Working with Lookup Tables
Lookup tables provide tabular data. Global lookup tables provide information that applies to a cost model in general; non-global lookup tables are specific to a process or operation. A lookup table that is operation-specific is specific to an occurrence of an operation in the process-GCD-operation hierarchy, and so has an associated path that names the operation’s ancestor operations and process.
Each lookup table has an associated CSL standard input. CSL modules can access a lookup table with a query that uses the table’s associated input. Here is an example that queries the lookup table tubeLaserCutting, which is associated with the Tube Laser process in the Bar & Tube Fab cost model:
 
cutRateEntry = select first(cr) from tubeLaserCutting cr _
where materialFamily == cr.materialCutCodeFamily and _
part.crossSection.thickness <= cr.materialThickness and _
cr.power == machine.power _
order by cr.materialThickness asc
 
See CSL Language Overview for more information on CSL.
CSL field names of lookup table entries, such as materialCutCodeFamily and materialThickness, are specified in the Field Name field of the table’s Lookup Table Definition (see Viewing and Modifying Lookup Table Definitions). The corresponding attribute name displayed in the VPE Manager is controlled by the CMWB column properties dialog. This dialog also controls the formatting, column grouping, and column properties displayed in the VPE Manager—see Working with Column Groups and Column Properties.