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Managing Your Own Engineering Actions

An engineering action provides a Java program sequence or general command sequence to use in Innovator. You can only manage engineering actions in the configuration editor.

Familiarizing Yourself with Engineering Actions

In the broader sense, an engineering action provides a Java program sequence or a general command sequence (e.g. .NET/C# or any other program) in Innovator.

More specifically, this type of action sequence (according to the description in the configuration editor) needs to have at least one engineering action.

The engineering actions included within the scope of delivery with Innovator use Innovator API interfaces for Java or .NET/C#.

An engineering action first needs to be configured for the menu Extras>Engineering Actions>Commands before it can be used.

New engineering actions appear in the interface

  1. Once the Reload Contents (F5) command has been run by selecting the root node and/or system model or model (that they were configured for) or
  2. After logging-in again.

Apart from the model administrator, only user groups which were assigned in the Execution Rights view can use engineering actions.

You can use the engineering action's logical name (in the root tab) for the API as it is language-independent.

Localized names are the choice of preference when displaying in language-dependent user interfaces. The action's localized name is displayed according to the interface language set ($INOLANG)

Note:

Assignment of execution rights for engineering actions takes place in the Execution Rights view .

Creating an Action Sequence

Prerequisites

You need to be in the Actions view in the Configuration Editor if you want to create engineering actions.

How to proceed

  1. Jump to the Actions view.
  2. Select the profile in the profile tree which you want to create an action sequence for.
  3. If you want to create a Java action sequence, select Create>Action Sequence>Java Program Sequence or press [Shift]+[Ctrl]+[F5].

  4. If you want to create a C# action sequence, select Create>Action Sequence>Command Sequence.

    The action sequence is shown and selected in the profile tree. An action is automatically created and displayed in the list of profile elements. The root tab is selected in the action sequence's Edit/Properties dialog.

  5. Name the action sequence in the Name root tab. This is its logical name which can be used for the API.
  6. Select the Localized Names entry in the tree on the left-hand side.
  7. Enter the name for the action sequence.

  8. Activate the Use Logical Name check box if you want to use them as localized names.

    The name is visible in the tab once you click on Apply.

  9. Select the Icon entry in the tree on the left-hand side.
  1. To chose the icon via selection dialog:

    1. Click on the button in the Icon check box.

      The Select Icon dialog appears.

    2. Select the icon group in the tree on the left-hand side and then the icon you want on the right.

    3. Apply it with OK.

      The icon is displayed to the right next to the check box.

  2. To chose the icon in a drop-down list:
    1. Click on the button in the Icon check box.

    2. Click on the icon you want in the drop-down list.

      The icon is displayed to the right next to the check box.

  1. Select the Properties entry in the tree on the left-hand side.

  2. If you want to use the action sequence for the search, then activate in check box in the Value column for the respective row.

    Other prerequisites for using action sequences in the search are that it has to be a Java action sequence and that the Wait for Exit check box is activated for one of the engineering actions included. (see below).

  3. If you want to assign the action sequence to another profile, then click in the Owner row in the Value column.

    The button for the selection dialog appears.

  4. Click on the button.

    The selection dialog appears.

  5. Select the profile which you want to assign the action sequence to using the selection dialog and confirm the selection with OK.
  6. Select the Description entry in the tree on the left-hand side.

  7. Enter a description of the action sequence and confirm with Apply.

    You have created the action sequence. The actual sequence contents consists of the added action/s.

Setting a Java Engineering Action's Properties

Prerequisites

You need to be in the Actions view in the Configuration Editor if you want to edit engineering actions.

Context

An action from the same type as the action sequence is automatically created when creating an action sequence. You can then set the properties of this action, as well as other actions in the action sequence.

How to proceed

  1. Select the automatically-added action from the list of profile elements.

    The root tab for the action is selected in the Edit/Properties dialog.

  2. Enter the action's name in the Name field. The name needs to be unique within the action sequence; it doesn't, however, appear in the interface.
  3. Set the directory which includes Location in the Working Directory field.
  4. In the Location field, set the class, Java archive or zip file which is to be executed. A class' path must be entered as a Java namespace relative to the selected working directory's bin directory. Archives are stored directly in the working directory.
  5. Set the arguments for calling the action in the Arguments text box using the syntax "option=value". (The arguments for the virtual machine are set in another tab.)
  6. If the application should wait until the action is finished or, in error cases, until the Inojava window closes, activate the Wait For Exit check box. This option must be selected if the action is intended to produce a result that the application then uses (e.g. including Innovator search).
  7. If you want to customize the execution parameters at the start of action execution, then activate the Show Arguments Dialog check box.
  8. Select the Class Path entry in the tree on the left-hand side.

  9. Click on the [+] button if you want to add a directory or a file.

    A row is created in the Class Path table.

  10. Click on the small selection arrow and then, in the submenu that appears, click on File to select or create a Java archive, a class or a zip archive, or on Directory to select or create a directory.
  11. Select the Virtual Machine Arguments entry in the tree on the left-hand side.

  12. Click on the [+] button to add an argument.

    A row is created in the Arguments table.

  13. Enter the argument for the virtual machine in the line.

    You have defined an action.

Setting Properties for a Command Sequence's Action

Prerequisites

You need to be in the Actions view in the Configuration Editor if you want to edit engineering actions.

Context

An action from the same type as the action sequence is automatically created when creating an action sequence. You can then set the properties of this action, as well as other actions in the action sequence.

As well as programs which use the C# API, you can also use other programs or commands which run a command sequence’s actions.

How to proceed

  1. Select the automatically-added action from the list of profile elements.

    The action's root tab is selected in the Edit/Properties dialog.

  2. Enter the action's name in the Name field. The name needs to be unique within the action sequence; it doesn't, however, appear in the interface.
  3. Set the directory which should be used as the working directory for the action in the Working Directory field.
  4. Set the name of the command to be run in the Location field or select the program using the selection dialog. Please ensure that the command is either entered with an absolute path or relative to the working directory, or ensure that it is in the system path.
  5. Set the arguments for calling the action in the Arguments text box using the syntax "option=value".
  6. If the application should wait until the action is finished or, in error cases, until the Inojava window closes, activate the Wait For Exit check box. This option must be selected if the action is intended to produce a result that the application then uses (e.g. including Innovator search).
  7. If you want to customize the execution parameters at the start of action execution, then activate the Show Arguments Dialog check box.
Adding an Action to a Command Sequence

Prerequisites

You need to be in the Actions view in the Configuration Editor if you want to edit engineering actions.

Context

It is possible to add actions to the engineering action automatically created with the action sequence.

How to proceed

  1. Select an action sequence in the profile tree.

  2. Select Create>Engineering Action or press [Shift]+[Ctrl]+[F4].

    The action is shown in the list of profile elements and selected. The action's root tab is selected in the Edit/Properties dialog.

  3. Select the action's properties, as described above.

    The action automatically has the action sequence type.

 

 

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