Use Navigator to explore object relationships as a graph. Start from an object, inspect its connected records, and expand the paths relevant to your question. It is useful when a product structure, document connection, or change context is easier to understand as a network than as a list.
Open an object
- Add a Navigator widget to your dashboard or open an existing one.
- Drag the object you want to investigate into the widget. Check its identity and revision before exploring.
- Review the nodes and connecting lines. Each node represents an object occurrence in the current graph; each connection represents relationship context.
- Select a node to inspect the object information available for it.
- Use the node’s expansion controls, where available, to reveal more connected objects. Expand only the branches needed for your investigation.
Understand direction and scope
Relationships have a direction from one object to another. Navigator can show incoming and outgoing context, depending on the configured view and expanded branches. Read the relationship labels and endpoints before deciding what a connection means.
The graph reflects the loaded scope and accessible data. A collapsed branch or excluded relationship can hide a connection from the current view. The same object can also participate in several paths, so repeated appearances can represent different relationship occurrences.
For example, starting from an item may reveal a drawing or parent assembly when those relationships exist and are included. The graph can help locate the connection, but its meaning comes from the configured relationship type.
Make the graph readable
Use zoom and fit controls to bring the visible network into view. Open Preferences to review the available presentation settings and choose a useful view. Expand the widget when labels or branches become difficult to read.
Changing the graph layout, zoom, or expansion changes the presentation. Changing an underlying relationship requires a separate relationship operation and the relevant permissions. Use Relationship Manager when you need to inspect or manage the actual connections.
Troubleshooting
If only the starting object appears, look for available expansion controls and check which relationship types the view includes. Confirm that the expected relationship exists and that you can access the connected object.
If the graph is crowded, collapse branches, fit the view, and focus on one question at a time. If an expected object remains absent, compare the graph with the object’s Relations information or Relationship Manager. Check relationship direction as well as object identity before requesting a data correction.
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How to Use the Relationship Manager in Nora IPLM | Relations Pane
