Part-Level Hotpoint Link Management
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Nate Record
Overview:
Currently, hotpoint links can only be configured at the page-part level when interacting with a BOM on a part page. While this works functionally, it requires repetitive manual setup when the same part appears across multiple pages, assemblies, or manuals.
Current Limitation:
When a part number appears in multiple locations, hotpoint links must be created individually for each page instance. If the linked page changes due to a revision, each hotpoint link must be manually updated. This results in significant administrative effort and increases the risk of inconsistent or outdated links.
Proposed Enhancement:
Add the ability to define hotpoint links at the part level rather than only at the page-part level.
With this enhancement:
•A hotpoint link would be associated directly with the part number
•That link would automatically appear anywhere the part number is used
•The link would function as a master link for that part
Example Use Case:
A part number is used across multiple assemblies and manuals. A single hotpoint link is configured at the part level pointing to a specific instruction or detail page. Wherever that part number appears, the hotpoint link is automatically available.
If the linked page is revised or changes, the link only needs to be updated once at the part level and will apply everywhere the part is referenced.
Benefits:
•Significant reduction in manual setup and maintenance
•Consistent hotpoint behavior across all documents
•Simplified revision management
•Reduced risk of broken or outdated links
•Improved scalability as documentation grows
Summary:
Part-level hotpoint links would allow teams to manage links once and apply them everywhere a part is used. This would greatly improve efficiency, consistency, and long-term maintainability of documentation.
Erin Steinmann
Hello Nate Record! I have a few more questions for you:
- What specific challenges or issues have you faced due to the current page-part level hotpoint link setup?
- How frequently do you encounter the need to update hotpoint links due to revisions or changes in linked pages?
- Are there any specific parts or assemblies where this enhancement would be most beneficial or critical?
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Nate Record
- What specific challenges or issues have you faced due to the current page-part level hotpoint link setup?
Our primary use of hotpoint links is to navigate from top-level BOMs to nested sub-assemblies or kits. The challenge is that these same kits and assemblies often appear in many different top-level drawings. Every time a new top-level page is created, the hotpoint link to the same kit or assembly has to be set up again manually.
This is further complicated by how we manage revisions. Each revision is stored as a separate page with a unique identifier so we can preserve historical content. When a top-level page is revised, all hotpoint links must be recreated for the new revision, even if nothing about the link target has changed. This leads to repeated manual work for what is essentially the same relationship.
- How frequently do you encounter the need to update hotpoint links due to revisions or changes in linked pages?
Revisions to top-level BOM pages happen regularly, so re-establishing hotpoint links is a common task. It is less frequent that the smaller kit or assembly pages being linked to change, but it does happen due to BOM structure updates or corrections to content. When that occurs, it’s difficult to ensure every page-level instance of the link is updated consistently.
- Are there any specific parts or assemblies where this enhancement would be most beneficial or critical?
This would be most beneficial for reusable kits and sub-assemblies that appear in many different top-level BOMs. These parts are referenced repeatedly, and under the current setup each reference requires manual link creation and maintenance. Defining the link once at the part level would remove a lot of redundant work and help keep everything consistent.