Characteristic Values, like Property Categories, allow you to create a new section with a customized name and customized set of fields and data types for users to complete on an asset's details page. Unlike property categories, characteristic values allow users to complete the form in the new section multiple times and record updated data on an ongoing basis.

For example, you could create a characteristic value with a set of fields that captures daily temperature readings for a device or room. Your users could then enter readings with different dates and temperature values daily.

Custom Fields Using Characteristic Values for a Device

Characteristic values can applied to most data objects in VertiGIS FM. How you add characteristic values to a  depends on the type of data object for which you are creating the additional properties:

•For assets managed in a hierarchy in VertiGIS FM Maintenance, like devices (in the Device and Systems Structure hierarchy) and components (in the Component Structure hierarchy), you must create additional properties on the details page for the assets' group, designation, or version, depending on the range of assets to which you want the data fields available. This logic also applies to building construction groups.

•For assets managed in other VertiGIS FM products, as well as task-based objects like orders and service desk tickets, you must create additional properties in the administration section (Administration > Master Data > Flexible Properties). Here, you select a VertiGIS FM product and a data object managed within it, and define the data types to which you want to make the data fields available. You can limit the instances of the data object to which the fields are available using conditions and other filters.

Add Characteristic Values

The creation of characteristic values involves entering a name, specifying a subject, and configuring data fields (i.e., properties). These items appear as per the diagram below when they complete the form associated with the characteristic values.

Characteristic Value Elements

The procedure to add a new characteristic value section varies depending on whether you are adding a characteristic value section for hierarchical assets (devices, components, or building constructions) or for other types of data objects.

Add a Characteristic Value Section to Hierarchical Assets (Devices, Components, Building Constructions)

You can add a characteristic value section to assets managed in a hierarchy on the details page for the assets' group, designation, or version, depending on the range of assets to which you want make the new property category available.

To Add a Characteristic Value Section to Hierarchical Assets

1.Navigate to the details page for the group, designation, or version that contains the devices or components to which you want to make the new characteristic value section available.

2.Expand the Characteristic Values section and click the Add () icon.

3.Enter a name for the characteristic value and click Save. This name corresponds to the name of the section in which users will enter data on the asset's details page.

4.Expand the Subjects menu and click the Add () icon.

5.Enter a name for the subject in the Name field, and select a data type from the Data Type menu. The subject should describe the type of data the users will capture in this section.

6.Under Select List, click the Add () icon.

7.Enter a name for a list item, and continue clicking the Add () icon to add additional items. Each item you add in this list represents an option users can select from the State drop-down menu that appears above the property fields you will configure in subsequent steps.

Optionally, click in the Colour box and select a colour that corresponds to each state option.

8.Click Save and Close.

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

10.Enter a name for the property in the Name field, and select the type of data users can enter in the field in the Data Type menu. Refer to Property Details for descriptions of all form fields.

11.Repeat steps 9-10 to add additional properties to the characteristic values section.

Add a Characteristic Value Section to Other Assets and Data Objects

For other data objects and assets that are not managed in hierarchies, you can create charactersitic values in the administration section. These characteristic values will appear as sections on the details pages of all instances of the object to which you add it in the administration, unless filtered using conditions.

To Add a Characteristic Value Section to Other Assets and Data Objects

1.Navigate to the Flexible Properties administration page (Administration > Master Data > Flexible Properties).

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

3.Double-click the object or asset for which you want to create a new property category.

4.Expand the Characteristic Values section and click the Add () icon.

5.Enter a name for the characteristic value and click Save. This name corresponds to the name of the section in which users will enter data on the asset's details page.

6.Expand the Subjects menu and click the Add () icon.

7.Enter a name for the subject in the Name field, and select a data type from the Data Type menu. The subject should describe the type of data the users will capture in this section.

8.Under Select List, click the Add () icon.

9.Enter a name for a list item, and continue clicking the Add () icon to add additional items. Each item you add in this list represents an option users can select from the State drop-down menu that appears above the property fields you will configure in subsequent steps.

Optionally, click in the Colour box and select a colour that corresponds to each state option.

10.Click Save and Close.

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

12.Enter a name for the property in the Name field, and select the type of data users can enter in the field in the Data Type menu. Refer to Property Details for descriptions of all form fields.

13.Repeat steps 11-12 to add additional properties to the characteristic values section.

Property Details

Enter Data in a Characteristic Value Section

A section with the characteristic value's Name property appears on the details pages for assets and data objects associated with the characteristic value. Users can enter data in the characteristic value section when they click the Additional Editing () icon.

Details Page Section for Characteristic Value

The first time, they can then select an option from the characteristic value's subject list(s) and enter data in the form fields, per the configured data types, and then click Save or Save and Close.

Entering Data in a Characteristic Value

User can continue to add entries by clicking the Add () icon at the bottom of the form.

Adding a New Data Entry (1/2)

In this example, users could enter the temperature for the next day.

Adding a New Data Entry (2/2)

Viewing Historical Data

You can see previously entered data for the characteristic value in a table by viewing the section on the asset or object's details page. You may need to click the Show/Hide Column () icon to see all of the data associated with the characteristic value in the table.

Historical Characteristic Value Data

Section Authorization

Note that you may need to edit the section authorization for the edit form and change the characteristic value section's setting to Visible. By default, property categories are usually invisible.

Section Authorization for Property Category

In the section authorization form, the group, designation, version, or data object for which the property category was created appears in brackets next to its name.