References allow you to define a connection between two objects in STEP, essentially creating a set of rules for the relationship between the objects. For example, a reference can associate an image with a product, or join multiple addresses with a single company, or connect an object to a classification, among other uses.
The reference type name refers to the target of the reference. For example, Product Reference Types all have a product object as the target. The reference types available allow connections between the objects defined in the table below.
| Reference Type | Connections Allowed |
|---|---|
|
Product Reference Types |
Classification-to-product Product-to-product Entity-to-product |
|
Image and Document Reference Types |
Classification-to-asset Product-to-asset Entity-to-asset |
|
Classification Reference Types |
Classification-to-classification Product-to-classification Entity-to-classification |
|
Entity Reference Types |
Classification-to-entity Product-to-entity Asset-to-entity Entity-to-entity Publication-to-entity |
|
Context Reference Types |
Entity-to-context |
|
Workspace Reference Types |
Entity-to-workspace |
Consider the following elements when setting up any type of reference:
- Adding a reference to an attribute group allows grouping of references and links, customized views, and added security via user group privileges. For more information, refer to Attribute Groups for Reference and Link Types.
- Dimension dependency determines if the reference is available based on the selected dimension point. For more information, refer to Dimension Dependent Reference and Link Types.
- Direction identifies one object as the 'source' and the referenced object as the 'target'. For more information, refer to Direction of a Reference.
- The only reference type that can display objects as parent / child in Tree is an entity reference type when both objects are entities. For more information, refer to Entity Reference Types.
- Metadata attributes on a reference allow description attributes to supply additional information about the reference itself. For more information, refer to Metadata Attributes on Reference and Link Types.
- Multiple references are allowed between the same two objects, using the same type of reference, when multiple reference types exist. For more information, refer to Multiple References for the Same Objects.
- Inheritance determines if a reference added to a parent object will also be visible on the child object. For more information, refer to Inheritance Example for a Reference.
- Dimension dependent references are displayed based on the Visibility setting. For more information, refer to Visibility of Reference and Link Types.
To create a reference type, follow the steps outlined in Creating a Reference Type.
To maintain a reference type, follow the steps outlined in Maintaining a Reference Type.