Adding data
This section describes the available tools to add new data.
Adding object classes
From Object tree
Right-click on the root item in Object tree to display the context menu, and select Add object classes.
The Add object classes dialog will pop up:
Enter the names of the classes you want to add under the object class name column. Optionally, you can enter a description for each class under the description column. To select icons for your classes, double click on the corresponding cell under the display icon column. Finally, select the databases where you want to add the classes under databases. When you’re ready, press Ok.
Adding objects
From Object tree or Entity graph
Right-click on an object class item in Object tree, or on an empty space in the Entity graph, and select Add objects from the context menu.
The Add objects dialog will pop up:
Enter the names of the object classes under object class name, and the names of the objects under object name. To display a list of available classes, start typing or double click on any cell under the object class name column. Optionally, you can enter a description for each object under the description column. Finally, select the databases where you want to add the objects under databases. When you’re ready, press Ok.
From Pivot table
To add an object to a specific class, bring the class to Pivot table using any input type (see Using Pivot table and Frozen table). Then, enter the object name in the last cell of the header corresponding to that class.
Duplicating objects
To duplicate an existing object with all its relationships and parameter values, right-click over the corresponding object item in Object tree to display the context menu, and select Duplicate object. Enter a name for the duplicate and press Ok.
Adding object groups
Right-click on an object class item in Object tree, and select Add object group from the context menu.
The Add object group dialog will pop up:
Enter the name of the group, and select the database where you want the group to be created. Select the member objects under Non members, and press the button in the middle that has a plus sign. Multiple selection works.
When you’re happy with your selections, press Ok to add the group to the database.
Adding relationship classes
From Object tree or Relationship tree
Right-click on an object class item in Object tree, or on the root item in Relationship tree, and select Add relationship classes from the context menu.
The Add relationship classes dialog will pop up:
Select the number of dimensions using the spinbox at the top; then, enter the names of the object classes for each dimension under each object class name column, and the names of the relationship classes under relationship class name. To display a list of available object classes, start typing or double click on any cell under the object class name columns. Optionally, you can enter a description for each relationship class under the description column. Finally, select the databases where you want to add the relationship classes under databases. When you’re ready, press Ok.
Adding relationships
From Object tree or Relationship tree
Right-click on a relationship class item either in Object tree or Relationship tree, and select Add relationships from the context menu.
The Add relationships dialog will pop up:
Select the relationship class from the combo box at the top; then, enter the names of the objects for each member object class under the corresponding column, and the name of the relationship under relationship name. To display a list of available objects for a member class, start typing or double click on any cell under that class’s column. Finally, select the databases where you want to add the relationships under databases. When you’re ready, press Ok.
From Pivot table
To add a relationship for a specific class, bring the class to Pivot table using the Relationship input type (see Using Pivot table and Frozen table). The Pivot table headers will be populated with all possible combinations of objects across the member classes. Locate the objects you want as members in the new relationship, and check the corresponding box in the table body.
From Entity graph
Make sure all the objects you want as members in the new relationship are in the graph. To start the relationship, either double click on one of the object items, or right click on it to display the context menu, and choose Add relationships. A menu will pop up showing the available relationship classes. Select the class you want; the mouse cursor will adopt a cross-hairs shape. Click on each of the remaining member objects, one by one and in the right order, to add them to the relationship. Once you’ve added enough objects for the relationship class, a dialog will pop up. Check the boxes next to the relationships you want to add, and press Ok.
Tip
All the Add… dialogs support pasting tabular (spreadsheet) data from the clipboard. Just select any cell in the table and press Ctrl+V. If needed, the table will grow to accommodate the exceeding data. To paste data on multiple cells, select all the cells you want to paste on and press Ctrl+V.
Adding parameter definitions
From Stacked tables
To add new parameter definitions for an object class, just fill the last empty row of Object parameter definition. Enter the name of the class under object_class_name, and the name of the parameter under parameter_name. To display a list of available object classes, start typing or double click under the object_class_name column. Optionally, you can also specify a default value, a parameter value list, or any number of parameter tags under the appropriate columns. The parameter is added when the background of the cells under object_class_name and parameter_name become gray.
To add new parameter definitions for a relationship class, just fill the last empty row of Relationship parameter definition, following the same guidelines as above.
From Pivot table
To add a new parameter definition for a class, bring the corresponding class to Pivot table using the Parameter value input type (see Using Pivot table and Frozen table). The parameter header of Pivot table will be populated with existing parameter definitions for the class. Enter a name for the new parameter in the last cell of that header.
Adding parameter values
From Stacked tables
To add new parameter values for an object, just fill the last empty row of Object parameter value. Enter the name of the class under object_class_name, the name of the object under object_name, the name of the parameter under parameter_name, and the name of the alternative under alternative_name. Optionally, you can also specify the parameter value right away under the value column. To display a list of available object classes, objects, parameters, or alternatives, just start typing or double click under the appropriate column. The parameter value is added when the background of the cells under object_class_name, object_name, and parameter_name become gray.
To add new parameter values for a relationship class, just fill the last empty row of Relationship parameter value, following the same guidelines as above.
Note
To add parameter values for an object, the object has to exist beforehand. However, when adding parameter values for a relationship, you can specify any valid combination of objects under object_name_list, and a relationship will be created among those objects if one doesn’t yet exist.
From Pivot table
To add parameter value for any object or relationship, bring the corresponding class to Pivot table using the Parameter value input type (see Using Pivot table and Frozen table). Then, enter the parameter value in the corresponding cell in the table body.
Tip
All Stacked tables and Pivot table support pasting tabular (e.g., spreadsheet) data from the clipboard. Just select any cell in the table and press Ctrl+V. If needed, Stacked tables will grow to accommodate the exceeding data. To paste data on multiple cells, select all the cells you want to paste on and press Ctrl+V.
Adding tools, features, and methods
To add a new feature, go to Tool/Feature tree and select the last item under feature in the appropriate database, start typing or press F2 to display available parameter definitions, and select the one you want to become a feature.
Note
Only parameter definitions that have associated a parameter value list can become features.
To add a new tool, just select the last item under tool in the appropriate database, and enter the name of the tool.
To add a feature for a particular tool, drag the feature item and drop it over the tool_feature list under the corresponding tool.
To add a new method for a tool-feature, select the last item under tool_feature_method (in the appropriate database), start typing or press F2 to display available methods, and select the one you want to add.
Adding alternatives
From Alternative tree
To add a new alternative, just select the last item appropriate database, and enter the name of the alternative.
You can also copy and paste alternatives between different databases.
From Pivot table
Select the Scenario input type (see Using Pivot table and Frozen table). To add a new alternative, enter a name in the last cell of the alternative header.
Adding scenarios
From Scenario tree
To add a new scenario, just select the last item under the appropriate database, and enter the name of the scenario.
To add an alternative for a particular scenario, drag the alternative item from Alternative tree and drop it under the corresponding scenario. The position where you drop it determines the alternative’s rank within the scenario. Alternatives can also be copied from Alternative tree and pasted at the appropriate position in Scenario tree.
Note
Alternatives with higher rank have priority when determining the parameter value for a certain scenario. If the parameter value is specified for two alternatives, and both of them happen to coexist in a same scenario, the value from the alternative with the higher rank takes precedence.
If it is desirable to base a scenario on an existing one, scenarios can be duplicated using the Duplicate item in the right-click context menu, or by pressing Ctrl+D. It is also possible to copy and paste scenarios between databases.
From Pivot table
Select the Scenario input type (see Using Pivot table and Frozen table). To add a new scenario, enter a name in the last cell of the scenario header.
From Generate scenarios
Scenarios can be added also by automatically generating them from existing alternatives. Select the alternatives in Alternative tree (using Ctrl and Shift while clicking the items), then right click to open a context menu. Select Generate scenarios…
Give the scenario names a prefix. An index will be appended to the prefix automatically: prefix01, prefix02,… Select appropriate operation from the combo box. Checking the Use base alternative check box will add the selected alternative to all generated scenarios as the lowest rank alternative. The Alternative by rank list allows reordering the ranks of the alternatives.
Adding parameter value lists
To add a new parameter value list, go to Parameter value list and select the last item under the appropriate database, and enter the name of the list.
To add new values for the list, select the last empty item under the corresponding list item, and enter the value. To enter a complex value, right-click on the empty item and select Open editor from the context menu.
Note
To be actually added to the database, a parameter value list must have at least one value.
Adding metadata and item metadata
To add new metadata go to Metadata and add a new name and value to the last row.
To add a new link metadata for an item, select an entity from one of the entity trees or a parameter value from one of the parameter value tables. Then go to Item metadata and select the appropriate metadata name and value on the last row.