Objectives

The new learning objectives of this exercise are to generate a product structure in a Windchill repository from a block structure in a Rhapsody SysML model, using the default mapping in Syndeia.

Preparation

This exercise assumes the student has

• IBM Rational Rhapsody 8.2 installed correctly on his or her machine with a valid license for use, and

• Syndeia 3.3 installed as a plugin for Rhapsody with a valid license for use

• Syndeia Windchill interface, correctly installed with a valid license for user.

• A Windchill repository network connection in the Syndeia Repository Manager

The specific instructions in this example use a Windchill repository connection named Windchill 11.1 @ Intercax, but the user can use any Windchill repository they have available. It is generally advisable to carry out these exercises in a non-production repository, a "sandbox", set up for training and practice purposes. Caution: Rhapsody has, by default, restrictions on the naming of SysML elements, which can create problems when Syndeia tries to create Rhapsody model elements that violate these restriction, e.g. beginning a SysML block name with a number. We recommend modifying any Rhapsody models you create to relax these restrictions. Modify the properties of the top-level package of the model under General::Model::NamesRegExp with the following string and save.
^(([a-zA-Z0-9_][a-zA-Z0-9_ ():-]*)|(operator.+))$

Exercise

1. Create an empty folder under Products in a Windchill repository to which you have access. In this example, it will be Sandbox/Akshay Sandbox/AV_Components in the repository Windchill 11.1 @ Intercax. (It is outside the scope of this tutorial to describe how to use the PLM tools, but in Windchill, one approach is to open a web interface to your Windchill repository, go to Navigator→Browse→Recent Products→View All and click on the New Folder icon on the Products page.)
   
   

2. Open the Rhapsody model Syndeia Tutorial Testbed.rpy. Right-click on package Windchill_Tutorial Part 1, launch the Syndeia dashboard, select a Syndeia Cloud project if required, and click on the Connection Manager tab. Click on Repository at the top of the left panel and select SysML Repository. Click on Repository at the top of the right panel and select the Windchill 11.1 @ Intercax repository. The dashboard should appear as in Figure 1. The left panel shows the SysML model element selected. The right panel shows the contents of the Windchill repository.
   
   

   Open

   

   Figure 1 Syndeia Dashboard, Connection Manager tab
   
   

3. To generate the UAV part structure in the empty folder AV_Components, choose Model Transform as Connection Type in the center of the dashboard, then drag-and-drop the UAV block from the left panel onto the AV_Components folder in the right panel. A window will appear as in Figure 2. Check the box next to "Set block as primary end item" and click Yes. (Primary end item identifies this as the top-level block in the PLM product, which may be important for updating the SysML model later.)
   
   

   Open

   

   Figure 2  Syndeia Dashboard, Connection Manager tab
   
   

4. A series of messages will scroll in the bottom section of the dashboard. As shown in Figure 3, the AV_Components folder on the PLM side now reflects the product structure imported from the SysML model.
   
   

   Open

   

   Figure 3 Syndeia Dashboard, Connection Manager tab, after generation of part structure in the PLM repository
   
   

5. To view the persistent connection that has been created between the UAV block in the SysML model and the UAV part under the AV_Components PLM product, click on the Connection Browser tab of the Syndeia Dashboard, click on the Repository button at the top and select the SysML Repository, and expand to view the UAV block on the left. Note the connection in Figure 4 below; the connection key (DZSB04-R92) assigned by Syndeia will be different in your case.
   
   

   Open

   

   Figure 4  Syndeia Dashboard, Connection Browser tab, showing the connection between UAV in the two domains
   
   

6. To view all the connections to elements in the Syndeia DZSB04 project, click on the Connection Search tab (Figure 5) of the Syndeia Dashboard and click the Get All button on the upper right. Note that connections were created between all of the blocks that are used as parts of UAV, e.g. Body, and the corresponding parts created in the PLM product.
   
   

   Open

   

   Figure 5 Syndeia Dashboard, Connection Search tab, showing all the connections owned by the Syndeia DZSB04 project.