Property Categories are similar to Additional Properties but allow you to name a new section that stores related properties or attributes on the details page for the asset.

For example, you could create a new property category that stores fields related to the physical appearance of a device. On the device details page, users could enter data using the fields you added to the new section.

Custom Appearance Section Created for a Device

Property Categories can also be used in other VertiGIS FM products that allow for hierarchical asset management. In VertiGIS FM Buildings, Property Categories can be created for a building construction group and used to store data on the details pages for building construction components within the group.

Property Categories are created in two steps: first, you create the category (what you want the section on the device or component details page to be called). Then, you add the properties the section will store and assign data types to the respective fields.

Create a Property Category

You can create a new property category on the Flexible Properties administration page.

To Create a Property Category

1.Navigate to the Flexible Properties administration page by clicking Administration > Master Data > Flexible Properties from any page in VertiGIS FM.

2.Expand the section for the VertiGIS FM product associated with the asset which you want to create the property category.

3.Double-click the type of asset for which you want to store data using the new property category.

4.Expand the Property Categories section and click the Add () icon.

5.Enter a name for the property category. The name should describe the type of information the section will store on the device or component details page.

6.Click Save and Close.

Add Properties to a Property Category

Once you've created the property category, you can add properties to it. You can add properties to the property category on the details page of the asset whose type you created the property category for.

To Add Properties to a Property Category

1.In the Property Categories section on the group details page in the Flexible Properties administration section, double-click the category you created, or select it and click the View Details () icon.

2.Expand the Properties section and click the Add () icon.

3.Fill out the form for the new property.

oYou must enter a name for the new property in the Name text box. The name should describe the data the user will be entering in the field.

oYou must select a data type that specifies the type of data users will enter in the field from the Data Type menu. If you select Date, for example, users will be required to select a date from the calendar when they enter a value for the device or component. In addition to Date, Number, Name, or Yes/No, you can select any set of options from the catalog to be used as a drop-down menu from which the user selects an option.

If you select Number from the Data Type menu, you may need to specify the unit in the Unit text box.

You can select the Mandatory Field check box if you do not want your users to be able to save values for any of the other properties without completing this one. For example, you may not want users to be able to save a temperature without also submitting the date of the reading.

4.Click Save and Close.

The category now contains a property.

New Property Category Containing a Property

You can add other properties that are relevant to the asset type to the form. Each property can have a different data type. All properties will be stored on the details page for the type of asset for which you created the property category in the section with the name you've given to the property category. In the example above, the name of the section is "Appearance".

New Property Category Containing Various Properties

Enter Data in a Property Category Section

When you've created a property categories and added properties to it, users on the details page for the assets for which you created the property categorycan add data to it.

Values for property categories are entered by editing the main details section on the details page for the asset for which you created the property category. There is no edit button in the section for the property category section itself.

Enter Data in a Property Category Section

1.Navigate to a details page for the asset for which you created the property category.

2.Ensure the section for the new property category is visible on the asset details page. You may need to edit the section authorization and change the section to Visible. The name of the section on the section authorization page is the name you assigned the new property category.

3.Edit the details page for the asset. This is done by clicking the Edit icon () at the top of the device or component details page.

4.Ensure the section for the new property category is visible on the form to edit the device or component details page. Again, you may need to edit the section authorization for this page and ensure the section with the name of the new property category is Visible.

5.On the edit form, expand the name of the property category section.

6.Fill out the additional properties as required. How each field is filled out varies depending on the data type that was selected for each additional property.

7.Click Save and Close.