About Process Libraries
In DPM Process and Resource Definition, a Process Library allows a user to interactively define a number of different classes or types of activities. Each such Activity represents an action, and has specific labels, attributes, structure (i.e., an hierarchy of other activities, an internal sequence of activities, etc.), and so on, associated with it.
Once a Process Library file has been created, it is stored as a file with an .act filename extension, such as PaintOperationLib.act (below).
Using a Process Library in a Process
Any number of instances of the activity types defined in a Process Library can be used in a Process document. Process documents are stored with a .CATProcess filename extension. Here, a new Process has been created and activities are instantiated from the Process Library shown in the previous section:
Such instances of activities will, by default, inherit all of the characteristics of their original class or template as defined in the Process Library.
The steps required to create a Process Library are detailed in the section titled Creating a Process Library. When creating a Process Library, it is recommended that each Process Library file relates to either:
- a single, specific Process domain (such as Welding, Inspecting, Painting, etc.)
- a particular user, who is allowed to create only a number of activities of a very specific set of templates.
