This document is intended for technical staff creating imports to Signifikant Platform and describes the Signifikant Simplified XML import format.

Data imports into Manager database

Overview

Signifikant Platform import process is a two-step process where Signifikant Simplified XML or any custom file formats are transformed into Signifikant XML import format and then imported. Signifikant Platform import function operates on Signifikant XML format (described separately), and has configuration functionality for applying a transformation from any custom xml format. This guide describes the Signifikant Simplified XML format.

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• Signifikant Simplified XML to Signifikant XML
• Windchill xml (requires configuration of Windchill) to Signifikant XML - in this case Signifikant Simplified XML is used as well
• Creo Illustrate xml to Signifikant XML
• IsoDraw xml (companion files) to Signifikant XML
• Arbortext and Simonsoft CMS to Signifikant XML

Configuration

Signifikant Platform’s standard function is controlled by import.config, which lists the directories to use and the transforms to apply. Each information type will need to reside in their own directory. E.g. an external application exports parts and pdf-documents. The config file will specify where these exports shall be placed and how Signifikant Platform should recognize these exports. The config file will also specify where the Signifikant XML files shall be placed and where transforms are to be found. E.g.

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Sample import.config

APIs

See Technical documentation - XML import format for APIs to initiate import.

XML files

The following information may be imported into Signifikant Platform:

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Sample xml for texts (signifikant and xliff format)

Sample xml for content

General components of all xml import files

Metadata

The Metadata element includes information from the export process. At the moment, it includes export-type and export-time, but this information can easily be extended if the need exists.

Common element attributes

Most data types (parts, assemblies, catalogues, etc.) in the Signifikant information model share a number of common attributes:

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*    The persistent-identity is the only attribute that is required in the import file. Often the identity, persistent-identity and number are the same, but there are use cases where these have different values.

Specifications

You can add an arbitrary number of additional attributes to most data types in the Signifikant information model. During import, you provide their values by using the Specifications tag which takes key/value pairs (called type and value).

Permissions

On most data types in the Signifikant information model you can set permissions which determine who has access to the information. During import, you provide the permissions by using the Permissions tag, which takes one or multiple permission levels.

CataloguesUsing

For each data type element in the import file, you can specify in which place and in which catalogue(s) the element is used. This way of linking data type elements to catalogue nodes makes the import and synchronization process very efficient.

Images

Most data types in the Signifikant information model can be linked to an image. The image is identified by its file name in the image directory. Images are imported into the Signifikant Manager from a directory or zip-file.

Specific components per data type of the xml import files

Parts

On top of the common information, the parts file allows you to add a supplier-part-number and a classification for the part. Classification is one way to distinguish various types of parts; another way is to use one or more custom specifications.

Illustrations

An illustration consists of one or more images and one or more hotspots. The image is defined by its filename. For each hotspot, the location and identity is provided. The identity can later be used to link a hotspot to a part-row in an assembly.

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SVG files may also have hotspots built into them. If both hotspots as xml and hotspots in SVG are provided, the hotspot information in the xml will be discarded.

Assemblies

An assembly consists of one or more illustrations and one or more part-rows. Illustrations are identified by their persistent-identity. Assemblies can be kits, which is marked in the import file with the kit tag. For each part-row the following information can be provided:

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Documents

For each document you can provide a title. If you work in a multilingual environment, you can provide a title for each language. You can also provide a list of languages for which the document is valid.

Catalogues

The catalogue import file describes the structure for each catalogue (nodes with images) and it also describes how each node is linked to other data type elements in the Signifikant information model. A node can be linked to:

• Parts
• Images
• Illustrations
• Assemblies
• Documents
• Other catalogues

Web Viewer imports

Overview

It is possible to make imports into the WebViewer. Currently imports of the below information is possible:

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Imports can be started manually by uploading files in the web viewer or by a service monitoring a hot folder.

Sample xml

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