dialog. Following this, you have two options: Attempt to log on again. Close SAP Engineering Control Center. Note New transactions are regularly requested from the SAP system even during operation. Hence, this error message does not only appear when you start the system Transport Imported during SAP Engineering Control Center Runtime If a new transport is imported while the system is running, the user receives the following message: A new SAP transport was imported during runtime. Restart SAP Engineering Control Center SAP Security Warning If you get an SAP GUI security prompt during operation, you can deactivate the prompt in the options in the SAP logon window. For more information, see the SAP help. Application Help for Endusers 9

10 1.4 SAP Engineering Control Center: Document Concept Master Documents and Dependent Documents SAP Engineering Control Center distinguishes between master documents and dependent documents. The master document is the leading document and contains the CAD model file to be processed. Various data is defined in it: Part or model Descriptive data o Assembly structure o Status o Owner o Distribution The master document is the basis for generating bills of material. Dependent documents define the part or model to be described under different aspects: Drawings Data sheets Product specifications NC data Inspection logs Calculation results With the default setting, a dependent document receives the same number as its master document. Dependent documents present separate administration data records in the SAP system and can thus have a separate status network. Together, master documents and dependent documents form the master group. Within a master group, you can assign any number of dependent documents to the master document. For document operations such as copying, version creation and cloning, master documents and dependent documents are always processed together. The master documents and dependent documents are closely linked in SAP PLM. This link between the documents represents an entry in the document structure of the dependent document. This means that the dependent document has the master document with a corresponding indicator in the sort field as a document structure item. In the document of the master document, you find the drawing via the where-used list. You can link master documents and dependent documents to the SAP material masters. The master documents are the basis for generating BOMs. You can assign different originals (physical application files) to all master documents and dependent documents. Each SAP Engineering Control Center is assigned exactly one primary application that is used to start the main application program. Application Help for Endusers 10

11 1.4.2 Documents and Files Files in the operating system that are created by a wide range of applications are always stored in a document in SAP PLM. In SAP PLM terms, these files are called originals. Originals have a workstation application attribute that records the program with which an original can be edited or viewed. The document has a unique key that consists of the document number, document type, part document and document version. It stores all data and transactions that are created during editing. In SAP PLM, you can use document types to distinguish between documents with different properties and responses. Depending on the document type, different release processes (status network), classifying attributes or authorizations can be assigned File Handling The session directory refers to the working directory of a user at a workstation. To execute user actions on files, the files are loaded from the SAP system into the working directory. The SAP Engineering Control Center cache is a temporary buffer that is only updated internally. Using this buffer reduces the time it takes to access these files. If a certain file is required, SAP Engineering Control Center first checks the cache. From there, it is loaded directly into the session directory. Accessing the cache reduces the number of accesses to the SAP Content Server and data is available to the user more quickly. Note Even if you need space on the disk, do not delete files manually. Execute the function Clear Working Directory, then execute the function Clear Inode Cache DTypes SAP Engineering Control Center defines the response of a document in document types (DTypes). The DType contains all settings for a certain document type, which can be regarded as a type of refined document category. Advantages You can control and adapt the response of more complex objects. For certain application cases you can define DTypes that specify how the document behaves in the subsequent stages of its life cycle. You can set it up so that it is not possible to accidentally create a material for a drawing. Application Help for Endusers 11

12 1.4.5 Materials In SAP PLM, the object that represents a physical part is called material. A material has the following properties: Is identified by its material number Stores all information that is assigned directly to the part in the material Has one or more assigned documents that describe certain aspects of a part SAP Engineering Control Center makes it possible to create materials and link materials and documents via an object link. If a prefilled template is not available for a material when the material is created, an error message appears. 1.5 Window Description Layout Manager In SAP Engineering Control Center, you can use the layout manager to configure a custom layout for metadata for each window. You can change the sort sequence and save the layout under any name. You can access the layout manager via the cogwheel icon in the toolbar Tree Layout The tree layout settings in the Change Tree Layout dialog define the appearance of the objects in the tree structures of SAP Engineering Control Center. This function offers you a simple and fast way to set the display options you require. The dialogs provide a set of properties that can be selected for the display. The user sees the available columns in the Column Set. A separate layout can be defined for each object. You can use the arrows to add the columns you require for the respective tabs to the column selection. Individual or all of the properties can be moved. You can configure the view sequence and the permitted width Properties Layout The properties layout settings define the layout of object properties in table displays of SAP Engineering Control Center. For example, changes to the properties layout appear immediately in the Object Browser. You can configure the settings for the properties layout as per the description in the Tree Layout section. Application Help for Endusers 12

13 Tree Sorting Using the sort sequence, you can display documents in SAP Engineering Control Center folders in a particular order, for example. By using multiple sort criteria, you can sort at multiple levels. For each sort criterion, you can specify whether the sort order is ascending or descending Saving the Layout You can save user-defined layouts by choosing Save Layout. These saved layouts are displayed in the upper area (e.g. $ standard). Saved layouts can be deleted again. You can save a layout you have created under any name Copying From The layout manager allows you to use copy templates for individual function groups and display groups. If function groups or display groups are defined for SAP objects, you can create an individual layout for each individual group. If no groups are defined, the field remains empty. You use the dtype.xml file to define groups for documents and the default.txt file to define groups for SAP objects. To do this action, contact your administrator Desktop Window The desktop window shows the structure of the PLM objects. In these folders, you can store and manage the objects. The desktop window has a toolbar at the top edge of the window. The toolbar contains documentdependent and object-dependent functions. Depending on the Customizing settings, the following containers are available Last Used Documents This container contains the documents last used by SAP Engineering Control Center. Search Queries Search queries let you create and save search queries for documents, materials, change numbers or work items and re-execute them at any time. By right-clicking the search query icon, you can create and name a search query for the desired object type. The search query appears in the position underneath. SmartLists In Customizing, you can define your own smart containers for which the content is determined according to your own rules. You can freely define the rules for filling the containers. With the help of macros, you can fill the rules with filtered documents. You can find the list of available macros under %PLM_INSTDIR%\customize\scripts\macros Application Help for Endusers 13

14 Object Lists Objects lists are temporary containers, which unlike normal folders do not save their content in the SAP system. Object lists are used to record temporary sets of objects and execute set operations with the contained objects in a high performance fashion. If you need a large set of objects only for a short time, folder maintenance costs time, especially on the SAP side. For object lists, the folder content is stored in the computer memory, so there is no access to the SAP system. In addition to objects, you can also add folders to object lists by dragging and dropping them. Folders The SAP Engineering Control Center folders organize and arrange the work space of the desktop view clearly. You can create any number of folders and folder structures, for example, to save and quickly relocate project structures and the objects needed therein. You can move folder contents quickly using drag & drop. The storage structure is saved in SAP PLM. Expandable folders structure the object view. The folders contain additional information about the selected object. Furthermore, standard icons for specific object information make your work easier. Working Directory The Working Directory folder maps documents that were saved in the working directory of SAP Engineering Control Center. In the working directory, the documents can be accessed more rapidly. The following menu functions can be selected in the working directory: o Update Originals Updates original documents in the working directory to the version in the SAP system. o Cleanup Working Directory Cleanses the working directory. Files that the user has open for editing are not removed from the working directory. o Change Working Directory Some CAD programs support working with multiple working directories. You can change between these directories here. Depending on their status, documents are classified here in various subdirectories that support a variety of operations. The icon of a subdirectory shows whether the documents stored in this subdirectory cause or can cause conflicts. o Current Documents in the working directory that are currently up-to-date are displayed here. If you want to delete documents in this subdirectory, right-click on the folder and select Delete Files from the Working Directory. o Current Version SAP system Displays documents in the working directory for which a newer version exists in the SAP system. If you want to load the SAP version into the working directory, right-click on the folder and select Reset to SAP Version. If you want to delete documents in this subdirectory, select Delete Files from the Working Directory. o Locally Modified Without Write Authorization and Current Version in the SAP System Displays documents in the working directory that do not match the SAP version and have been modified by the current user without write authorization. If you want to load the SAP version into the working directory, right-click on the folder and select Reset to SAP Version. This status indicates a conflict. If you want to delete documents in this subdirectory, select Delete Files from the Working Directory. o Write Authorization Application Help for Endusers 14

15 Displays documents in the working directory that the current user has open for editing but that have not yet been changed. If you want to save the document in the SAP system without saving the changes, rightclick on the folder and select Check-In. Note that your changes will be discarded. If you want to cancel the part of the working directory listed here, select Cancel Edit. o Locally Modified with Write Authorization Displays documents in the working directory that the current user has open for editing at the moment, and that have been changed. If you want to save the document to the SAP system without the changes, right-click on the folder and select Check-In. Note that your changes will be discarded. If you want to cancel the part of the working directory listed here, select Cancel Edit. o Locally Modified Without Write Authorization Displays documents in the working directory that have been changed by the current user, but that are not open for editing. If you want to delete documents in this subdirectory, select Delete Files from the Working Directory. If you want to reset the changed documents to the version in the SAP system, select Reset to SAP version. o Write Authorization, But More Current Version in the SAP System Displays documents in the working directory that the user has changed but for which a more up-to-date version exists in the SAP system. This status indicates a conflict. If you want to load the SAP version into the working directory, right-click on the folder and select Reset to SAP Version. If you want to cancel the part of the working directory listed here, select Cancel Edit. o Unknown Files Displays documents in the working directory that have no equivalent in the SAP system. If you want to display the document in the Working Directory folder locally, right-click on a document and select Display in Explorer. If you want to delete the document from the working directory, select Remove Files Object Browser Window The Object Browser shows data for a selection object in a central location. Depending on the type of selected object, its specific data is displayed. Examples of this data include basic data, structure data, classification, long texts, etc. If you want to display other information, you can specify this in Customizing. The Object Browser has a toolbar at the top edge of the window, which contains document-dependent and object-dependent functions. The functions available change according to the object selected Active List Window In the Active List window, you can store a table of all SAP objects that you need for processing. It allows you to filter or sort objects temporarily. Various SAP objects are located on different tabs. You can add new SAP objects to the active list by selecting one or more objects in the desktop or assemblies view and dragging and dropping these on to the Active List. Alternatively, you can use the function Send to Active List to add objects to the Active List. You can configure SAP Engineering Control Center to automatically add objects to the Active List when these objects are added: When materials are added, the assigned documents are also added. When master documents are added, the assigned dependent documents are also added. Application Help for Endusers 15

16 You can sort the objects in the Active List by columns. The Active List has a toolbar at the top edge of the work area, which contains the most important functions. By choosing Change Layout and setting the checkmark for Display Characteristics, you can display all the classification characteristics of the documents in the table. If a document does not have a characteristic, then the field in the corresponding column is grayed out. If the Display Characteristics field is not displayed, the classification data has not yet been read when the Change Layout is called. You can set the classification data to be read permanently. 1. Select System Options tab: Classification: Read classification data for folder content. 2. Restart the program. If you do not activate the classification data permanently, proceed as follows: 1. First select a folder with documents. 2. In the Object Browser, click the Read Classification button Assemblies Window The assemblies view shows you the structure of an assembly with all parts that belong to this assembly. You can display any new statuses of a loaded part and perform an update. This can be useful if you are working with complex assemblies. The assemblies view has a toolbar at the top edge of the working area, which contains the key functions Loading Rules For assemblies, you can set the assembly version that the CAD application loads (loading rule). SAP differentiates between various views: Other views are: Engineering View (Highest Version) o This view displays the latest version of the assemblies, regardless of the release status, for loading into the CAD application. As last saved o This view displays the last saved version of the assemblies for loading into the CAD application. Production view (today) o This view displays the last saved version of the assemblies for loading into the CAD application. For every assembly and component, the version released to date is loaded. Production view (latest released) o This view displays the currently released version of the assemblies for loading into the CAD application. For every assembly and component, the version currently released is loaded. By Date o This view displays the version of the assemblies on a certain date for loading into the CAD application. By change number Application Help for Endusers 16

17 o This view displays the version of the assemblies on a certain date in a change number for loading into the CAD application. My latest, others eng. Released o This view displays the released assembly with the user's own changes for loading into the CAD application. Note If a component has not yet been loaded by the CAD application, you can change the view (loading rule) Classification Window The Classification window displays the classes and class structures. You can expand the individual hierarchy levels and navigate through the class structure. Detailed information on a selected class is displayed in the Object Browser. Parts of the class hierarchy can be expanded or collapsed. If the class has classified objects, a corresponding object icon is displayed on the class icon. Classification Data Search If you select a class, a search screen appears in the bottom section of the window. It displays all characteristics of the class as search criteria. To select values, various dialogs are available that help users generate the search criteria. Select the dialogs using the corresponding button or via F4. The tool tip texts above the search fields display additional information on the characteristics. If you select the Search in subclasses field, the search can be expanded to subclasses. Search for several characteristic values: To search for several characteristic values of a characteristic, enter the neutral characteristic values in the search field, separated by semicolons. If you are using input help dialogs, this happens automatically. Interval searches For numeric characteristics you can also search for value ranges. To do this, define the interval in the form "number space minus space number" in the search field. Another option is to map the combined quantity in the search field by entering the values in comma-separated form with an operator. Classification Data of SAP Objects in the Object Browser Note If you insert multiple characteristic values, do not use a semicolon. Using a semicolon can lead to errors. Use a comma instead. In the Object Browser, classification data for the following objects can be viewed and changed: Application Help for Endusers 17

18 Material Document Change number On the document, the characteristic properties of the classification data are mapped in the way they were defined in the SAP system. By default, the neutral and the language-specific values of a characteristic are displayed. If the neutral and language-specific values are identical, only the neutral value is displayed. Application Help for Endusers 18

19 You can change the classification data of the objects in two different ways: Free input of characteristic values Using the input help dialogs Use F4 to call up the input help dialogs. Fields that can be edited are marked with a pencil icon. Intelligent input fields assist you with numeric characteristics. For date characteristics, you can call up a calendar function in which the desired date can be selected and is copied to the input field in the correct format. For time characteristics, you can enter the time using a a help dialog. Characteristics for which a check module has been stored are checked automatically. Other values entered by you are checked when they are saved. If an error occurs, a message that states the reason for the termination appears SAP Office Window SAPmail To make received and sent messages visible, choose the menu path Window SAP Office. You can display and answer messages via the context menu. You can find message details in the Object Browser. Work items With the help of SAP Office, you can process work items efficiently. You can accept, process and forward work items here. Related details are displayed in the Object Browser. You can move received work items to the Desktop window for processing by using drag & drop. Notification and search You are notified by SAP Engineering Control Center when you receive new messages or work items via SAPmail. You see a notification text and an icon indicating new messages and work items in the status bar. The dialog also allows you to search for mails and work items Bills of Material Window The Bills of Material window provides an overview of bills of material. By using drag & drop, you can add materials with bills of material and then filter these if necessary. If you expand the bill of material, it is exploded and displayed according to the predefined filter criteria. This can also be done at multiple levels. You can move documents into the window by using drag & drop. The marked material of the document is hereby inserted. If a marked material does not exist, the first material is used. If no material exists for the document, nothing happens. You also have the option to export the current bill of material structures to Excel. Application Help for Endusers 19

20 D Viewer Window The integrated SAP 3D Visual Enterprise Viewer is shown in the 3D Viewer window. The default viewer is SAP 3D Visual Enterprise Viewer. The viewer interacts with the selected components from the assemblies window. This allows you to address objects in the view, for example, through selection. The components selected are also automatically selected in the Assemblies window of SAP Engineering Control Center. Through the dynamic coupling, you can manipulate the assembly structure and display these manipulations directly in the viewer. Components selected in the viewer are displayed in the Object Browser window and additional information for the selection is visible. The viewer-specific functions can be used to the full extent in the 3D Viewer window. Since the version SAP 3D Visual Enterprise Viewer 9.0 FP01, PDF files can also be displayed in the 3D Viewer window. Note: Known Issue If the SAP GUI is open with metadata of the changed object during an update, the update is not accepted. To update the values, the node involved must be selected manually in the scene tree Cloning Window In the Cloning window, you can duplicate single parts as well as large assemblies in a controlled and efficient manner. Before you can clone an assembly, the system requires that you create (if necessary, valuate and change) all sub-assemblies and components. Cloning is designed for mass duplication of CAD files. You can keep an overview of all files to be cloned and easily edit the files before cloning. During the cloning process in the SAP system, the CAD files are changed. You can integrate customer-specific requirements and your own add-ons. -specific requirements could be naming rules, for example. With your own add-ons, you can specify that only documents with a certain status are allowed to be cloned. Preparatory Settings Starting cloning/selecting assemblies Cloning takes place in a separate window in which the necessary data and functions are available to you. You start the cloning process using a separate button in the Cloning window. The assemblies in the window are used for cloning. Structure explosion The assemblies to be cloned are exploded according to the loading rule defined in the SAP system and displayed in a table. You see the basic data, key fields, as well as the type of documents (standard part, assembly, or individual part). Identifying external relationships After the structure is exploded, the external references are displayed. You then have the option to clone the references. Application Help for Endusers 20

21 Cloning Master Documents You can call up the cloning dialog by choosing the pushbutton at the top left. In the dialog, you can select the assemblies and parts to be cloned. Your selection is shown clearly in table format. You can configure the columns to your requirements. Use the appropriate preference variables in the default.txt file. You can also apply the cloning functions directly in the tree structure in the Cloning window. The table provides you with a clearer overview and offers additional sorting options. You can also apply other options. For components, you can execute the following functions: Create new documents (including new versions) Add or create new components Exclude components from the cloning process Note Error messages may appear. Dependencies between components can exist. If you want to change a component that has a higher-level component, the higher-level component is also cloned. Error messages If the data entered is verified and the evaluation of this data causes a conflict or SAP error, error messages will appear. The error messages are displayed in the Error column of the user interface. As long as error messages are displayed, a document cannot be cloned. Displaying cloned master documents and dependent documents All successfully cloned documents are displayed in the assemblies window (not in the Cloning window). In the SAP system, the relevant predecessor document is entered. Note If desired, dependent documents can also be cloned. References (e.g. wave links) are generally included in cloning. Only the relationship is hereby cloned, not the reference document itself. Standard parts are currently included in cloning. You have to explicitly excluded standard parts from cloning. Cloning options You can specific the type of cloning for each line of the dialog, that is, for each component. No action The part is not cloned and remains, unchanged, a component of the higher-level assembly. New internal number The part cloned from this component is assigned a new internal document number selected by the SAP system. New external number Application Help for Endusers 21

22 The part cloned from this component is given a new document number that is assigned by the engineer (or by another process). The document number is entered in the additional dialog Save As and then displayed in the cloning table. Add component You can insert other components under the part for which you select this option. You can find the component either by using the dialog Document Search or the function Add Document in the folder. The part found is inserted into the cloning table. To remove this component, you can select it in the tree and choose the Del key. Alternatively, there is a context menu for the component with the menu option Delete. Replace component The selected component replaces the component for which you have selected this option. Delete component The selected component is deleted when cloning takes place. The assembly is hereby cloned without this component. New version The components that you have selected are changed into new versions of the documents. The references of the selected components are updated. Change details Here you can change specific details such as external number or processor. You can also specify which metadata is to be copied to the target document during cloning. You specify this data in the cloning table. The columns have the following meaning: Long Text: The entire long text is copied from the source document. Object Links: All of the object links are copied from the source document. Classification: The entire classification is copied from the source document. Clone Dependent Document: Dependent documents are also cloned. You can select and reassign the description of the dependent document. Note Disclaimer Not all CAD integrations support all functions for cloning. Note that there may be CAD-specific restrictions for the functions Application Structure Window The application structure window shows originals that are loaded in the application. The application indicates the structure. Information is also read from the SAP system and the work directory. At first glance, it is evident which parts are the current ones and which were processed or are currently being processed by another user. For information about the meaning of the various icons in this window, see the "SAP Implementation Guide Icons". For more information, refer to the SAP Community WIKI: Application Help for Endusers 22

23 Asset Browser Window The Asset Browser window supports maintenance with SAP PLM and provides the relevant master data for equipment and functional locations on the user interface of SAP Engineering Control Center. This data supports company-wide processes and improves consistency across all processes. Convenient filter functions help you navigate quickly and easily through complex structures. This window enables you to find objects within the maintenance structure quickly. From the desktop, you can link and assign documents to equipment and functional locations easily using drag&drop. Equipment can be extended within the maintenance structures. Note Note that you require an SAP Engineering Control Center professional license to use the Asset Browser PSM Window The PSM window shows the structure of product groups and products with all variants belonging to the particular product. You can add documents to the PSM window by dragging and dropping them. You can expand elements of the product structure by clicking the + in front of each node and collapse them using. The elements are exploded level by level. The window has a toolbar at the top edge of the work area, which contains the most important functions. Note Note that you require an SAP Engineering Control Center professional license to use the PSM window. 1.6 Functional Description The functional description serves as a reference work and describes the response of SAP Engineering Control Center as supplied in the default. SAP Engineering Control Center and SAP PLM have a large number of configuration parameters. Hence, the responses of the functions and interfaces of your installation can differ significantly from this documentation Folder Operations The following chapter deals with various folder operations. Application Help for Endusers 23

24 Set Active Sets the selected folder to active. All newly created objects are stored in this folder. Documents are stored in this folder only if the documents were created directly on an inactive folder. New Folder Creates a folder underneath the selected folder. A subsequent dialog prompts you to assign a name and description to the folder. Automatic assignment of folder names can be configured. New Document If you want to create a new file and manage it in SAP PLM, you can use this function to create the document. A new document can be created in two different ways: Directly in the user interface: You can create initial documents without using the applications in SAP PLM. Via the SAP PLM menu from the application: The model is then open for editing. To create a master document, SAP Engineering Control Center provides a separate dialog. The dialog offers the most important input fields for creating a document. Creation Dialog for the Document Choose a DType group and a DType. The DTypes are assigned to individual DType groups. Once the DType group has been selected, all DTypes that belong to this group are displayed automatically. Depending on the configuration at hand, these fields can also be displayed as a filterable combo box. The box's content is filtered based on what you enter, with all matching elements highlighted in black. If no matching element is found, your entry is highlighted in red. New documents to be created can already be classified and given characteristics as well. Note Keep in mind that fields marked with *** are required fields. If required fields are not filled, an error message appears. The characteristic English description enables you to additionally create the new document in English. If a master document is created from the CAD system, only certain document types are available. SAP Engineering Control Center facilitates this selection by adapting the list to the corresponding application. After the creation from the CAD application, SAP Engineering Control Center opens the document for processing so you can start work immediately. Each new document in SAP Engineering Control Center is automatically stored in the active folders or the folder for which the function was called. This makes it easier for you to later find the document in SAP PLM. Create Documents via drag & drop You can create documents from Windows explorer by dragging the file to a folder in SAP Engineering Control Center. In the document creation dialog, only those DTypes that match the extension of the file are displayed. Application Help for Endusers 24

25 Only files with extension are allowed here because the extension controls the DType determination. You can configure the assignment of the extension for the primary application (e.g. *.prt for primary application UGS). The configuration determines the available DTypes. You can use drag & drop to drag several files to a folder at the same time. The document creation dialogs appear successively. Create a Document with Templates from the SAP System In addition, SAP Engineering Control Center offers the option to use templates for creating documents managed in the SAP system. You select the template from the SAP system according to the DType. You can search for SAP templates in the document creation dialog. From the hit list that appears then, you can choose the desired template. The new document is generated with the original of the template. The newly created document is either called in the active folder or in the folder in which the function was called. Create Objects The following SAP objects can also be created: Material Change number Engineering record Equipment Functional location Product structure Add Opens a search dialog that allows you to search for folders, documents, materials, change numbers, equipment, functional locations, engineering records, and product structures. The search result is displayed in an event table, in which filter and sort options are available. Selected folders are inserted into the currently selected folder. Add from Clipboard If the clipboard contains document numbers, material numbers, or change numbers, these objects are found and displayed in a results table. Filter and sort options are available in the results table. Selected objects are inserted into the folder selected. Copy Folder Structure Copies an entire folder structure, optionally with template documents. Here, you can make the following settings: Set target folder: Active folder or current folder You can change the description of the top folder. Mode: Choose whether the folder structure or also the document references are copied. Classification: Select whether the classification is copied as well or not. Application Help for Endusers 25

26 Export Originals (Including Folder Structure) Analyzes the folder structure with all the documents contained in it and saves this structure, including all documents, locally on the user s computer. If the folder description includes one of the following special characters, the special character is replaced in accordance with the following schema: Special character Is replaced by /,1 \,2 :,3?,4 ",5 <,6 >,7,8 *,9 Application Help for Endusers 26

27 1.6.2 Document Operations The following chapter deals with various document operations. New Dependent Document You can link any number of drawings and other documents to the master document. The number assignment, document type and other properties of the dependent document are specified in the DType definitions. Note Whether the master document allows the creation of dependent documents is specified in the DType definition of the master document. In SAP Engineering Control Center, you can only assign a dependent document with assignment to a master document. Create Dependent Document from an Application If a dependent document is created from a running application, only certain DTypes are available. The DTypes must be permissible for the master document and the application must have been defined as the primary application as well. The newly loaded document type is automatically opened for editing and loaded in the application for further editing. Create Dependent Document in SAP Engineering Control Center You can create dependent documents without starting an application. Select a master document and choose the entry Create Dependent Document from the context menu. The dependent documents that you create directly in SAP Engineering Control Center are marked with a dirty flag. Open Original for Edit If you want to change an original, open it for editing. SAP Engineering Control Center and SAP PLM first check whether you are authorized to change the document. If you have the authorization, all originals are made available on the file system and loaded to the external application. You can freely configure which files are made available on the hard drive. In the session directory, SAP Engineering Control Center makes available the original as well as a directory for the corresponding files. Open Original You can use this function to open a document for viewing. SAP Engineering Control Center first checks whether you have the corresponding rights in SAP PLM. The provided files on the file system are read-only. No status change is made in SAP PLM. Other users are therefore still able to edit the document. If you look at an assembly, SAP Engineering Control Center uses the set load rules to determine the required components and makes the components available in the session directory. Application Help for Endusers 27

28 Note SAP Engineering Control Center always handles a document according to the current check-out status. If the document has been checked out by the current user, it is opened for editing in the application. The document can be edited and is not write protected. Check Out Makes the selected document available in the session directory while blocking other users from editing it. Check In Saves the selected, previously edited (checked out) document back to SAP PLM. The settings made since the last check in are saved. The document is once again available to other users for editing. Cancel Edit and Discard Work Use this function carefully. You can make changes to a document that are not saved in SAP PLM. The changes are then lost forever and cannot be restored using backup versions. After executing this function, the status in SAP PLM is once again the status it had prior to editing. The document has the status "accessible" and can be edited again. In the external application, this happens using the menu entry Discard Work; all modifications made to the part are then lost. The documents are selected in SAP Engineering Control Center. Following that, use the function Reset Check-Out and Discard Work. Note The editing of documents by other users cannot be discarded. Transfer Originals Loads the originals into the user s worklist. The originals are not opened in the relevant application. Store Originals of Structure in Cache Searches for all originals, including all dependent documents and all components, based on the loading rule currently set. Loads all originals found in the SAP Engineering Control Center cache. Application Help for Endusers 28

29 New Notes You can use this function to generate memos for a document. The memos are created independent of the current status and can be viewed by all users. Display Notes Displays the notes. Edit Notes You can edit the notes. Delete Document This function deletes a document irrevocably from SAP PLM. You cannot undo the deletion transaction. Always take great care when using this function. If the document references a document with a lock status, you cannot delete the document. If the referenced documents do not have a lock status, you can delete the document. If you open the referencing document, the component is displayed as "missing" in the external application. You manually have to remove the reference to the document in the referencing document. Note If a master document is deleted, all linked dependent documents are automatically deleted as well. The function for deleting documents only affects the selected version of a document. Show in 3D Viewer Opens the objects in the integrated SAP 3D Visual Enterprise Viewer. These can be individual parts or assemblies. Start SAP 3D Visual Enterprise Conversion Starts a conversion. Make sure that a configured SAP 3D Visual Enterprise Generator is available. Application Help for Endusers 29

30 Change Document Status Documents in the SAP system are always in a defined status. In the SAP system, different status networks are configured for different document types. The defined statuses accompany a document throughout its entire life cycle. Statuses can only ever be set in a certain order. The order is defined in an SAP status network. SAP Engineering Control Center offers a dialog for switching statuses, where you can also make mass changes to several documents at the same time. The SAP system can assign certain properties to a status: Initial status: This status is set when a new document is created and can be integrated into a cycle. The document can receive this status again when it is edited later. Primary status: This status is only set when a new document is created; it cannot be set again when the document is edited later. Lock status: This status locks the document; the document can no longer be changed. Temporary status: This status is used to log events, for example, interim printing can be logged. The current status of the document is not changed. The SAP system automatically sets the following statuses: Original in processing: If the user chooses the function Original File Change, the system sets this status. The system performs the following checks: o Is the user authorized to execute the function? o Is there a status with status type O for the document type? If that is the case, the system processes all checks for the status network. o If the system check does not allow this status, the user cannot edit the document. Archive status: If the user chooses the function Archive Check-In Archive, the system sets this status. The system performs the same checks as for status type O. If the status may not be set, the document cannot be archived. Check-in status: If all originals of the document are in a secure area, the system sets this status. New Document Version If you create a new version of a master document, a version is automatically created for all linked dependent documents. The incrementation of the version is performed by SAP Engineering Control Center and can be configured.. Copy As You can copy master groups without an active external application directly in SAP Engineering Control Center. By default, the copied documents receive the same DType settings as the originals. The copies receive new document IDs. If you assign a number externally, the process opens a dialog for entering the required data. For part document and document version, the initial DType values defined in the original are used. The part document copies all other data from the original documents. Use a selection field to choose a destination folder for the copied document. Application Help for Endusers 30

31 SAP Engineering Control Center enters the source and the destination; the selected document is entered as the source. Depending on the configuration, the following settings are possible for the destination document: DType Document number Document type Part document Document version The destination document copies the description from the source document. You can change this description at any time. You can set up whether a material is transferred as a follow-up or not. Enter a follow-up material into the classification of the template document. For dependent documents, you additionally get this selection dialog, which you can use to specify which dependent documents are to be copied as well: Note The object links are copied from SAP customizing: " " Copy selection by user. "0" Ignore links. "1" Copy links automatically. Assign Material Assigns materials to a document. In a search dialog, you can select the materials and save them as object links in the document. The assigned materials are displayed under Linked Objects in the Structure Data tab of the Object Browser. Display Document (in SAP GUI) You can use the Display Document function to view and/or change the metadata of the document. The metadata includes: Description Status Long text Classifying characteristics Change number Application Help for Endusers 31

32 Add SAP Original Additional files for the document can contain supplementary and descriptive information on the respective document. This also includes files that are created automatically from external applications. Additional files are stored in a directory that has the same name as the original. These files are automatically saved when the document is checked in. Only files that have been configured in the DType definition of the document can be stored in the document in SAP PLM. The DType definition specifies the following settings: Which additional files are stored directly in the document Which additional fies are added to the container file in the document Which files are ignored during check-in Additional files can be edited and saved again. Add Additional Originals via drag & drop You can also use drag & drop to add additional files to the document via the SAP Engineering Control Center. To do this, click on a file in the file manager of the operating system and move the file onto the document in SAP Engineering Control Center. The file is then stored as an additional file in the document in SAP PLM and becomes visible as an entry in the Originals container. Add Additional Originals via the File Selection Dialog The function Add SAP Originals is available in the context menu of the Originals container. This function opens a file selection dialog in which you can select a file. This file is attached to the document as an additional original General Functions Copy Reference Copies the reference of the selected objects to the buffer. Alternatively, you can also use the key combination: CTRL+C or Strg+C Cut Reference Cuts the reference of the selected objects and places them in the buffer. Alternatively, you can also use the key combination: CTRL+X or Strg+X Remove Reference Deletes the reference of the selected objects. Alternatively, you can also use the Del button. Application Help for Endusers 32

33 Paste Reference Inserts the reference of the buffer into the selected folder. Alternatively, you can also use the key combination: CTRL+V or Strg+V Send to Mail Recipient Sends objects selected on the desktop as an attachment to an SAP mail. Creating Object Links Using drag & drop For each document, you can create an object link in the desktop of SAP Engineering Control Center. To do so, select the document to be linked and drag it on to a specific document. Once you have create an object link, a confirmation message appears in the status bar. The container Linked Objects shows the documents that are linked to the selected document. If you try to link a document multiple times, a message appears indicating that there is an existing link. In the Top Level Use container, you can see all the top-level objects in which the object is included. Macros Macros can be run directly. The user hereby has various input options for: Discrete input values Entire search screens Accessing objects shown or selected The results of such processing are usually sets of object that are displayed in the object lists. In the desktop window, the following macro functions are available in the context menu: Edit macro: Opens the macro in the script editor for editing Display macro: Opens the macro in the script editor as read-only Run macro: Runs the macro and returns the results in the Object Lists container Create SmartList: Creates a new SmartList in the SmartLists container on the basis of this macro The object list with the name specified in the macro then appears in the Original container. The objects found are then displayed in this object list. SmartLists Based on the macro you can create so-called SmartLists in SAP Engineering Control Center. SmartLists allow you to save and directly run frequently required searches. They are sets of SAP objects that are displayed according to use case as separate lists in the SAP Engineering Control Center desktop. As opposed to object lists, SmartList remain in the Desktop window beyond the currently running SAP Engineering Control Center session. The number of SAP objects is determined by rules. You can define the rules by using macro scripts. The content of these lists and containers can be determined according to customer specifications by means of macro scripts, Application Help for Endusers 33

34 without customer-specific enhancements to program code. SmartLists themselves are not stored in the SAP system. Working with SmartLists and Macros SmartLists are based on macros. Create a macro by proceeding as follows: Go to a target folder on the desktop. Choose Create - Document in the context menu to create a new macro (DType: TXT document). If a macro exists, proceed as follows: Create a SmartList. Choose an existing macro via the search icon. The SmartList created appears in the SmartLists container. The objects found by the macro appear in this SmartList. SmartContainers SmartContainers allow you to create your own containers with customer-specific content below objects. SmartContainers are defined when SAP Engineering Control is configured. The associated reference object is available to the macro and the results of processing the macro then become the contents of the container. Note For more information about working with macros and SmartLists, see the Operation Guide. Object Lists Object lists are temporary folders, which unlike normal folders do not save their content in the SAP system. Object lists are used to record temporary sets of objects and execute set operations with the objects contained in the folder in a high performance fashion. If you only need a set of objects for a short time but the folder is large, this costs time. For object lists, the folder content is stored in the computer memory, so there is no access to the SAP system. The object lists and their contents are therefore only available for one session and are lost when SAP Engineering Control Center is closed. Application Help for Endusers 34

35 1.6.4 Product Structure Management (PSM) in SAP Engineering Control Center Integration of the Objects from SAP Product Structure Management (PSM) on the Desktop The following objects, containers, and functions are available on the desktop. Product Structure/Nodes S_HD (product family) S_ST (product item) S_VW (product view) The Following Containers are Available for Product Structures/Nodes: Variants displays the variants Linked Documents displays the linked documents Product Structure displays the underlying product structure Superordinate Product Structure displays the superordinate product structure The Following Functions are Available for a Folder: Add / Product Structure opens the search dialog for product structures and adds the search results to the folder The Following Functions are Available for the Node Types: Display Product Structure opens the product structure for display in PLM Web UI Change Product Structure opens the product structure for change in PLM Web UI Display in Object Navigator opens the product structure in the Object Navigator of PLM Web UI Handover to PSS hands over the nodes to Product Structure Synchronization (PSS) in PLM Web UI Variants The Configuration for the Following Variant Types is Defined by Default: S_CMPHD (product variant) S_CMPST (product item variant) The Following Containers are Available for Variants: Material displays the material assigned to the variant Linked Documents displays the linked documents The functionality is a part of the ectrwui and psm add-ons, which are available as installation options in the SAP Engineering Control Center installer. Application Help for Endusers 35

36 Note Some configuration of PSM objects is performed in the ectrwui add-on. Background: PSM structures can also be displayed in folders without the PSM window. Configuration can be performed in the ectrwui add-on or in the psm add-on. The add-on directories are imported alphabetically. If certain configuration settings are defined twice, the configuration in the PSM add-on directory overwrites the configuration in the ECTRWUI directory. 1.7 Table Functions Ad-hoc Filter This filter is located at the top right next to the notification "0 of x selected". In this field, you can enter values based on which the set of results is to be restricted further. When you start to enter values, the number of data records filtered out of the table is shown in parentheses. If you click the filter icon, the current filter is reset Managing the Layout Manager To display the settings, click the cogwheel icon in the top right corner of a table. These settings contain the functions for managing the layout: Change layout o The "Layout Manager" dialog appears in which columns can be selected. Save layout o Layouts can be saved under a freely definable name here. Delete layout o Previously defined layouts can be deleted here Sorting by Column Values You can sort the table in ascending or descending order by column. To do this, click in the column heading of the field by which you want to sort. Application Help for Endusers 36

37 1.7.4 Context Menu for Individual Columns If you right-click a column heading, you have the following options: Go to o A list of columns is displayed. After you have selected the relevant column, this column appears as the first field on the left side of the table. Apply values from clipboard to column o Copies the contents of a column to the clipboard or inserts contents from the clipboard into a column. Copy column values to clipboard o Copies the column values to the clipboard. Replace o Opens a window with a search/replace function for editable cells in the relevant rows selected. All o Resets the filter last set for this column. Custom o For the respective column, you can set an additional filter in a dialog. In the first field, you first select the required factor from a list (less than, greater than, equals). The matching values then appear in the adjacent field. At this point, you can link multiple "formulas" with "and" or "or". Empty o Filters by column fields for which a value has not been entered. If this filter is set, an small gray filter icon appears next to the column header. To reset the filter, click the crossed-out blue filter icon to the right of the input field of the ad-hoc filter. Not empty o Applies to all fields filled. Possible column values (if they exist) o In the last section, all column values that exist are displayed. You can filter the data records based on these criteria by selecting the desired column value List and Tile Display Table content can be displayed as a list or as tiles with a thumbnail. If the folder contents is displayed in list form, a number appears on the left side at regular intervals. This number indicates where the individual screen pages of the tile display start. 1.8 Search Queries Search queries let you create and save search queries for documents, materials, change numbers or work items and re-execute them at any time. Right-click the search query icon. You can create and name a search query for the desired object type. The search query appears in the folder position underneath. In the individual search queries, create a search for the desired object across several parameters. Application Help for Endusers 37

38 Note A semicolon (;) is a separator in search queries. Do not use any semicolons in document names, material numbers, and change numbers Search Parameters To enable you to make optimal use of search queries, the most important search query fields are explained in greater detail below. Note In some entry fields, you can search for multiple values. Enter the individual values in a semicolonseparated list. Document Number In this field, you can search for a specific document number. Document Type This field enables you to restrict the search to specific document types. Description You can enter the description of the document (in other words, the document name) in this field. Note If you do not know the exact description or know only part of it, enter an asterisk (*) at the start and at the end of your entry (for example, *assembl*). Status If you are searching only for documents with a specific status, you can use this field to restrict your search. Processor If you are searching only for documents from a specific user, you can restrict your search here. Application Help for Endusers 38

39 Long Text You can search for specific terms in the long text of a document. The following links can be used: AND link: Enter the search terms one after the other with a space separating them: Example Parts family OR link: The search terms are entered as follows: Example Parts family The second part of the field contains the language key. Here you can enter the language in which the term is searched for. German (DE) and English (EN) are defined as standard. Additional languages can be defined for specific customers. Version Selection Here you have the option of displaying only certain versions in the search result. Show Warning When Over You can limit the number of hits. If this number of search results is exceeded, a warning is displayed. The search continues to run. Add Class For a more detailed search, you have the option of searching for classes and for specific characteristics within a class. If you know the exact name of the class, you can enter this name directly and launch the search using the Classification Data button. If you do not know the exact name, you can enter part of the name and enter an asterisk (* ) at the start and end of your entry. When you launch the search, the matching classes are listed in a results table. You can select the desired class in the results table and copy it to the search dialog. Alternatively, pressing the help icon to the right of the entry field for the class name displays a class browser. The class browser enables you to use a tree structure to navigate through classes and subclasses and find the class you require. Select the desired class in the tree structure. As soon as you have selected a class, the characteristics of this class are displayed below the class, allowing you to further refine the search. Application Help for Endusers 39

40 You can use the following operators with numerical characteristics: =, >, <,, Delete Field Values To clear all input fields at once, choose Delete Field Values. This function is also available in the class search. 1.9 Options The Options dialog enables you to configure various options and default settings in SAP Engineering Control Center. The following tabs are available: General Run in Demo Mode Allows you to activate demo mode, which enables all functions of SAP Engineering Control Center. Demo mode is available for test systems only. If demo mode is activated, the Show Used Licenses button lists the add-ons used in demo mode. Demo mode is active within one session only. If a restart is carried out, demo mode is deactivated again. Write API Log File Allows you to activate or deactivate the API log file. Trace Level o Allows you to set the trace level of detail: o No Trace o Trace o Debug Maximum Number of Documents Displayed in Where-Used List Allows you limit the document usage determined for the where-used list. If objects are used in numerous other objects, a limit is recommended. Frequent usage can apply for standard parts in CAD models. If this input field is left empty, the complete where-used list is displayed. BOM Bill of Materials Display The BOM tab allows you to select various options for displaying the BOM based on the SAP transactions available for this purpose. The BOM filter enables you to display plant-dependent BOMs in the desktop or Object Browser for specific plants only. Application Help for Endusers 40

41 GUI Settings Always Display the Latest Document Version in Folders Always displays the latest document versions in the folders. Component Display Based on Selected Loading Rule Displays the components in the component container based on the loading rule. Explode Object Links According to Load Options Explodes the object links to documents according to the loading rule configured. Display Document Parts with a Version Number Lower Than Source Document Also displays versions lower than the source document in the documents parts container. Display Only Mandatory Characteristics for Document Creation Hides all classification characteristics that are not required in the document creation dialog. Use Characteristic Description in Object Browser Display Switches the display of classification characteristics in the Object Browser between the language-neutral and language-specific characteristic description. Display Confirmation Dialog for drag&drop Activates a confirmation dialog in which confirmation is required when documents are moved. Classification Read Classification Data for Folder Contents Here you can activate or deactivate the function to read classification data for folder contents. Display Classification of Linked Material Here you can activate or deactivate the function to read classification data for linked materials. Classification Read Date Here you can set the validity date to be used for reading class and characteristic data and characteristic value assignments for all objects displayed. Data is then displayed for this validity date. Display Additional, Date-Specific Material Classification Displays other date-specific material classifications. Read Classification Data with Read Date "Today" The current date is used as the validity date when classification data is read. Additional Classification Read Date Displays an additional column with characteristic value assignments on the Classification tab in the Object Browser. This column then contains the value assignments for the day set here in the menu. Always Display Preview Window for Characteristic Values Activates the preview window for characteristic values. Minimize Characteristic Information in Value Assignment Dialogs Minimizes characteristic information in value assignment dialogs. Display General Tab in Class Groups Displays the General tab in the class groups. Application Help for Endusers 41

42 1.10 Help Menu SAP Engineering Control Center provides users with a help menu in the system bar. This can be used, for example, to display the documentation, to jump to the SAP Community Wiki, or to display all personal data. The help menu also offers the option of packing log files in a zip archive, and the user can also find out the version of their solution Logfiles SAP Engineering Control Center documents all technical processes in the background and saves this information to log files. These log files enable problems to be analyzed and quickly resolved in the case of errors. In the SAP Engineering Control Center settings, you can specify the depth of information to be logged. To do this, open the settings dialog and choose the General tab. In the Tracelevel field, we recommend the Debug setting. For more information, see the Operations Guide. Finding Log Files To view the log files, right-click the SAP Engineering Control Center icon in the Windows toolbar, run the Options function, and then choose Enable Administrator Menu. You can now choose Administrator Menu and Logfile directory in the icon menu. After you have called this function, the logs Windows folder opens, which contains all the log files. The default path to this folder is: C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Temp\SAP\ECTR\ectr-51\logs. Entries in the Log Files The log files record all actions carried out in SAP Engineering Control Center. Example For example, if you open an original for processing, you can see from the debug log which function module was called. Calling: /DSCSAG/DOC_CHANGE_MULTI3 Sending Log Files and Configuration Settings to Support To report an error, zip all files contained in the log directory and attach the zip file to the OSS message as an attachment. Alternatively, you can execute the Pack Log Files into a ZIP Archive function from the help menu and determine where the zip archive is to be stored. Application Help for Endusers 42

43 Saved Log Files When you close an SAP Engineering Control Center session, the log files are moved from the logs folder to a different folder called saved-logs. The default path to this folder is: C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Temp\SAP\ECTR\ectr-51\saved-logs Microsoft Office Integration ECTR Open ECTR Open SAP Engineering Control Center Original New Create a new original and document in SAP PLM. Open the original. Save Save original to SAP PLM and continue editing the original. Edit Request an exclusive lock in order to edit the original. Save and Close Save original in SAP PLM and close the application. Save and Display Save original in SAP PLM and open the write-protected original in the application. Save As New Version Save original as new document version in SAP PLM. Save As New Document Save original as new document in SAP PLM. Refresh Attributes Refresh attributes of original in CAD from SAP PLM. Cancel Cancel edit and discard work. Import Import files from session into new documents in SAP PLM. Document Display Document Application Help for Endusers 43

44 Displays the metadata of the currently opened document in the Object Browser. Add to Object List Add current document to new or existing object list. Additional Functions Insert Attributes Insert SAP attribute to original at current position. Add Picture Insert picture from SAP Engineering Control Center at current position Add Word Document Add Word document from SAP Engineering Control Center at current position Application Help for Endusers 44

45 2 Application Help for System Administrators Whether SAP Engineering Control Center is started with administrator rights is decided at logon: First, the system checks whether the user has an S_TCODE authorization. This authorization is required to execute transaction /DSCSAG/ADMIN. This authorization is included by default in the /DSCSAG/ECTR_ADMIN role, which can be assigned to the user by using transaction pfcg (role maintenance). If the user has this authorization, SAP Engineering Control Center is started with administrator rights. If the user does not have this authorization, a further check is carried out. SAP ECTR checks whether the user has the role from table /DSCSAG/PREF SYSTEM.USER.ADMIN.ROLE. If the user has this role, SAP Engineering Control Center is started with administrator rights. The user automatically receives the authorization to execute transaction /DSCSAG/ADMIN. If SAP Engineering Control Center is started with administrator rights, the administrator menu and administrator functions are enabled. If the administrator menu is hidden by means of the System Remove Administrator Menu function and is to be displayed again using the System Display Administrator Menu function, the user is prompted to enter a password. However, the outcome of this prompt is always positive, since the administrator rights previously assigned override the password prompt here and when a new Administrator Activation Key is selected. If the above condition is not fulfilled, the administrator menu is hidden and administrator functions cannot be executed. The administrator menu and administrator functions can be displayed by choosing System Display Administrator Menu. A password is required for this. The Administrator Activation Key can only be changed by entering the previous password. 2.1 Administrator Menu in SAP Engineering Control Center The function for the administrator menu is called: fnc.show.admin.menu. You can add this function to a menu: om.file.menu.2 = fnc.show.admin.menu You can configure the menus options of the administrator menu in the menu.guidef. The menu bar can be enhanced with an additional drop-down menu Administration via System Display Administrator Menu. Note To activate the administrator menu in the menu bar using the Show Administrator Menu menu option, administrator authorization at logon or the entry of an Administrator Activation Key is required. Application Help for System Administrators 45

46 2.2 Protecting Administrator Functions Against Use by Non- Administrators The call of the following functions, which can be used to make changes to objects or the configuration, is controlled: Browser Default Settings Change User Fields Clear File Space Clear Preview Directory Save Protected Layouts SAP Lock Entries SAP Update Requests SAP Process Overview Transfer SAP Engineering Control Center Settings to the SAP System If you call up a function, the system checks whether the Administrator Activation Key has been entered. If that is not the case, the dialog for entering the password appears. If the password cannot be entered correctly, the function is not executed. If SAP Engineering Control Center is in administrator mode, the functions work as always. This prevents advanced uses from "re-arranging" one or more of these functions in other menus. To prevent manipulations of preference variable system.user.admin.pwd, is uploaded to the SAP system with the protected administrator function. If the dialog for entering the Administrator Activation Key appears, a hash is generated from the password. This hash is transferred to a module in the SAP system, which checks the module to determine whether the hash matches the uploaded hash from the preference variable. The module can return the following: OK Failed Preference variable not available All failed and successful entries of the Administrator Activation Key are logged in the log files. 2.3 Description of the Administrator Functions This chapter describes the individual administrator menu items Preferences Browser Supplements the Preferences menu entry in the Windows menu. You can use this to open a separate window within SAP Engineering Control Center to display all default settings. Application Help for System Administrators 46

47 Example You check the SAP Engineering Control Center settings and change them at runtime. The settings are only changed for the current session. The settings cannot be changed for every variable, only for those that are evaluated at runtime. The changing of settings with the browser default settings is not supported Change User Fields SAP Engineering Control Center saves certain meta-information of a document in specific user fields, which cannot be viewed or changed via the normal SAP GUI. These user fields are stored in SAP tables DRAW and CDESK_DRAW. The Change User Fields function enables you to make changes easily. The changes only affect the selected document. The check box shows which field is changed. Only the selected fields are changed. Valid values for the fields depend on the installation. The Operations Guide explains the meaning of the individual fields Change Administrator Activation Key To change the password, proceed as follows: 3. Choose Change Administrator Activation Key. 4. Assign a new key. 5. Confirm the new key. The changed Administrator Activation Key is effective immediately. Note In the Administrator menu, it is possible to store functions that cannot be used by all users. The function is not visible to normal users via the Administrator menu Change DType (Administrator) SAP Engineering Control Center offers a function for changing the document type (DType) of existing documents and their sub-documents. To change the document type, proceed as follows: 1. Select the document for which you want to change the DType 2. Choose Change Document Type in the Administration menu 3. In the Change DType dialog, select the desired new DType and click OK. Application Help for System Administrators 47

48 2.3.5 Change Part to Standard Part With SAP Engineering Control Center, you can transfer existing parts to standard parts by changing the DType. To execute the function, proceed as follows: 4. Select the document that want to transfer to a standard part. 5. Choose Change Part to Standard Part in the Administration menu. 6. In the Change DType dialog, select the new DType Standard Part and click OK Cancel Check-out Foreign Documents This function allows you to get the editing rights for a document that is being edited by another user. Note If the previous user has not checked-in the document, the administrator can release the document again. Warning The changes are not saved Reload Classification Cache This function loads the classification. After a class change, SAP Engineering Control Center does not have to be restarted Clean File Space You can use this function To create space in the cache and the session directory To clean up inconsistencies such as files with errors Start the function by choosing Administration Filespace Management Clear File Space in the menu bar. The Clear File Space window opens. Here you can see two tabs. On the Inode Cache tab, you can clear the inode cache, which stores files beyond a session. On the Session tab, you can clear the session directory. You can leave the dialog without making changes by choosing Close. Application Help for System Administrators 48

49 Inode Cache Tab Check results Shows the parameters of the files in the cache. Field Number of Files Size Max. Age Description Indicates the number of files in the cache. Indicates the total size of the files in the cache. Indicates the maximum age of the files in the cache. Simulation parameters By choosing Simulate, you can simulate the deletion of the files from the cache based on the parameters you specified. By choosing Execute, you can delete the files from the cache based on the parameters you specified. If you want to simulate the deletion of all files when you click Simulate or to delete all files when you click Execute, select Delete All Files. Field Max. Number of Files to Be Deleted Max. Size After Cleanup Max. Age (Days) Description Indicates how many files are to be deleted from the cache. The largest files are always deleted first. Indicates the remaining size of the cache after it has been cleared. Files are deleted until the specified size has been reached. Indicates the maximum age in days of the remaining files in the cache. Files that are older than this are deleted. Simulation results When you click "Simulate," the system displays the effect of deleting the data you selected here. Field Files Deleted Free Memory After Cleanup Max. Age After Cleanup Description Indicates how many files are deleted from the cache. Indicates the remaining storage space available after cleanup. Indicates the maximum age of the remaining files in the cache. Application Help for System Administrators 49

50 Session Tab This table shows all documents that are currently stored in the session directory. To empty the session directory, choose Clear Working Directory. However, in order to empty the session directory, the relevant documents must be checked in. The following options are available for this: Field Check In Cancel Edit and Discard Work Save Originals Description Saves the respective version of the selected documents and checks the documents in. Cancels editing of a document without saving and checks the document in. Saves the selected documents offline Clean Preview Directory SAP Engineering Control Center generates one or more previews for each document when you save data. The previews provide a rough overview of the type of the respective document and what it represents. The previews are of a lower quality (300 x 300 pixels) and are either JPG or GIF images. These previews are stored in the SAP system. To ensure the previews can be displayed by SAP Engineering Control Center, they must be checked out on the client. This checkout transaction takes place in the background as soon as a folder or document has been selected. To improve performance, SAP Engineering Control Center uses a cache directory for these images, the preview document. The directory is defined in the file <instdir>\customize\config\plm_setenv.bat with the variable PLM_PREVIEWDIR. The previews can be deleted with this function. The deletion is unproblematic because SAP Engineering Control Center reloads the missing previews the next time a document is loaded from the SAP system. If many previews have to be reloaded during the next selection of a document, a slight loss of performance is possible. Previews that are no longer required (e.g. of old assemblies) are deleted automatically and space is thus made available again. Note If a central preview directory is used, this function automatically deletes the previews for all clients from the central directory Fileserver Information When you use SAP Engineering Control Center, all required files are copied into the inode cache and loaded to the session directory. You can use the File Server Info function to display the following information for a selected document via the file server: Application Help for System Administrators 50

51 Path where the document is loaded in the inode cache and session directory Whether the document is stored locally on the user's computer Whether the document is up-to-date Whether the document is currently being edited You can also use this function to check local files Show Deleted Documents This function also logs the deletion of documents. The current save counter is managed in table /DSCSAG/RIP and taken into account when a new document is created. This table also affects the file servers, which locally and globally remove all files of the deleted documents that are no longer required. When you call up the function List Deleted Documents, a dialog appears in which you can enter values to search directly in the RIP table. The individual fields can be filled with information regarding from and to periods: Field Doc. Number Document Type Sub-doc DocVers Date Time Max. no. of hits Description Enter the document number Enter the document type Important for different languages, e.g. deu for German. Enter the document version, e.g. 001 for the first version. Enter the date range Enter the times when the document was deleted. Enter the maximum number of hits to be displayed. After you fill the screen, all supplied data records are displayed in a results table Create Heap dump The function creates a heap dump (memory usage analysis) and is used for analyzing memory problems in detail. Note This functions reads and saves sensitive data such as logon parameters for the SAP system or metadata for SAP objects. This information must be handled carefully. To prevent misuse, it may be forwarded to trustworthy persons only. Application Help for System Administrators 51

52 Save Protected Layouts As an administrator, you have the option of saving protected layouts: 1. Switch to administrator mode. 2. Make all settings for window sizes, window options, table contents for all object types, Object Browser settings, layout settings, sorting etc. 3. Use the window arrangement and layout manager icons to save the settings as protected. All settings saved as protected are written to a file that can be selected. By default that is file systemlayouts.txt. This file must be specified in settings file plm_setenv.bat under PLM_PREFFILES_MAIN. It is then fetched when you start the program. The layouts are protected differently: Available to all users across the company Normal users cannot change them Normal users cannot delete them When SAP Engineering Control Center is started by a user for the first time, SAP Engineering Control Center uses the protected layouts as the default setting. If the user changes his/her settings, the personal settings are used Create API Repository Each RFC module in the SAP system has a defined interface: for example which inbound parameters and output table exist or what is the length of the fields. Before an RFC module can be called up by integration, this meta-information must be queried by the SAP system. Communication is required to do this. This communication significantly increases the runtime of a component call, in particular in case of slow WAN connections. The API repository then saves this meta-information redundantly in a local file in the installation and uses the local information instead of the dynamic query of the SAP system. This significantly reduces the runtime of a component call, in particular in case of slow WAN connections. Drawback: In case of changes to RFC modules, the API repository must be generated anew because otherwise the meta-information regarding the RFC modules in the API repository could be incorrect. In case of a new transport, the API repository expires automatically and is ignored. When there are new SAP Support Packages, there is a risk that the data structures no longer match. Hence, always generate the API repository anew when such changes are made to the SAP system. API repository is generated locally %PLM_INSTDIR%\customize\aux-files and must still be copied into the respective server directory is case of server-based installations. If this transaction is not executed, the system overwrites the locally stored file using the distribution mechanism during the next start. To avoid inconsistencies between the SAP status and the local file, you must update the repository file at defined intervals. The easiest way to do this is by following these steps: 1. Set up a service that starts overnight and re-generates the API repository file on the central installation. When file start_plm.exe is called, parameter -B ApiGen <SAP host> must be transferred to do this. Replace the <SAP host> with the SAP host system. Application Help for System Administrators 52

53 2. Train the users to ensure that every user of SAP Engineering Control Center shuts it down at night and restarts it in the morning. This updates the local API repository file. 3. Ensure that the changes to SAP structures/ tables/ modules are only activated at night. 4. After installing changes in a system, run report /DSCSAG/MANAGE to ensure that SAP Engineering Control Center ignores any existing API repository file. The meta-information for the RFC modules is determined dynamically Upload Settings to SAP System The DType settings in the dtype.xml files control the response of SAP Engineering Control Center when generating new documents. They are located in directory %PLM_INSTDIR%\customize\config and there is a separate file for each application. This function must be called if you have changed settings in the above files and these changes must be communicated to the SAP system. the message Error in parsing the DType XML appears when SAP Engineering Control Center is started. The message contains the information in which files and in which rows errors have occurred. In addition, this message contains the warning that this error can cause SAP Engineering Control Center to respond strangely and in an undefined manner. If the settings were not transferred correctly to the SAP system, error messages appear. The following preference variables are uploaded: plm.sap.folder.structure* plm.sap.document.structure* plm.sap.docstructure.ignorestatus* plm.control.empty.dtype.* sap.plm.* plm.3dpreview.wsappl plm.preview.wsappl dtype (Master Workstation Application) Note If one of the preference variables or DTypes has been changed, this function must be called again. To import the preference variable, the authorization for object S_TCODE with parameter SPRO must be available Maintain the DSC ABAP Switches The ABAP switches in table /DSCSAG/CHECK significantly influence the response of the integration in the logged on client. Make sure that module ECTR is active and users or DEFAULT are assigned. Application Help for System Administrators 53

54 The switches can be activated and deactivated for all users (default setting) or explicitly for a certain user. Note To set the ABAP switch, the authorization for object S_TCODE with parameter SPRO must be available Select Object Data This function is used to select the information that is available for a material in SAP Engineering Control Center. The material has a number of fields in the SAP system. To ensure that not all fields have to be transferred, this transaction is used to set up filtering for the data to be transferred. If a required field is not in the selection of a material, this field is not filtered out Check Settings This function checks: The document type used The workstation application used Whether a status is specified and this status exists in the status network of the document type To use this function, the OMF OmfConfigurationAudit must be set. This OMF generates a report in the Audit Evaluation Viewer. You can use this report to progressively eliminate errors. The known filter and navigation structures are available to you Transferring the settings into the Configuration Document in the SAP System Loads the current configuration in a ZIP file for distribution into the SAP system. Checks whether the local configuration has been changed since SAP Engineering Control Center was started. If the configuration has been changed, SAP Engineering Control Center must first be restarted. After this, the configuration can be uploaded. This prevents untested configurations being uploaded. A check is then performed to determine whether the latest version of the configuration document is released in the SAP system. The administrator is asked whether a new version should be created or whether the upload of the configuration should be canceled. The relevant part of the directory tree is then packed in a ZIP archive, and the latest version of the configuration document is checked in. Finally, a check is performed to determine whether the uploaded configuration includes changes relevant for the back-end logic. The administrator is asked whether these changes in the back end should be activated. Application Help for System Administrators 54

55 SAP Lock Entries Information on the SAP lock concept is available at: Excerpt A lock request is a specific instance of a lock object and locks a certain database object, such as a correction or a table entry. Lock entries are usually set and deleted automatically when user programs access a data object and release it again. To ensure that nobody else can change an object at the same time, which would cause inconsistencies, an object is locked when it is changed SAP Update Recordings Information on the update requests is available at: Excerpt An update request or update record describes the data changes defined in an SAP LUW (logical unit of work / transaction), which are carried out either in full or not at all. This only applies to V1 updates. V2 updates are triggered once the V1 update has been completed, and therefore take place in a separate database LUW. An update request is a change to the database that is executed in a process. If the process was successful, the changes are processed with a COMMIT on the database. If errors have occurred during the process, you can use a rollback to reset the changes. SAP-LUW is a transaction. In an SAP-LUW, several database operations (DB-LUW) can be executed SAP Process Overview The SAP process overview (transaction SM50) displays all processes that are currently being executed in the SAP system. Information on the individual data fields is available at: Application Help for System Administrators 55

56 Remove Administrator Menu You use this function to remove the Administrator menu from the menu bar. You can re-activate the menu as follows: 1. System Display Administrator Menu 2. Enter the Administrator Activation Key 2.4 Searching the Status Log You can also search for the following properties in the status log: Status Set by (user) Date IV (content version) DS (digital signature) Document type Document number Sub-document Version To do this, the following preference variable must be set: PLM.SAP.DOCUMENT.SEARCH.USEBAPI = false 2.5 Replacement Rules for File Names In document numbers, you can use special characters that are not permitted for the file name of the original in the file system. To achieve this, you have to set the following preference variable to true: plm.control.partnamerules.replacebadcharacters (Default is false) You can replace special characters in document numbers with the following characters: Special character Is replaced with /,1 \,2 :,3?,4 ",5 <,6 >,7 Application Help for System Administrators 56

57 Special character Is replaced with,8 *,9 Note Check whether replacing characters with special characters would result in identical document numbers. The resulting identical files names, can result in name collisions for the original. Application Help for System Administrators 57

58 2.6 Logging on to the SAPSystem When you log on, enter the following data: SAP system Processor Password Language CAD group You may use the following special characters for the password: Space and! $%&/\()=?²³{}[] In the background, the CAD assembly addresses a user role that controls the provided functions and configuration options. If a demo role has been set up, SAP Engineering Control Center is started in demo mode. This mode makes all functions available. Demo mode is only available for test systems. SAP Engineering Control Center also offers optional support for Single-Sign-On for SAP. Here, the system remembers the data for logging on again on the same day. Please contact your system administrator in regard to this Outputting the SAP System Message By default, SAP SM02 system messages are only output at the time of logging on to SAP Engineering Control Center. If you set the preference variable plm.observer.read.sap.messages.interval = , you can set up the regular checking and display of the SAP system messages. By default, the check takes place every 5 minutes and the same message is only displayed once per session. 2.7 Bill of Material Process This chapter describes the process as well as the details of creating bills of material using SAP direct integration. The settings for the BOM process are made in the following files: %PLM_INSTDIR%\customize\config\default.txt %PLM_INSTDIR%\applications\ugs\customize\config\default.txt The settings do not have to be uploaded to the SAP system. At present, no settings that affect the BOM are maintained in the DTypes (dtype.xml) Preference Variables for Controlling the Bill of Material Process This chapter describes preference variables that control the response of the Bill of Material processes. These variables can be set in the following file: Application Help for System Administrators 58

59 %PLM_INSTDIR%\customize\config\default.txt Which start number is the material item number supposed to receive? plm.bom.posnumber.startnumber = 0 How is the item number supposed to be incremented? plm.bom.posnumber.increase = 10 Which procedure is to be used to display the bill of material (BOM)? plm.bom.application.<bom usage> = PP01 plm.bom.application = PP01 Which unit are the items supposed to have? If the value is blank, the unit is automatically copied from the material. plm.bom.baseunit.de = plm.bom.baseunit.en = Which bill of material is supposed to be created? plm.bom.usage.<material type> = <value> plm.bom.plant.<material type> = <value> plm.bom.usage = 1 plm.bom.plant = 0060;0040 plm.bom.alternative = plm.bom.initstatus = 01 plm.bom.userparameter.plant = WRK plm.bom.userparameter.usage = PLANT plm.bom.userparameter.alternative = If a list is specified in plm.bom.plant, several plant Bill of Materials are created immediately at check-in. The plant can also be controlled using SAP user parameter WERK, which requires the following variable to be set: plm.bom.userparameter.plant Application Help for System Administrators 59

60 When and for which document is a bill of material created? plm.bom.create.ugm = true plm.bom.updateatcheckin.ugm = false plm.bom.updateatcheckin.dtype.pint = false plm.bom.create = true plm.bom.create.ugm = true plm.bom.createatcheckin = true plm.bom.createatcheckin.uzm = false plm.bom.createatcheckin.dtype.<dtype> = true/false plm.bom.update.ugm = true plm.bom.updateatcheckin = true plm.bom.updateatcheckin.uzm = false Is a change number supposed to be used for BOM maintenance? plm.mat.changematerialwithchangemaster = false plm.bom.usechangenofromdoc = false Which indicator is to be set how when the BOM item is maintained? plm.bom.posiscostrel = false plm.bom.posisprodrel = false plm.bom.posisengirel = true plm.bom.posissalesrel = false plm.bom.posispmainrel = false plm.bom.possortstring = NX Is a document item supposed to be inserted if no material is linked? plm.bom.insertdocifnomatisavailable = false Which items are to be considered when reading? The default is: L, M, N. plm.bom.custom.postypes = L;N Application Help for System Administrators 60

61 Is the BOM supposed to be deleted when it contains no more items? plm.bom.deleteifempty = false Are suppressed components to be transferred automatically into the BOM? plm.bom.suppreseditemsignore = true / false plm.bom.suppreseditemsignore.<materialart> = true / false The default value is false. Here, you can map the component attributes to SAP-STPO fields. Please note that there are two modules with different STPO names! Check-in-process plm.bom.mapping = DA_CLASS@CLASS;DA_CLTYPE@CLASS_TYPE;POSNR@ITEM_NO;MENGE@COMP_QTY;EINHEIT@COMP_UNIT;PTY P@ITEM_CATEG;RML@VSI_SIZE1;RMB@VSI_SIZE2;RME@VSI_SZUNIT Material creation in the foreground plm.bom.mapping = RME@ROMEI;RML@ROMS1;RMB@ROMS2;POSNR@POSNR;PTYP@POSTP;DA_CLTYPE@KLART Both processes in the application plm.bom.mapping = DA_CLASS@CLASS;DA_CLTYPE@CLASS_TYPE;MENGE@COMP_QTY;EINHEIT@COMP_UNIT;PTYP@ITEM_CATEG;P OSNR@ITEM_NO;RML@VSI_SIZE1;RMB@VSI_SIZE2;RME@VSI_SZUNIT;RME@ROMEI;RML@ROMS1;RMB@ROMS2; PTYP@POSTP;DA_CLTYPE@KLART How is the key defined to compare items in the SAP system to those in the application? plm.bom.itemkey = <DIRKEY>;ITEM_NO Using this variable, you can define how the key for the bill of material item is determined. Normally, the key is always the document key. However, the key can be extended to include customer fields, for example. In the material BOM, different BOM items are then created for different keys; the items are not summarized in this case. Application Help for System Administrators 61

62 How is the BOM supposed to be displayed for the user? Users can later change this variable in the options themselves. # 1 - Single level # 2 - Multi level # 3 - Multi level (in stages intended) # 4 - Quantity view # 5 - Show bill of material plm.bom.displaymode = 3 Which component attributes are read and transferred to the SAP system? For the generation of BOMS which takes place using preference variables plm.bom.attrib.donotinsertiteminbomkey or plm.bom.mapping, the following environment variable applies: UGII_D_COMPATTR_TO_SAP = IGNORE;MENGE;EINHEIT;PTYP;RML;RMB;RME;REPLACE_COMP;USE_MATERIAL;POSI If changes are made to preference variable plm.bom.mapping, the environment variable must be adapted; otherwise, the changed component attributes are no longer written. Which document types are to be completely ignored as items for the BOM? plm.bom.posignore = UGE Which component attribute controls that the part is to be ignored for the BOM? Relevant for data that entered the SAP system via the Teamcenter function. plm.bom.attrib.donotinsertiteminbomkey = REFERENCE_COMPONENT Which SAP warnings are to be ignored completely in the BOM change process? # Group BOM plm.bom.warning.ignore = 095 In SAP Engineering Control Center, is the container with the BOM usages supposed to be displayed? plm.om.mat.showbomcontainers = true Application Help for System Administrators 62

63 Is it permissible to use the same item number for different material numbers? plm.bom.maintain.allowsameposid = true Is the bill of material not supposed to be created if a document does not have a material master yet? plm.bom.donotupdatebomifonematisnotavailable = true Are the matrices for the components in the SAP system supposed to be saved on the BOM? If you do not use JT-Viewing, you do not need matrices. plm.bom.writematrix = false The BOM header unit can be changed from 1 to 100. plm.bom.basequantity = 100 Are other item types supposed to be set for certain document types? plm.bom.position.usepostype.<dokumentart> = N Is the item type supposed to be set depending on the material type? plm.bom.position.usepostypeformattype.<mat_type> = N Is the item type supposed to be changed from L to N? plm.bom.position.usepostype = N Is the writing of bills of material from CAD supposed to be terminated? plm.bom.erroratoverridenotcadposition = true (Default ist false) If this preference variable is set to true, an error message appears and the system does not generate a Bill of Material. Application Help for System Administrators 63

64 2.7.2 Processes SAP integration distinguishes two fundamental processes for creating/updating the SAP bill of material. The system generates the Bill of Material either on request by the user or automatically for each check-in or buffering of the assembly or finished part Creating a Bill of Material Automatically During Check-In/Buffering This section explains the process and data flow of the generation process and the change process as well as the general process flow for generating bills of materials. To make it easier to follow these explanations, the operations are dealt with according to the systems where they take place. Operations in the Application If you save the assembly or component in the application, the required SAP PLM information is saved to the data XML file plm_metainf-cad.xml in the additional directory. The XML file is generated every time you save. This is followed by a process transfer to SAP Engineering Control Center via the process XML file. This file contains the information which parts are saved how in the SAP system. Application Help for System Administrators 64

65 Operations in SAP Engineering Control Center Acceptance of a process task Import the XML file for determining the files that are saved as well as the data XML file of the transferred assemblies/parts. Check-in of the CAD file into the content server If necessary, you can store the data of the XML file plm_metainf-cad.xml in the SAP system. Document structure update After successful check-in, the document structure is updated. The data XML file contains the structure as well as all component attributes. The document structure is deleted and created again; no change numbers are used in this process: o Call SAP function module: /DSCSAG/DOC_BOM_DELETE o Call SAP function module: /DSCSAG/DOC_BOM_MAINTAIN o Call BAdI /DSCSAG/document_01~after_docstructure_maintain o To make customer-specific additions, a BAdI (Business Add-in = ABAP user exit) is called after the maintenance of the document structure. Note If the finished part contains a wave link to the raw part, the document structure is also updated for postprocessed parts. Call the Java user exit prior to bill of material generation In Java, you can control customer-specific process flows if necessary (programming). Material determination for the BOM header Once the document structure has been processed, the Bill of Material process starts. The object link of the document is used to determine the corresponding material. If there are several material links, the link with the set CAD indicator is used. CURRENT structure: Read the current BOM The system checks whether a Bill of Material is available for the assembly or component. Settings for BOM determination are made using different default setting variables or the corresponding SAP parameters (e.g. PLANT). o Determination of the change number If a change number is available on the document, this number is used. If no change number is available on the document, the active change number is used. If the change number is not set, the user is prompted to enter a number. o Reading of the Bill of Material for the set plant (or group BOM) In the SAP system, function module /DSCSAG/MAT_BOM_READ is called. The input for this module is: Change number / material / plant / usage / alternative. Following that, BAdI /DSCSAG/material_02~before_mat_bom_read is called. The explosion date is changed from VALID_FROM, to so that all items in be Bill of Material are returned as the result. Following that, BAdI /DSCSAG/material_02~after_mat_bom_read is called. o All BOM positions without CAD indicator are sorted out This function can be deactivated. The interface checks whether the SAP system contains a target item without CAD indicator and displays a warning message to the user. o The CURRENT structure is only available for items with a CAD indicator. Application Help for System Administrators 65

66 TARGET structure: Determination of the new BOM o Determination of the BOM components using the data XML file, i.e. the current assembly structure. o The component properties are transferred to the SAP target items. The TARGET items are still available in the memory. o For each component, the corresponding SAP material master is determined via the object link of the document. o The set component properties are converted into BOM position properties via mapping and set on the material component (still in the memory here). o Identical components are summarized and the quantity is added up. The key for the summarization can be defined in SAP Engineering Control Center. Quite often the key is simply the material number. o Transfer of existing SAP BOM properties to target items: o Position number If a CAD component e.g. has no SAP position number, the system searches for the component in the actual BOM from the SAP system. The position number is then copied from this BOM. o BOM properties (e.g. special procurement key and production indicator) are already copied from the existing material item. o The target and actual structures are known in SAP Engineering Control Center. You can determine the SAP change list for the SAP BAPI. Note The system currently processes quantity changes by deleting and creating the items. So far, the item is not updated. Module /DSCSAG/MAT_BOM_MAINTAIN is subsequently called with the change list. Operations in the SAP System Module /DSCSAG/MAT_BOM_MAINTAIN is called. o As input, it receives the change number / material / plant / usage / alternative. o The table with the Bill of Material changes is displayed. Call of BAdI /DSCSAG/material_02~before_bom_maintain o The SKIP logic by ProNovia is integrated here. o Here, a part that is not BOM-relevant (KOFI mat type = HT*) is not inserted, the corresponding raw material is determined instead. Call of BAPI CSAP_MAT_BOM_MAINTAIN o This call starts BAdIs BOM_UPDATE~* Call of BAdI /DSCSAG/material_02~after_bom_maintain o Module CSAP_MAT_BOM_MAINTAIN makes the update. Following that, a user exit is provided. Operations in SAP Engineering Control Center SAP Engineering Control Center reads the errors and warnings from the SAP BAPI call and outputs them in the GUI. Warnings can be suppressed using a default settings variable. Application Help for System Administrators 66

67 Creating the Bill of Material Using a User Command in the Application Operations in the Application Choose SAP PLM Bill of Material Create from the menu to start the material creation process. The application writes the data XML file to %PLM_TEMPDIR%. Operations in SAP Engineering Control Center SAP Engineering Control Center determines the target structure based on the data XML file. Here, the component attributes are mapped to SAP fields. Following that, RFC module /DSCSAG/RFC_MAINTAIN_BOM is called. In the SAP GUI, you can set the plant and the usage. Operations in the SAP System The SAP module internally compares the BOMs and displays the result. You can then save or cancel. An update is only made if Save is chosen FAQs When is the Bill of Material Created? A Bill of Material is created for different processes and under different conditions. Processes During buffering or check-in of an assembly. During buffering or check-in of a reworked part of type "PRNB". When the Create Bill of Material menu function is called in the application. When the Create Bill of Material menu function is called in SAP Engineering Control Center (customer development where the document structure is used as the data source). Application Help for System Administrators 67

68 Conditions The assembly must have a document type that is valid for generating bills of material. The assembly must be linked to a material. The material must have at least one plant view in the set plant (if set). At least one component must be linked to a material (object link). The user must have the authorization for creating a Bill of Material. Check-in or buffering only: Default settings must be set in SAP Engineering Control Center: plm.bom.createatcheckin.<dokart> = true Which Component Attributes Affect the Bill of Material? Almost every field that exists in STPO can be filled using component attributes. The quantity and unit are often overwritten via the component attributes. If the quantity is set to 0, the material is not inserted into the Bill of Material. The mapping is made using variable plm.bom.mapping What is the Component ID or "PLMN_ID"? The component ID is used to establish a unique relation between the component and the SAP bill of material item. The PLM_ID is stored in table /DSCSAG/BBOX together with the SAP-GUID Can you Maintain Variable-Size Items in the Application? Yes, you have to configure the mapping accordingly. Example plm.bom.mapping = RML@VSI_SIZE1;RMB@VSI_SIZE2;RME@VSI_SZUNIT;RME@ROMEI;RML@ROMS1;RMB@ROMS2 The mapping is contained twice, since you can maintain the Bill of Material during check-in and via the SAP GUI in the SAP system. The two SAP module structures have different field names. Application Help for System Administrators 68

69 Can You Edit Bills of Material with the Change Number? Yes, if a change number exists for the document and the variable is set, the change number is used for reading and writing the BOM. plm.mat.changematerialwithchangemaster = true plm.bom.usechangenofromdoc = true If the BOM does not have any Items, can the BOM be Deleted Automatically? Yes, to do so, the following variable must be set: plm.bom.deleteifempty = true Which User Exits are Available in the SAP System? BAdI, before and after updating the document structure BAdI, before and after reading the Bill of Material BAdI, before and after changing the Bill of Material How does the CAD Indicator Influence the Interface? The interface does not change any BOM headers and items without CAD indicator. If the system inserts items via the interface, the items always have a CAD indicator. If the Bill of Material is created, the BOM header receives a CAD indicator Is it Possible to Skip Stages? Yes, you can define document types that are not copied into the Bill of Material, but only their components. The following preference variable controls this transaction: plm.bom.promotechildren.<dokumentart> = true Application Help for System Administrators 69

70 Is it Possible to Turn an Entire Structure into a Flat List? Yes, if the assembly has a certain attribute, you can copy all components into all levels of the Bill of Material. The attribute is defined in the following variable: Activate Promote ALL via this variable: UGII_A_ATTR_ASSY_ELAB_FLAG=SAP_MAKE_FLAT_BOM If you only want to go up one level, set the following variable: UGII_A_ATTR_ASSY_ELAB_FLAG = true Both variables are not supported at the same time. UGII_A_ATTR_ASSY_ELAB_FLAG_1ST_LEVEL= SAP_MAKE_FLAT_BOM Is it Possible to Control the Unit in an Assembly? In the assembly navigator, you can define a Unit attribute and enter the desired unit. This unit is copied into the Bill of Material. You define this attribute by choosing the Properties function via the context menu for a part selected in the assembly navigator. The Attributes tab in the dialog displays the available attributes as a table. Here, you can create a new attribute called Unit with the desired value. Result: When inserted into an assembly, the component receives this unit as the default value. You can change the unit on the instance of the component that you are using and thus overwrite the default value from the component. If no unit has been defined as an attribute, the system uses the output unit of measure from the material assigned to the component in the Bill of Material. You find this output unit of measure in the Warehouse Management tab of the corresponding plant. If the output unit of measure has not been defined, the base unit of measure from the Basic Data tab of the material is used. If both the base unit of measure and the output unit of measure of the respective plant have been defined in Warehouse Management, a rule for conversion between the two units is required. This conversion rule is configured using the SAP transaction for changing the material (MM02). In the additional data, define the conversion rule on the "Units of Measure" tab. Finally, configure and execute an attribute transfer Is it Possible to Skip Levels? To lift up the components of a sub-assembly, the following variable must be set in the default.txt file: UGII_A_METAINF_COMPNAME_STR_SKIP = uxm You can set a list of characters separated by semicolons as the value. The components with the partial string from the variable are skipped; the sub-components are lifted up. Application Help for System Administrators 70

71 NX Structure Bill of Material 4711 UMM UXM 001 skip UXM 002 skip UMM 0010 === >>> Menge= UMM 0020 === >>> UMM 0030 === >>> 4716 UMM 0030 === >>> 4718 UMM 0040 === >>> If the components or sub-assemblies are ignored completely, this variable can be set: UGII_A_METAINF_COMPNAME_STR_IGNORE = uma;umn When an assembly is saved, the manipulated structure is written into skipped_bom_plm_metainf-cad.xml. The document structure is still determined from plm_metainf-cad.xml. To import the changed structure for bills of material creation, variable customize\config\default.txt must be set: plm.bom.skipassemblies = true If the variable is set, the system searches for skipped_bom_plm_metainf-cad.xml when deriving the Bill of Material and uses this to determine the structure anew Is it Possible to Use BOM Components of Parts without Structure? For SKIP document types without assembly structure with DType PRPRT, BOM component use is possible. You have to define the name of the DType for SKIP parts that are not an assembly and that you want to use as Bill of Material components. Add: customize\config\default.txt plm.pma.singlepart.dtype = PRPRT applications\ugs\customize\config\default.txt UGII_A_METAINF_COMPNAME_STR_SKIP = uxm The Bill of Material is read from these components. The first material component is used as the material. The values of the attributes are copied into the material item. The preference variable is called: plm.bom.mapping Application Help for System Administrators 71

72 3 Troubleshooting Errors Possible Cause Action to Be Taken An original cannot be processed. An original opened in the application cannot be saved. An original cannot be created. I cannot log on to SAP Engineering Control Center. The status of the original cannot be changed. The metadata and classification cannot be changed in the Object Browser. After "Copy As", the original is not located in the same folder. CAD files with the wrong status are The original has a lock status. The original is being processed by another user. You do not have the necessary authorizations. The original is open in read-only mode. You do not have the necessary authorizations. The wrong SAP system was selected. A user does not exist in the selected SAP system. The original has a lock status. The original has a "Dirty Flag". The original has a lock status. The original is being processed by another user. The original is stored in the active folder by default. The wrong loading rules are set. Change the status to a processing status. If this is not possible, create a new version. The other user has to check-in the original. Inform your administrator. Process the original via the SAP-PLM menu in the application. Inform your administrator. In the logon dialog, select the correct SAP system at the very top. Inform your administrator. Change the status to a processing status. If this is not possible, create a new version. Open the original for processing in the application and then save it again. Change the status to a processing status. If this is not possible, create a new version. The other user has to check-in the original. By choosing the "Find Active Folder" icon in the program toolbar, you can navigate to the folder. Using the system toolbar in SAP Engineering Control Center, set the correct loading rule. Troubleshooting 72

73 Errors Possible Cause Action to Be Taken loaded in the application. When you choose the "Add --> Document" folder function, a search dialog appears that does not contain the criteria you need for the search. SAP Engineering Control Center hangs and does not respond SAP Engineering Control Center reports a "no gui" - exception Components in the Office Integration cannot be loaded or are not displayed in the application. The user-specific search masks are not defined. An SAP GUI window has opened in the background. You have tried to display a GUI using an RFC transaction. The session directory that can be defined using the PLM_COMMONDIR directory points to a network drive. By using the "System --> Maintain Search Masks" function, you can create user-specific search masks. The search masks are retained for the duration of an SAP Engineering Control Center session and can be reused again. Use the Alt+Tab key combination In the system-default.txt file, set the following variable: plm.control.sapguitofront Example: plm.control.sapguitofront./dscsag/doc_change_multi3 = true Activate the SAP GUI transaction with: sap.logon.sapgui = 2 Activate the GUI transaction for special function modules: sap.bapi.useguitransaction =...; BAPI1;BAPI2; Activate the GUI transactions for special processes: e.g. plm.document.statuschange.forcebrighttransaction = true The session directory must point to a local path of the client. Troubleshooting 73

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