Delivering Invalid Applications

ACES allows us to deliver applications that would not validate against the VehicleTo tables in the VCdb. This is done by indicating in the application that it should not be validated (i.e. validate="no").

Creating Invalid Applications

AceMapper supports two ways to create applications that are not valid according to the VCdb:

1. Manual Mapping. The Map Applications screen allows you to create a map manually that would not usually validate by selecting individual options. As long as the engines, submodels and vehicle attributes exist, you can include them on a “manual map”. If manually mapped, you also get “Manually Mapped” indicated.

2. Invalid Application Mapping. This is an option found under the Edit menu on the Map Applications screen. With this option checked, running Create ACES Applications (or manual mapping) will try to create an invalid application (if creating a valid application fails). If you have the option turned on and manually create applications it does the complete mapping if possible. The application is still invalid. The mapping error column will show “Auto Mapped Invalid”. If you just add a year it shows “Invalid Years Mapped”. These mapping errors will show whether auto mapped or manually mapped.

When you use this option to include invalid apps, the BaseVehicle, Engine, SubModel, Region and Engine must exist in the VCdb. But other attributes are not validated. In other words you can use Coupe on an application when the VCdb says the only body style on the vehicle is Sedan.

Including Invalid Applications in Output

The Export dialog includes an option to “Include Invalid Applications”. If this option is checked, AceMapper will attempt to include applications that are not mapped to ACES. There are several restrictions, however:

• The process will not create an application for a year that doesn’t exist on the model unless the application includes at least one year that is valid on the model. (Of course, in an application is created for an year that is not valid for the model, it can’t be exported unless Make/Year is selected.)

• If the application uses EngineBase attributes, those attributes must resolve to a valid EngineBase on the vehicle.

• If an excepted attribute does not resolve to any valid attribute on the vehicle, the application will not be created.

Selecting the Make/Year option allows the most “invalid” applications to be delivered. This is because you might have an application for a particular Make + Model + Year that does not exist in the Vcdb. AceMapper can send that application using Make/Year format as long as the Make and Model exist. There is no way to send the application in BaseVehicle format without a corresponding BaseVehicleID.

When AceMapper outputs the invalid ACES application, it marks the application as validate="no".