The Link Entity Browser is a tool to easily examine the connections between the
different parts of a model. One strategy to do that is to start the investigation on
one part or a certain group of parts, so each action in the Link Entity Browser
starts with a selection of parts. Parts can be considered as links.
These view options affect the Link Entity Browser action modes tools, and thus
determine the entities that display when you select and then show, hide, or isolate
a link. Figure 1.
Each button is modal, that is, you click it once to activate it, and click it again
to deactivate it. Active buttons remain active until you specifically deactivate
them, so you do not need to worry about them "resetting" after you perform an action
such as isolate. Figure 2. Active Figure 3. Inactive
The following model illustrates the effects of these search options.
Note: The
highlighted component; this component is the starting point for the following
examples.
Figure 4. . Model provided courtesy of Audi.
In each example below, the selected component has been isolated using only the
relevant view option.
Option
Name
Effect
1st link entity
The selected link entity can always be seen as the 1st link
entity, even if the selected part is not referenced by any
connector at all. If the 1st link entity view option button is
active, the selected links will be taken into account for the
action regardless.
This means that in case of the isolation,
all selected links will be isolated. Figure 5.
Linked connector entity
If this linked connector entity view option button is active
all connectors linked to the 1st link entities will be taken
into account for the action. It does not matter if the 1st link
entity view option button is active or inactive, its connectors
will still be located. This determination has nothing to do with
any display states.
This means that in case of the isolation,
only the connectors which are referenced by the selected
links (1st link entity) are isolated. Figure 6.
2nd link entity
If the 2nd link entity view option button is active, all link
entities referenced by the determined connectors except the
(selected) 1st link entities will be taken into account for the
action. It does not matter if the 1st link entity or the linked
connector entity view option buttons are active or inactive;
this determination has nothing to do with any display
states.
In the case of isolation, this means that only the
links that share connectors with the selected entities are
isolated. Figure 7. . The selected link is hidden because 1st link
entity was not active.
Realization
When this option is active, all realizations belonging to the
determined linked connector entities will be taken into account
for the action. Figure 8.
Cumulative Effect of Multiple Options
These options work accumulatively, for example, when both the 1st link entity and 2nd
link entity buttons are active, then selecting and isolating a component link
displays both it and all of the components connected it. If you had realization, 1st
link entity, and 2nd link entity active when you isolated the same component link,
then the model would display all of the component links connected to the selected
one, as well as graphical representation of the realizations of each connector
linking those component links together. Figure 9. . The first image shows an isolated view with only 1st link and connectors.
The second includes 1st and 2nd links, connectors, and realizations.
Using the 2nd Link Option to Expand the Selection
You can use the 1st link and 2nd link options together to gradually add more and more
links to your viewable model by starting with a small area, such as a single
supported entity, and then selecting additional supported entities. The example
below starts with a single component that has been isolated using the 1st link and
linked connector entity options. Then, using the 1st link, linked connector entity,
and 2nd link options, the Show action mode tool is activated. In each subsequent
image, one component (highlighted) is selected to be shown. Because the 2nd link
option is active, all components connected to the selected one are revealed. Figure 10. . The initial isolated component is selected. Figure 11. . All entities attached to the component are revealed. Another is
selected. Figure 12. . Link entities attached to the selected one are revealed. A third is
selected. Figure 13. . Entities now have direct connection to the original part, display.
