Structure Documents

The structure document feature enables you to automatically create an entire document structure consisting of a top level document and one or more sublevel documents. The entire document structure can be checked out as a group, and operations can be performed on the group's documents.

A document is defined as a structure document at the time its title is first created. This structure document will then become the top document in the document structure. Subdocuments are added to the top document, and to other subdocuments, to create a multilevel document structure. Features within IFS Document Management make it easy to add subdocuments, manage the structure, and add new document revisions to the structure.

A document structure is a set of related documents in a multilevel hierarchy. The top level document may be a complex drawing, such as a motor. Subdocuments would then be drawings showing the different parts of the motor. Often document structures are made for complex mechanical drawings, such as those created in a 3D modeling programs. See About Document Structures for more information.

Benefits in Using the Structure Document Feature

The structure document feature is beneficial in the following ways:

Structure documents are saved using their original document names. The relative path between the structure and subdocument(s) is saved so that the cross-references are not broken.
By selecting a group of files, subdocuments can be automatically created and connected to their top level document during check in.
The Tree Navigator, which graphically displays the document structure, enables you to navigate a document structure and perform commands on single documents.

Defining a Structure Document

When creating a new document title, the document structure attribute is often selected on the document title. Once a document title is a structure document, all of its document revisions automatically become structure documents.

Document Title and the Structure Field

A document is first defined as a structure document by selecting the Structure check box, at the time its document title is created. Document titles can be created in one of several windows or pages. If the document is not made a structure document at the time it is first defined, it can be set as a structure document at a later time. A document title cannot be defined as a structure document if it has more than one sheet.

See Structure Documents and Sheets and Approved and Released Document Structures for instances when a structure document is not defined.

Windows Client

Document Titles window
Document Revision/Title tab

Web Client

Document Object Connections page– a document title can be created and connected to a file using this page.
File Import page

Checking-in the Structure Document

Once a document is defined as a structure document, it will be checked-in from the Document Revision window/page by selecting Check In Document. The Check In Structure Document dialog box opens and you can add a file to the document. Once the file is added, subdocuments may be added to the structure in one of two ways.

Add sublevel documents adds one or more subdocuments below the selected document. When the structure is checked in, a document revision with connected file is created for each subdocument.
Document files can be added to the document structure using the Connect File to Row command. A document file is selected and is then added to the structure. Multiple document files may be added to the structure. A document record will be created and attached to each document file when the structure is checked-in.

A check-in report displays the results.

Structure Setting Applied Automatically on Subdocuments

A subdocument automatically becomes a structure document when it is checked-in under a main structure document. The subdocument's Structure field check box (on the subdocument's document title) is selected once the document is checked in.

Saving File Names and Paths

To enable parent and child file names to be saved properly and their relative paths to be maintained, rules for saving files will be followed. These rules are shown in the bulleted list below. Examples of these rules are found in the table.

The original parent and child's file name is saved (see Row 1-3).
The relative path, or the difference between the parent's file location and the location of the child's file, is saved (see Row 1-2).
If parent and child files are checked in from the same folder, there is no relative path to save (see Row 3).
A child file cannot be located higher up in the path structure than the parent file (see Row 4). This constitutes a negative relative path and is not supported.

Row	Parent File	Child File	Saved File Name	Relative Path
1	C:\mydocs\parent.dwg	C:\mydocs\sub\child1.dwg	child1.dwg	sub
2	C;\mydocs\parent.dwg	C:\mydocs\project\sub\child2.dwg	child2.dwg	project\sub
3	C:\mydocs\parent.dwg	C:\mydocs\child3.dwg	child3.dwg
4	C:\mydocs\parent.dwg	C:\child4.dwg	No saved file	Unsupported

Structure Documents and Sheets

If a new document is defined as a structure document, it can only have one sheet. The Create New Sheet command in the structure document would be unavailable or would display an error message. If an existing document has more than one sheet, that document cannot be defined as a structure document until all but one of its sheets have been removed.

History for Structure Documents

History is logged for changes made to the document structure. Each time a document is connected or disconnected to the structure, an event is logged. This structure event can be used as a filter when searching within the Document Revision/History tab.

Structure Attribute and Document Class

The structure attribute, which can be set on the document class level, causes by default new documents to become structure documents. Documents created prior to the structure attribute change would, by default, be non-structure documents, unless they were manually set as structure documents. The document class' structure attribute is set to off by default.

Approved and Released Document Structures

Once a structure document's status has been set to Approved or Released, documents in the structure are locked. A structure document is unlocked when it has a status of Preliminary, and unlocked documents can be changed.

Structure Documents and Document Templates

Document templates are not used with structure documents. For example, if a document template has had child documents, these child documents will be ignored when creating a new structure document from the template.

Document Structure Navigator Options

Refresh Document : Refreshes the current document and its subdocuments by referring to the corresponding structure in the database.
Refresh All Documents: Refreshes all documents in the navigator by referring the corresponding structures in the database.
Remove Top Level Document: Is enabled only for the top document of each structure. This will remove the selected top level document with its lower level documents from the navigator
Customize Display: Decides what display name should occur in the navigator (options are keys; titles; both keys and titles)

Structure Documents and Creating a New Document Revision

When creating new document revisions within a structure, the involved document's status plays an important role in the effects on the new revision and structure. Documents with a status of Preliminary are handled differently from documents with a status of Approved or Released.

The Create New Revision assistant enables you to replace the old document revision with a new document revision. This new revision would then be used in the structure. Step 3 of the wizard handles structure documents, and it is here that you will select to replace the old revision with the new revision. The Create New Revision assistant is also used to copy a structure (that is, the subdocuments) from the old revision to the new revision.

The Replace Revision right mouse button option enables you to replace the previous revisions with the current one in all the structures that the previous revisions are connected to. You can select the revisions you want to replace in the Replace Revision dialog box.

Preliminary Documents and New Document Revisions

When a structure has a preliminary status for all involved documents, new document revisions can be easily created. The document (600-126002-1-A1) gets a new revision (A1 to A2), which affects the new revision's structure and the old revision's structure.

In the new revision (A2), the parent document (600-126001-1-A1) is moved to the new structure. The subdocuments (600-126003-1-A1 and 600-126004-1-A1) are also copied over to this new structure. In the old revision (A1), the parent document (600-126001-1-A1) has been disconnected and the original subdocuments remain.

Approved and Released Documents and New Document Revisions

When a document structure has an approved or a released status for all of the involved documents in effect, this structure is locked and cannot be changed. However, the top structure document can be given a new document revision. For example:

The top structure document gets a new revision.

The subdocuments are copied and added to the second structure. If a document other than the top structure document gets a new document revision, the new structure will be disconnected from the top document. For example:

The second level document gets a new revision and is disconnected from its parent. This new revision gets these two subdocuments copied in from the old revision.