Component documentationEngineering Desktop

 

You can use Engineering Desktop (E-desktop) to transfer CAD structures between a CAD system and SAP Product Lifecycle Management (SAP PLM). You can then process the structures in E-desktop and from there, create either material BOMs or iPPE variant assemblies.

Caution Caution

If you want to use Engineering Desktop, contact the SAP support.

End of the caution.

Implementation Considerations

When you use Engineering Desktop you must first determine if you want to create iPPE variant assemblies or classical material BOMs. You can define this in a parameter in Customizing.

Integration

If you have installed a corresponding CAD integration, you can call Engineering Desktop from the CAD system.

In addition, you require the following SAP components:

Note Note

You can manage documents, materials, material BOMs, and change numbers directly in the PLM Web user interface (PLM Web UI). If you want to view and change the assemblies that you created with iPPE in the PSM application, your iPPE model must be compliant with PSM and vice versa.

End of the note.

Features

E-desktop consists of two areas. In the upper area, you define the work area with the following data:

  • Access Control Context

    The access control context (ACC) determines the authorizations of each user. (See Access Control Context.)

    Note Note

    In E-desktop, you can change the owning context of an object by assigning an ACC to the selected objects in the current view.

    End of the note.

  • Change Number

    When you specify a change number, the system automatically assigns this change number when creating new objects. You can also assign these change numbers manually to document info records. (See Change Number on the Web UI.)

    You can also create a new change number in E-desktop or display or change an existing one.

  • Working directory

    For the working directory, specify the local directory in which your CAD structure is saved. When you start E-desktop, the current working directory is automatically entered here.

In the lower area, you see the available views:

  • Assembly view

    In this view, you see the structure of the assembly that is currently active in the CAD system.

  • Document structure

    In this view, you see the document structure of the active document info record with a single or multi-level document structure in a tree structure.

  • Working directory

    In this view, you see the contents of the working directory.

  • Document list

    In this view, you see a list of the document info records that you have loaded using the search, for example, or the results of a where-used list.

  • Configurable view

    In this view, you can display single-level product variant structures (PVS). This view is only available if you work with iPPE.

Depending on the view, you have different functions available. (See Overview of Functions in Engineering Desktop.)

Note Note

Depending on how the CAD system is connected to E-desktop and on how you have called E-desktop from the CAD system, a view might have already been selected. However, you can always switch to a different view.

End of the note.