Parameter values can be inherited from parent configurations to child configurations. This process is called parameter propagation. The behavior of parameter propagation is closely related to how assignment rules operate and is an integrated part of the rule engine.
Imagine, for example, that you are modeling the configuration of elevators. An elevator features internal doors for the cabin and external doors for each landing. Because the sizes of the internal and external doors must match, the DoorSize parameter should be propagated from the parent elevator configuration to each child landing configuration.
Set up parameter propagations
To inherit a parameter value, the parameter must be linked to both the parent product and the child product. Once this is done, the inheritance is configured within the product tree. Select the child product beneath the parent product in the product tree and open the Parameter propagation tab. This tab displays all parameters shared between the two products, allowing you to define the inheritance behavior.
There are three distinct behaviors for parameter propagation:
Propagation behavior |
Description |
|---|---|
If blank |
The parameter's value is only propagated to child configurations that do not have a value currently set for that parameter. |
If allowed |
The parameter's value is propagated to child configurations unless that specific value is disallowed at the child level, or the child has locked a different value for the parameter. |
Enforced |
The parameter's value is strictly enforced and propagated to child configurations. The rule engine anticipates potential propagation conflicts and automatically disables values at the parent level that would be impossible to propagate due to rules at the child level. |
Remarks
If a parameter that is enforced and propagated to child configurations becomes excluded at the parent level due to an inclusion rule, its value is no longer locked within the child configurations.
