How to Populate Affinity Area

NE-areas-affinity-once To create an affinity between two existing NEs:

1.	Activate either NE, and

2.	Drag any visible NE into the affinity area.

From the cabinet, the cursor indicates the affinity area by highlighting the affinity area in green while showing the NE dropping: backview-NE-droppable-affin

To create an affinity link between an NE on the bench and the active NE:

1.	Rightclick on the benched NE,

2.	Mouseover Add to...

3.	Select Affinity.

To create a new NE with an affinity link to the active NE:

Either:

1.	Rightclick on the affinity area and, from the drop down menu, and

2.	Select Add an NE.

3.	The DNE will prompt you to name the NE. Enter a name, and

Click

Or:

1.	Drag the from the cabinet roof at the bottom of the room and drop it in the affinity area

2.	The DNE will prompt you to name the NE. Enter a name, and

Click

To change a contributions relation into an affinity relation:

•	Drag the NE from either contribution wing and drop it into the affinity area.

To unlink any NEs linked by affinity:

1.	Rightclick on the NE in affinity and

2.	Select Delete Reference.

Deleting a reference to an NE does not delete an NE. It just severs the link between two NEs. Both the NEs, however, continue to exist. If you want to permanently delete an NE, this must be done from the cabinet.

Unlike the contribution relation, the affinity relation is not automatically reciprocal. That is, by placing one NE in the affinity area of a second NE, you have not thereby included the second NE in the affinity area of the first. The affinity area of each NE must be populated separately.

Affinity is populated separately for repository mode and for each object model. Just because one NE has an affinity for another in one mode does not mean that the two share any affinity in another mode.