Creating resource assemblies

In addition to individual components, Resource Manager manages the resource assemblies that are used by manufacturing tasks. Classified resource components are used to build these resource assemblies.

Generally, tool components cannot be used in a manufacturing process by themselves, so they are assembled using Resource Manager into resource assemblies. These assemblies are then used in the manufacturing production process. For example, parts are added to a resource assembly by a tool designer and then used in a manufacturing process created by a process planner.

There are three main features of a resource assembly:

• Assembly structure The assembly structure is displayed in a tree hierarchy on the left side of the Resource Manager application window in the resource view. The tree hierarchy shows the logical structure of how the different components are assembled to make up the structure. The root node represents the assembly. Additional components are added to the root node to build the structure. You can use cut, copy, paste, or drag-and-drop functions to organize components within the structure hierarchy.

• Assembly attributes If its root node is selected in the assembly structure, its attributes are shown on the Classification Properties view. If subassembly or component nodes are chosen, the attribute list in the Classification Properties view changes and the attributes of the selected object are displayed.

• Graphical representation The Classification Properties view has two viewing windows on its right-hand side. The upper window displays an image associated with its class, while the lower window shows an image associated to the instance, if available.