Product (Object)

Represents the product.
The product is the object that helps you model your real products by building a tree structure whose nodes are product objects. Each of them may contain other product objects gathered in a product collection. The terminal product objects in the tree structure have no aggregated product collection. Even if all products are located somewhere in the product tree structure, some of them can be used as reference products to create other products named components, which are instances of the reference product. For example, the left front wheel in a car can be used as reference to create the other wheels. Be careful: some properties and methods are dedicated to reference objects only, and some others are for components only. This is clearly stated for each property or method concerned.

Properties


Property Analyze() As (Read Only)
Returns the Analyze object associated to the current product.
Example: 
 This example retrieves in EngineAnalysis the Analyze object of
 the Engine product.
 
 Dim EngineAnalysis As Analyze
 Set EngineAnalysis = Engine.Analyze
Property Definition() As
Returns or sets the product's definition.
Definition is valid for reference products only.
Example: 
 This example retrieves the definition of the
 Engine product in EngineDef.
 
 EngineDef = Engine.Definition
Property DescriptionInst() As
Returns or sets the product's description for a component product.
DescriptionInst is valid for component products only.
The description is a comment assigned to the component product to help describe or qualify it.
Example: 
 This example sets the description for the
 EngineComp product.
 
 Desc = "This is the Engine component product description"
 EngineComp.DescriptionInst(Desc)
Property DescriptionRef() As
Returns or sets the product's description for a reference product.
DescriptionRef is valid for reference products only.
The description is a comment assigned to the reference product to help describe or qualify it.
Example: 
 This example sets the description for the
 Engine product.
 
 Desc = "This is the Engine reference product description"
 Engine.DescriptionRef(Desc)
Property Move() As (Read Only)
Returns the product's move object. The move object is aggregated by the product object and itself aggregates a movable object to which you can apply a move transformation by means of an isometry matrix. It moves your product master shape representation according to this isometry.
Example: 
 This example retrieves the move object for the
 Engine product.
 
 Dim EngineMoveObject As Move
 Set EngineMoveObject = Engine.Move
Property Nomenclature() As
Returns or sets the product's nomenclature.
Nomenclature is valid for reference products only.
According to the STEP AP203, the nomenclature is "a name by which the part is commonly known within an organization".
Example: 
 This example retrieves the nomenclature the
 Engine product in EngineNom.
 
 EngineNom = Engine.Nomenclature
Property Parameters() As (Read Only)
Returns the collection object containing the product parameters. All the parameters that are aggregated in the different objects of the product might be accessed through that collection.
Example:
The following example returns in params the parameters of the productRoot product from the productDoc product document: 
 Set productRoot = productDoc.Product
 Set params = productRoot.Parameters
Property PartNumber() As
Returns or sets the product's part number.
PartNumber is valid for reference products only.
Example: 
 This example sets the
 Engine product's part number to A120-253X-7.
 
 Engine.PartNumber("A120-253X-7")
Property Position() As (Read Only)
Returns the product's position object. The position object is the object aggregated by the product object that holds the position of the master shape representation in the space.
Example: 
 This example retrieves the position object for the
 Engine product.
 
 Dim EnginePositionObject As Position
 Set EnginePositionObject = Engine.Position
Property Products() As (Read Only)
Returns the collection of products contained in the current product.
Example: 
 This example retrieves in EngineChildren the collection of
 products contained in the Engine product.
 
 Dim EngineChildren As Products
 Set EngineChildren = Engine.Products
Property Publications() As (Read Only)
Returns the collection of publications managed by the product.
Property ReferenceProduct() As (Read Only)
Returns the Reference Product of this instance.
Property Relations() As (Read Only)
Returns the collection object containing the product relations. All the relations that are used to valuate the parameters of the product might be accessed thru that collection.
Example:
The following example returns in rels the relations of the productRoot product from the productDoc product document: 
 Set productRoot = productDoc.Product
 Set rels = productRoot.Relations
Property Revision() As
Returns or sets the product's revision number.
Revision is valid for reference products only.
Example: 
 This example sets the
 Engine product's revision number to 3A.
 
 Engine.Revision("3A")
Property Source() As
Returns or sets the product's source.
Source is valid for reference products only.
According to the STEP AP203, the source is the "design organization's plan for obtaining the product". The source can take the values catProductMade if the product is made internally, catProductBought if it is purchased from a vendor, or catProductUnknown if its origin is not determined.
Example: 
 This example sets the source for the
 Engine product to catProductMade.
 
 Engine.Source(catProductMade)
Property UserRefProperties() As (Read Only)
Returns the collection object containing the product properties. All the user defined properties that are created in the reference product might be accessed through that collection.
Only available on reference products.
Example:
The following example returns in UserProps the properties of the productRoot product from the productDoc product document: 
 Set productRoot = productDoc.Product
 Set UserProps = productRoot.UserRefProperties

Methods


Sub ActivateDefaultShape()
Activate default shape.
Sub ActivateShape( ShapeName)
Activate one shape.
Parameters:
ShapeName
The name of the shape.
Sub AddMasterShapeRepresentation( iShapePathName)
Adds the master shape representation to the product. The master shape representation is the object that gives a geometric shape and allows the visualization of the product. It can be a CATIA V4 model, a VRML file, or any other type of document that can be displayed. In a multi representation context, the master shape representation is the most meaningful representation of the product according to the user. This is the default shape for the multi representation.

Note: This master shape representation is optional.

Parameters:
iShapePathName
The path name where the master shape representation can be found
Example: 
 This example adds the e:\Models\Engine.model as
 the master shape representation to the Engine product.
 
 Engine.AddMasterShapeRepresentation("e:\Models\Engine.model")
Sub AddShapeRepresentation( iShapePathName, iShapeName, iRepBehavior, iContext)
Adds a representation to the product with a specific behavior. A representation is the object that gives a geometric shape and allows the visualization of the product. It can be a CATIA V4 model, a VRML file, or any other type of document that can be displayed.

Note: The possible behavior supported are : 3D, 2D and text. The representation can also be added within a context or not. A representation on a product is optional, but many representation with different behavior (or the same) is supported

Parameters:
iShapePathName
The path name where the representation can be found
iShapeName
The name that is given to the representation This name is a user free choice
iRepBehavior
The behavior of the added representation. It can take the values catRep3D if the representation is a 3D one, catRep2D if the representation is a 2D one, or catRepText if the representation is a text one.
iContext
A condition to specify if the added representation can be displayed with the representation of other products.
Example: 
 This example adds the e:\Models\Engine.model as
 a 3D representation to the Engine product within an assembly context.
 
 Engine.AddShapeRepresentation("e:\Models\Engine.model","MyShape",catRep3D,TRUE)
Sub ApplyWorkMode( newMode)
Applies a new working mode.
Parameters:
newMode
The new working mode.
Func Connections( iConnectionsType) As
Returns the product's constraints. The constraint collection of a product gathers the constraints this product should respect to be positioned in the space.
Example: 
 This example retrieves the constraint collection for the
 Engine product.
 
 Dim EngineConstraints As Collection
 Set EngineConstraints = Engine.Constraints
Func CreateReferenceFromName( iLabel) As
Creates a reference from a name. A reference is an object that can stand for any geometrical object. Creating references is necessary for adding constraints between two components using Brep elements of the representations of these components.
Parameters:
iLabel
The path of the Brep element to use in the constraint. This path is passed as a character string comprising the component path from the root product to the component concerned, concatenated to the Brep element path in the product's representation. Components are separated using "/", and the product path is separated from the Brep using "/!". For separating parameter from product path use "\".
Returns:
The created reference
Example: 
 This example creates a reference from the path of a Brep element 
 in the Prod2 product located below the Root root 
 product. The face is located in the Pad.1 pad and limited by the
 Circle.1 circle.
 
 Dim Ref As Reference
 Ref = Prod2.CreateReferenceFromName("Root/Prod2/!Face:(Brp:(Pad.1:0(Brp:(Circle.1))):None())")
Sub DesactivateDefaultShape()
Deactivate default shape.
Sub DesactivateShape( ShapeName)
Deactivate one shape.
Parameters:
ShapeName
The name of the shape.
Sub ExtractBOM( iFileType, iFile)
Extracts the product's contents as a bill of materials (BOM). The bill of material displays, for every sub-assembly in the product, the one level depth components and some of their properties.
Parameters:
iFileType
Set this parameter to catFileTypeHTML to save to the html format.
Set this parameter to catFileTypeTXT to save to the text format.
The catFileTypeMotif should not be used.
iFile
File where the bill of material will be saved
Func GetActiveShapeName() As
Returns the name of the active shape.
Returns:
oShapeName The name of the active shape.
Sub GetAllShapesNames( olistshape)
List the name of all shapes.
Returns:
olistshape The list of the names The tab olistshape has to be allocated with a size given by GetNumberOfShapes.
Func GetDefaultShapeName() As
Returns the default shape.
Returns:
oShapeName The name of the default shape.
Func GetMasterShapeRepresentation( iLoadIfNecessary) As
Retrieves the product's master shape representation.
Parameters:
iLoadIfNecessary
Parameter to set to True if the master shape representation should be loaded to determine if it exists, or to False otherwise.
Example: 
 This example retrieves in MSRep the 
 Engine product's master shape representation.
 
 Dim MSRep As Object
 Set MSRep = Engine.GetMasterShapeRepresentation(True)
Func GetMasterShapeRepresentationPathName() As
Retrieves the product's master shape representation pathname.
Example: 
 This example retrieves in MSRep the 
 Engine product's master shape representation.
 
 Set MSRepPath = Engine.GetMasterShapeRepresentationPathName
Func GetNumberOfShapes() As
Returns the number of Shapes
Returns:
oNbShapes The number of Shapes.
Func GetShapePathName( iShapeName) As
Returns the path name of a shape for a given shape name.
Parameters:
iShapeName
The name of the shape.
Returns:
oShapePathName The path name of the shape.
Func GetShapeRepresentation( iLoadIfNecessary, iShapeName, iRepBehavior, iContext) As
Retrieves the product's representation with the given parameters.
Parameters:
iLoadIfNecessary
Parameter to set to True if the master shape representation should be loaded to determine if it exists, or to False otherwise.
iShapeName
The name of the representation of the product.
iRepBehavior
The behavior of the representation. It can take the values catRep3D if the representation is a 3D one, catRep2D if the representation is a 2D one, or catRepText if the representation is a text one.
iContext
A condition to specify if the representation is displayed with the representation of other products.
Example: 
 This example retrieves in MSRep the 
 Engine product's  3D representation named "PART".
 
 Dim MSRep As Object
 Set MSRep = Engine.GetMasterShapeRepresentation(True,"PART",catRep3D,TRUE)
Func GetTechnologicalObject( iApplicationType) As
Returns the product's applicative data which type is the given parameter. The data returned can be either a collection or a simple object.
Parameters:
iApplicationType
The type of applicative data searched.
Example: 
 This example retrieves the constraints for the
 Engine product.
 
 Dim EngineConstraints As Collection
 Set EngineConstraints = Engine.GetTechnologicalObject("Constraints")
Func HasAMasterShapeRepresentation() As
Returns whether the product has a master shape representation.
True if the product has a master shape representation.
Example: 
 This example retrieves in HasMSRep whether the
 Engine product has a master shape representation.
 
 HasMSRep = Engine.HasAMasterShapeRepresentation()
Func HasShapeRepresentation( iShapeName, iRepBehavior, iContext) As
Returns whether the product has a representation of the given name with a given behavior.
True if the product has such a representation.
Parameters:
iShapeName
The name of the representation of the product.
iRepBehavior
The behavior of the representation. It can take the values catRep3D if the representation is a 3D one, catRep2D if the representation is a 2D one, or catRepText if the representation is a text one.
iContext
A condition to specify if the representation is displayed with the representation of other products.
Example: 
 This example retrieves in HasRep whether the
 Engine product has a master shape representation.
 
 HasRep = Engine.HasRepresentation("PART",catRep3D,TRUE)
Sub RemoveMasterShapeRepresentation()
Removes the master shape representation from the product. The master shape representation is the object that gives a geometric shape and allows the visualization of the product. It can be a CATIA V4 model, a VRML file, or any other type of document that can be displayed. In a multi representation context, the master shape representation is the most meaningful representation of the product according to the user. This is the default shape for the multi representation.

Note: This master shape representation is optional.

Example: 
 This example removes the master shape representation of the
 Engine product.
 
 Engine.RemoveMasterShapeRepresentation()
Sub RemoveShapeRepresentation( iShapeName, iRepBehavior, iContext)
Removes a specific representation from the product. A representation is the object that gives a geometric shape and allows the visualization of the product.. It can be a CATIA V4 model, a VRML file, or any other type of document that can be displayed.

Note: This representation is optional.

Parameters:
iShapeName
The name of the representation of the product.
iRepBehavior
The behavior of the representation. It can take the values catRep3D if the representation is a 3D one, catRep2D if the representation is a 2D one, or catRepText if the representation is a text one.
iContext
A condition to specify if the representation is displayed with the representation of other products.
Example: 
 This example removes the 3D representation named "PART" of the
 Engine product.
 
 Engine.RemoveMasterShapeRepresentation
("PART",catRep3D,TRUE)
Sub Update()
Updates the product. This update is performed with respect to the part making the product or to the product's representation. It takes into account the components of the product at any level
Example: 
  The following example updates the root product:
 
 Dim RootProduct As Product
 Set Rootproduct = productDoc.Product
 Rootproduct.Update