Outfitting Search Utility

The PDMS Search Facility enables you to search for model items in all the graphical applications and list the search results in a table. To display the Search form select: Display > Search Utility.

The history for the current session in the combo-box is remembered by the search tool and can be cleared at any time by selecting the Clear History option from the drop-down list.

The New tab check box provides a selection capability which allows you to control how the search results are displayed either in the current search results grid or in a labelled tab within the current search results grid.

By default the New tab check box is un-checked and a default tab Search Results 1 is displayed in the Search Results window. Every search result will be displayed in the Search Results 1 tab until the New tab check box is selected.

When the New tab check box is selected, each new search is displayed in a new numbered tab, Search Results x, were x is substituted for the highest numbered tab plus 1.

When using Saved Searches, the search is displayed in the Search Results window in a new tab using the saved search name as tab's title. If a tab for the same saved search already exists, that one is used.

If the Location of a saved search is different from Local Settings, then the tab's caption will be Location/Name.

If a user has several searches open in separate tabs in the Search Results window and then clears the New tab check box, all new search results will appear in the default tab, named Search Results 1.

To close a tab on the Search Results window, right click on the tab and select Close Tab from the sub-menu.

Note: The Search Result 1 tab cannot be closed.

To populate the Search window with all the parameters used to create a search result, right click on the tab in the Search Results window and select Synchronise Search with Tab from the sub-menu.

Selecting the Search button starts the search process. Selecting Reset returns the Search window back to the default settings.

Search Filters

Scopes for the search can be set in the Search Filters, Modified, Within Volume and Attribute Filters sections of the Search form.

Hierarchical Search beneath a Ceiling

When the search tool is first opened during a session, the default scope will have the world element (/*) as the ceiling of the search within the current database (for example, Design, if within the Design application). To change this ceiling, select the Beneath Element checkbox combo-box. Alternatively, select the CE button to set the current element as the Ceiling for the search.

The databases listed in the In Database combo-box are those that are available to you and the combo-box will automatically update if the database item exists in any of those databases. Similarly, if you change the database type in the combo-box then the database item currently displayed will be checked, and if not found in that database, the ceiling of the search scope will be reset to world.

The database items entered in the Beneath Element combo-box will be remembered throughout the session. The history created can be cleared by selecting Clear History from the pull-down list.

Element List

Selecting the Element List check box allows you to select a predefined Element List from the drop-down list. The options available in the drop-down list are dependant on which module or application you are working in.

Modified

Selecting the Filter by modified date check box allows you to filter the search by the date modified. Selecting the Show Modified Date on Output check box displays the modified date on the Search Results window.

Volumetric Search within an Existing Model Item or an Explicit Volume

To set the search scope for Volumetric Searching, select the In Volume check box to activate the Of Element and Explicit Volume search scope approaches.

With the Of Element check box selected, enter a valid model element for the scope of the search in the adjacent combo-box. Alternatively, select the CE button to enter the current element in the combo-box. The elements found will reside within the volume of the specified model element. A Clear History option is available from the drop-down list.

With the Explicit Volume check box selected, you can specify the opposite 2 corners of a 3D box in which to conduct a search by setting the appropriate coordinates in the X, Y and Z boxes.

The Wholly within and Wholly & Partially within option buttons, which are applicable to both volumetric search approaches, allow you to specify whether the found elements exist completely or partially within the specified volume.

Attribute Filters

You can set one or more attribute filters for the search. The specified attributes will apply to each element type listed. If there is more than one attribute filter specified then the found elements will satisfy all of the attribute filters.

To add an attribute filter, select the Add Filter action label and then enter a valid attribute in the displayed field. Click in the Operator field and accept the suggested Operator or select a different one from the drop-down list. With the Operator selected, click in the Value field and enter an appropriate value. Accepting these settings enters them in the filter grid.

In the List Operator

The In the List Operator enables you to specify a list of values (separated by spaces) for the specified attribute value - these can be numeric or non-numeric, depending on the type of the attribute. For example, Attribute=AREA, Operator="In the List", Value="0 1 3", would find items which have AREA attribute equal to either 0 or 1 or 3.

In the Range Operator

The In the Range Operator enables you to specify a range of 2 numeric values that means, an upper and a lower limit, inclusive. So, for example, Attribute=AREA, Operator="In the range", Value="1 10", would find items which have AREA attribute equal to any numeric value between and including 1 and 10.

If the attribute is changed once it is in the grid, then the Operator and Value fields will update accordingly.