CE-Upd14 Item Types and Expression

Question

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

Sanjivani Ichake · Answer

Hi Andre, 
 Apologies for delayed reply. I have gone through your test file and observed that, you have used expression *this.GetElement().GetDisplayString("Variation")*. Here, Variation is display name of property and it's internal name is *ParameterSetName*. So, you need to use expression as *this.GetElement().GetDisplayString("ParameterSetName")*. This will return you correct value at Profile item type as below: Now, if you want to fetch this *Variation* at *Parameter Solid* level then, you need to use expression as below: 
 this.GetItem("SmartFeaturesSchema:SmartFeatureContainer").GetRelatedItem("SmartFeatureToCellParametersRelationship:1:ParametricCellElement").ParameterSetName 
 This expression is working at report dialog but unfortunately, not working at element properties dialog. I will try to check this at my side. Hope this will help you.

Sanjivani Ichake · Answer

Hi All, 
 In addition to GetRelatedItem, there is method GetRelatedInstance. 
 Please try to use GetRelatedInstance instead of GetRelatedItem as both functions are same. 
 We are going to deprecate GetRelatedItem as it makes confusion at native and managed implementation. 
 
 Regards, 
 Sanjivani

Jan Šlegr · Answer

Hi Andre, 
 AndrevR said: Does it look like the ‘Fields Editor’ from Insert Field? 
 No. The builder is quite basic now, but in my opinion it's very good step forward: 
 
 AndrevR said: Hopefully this will be published soon. 
 I assume it will be publicly available in Update 15. Personally I am surprised it has not been added to Update 14 as Technology Preview, when it's available normally in ORD, that is based on PowerPlatform U13.2. 
 AndrevR said: This may be so, but I was much more referring to Reports and Expressions 
 Item Types are subset of EC data (subset / pre-defined EC schema), expressions are native feature of EC class and Reports harvest EC data (and nothing else). Maybe, but I am not sure, reports itself are stored as EC data internally. 
 AndrevR said: Create a parametric cell of an HE beam and attach an ItemType to this cell with a.o the shape property 
 It works fine and there is nothing special in this situation, even when the syntax of Expression I created can looks weird without EC schemas / EC data knowledge. A crucial fact here is that ItemTypes is getting value "at the same level", in other words ItemTypes attached to parametric profile references EC value available at the same element. 
 AndrevR said: Place the parametric cell and create a solid by extrusion of the cell 
 It creates nesting level of the type "parametric element in parametric element", which makes the situation more complicated. 
 Be aware it's not nesting in a way how e.g. complex elements are stored, because parametric solids are saved as Type 106 and Type 106 elements, not grouped together using ComplexHeader (or as Cell as it was used for SmartSolids). 
 In this situation, the problem is how to reference (identify) value available the profile from the solid. It's general problem, how to identify uniquely identify data in tree structure. It think no general simple solution exists, but maybe Sanjivani Ichake will find a way how to do it in this particular case. 
 AndrevR said: However, Reports did not and still do not, support this type (depth) of reporting. 
 Any geometry properties of parametric cells (like Volume or Surface) are supported directly by reports (at least what I see in U14). 
 Data inside the parametric solid are a bit more complicated, but Variation is supported (can be added to report, even when nested inside the solid), but it does not work. So I guess there is problem with Variation itself, because it does not work both in Expression and Report definition. 
 AndrevR said: If this would be supported in this way ItemTypes are always attached to the param cell element and thus to the extrusion solid 
 Sorry, but it sounds like nonse (but maybe my English understanding is not good enough): When ItemTypes are attached to the parametric cell, it's attached there, not "thus to the extrusion solid". 
 In your case, the same ItemTypes are attached twice (both to the cell and to the solid), which is confusing and to defined report to support both is maybe not possible. 
 AndrevR said: Than there is no need to attach an Item Type to the created solid afterwards 
 Yes. Unfortunately I do not see a way how to define report to use these nested data properly. I can define to include them in the report, define columns, but they all are empty. 
 AndrevR said: Since direct reports do not work 
 I think this is more important and crucial than to discuss complicated workarounds. 
 In my opinion, it should be asked and discussed separately: How to define report to include also nested (parametric cell data and attached ItemTypes). It's possible to define such report, but columns are empty. 
 With regards, 
 Jan

Sanjivani Ichake · Answer

Please find attached file where I have added expression. 
 3463.TestExpression.dgn

CE-Upd14 Item Types and Expression

Top Replies