Extract Attribute Data from any Specified Element
- Last UpdatedApr 27, 2023
- 3 minute read
Attribute data can be extracted from any element rather than the element defined by the DDNM attribute. The element can be specified by name, element type or reference attribute.
The keyword for this navigation qualifier is FROM (or from), which can be abbreviated to F (or f). The keyword can be followed by one or more parameters separated by spaces:
<FROM parameter>
<FROM parameter parameter parameter>
The format for each parameter is the same as that for the transform qualifier (WRT), for example, element name, element type or reference attribute. For example:
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#POS<FROM /VESS1> |
Outputs the position of /VESS1 (in World coordinates) |
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#POSE<FROM SITE> |
Outputs the Easting of the Site above the DDNMelement |
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#DTXR<FROM TUBE> |
Outputs detailing RTEXT for the implied Tube associated with the DDNM element. |
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#HBOR<FROM CREF> |
Outputs the HBOR of the Branch referred to by the CREF of the DDNM element |
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#SPRE<FROM :fred> |
Outputs the SPRE of the element referred to by the :fred attribute of the DDNM |
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#PARA[3]<FROM SPRE CATR> |
Outputs value of third array element of relevant PARA attribute from referenced catalogue Component. |
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#PARA[3]<FROM /VCHJJ> |
Outputs value of third array element of relevant PARA attribute from referenced catalogue Component. |
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#DUTY<FROM CRFA[2]> |
Outputs the DUTY of the Branch referred to by CRFA[2] |
The first three examples refer explicitly to elements by name or type. The next three contain reference attributes of the current element, the referenced element being accessed. The last is a reference array attribute and must be followed by an array index.
More than one navigation parameter can be used to enable compound navigation to acces
<FROM CRFA[2] OWNE>
means data from the owner of the element referred to by CRFA[2].
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#MTXZ<FROM /VALVE1 TUBE> |
Outputs the ZTEXT relevant to the implied tubing of /VALVE1. |
The order of parameters is important:
<FROM CREF OWNE>
<FROM OWNE CREF>
These two FROM keyword formats do not have the same meaning. The first means the owner of the element specified by the CREF attribute and the second means the element specified by the CREF attribute of the owner.
Up to five parameters can be used. A complicated case might be:
<FROM OWNE CREF OWNE :UDARR[3]>
Data is extracted from the third element referred to in the UDA reference attribute ‘:UDARR’ of the owner of the CREF element of the owner of the current Design element.
The starting point for navigation is the current element, which is normally the current Design element, as referred to by the DDNM attribute of the annotation element. However where the codeword obviously refers to annotation data (for example #AUTH, #TITL refer to AUTH and TITL attributes in the Draw database), navigation is from the annotation element.
It is possible to apply both navigation and transform qualifiers. For example:
#POS<FROM OWNE, WRT /DATUM>
Note that the navigation qualifier is always applied before the transform qualifier, whatever the order of syntax. For example:
#POS<FROM /EQUIP, WRT ZONE>
The position of /EQUIP is output in the coordinate system of the ZONE which owns /EQUIP, rather than the Zone of the DDNM element.
If the navigation qualifier is omitted, the appropriate current element is usually used for data extraction. However certain codewords extract data from a specific element type rather than from the current element. An example of this is #PRFL. Data is extracted from the PRFL attribute of the SUBS element which owns the current element.
Standard Codewords, for example, #BRAN and #DRWG are equivalent to #NAME<FROM BRAN>.
Pseudo- reference attributes can be used within codeword navigation qualifiers. For example #XXXX<FR SPREF> extracts the data for attribute XXXX of the element referenced by attribute SPREF of the current Design element. (Note that SPREF is a pseudo-attribute of NOZZ as well as being a standard attribute for all Piping Components.)