Find, via Transparent Toolbar (Part Filters)

Find

The search function on the transparent toolbar provides you with an efficient and user-friendly tool for the selection of parts or assemblies. 3-D part structures can be filtered by a wide range of individual criteria and rules. For example, you can search only for sheets of a particular material and with a thickness between 1 and 5 mm, or for imported parts. The filter settings can be saved, marked as Favourites, and re-used at any time.

When you call the function, the Part filters dialogue window will be displayed.

The search function distinguishes between Direct filter and Manual filter.

Manual filters create a part selection by particular rules. They can either be created for a

Drawing, or for a

Selection list. The filter rules can be saved as Favourites, e.g. in order to store various configurations of the filter. Filter settings saved as Favourites can then be used as direct filters and combined into Direct filter groups. The definition of manual filters takes place on the Manual filter tab.

Direct filters enable a quick access to manual filters saved as Favourites and the Direct filters predefined by the ISD. These filters are shown on the All tab. The definition of direct filters takes place on the User defined tab.

To see an example, click here.

Please note:

It can happen that the number of the found parts shown after applying the filter or clicking the Preview button differs from the number of actually processed parts (function-dependent behaviour).

Example:

All assemblies and parts shown below are not BOM-relevant.

When you now search the drawing for non-BOM-relevant assemblies and parts, the number of found parts will be 5, and all assemblies and parts of the drawing will be highlighted.

If you now right-click the above selection, choose Properties > BOM-relevance and set it to BOM-relevant, only the assembly and the cylinder will be found, i.e. only 2 parts.

The behaviour here is the same as for the marking of parts, where you can always only mark one superordinate assembly, but not additionally the subordinate parts.

Direct filter

Direct filters enable a quick access to filters that have been saved as Favourites. The All tab contains all Favourites.On the User defined tab, a selection of particularly frequently required filters can be arranged.

Window areas and buttons

Scope	Here you select whether the filters will be applied to the complete Drawing or only to a current Selection list. Click the desired button.
Manual filter	Activates a dialogue window for the definition and management of Manual filters.
All	Shows all available direct filters.
User defined	Here you can select user-defined direct filters, create new ones or edit them.
Cancel	Closes the dialogue without performing a search.

Operation

The 'All' tab

All available Direct filters are shown on this tab. These are arranged in several groups.

If you want to use the filters belonging to a filter group, expand the group by clicking the icon. Then, click on the desired button. Use the button to collapse the group again.

Let us assume that you want to search for I-beams. Proceed as follows: Open the group Steel Engineering - Individual parts, Steel Engineering and click on I-beam. The search will be started immediately. The number of found parts will be shown in a window that will disappear again after a few seconds.

The found parts will be highlighted in the drawing (Special colour "Marking 3").

If any Manual filter were defined and saved as favourites, they will be listed under an additional item called Further.

The 'User defined' tab

Use this tab if you want to use and edit your own Direct filters, or create new ones. User-defined Direct filters can be arranged according to the user's requirements.

Click the Manage button to add a new Direct filter group.

Click on the Add new group symbol.

Enter the name of the new Direct filter group and confirm with OK . The new Direct filter group will be displayed - together with various editing functions:

	Expand/collapse Direct filter group
	Rename Direct filter group
	Move Direct filter group up
	Move Direct filter group down
	Delete Direct filter group
	Add Direct filter Use this function to add further Direct filters to the current Direct filter group. A window with Favourites will be displayed for this purpose. Preset are favourites for various industries. By activating the desired checkboxes (here: I-beams and L-beams) to define the Favourites as Direct filters. Assign your selection to the current Direct filter group by clicking OK. Click Apply to save the Direct filter group. Select Cancel to discard your selections. When you now click on the respective filter button, the search will be started - either for the complete Drawing, or only for a current Selection list. The search function will be closed and the number of found parts will be shown in a window that will be automatically closed after a while. The found parts will be highlighted in the drawing (Special colour "Marking 3").

Manual filter

Manual filters create a part selection by particular rules. They can either be created for a drawing or for a current selection list. The filter rules can be saved as Favourites, e.g. in order to store various configurations of the filter. Filter settings saved as favourites can be used as direct filters and can be arranged into Direct filter groups.

To define manual filters, click the Find icon on the transparent toolbar. In the dialogue window, open the Manual filter tab.

Window areas and buttons

Scope	Here you select whether the filter will be applied to the complete Drawing or only to a current Selection list. Click the desired button.
Manual filter	Here the filter rules are displayed and configured. Activate the Case sensitive checkbox if you want a difference to be made between texts and names beginning with upper case and lower case letters used for a filter. Please note that this setting will apply to all currently displayed filter rules.
Clear filter	Use this function to clear the filter.
Favourites	Click this function to start the Favourites Management. Use the functions of the Favourites Management to save and re-use the currently defined filters as Favourites. For the management of these Favourites, further functions are available, allowing you to rename, delete, import, export them or arrange them in folders.
Preview	The preview can be switched on or off. If is it switched on, the filter will be immediately applied after each change to the filter rules. Found parts in the ICN and in the drawing will be highlighted and the number of found parts will be indicated at the bottom of the dialogue window.
OK	Closes the window, executes the filter, highlights the found parts and indicates the number of found parts in a message window that will automatically close after a while.
Cancel	Closes the window without executing the search.

Operation

Filter rules consist of one or several blocks of rules, with each block containing one part type rule. The part type rule determines which part types are to be found, e.g. general parts, Sheet Metal parts, assemblies etc. Click the Change button and select the desired part type by activating the corresponding checkbox.

If desired, several checkboxes can be activated, and complete groups, e.g.all Steel Engineering parts, can be selected. After selection of the part type (simply click next to the selection box), the dialogue window will be adjusted accordingly.

Now, you can add rules for the selected part type. The selection of rules takes place by means of the Add rule listbox. This listbox contains all valid attributes and properties for the selected part type. Each rule (except for the part type) consists of the name of the attribute / the property, one operator (is, is not...) and at least one value (number or text).

Example: Selected Property Usage, Column assembly

Possible operators:

Attributes	Operators
Numerical attribute	is, is not, less than, greater than, at most, at least
Text attribute	is, is not
True/False attribute	is

For text attributes, the following characters have particular meanings:

*	Placeholder for an arbitrary number of characters Examples: All (), begins with Be (Be), contains Be (Be), ends with Be (*Be)
?	Placeholder for exactly one character Examples: Beam? or Be??
\	Marking character Examples: Search for * in text (\*); search for \ in text (\\)

The following special filter rules for Attributes/Properties can also be chosen:

System attribute

Opens a dialogue that offers all system attributes from the catalogue, enabling you to add filter rules that are not available via the listbox.

Special attribute

Opens a dialogue that allows an entering of own attributes. First, select the type of the attribute (String, Integer, Double), an then enter the name of the attribute. Please note that you need to enter the attribute ID here, and not the displayed name (i.e. for example: $BB instead of "Article number").

Loose part (Steel Engineering)

Enables you to search for loose / "non-loose" Steel Engineering parts. Loose parts do not belong to BOM-relevant assemblies in which an assembly main part has been defined (welded assemblies).

Please note that this filter criteria is only available if you have selected at least one item of the category Part for Part type.

After adding the first rule, you have the following options:

Add / Remove a value

Use the and button to add or remove a value. If no value is left after removing, the entire filter rule will be deleted. The different values for a filter rule are linked by an OR condition, which means that only one of the values needs to match to enable a finding of parts.

Use the arrow symbols on the right hand side to move the filter rules via Drag & Drop. If you simultaneously press the CTRL key the rules will be copied.

Add rule from listbox

If you want to add another filter rule for the current part type, simply select it from the Add rule listbox. The filter rules in a filter block are linked by an AND condition, which means that a part must fulfil all filter rules to enable its finding via the filter.

Add block of rules / Copy block

If you want to insert a new rules block, click the icon on the right hand side of the dialogue. If you simultaneously press the CTRL key the current block will be copied. Click to delete the current block. If only one block exists, a deletion is not possible. Blocks are always linked by an OR condition.

Example

Let us assume that you want to create a filter that searches for the following elements:

I-beams with the Drawing colour metallic grey or L-beams with the colour metallic grey

and

Steel Engineering plates the Article number of which begins with "Bl".

This filter is to be made available as a Direct filter.

Proceed as follows:

Call the Find function and click the Manual filter button.
Click Change and activate the Beam checkbox beneath Part > Steel Engineering.
Select the rule Properties - Beam/profile type, and select the value I-beam.

Add another rule for the beam type L-beam.
Add a rule by selecting Properties - Surface colour from the listbox. Choose the Drawing colour Metallic grey.

Now, insert a new rule block.
Click Change and activate the Plate checkbox beneath Part > Steel Engineering.
Select the rule Attributes - Article No.. Enter Bl* as search criterion.

Save as Favourite by clicking on the icon and selecting Save favourite. Enter a name, e.g. Filter_Exp. Click Save.
Click Execute.
Call the Find function again.
Click Manage, then click Add direct filter group .
Enter the name of the Group, e.g. "Example".
Click Add direct filter and activate the previously saved favourite Filter_Exp.

Click Apply.

The Direct filter will now be available.

Find Parts, via ICN • Part Properties and Attributes • Bills of Materials • 3-D Drawing