Updating the Component Library
The basic steps for updating your wire harness or PCBA Component Library include:
• Make a backup copy of your wire harness and/or PCBA VPE.
• Export the Component Library lookup tables from your VPE to Excel.
• Update the componentLibrary table in both of your process groups (Assembly and User Guided) with current data.
• Re-import the updated Component Library lookup tables
To back up your wire harness or PCBA VPE
Use the VPE Export feature to make a copy of your VPE before performing the procedures in this section. See VPE Export operations for details.
To export the Component Library lookup tables
This procedure assumes that you are updating your Component Library with output from a third party like Ciiva. Adjust the procedure as necessary to reflect your actual situation.
1 In the aPriori client, click Tools > VPE Toolset.
2 In the resulting aPriori VPE Toolset window, click the VPE Manager icon (
), then select the wire harness or PCBA VPE from the Select VPE window. For this example, the VPE is named Wire Harness; yours may have a custom name, or you may be exporting the PCBA VPE. Click Open.
), then select the wire harness or PCBA VPE from the Select VPE window. For this example, the VPE is named Wire Harness; yours may have a custom name, or you may be exporting the PCBA VPE. Click Open.
3 In the resulting aPriori VPE Manager window, click File > Export > VPE Lookup tables to Excel.
4 Specify a name (for this example, "wire_harness_LUT" or “PCBA_LUT”) and click Okay.
This creates an Excel file for every process group in the VPE, as well as an "index" spreadsheet for all of the other sheets created by the export. In the case of the Wire Harness and PCBA VPEs, there are only two process groups that generate Excel files: Assembly and User Guided. TAKE NOTE OF THE FOLDER WHERE THE SPREADSHEET IS BEING SAVED.
To update the Component Library lookup tables
Note: It is important that you update both the Assembly and User Guided process groups.
1 in Excel, open the source file that contains the data you wish to import into your component library. (In the example in the previous section, this was the output file from a third party and was named "aPriori Component Library WH.csv".)
2 Open the exported lookup table file for the Assembly process group. (In the example in the previous step, this was named "wire_harness_LUT-Assembly.xls".)
3 Click on the componentLibrary sheet.
4 Ensure that the columns in the import file spreadsheet match the columns in the lookup table spreadsheet exactly. If not,. Modify (or regenerate) the import file so that they do.
Note: When you need to remove rows when editing a lookup table spreadsheet, it is critical that you do not leave empty rows. If you select one or more rows and press the Delete key, you remove the contents of the cells but leave the empty rows in place. This will cause problems when you import the spreadsheet into aPriori. Therefore, use the right-mouse-click Delete option, and ensure that the rows are removed as well as their content.
5 Carefully copy the cells from the import spreadsheet and paste them into the corresponding cells in the Assembly componentLibrary sheet. If you are replacing all the information in your Component Library, make sure that no old data remains in the target spreadsheet after the Paste. If you are adding new information, make sure that you do not overwrite data that you wish to keep.
6 You must update the User Guided exported file with the same information. You could simply repeat the previous three steps, but a more efficient method would be to use the Excel Copy command: open the User Guided workbook, delete the componentLibrary tab, then copy the updated tab from the Assembly workbook into User Guided.
Note: It is important that you update the componentLibrary for both Assembly and User Guided.
7 Save and close both files when they have been successfully updated with the data from the import file.
To reimport the Component Library tables
To re-import the Component Library tables:
1 Return to the VPE Manager and click File > Import > VPE Lookup tables from Excel.
2 Navigate to and click only the index Excel file. (This is the one without a process group embedded in its name; in this example, "wire_harness_LUT.xls".)
3 Click Open.
Note: If aPriori displays an error message when you try to import, double-check that you have not selected one of the process group files or another incorrect spreadsheet. You MUST select the index spreadsheet.
4 If replacing existing data with updated data, specify Replace. If you are adding data about new components, specify Add to existing data.
5 Optional: Enter a comment for a log entry describing the update.
6 Click the Publish VPE icon ( 
) when done.
) when done.If you are updating the component library for both Wire Harness and PCBA, you must repeat this entire process for the other VPE.