Unit types and component types

The Unit Types and Component Types tabs in Create Asset Type and the Asset Type InfoViewer define which unit types and component types will be available for an agency-defined asset type. Unit types are specific subtypes of an asset type, such as specifying that a vehicle is a passenger car, a maintenance truck, or a bus. You specify an asset's unit type in the Type field on the Structural tab of the asset InfoViewer.

Components are used for asset inspections. Because it can be difficult to manage an inspection record for a large asset such as a bridge or a complex, you can create components, which represent smaller parts of a large asset. You can then record separate observations for the components in the asset inspection. To use components, you must also select the Define Components for use with Inspections attribute for the asset type.

See Adding asset components.

To define unit types or component types for an asset type, add them to the grid on the Unit Types or Component Types tab. Note that all agency-defined assets use the same Unit Type and Component Type code definitions. You can create a new code definition when adding a unit type or component type, or you can select an existing one.

You can also add unit types and component types while working with specific assets in the asset InfoViewers. This include both adding new code definitions and associating code definitions with agency-defined asset types. In addition, you can define new component types while adding them to inspection types.

See Adding a component to an asset inspection type.

For example, the popup for the Type field in the InfoViewer lists the existing unit types that are associated with the asset type you're working with. If you don't see the unit type that you want, you can add it. You can then click the popup button in the Code column to show the Unit Type Code Definition popup, which shows all unit type code definitions in the system. Again, you can select an existing code definition or add a new one. When you're finished, the new code definition will be associated with the asset type so that you can add it to other assets of the same type.