CE-Upd14 Item Types and Expression

Hello,

I am looking to create an Expression to retrieve the Variation value of a profile which is part of a paramteric solid.

It looks like this:

The for me most obvious expression would be this.GetElement().GetDisplayValue("Variation"), but that does not give any result.

Is it possible to retrieve this info and if yes, how to do that? 

Thanks,
Andre

  • Hi Andre,

    I am looking to create an Expression

    Where the expression will be used? In report, in ItemType property or somewhere else? And when in ItemType definition, it's expected the ItemType will be attached to root solid or to some solid inside the history?

    The for me most obvious expression would be this.GetElement().GetDisplayValue("Variation"), but that does not give any result.

    I think it's not so obvious ... technically. I guess it depends a lot on how the expression provider is implemented internally: Parametric solids are stored as a set of graphical (both showed and hidden) and non-graphical elements, linked together, but not grouped into e.g. complex element structure. The most of information displayed in GUI are not attached to the root element (parametric solid), but harvested from nodes-leafs structure, that describes how the solid was created.

    Is it possible to retrieve this info

    I think it's not possible, but without further testing, it's only my first impression.

    What I see as a problem is that ItemType is attached to root element, but you want to obtain information displayed for another element, nested inside the structure.

    With regards,

      Jan

  • Where the expression will be used? In report,

    That would be one use case. But, it would be I think useful if the information can be accessed by other tools, including the parametric tools. I got the impression at a recent presentation that it was still early days for this kind of functionality.

    The most of information displayed in GUI are not attached to the root element (parametric solid), but harvested from nodes-leafs structure

    Yea. The way the PS info is displayed is getting better but still not very understandable. Maybe what would good is if there would be a tool tip that would list the expression for the property/variable?

    In this case: User hovers over (or right clicks on) 'HE-800B' and the "this.GetElement().GetXXX" would display. The user would then just need to copy and paste this into whatever tool he needs.

    but you want to obtain information displayed for another element, nested inside the structure.

    Nesting being a problem again...? If so, Bentley needs to get a grip on things. There will be a lot of nested objects that will need to be accesible.

  • There will be a lot of nested objects that will need to be accessible

    I agree: that's one form of relationship — let's call it an ownership relationship.

    Another relationship is mutual; for example doors and rooms.  They are separate graphic entities (door is a cell, room is a shape) but I want to report on rooms and the door(s) to each room; or I want to report doors and the rooms that they link.

    How about a container relationship?  This office resides in floor N of my building: report on the offices contained by floor N; or tell me which floor to which room M belongs; or calculate the non-office area of floor N.

    I'm sure that others will invent additional types of relationship.

     
    Regards, Jon Summers
    LA Solutions

  • Hi Jon,

    Thanks.

    Yes, I think that there will be an increased need to wrestle with relationships between elements. In the past, the typical user day did not involve many links between elements... only associative dimensions and hatches?

    In today's BIM data-centric world in search of productivity growth, relationships between the old geometric CAD elements as well as any non-graphic 'business data' will only become more and more prominent.

    Bentley has had huge foresight in looking at exposing 'schemas' at Mstn level and in some of its 'Open' verticals (Open-Map, Plant, Road?) It would be good not to fumble at the last mile and provide the Mstn driver in the trenches some robust tools to access and work with this info.

    Mutual + Container: Yes, see buildingSmart's IFC schema, for example. At the moment, these relationships are generated on export for reporting purposes only by a vertical like OpenBuildings Designer. What would of course be a lot more useful is if these kinds of relationships are also accessible prior to export.

  • Hi Andre,

    We need to pull variation using relationship expression. However, parametric are not that straight forward. I have forwarded this request to my team member. She will look into it and try to revert as early as possible. If you don't mind, is it possible for you to share your file? 

    Thanks,

    Mangesh


    This is a test