Contents of a Local File System Repository

Owned by Ambarish Ganesh (Unlicensed)
May 11, 2021
4 min read

For a local file system repository, the Repository Content Panel shows the folder/file structure. Right click on a folder and select Refresh to view changes in that folder since you connected (or last refreshed), such as addition/removal/renaming of contents.

Excel

Syndeia offers additional capabilities for Excel files managed in local file system repositories.The Excel file can be expanded in the Syndeia dashboard and users can see the following:

  • Sheets – These are spreadsheets inside the workbook file (.xlsx or .xls).
  • Named references – These are names defined in the Excel workbook using the Name Manager (Formulas > Name Manager). Alternatively, named references can be defined by selecting a single or group of cells, right clicking, and selecting Define Name from the menu. Named references can be defined in the context of the workbook or a specific sheet. If defined in the context of the workbook, named references show up directly under the workbook in the Excel tree in the Syndeia Dashboard (see the named reference Org). If defined in the context of a sheet, named references show up under that sheet in the Excel tree (see the table Car_Info_Table in the Cars sheet).
  • Tables – These are named references that satisfy the following criteria:
    • A table must have at least 2 rows.
    • A table must have a contiguous area..
    • The first row is treated as a header row which should have names of all columns. Only alpha-numeric characters may be used as column names.
    • An empty table can be defined with only two rows where the first row has the column names and the second row is empty. 

  • Table Rows – These are entries in the table, starting with the second row. A table row is shown in the Excel tree using the column name (value) format.


To view the latest contents of an Excel workbook in the Syndeia Dashboard—it may have changed since you last connected or expanded it—right click on the parent folder of that workbook and select Refresh. Do not invoke refresh on the workbook itself.

NX

Syndeia offers additional capabilities for NX models managed in local file system repositories. When a NX file (.prt) is expanded, Syndeia initializes a NX session and starts communicating with the NX part model in the .prt file. The first element seen under the NX part file (.prt) is the NX part object if the part is a piece part, or the root component of the part assembly if the part is an assembly. In the latter case, if the root component is expanded, you can see sub-components which can be expanded further.

Creo

Syndeia offers additional capabilities for Creo models managed in local file system repositories. When a Creo model file (.asm or .prt) is expanded, Syndeia initializes a Creo session and starts communicating with the Creo model. The first element seen under the Creo file (.asm or .prt) is the Creo model object. If the Creo model is an assembly, it can be expanded to view the child components. 

Syndeia offers additional capabilities for Simulink models managed in local file system repositories. When a Simulink model file (.slx) is expanded, Syndeia invokes MATLAB/Simulink in the background and queries the complete structure of that Simulink model. The first element under the file is the Simulink model (e.g. System). When the model is expanded, users can see Simulink blocks, input/output ports, and lines (block connections) for that model.

A Simulink block is a usage of another model in the context of the given model, e.g. pA is a Simulink block that is the usage of the PartA model in the System model. For Syndeia’s purpose, there are two types of Simulink blocks—those that are usages of user-defined Simulink models (whitebox) and those that are usages of Simulink library models (blackbox). For example, pA is a whitebox Simulink block as it uses the user-defined PartA model; and Cos1 is a blackbox Simulink block as it uses the Trigonometric Simulink library model. Whitebox Simulink blocks are also known as model references in Simulink, and blackbox Simulink blocks are also known as library blocks in Simulink. Expanding a whitebox Simulink block in the Syndeia Dashboard shows the structure for the referenced model, such as shown for the PartA model when block pA is expanded.

Ports are interfaces through with a Simulink model accepts inputs or provides outputs. The Syndeia Dashboard shows input and output ports for a Simulink model in the following format: <name>(<direction>) : <type>.

Lines are connections between ports on Simulink blocks. The Syndeia Dashboard shows lines for a Simulink model in the following format: source <block>/<port> -> target <block/port>.