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Characteristics

Characteristics play a crucial role in organizing and configuring products. They are used to group related products into categories and provide options for configuring product settings.

Here, Characteristics/Characteristic Values can be viewed, created, and maintained according to the VC data model (Characteristics/Characteristic Values), relevant for 3D visualization. Additionally, further 3D-relevant data/information and interaction types with the 3D model can be assigned to these "records."

Planned feature: Additional functionality will be added to Characteristics:

  • Import (all/individual) characteristics from the SAP data model (MasterData)

Creating Characteristics​

Characteristics correspond to characteristics in the SAP data model.

By clicking the “Create” button in the CRUD component, a new Characteristic can be created. With the “inline icons”, an existing Characteristic can be edited or viewed.

Fields​

  • Code (mandatory)
    → Technical name of the Characteristic. It must match the technical characteristic in the SAP data model if integration is required. Helper Characteristics that exist purely on the 3D-customizing side can be freely named but should follow the general naming convention and must be unique.

  • Type (mandatory)

    • Default → Characteristic with selectable options
    • String → Alphanumeric Characteristic
    • Float → Floating-point number
    • Integer → Integer
    • Bool → Boolean (true/false)

  • Unit (optional)
    → Unit used (e.g., ".", "mm", "pcs", "m", …)

  • Decimal Separator (optional)
    → Decimal separator (e.g., "." or ",")

  • Thousands Separator (optional)
    → Thousands separator (e.g., "." or "'")

  • Descriptions (optional)
    → Description in multiple languages

    • de_de = Base color
    • en_en = Base color
    • …

Characteristics-Information Tab (Create)​

When creating a new Characteristic:

  • Code is required.
  • Type is required.
  • Unit, Comma, and Separator are optional and displayed depending on the type.
  • Description can be entered in multiple languages.

Actions:

  • Save → Create the new Characteristic
  • Save → Save changes

After saving a Characteristic, additional tabs become available.

Characteristics-Information Tab (Edit-/View-Mode)​

In Edit-/View-Mode (Info Tab):

  • Base information can be viewed and edited.
  • Save to apply changes.

CharacteristicInteractions-Interaction​

In this section, one or more functions (Interactions) can be assigned to a Characteristic, defining how it interacts with the visualization. Backend functions (e.g., in Unity) can be triggered.

Example: Changing the material color of a 3D object.

Fields​

  • Code (mandatory)
    → Technical name of the CharacteristicInteraction. Must be unique.

  • Interaction (mandatory)
    → Select a predefined interaction (e.g., ChangeColor). These are defined under the "Interactions" menu.

  • Descriptions (optional)
    → Description in multiple languages

    • de_de = Change color
    • en_en = Change color
    • …

Actions​

  • Create → Open dialog for a new CharacteristicInteraction
  • Edit → Edit an existing CharacteristicInteraction

CharacteristicInteraction-Parameters​

CharacteristicInteractionParameters allow additional parameters to be passed to the backend function.

Example: The name of a fixed texture to be assigned when executed.

Important:

  • Context-based parameters (e.g., CharacteristicInteractionParameter) are only set when the Interaction is executed in relation to the specific Characteristic.
  • Global InteractionParameters (defined directly in an Interaction) are applied on every call.

Fields​

  • Code (mandatory)
    → Technical name of the parameter, must be unique.

  • Type (mandatory)

    • Choice → Currently, only the "Choice" type is available, which sets a value in the backend function.

  • Parameter (mandatory)
    → Value to be passed to the backend function (e.g., "Logo").

  • Description (optional)
    → Multilingual description

    • de_de = Reference 01
    • en_en = Reference 01
    • …

Actions​

  • Create → Open dialog for a new CharacteristicInteractionParameter
  • Edit → Edit an existing parameter

Characteristic-Values Tab​

CharacteristicValues correspond to the characteristic values in the SAP data model.

In this tab, Values for a Characteristic can be created, viewed, or modified. In addition to SAP values, extended information can be maintained here.

Fields​

  • Code (mandatory)
    → Technical name. Must match the SAP value if integrated. Otherwise, it must follow the naming convention and be unique.

  • Value (mandatory)
    → Value interpreted depending on the Interaction.
    Example: For ChangeColor, a HEX value is expected → #00FF00

  • IsDefault (optional)
    → Indicates if this value is preselected in the visualization if not yet configured.

  • Descriptions (optional)
    → Multilingual description

    • de_de = Green
    • en_en = Green
    • …

Planned feature:

  • Import (all/individual) characteristic values from the SAP data model (MasterData)
  • ExtendedProperties: Ability to add additional columns to provide further information for CharacteristicValues.

Actions​

  • Create → Open dialog for a new CharacteristicValue
  • Edit → Edit an existing Value