Hidden switch to block the Save funktion in Creo Elements/Direct 3D Access

The "viewer" is being (ab)used as 3D format converter.

This feature has been added long ago in the "Onespace.NET times".

I fully support the idea of blocking the "Save" function in 3D access.

However, blocking it via a "hidden switch" would be a very weak protection,

since it is only a matter of time until a "smart user" detects how to

toggle the hidden switch.

I disagree with both of you. The data should not be protected by the application (here 3D Access), but by a data management system (for example ModelManager).

You could prevent 3D Access to save, but you cannot prevent any other companies to have there CAD system read and write in the file format of Modeling.

Or more simple, you can delete, move, rename files with Windows Explorer.

With 3D Access, a user from outside of the engineering (for example a user in a workshop) can do better than viewing. He can do some modifications, either to understand better an assembly, or propose a modification to the engineering department, for example.

With the following entries in "sd_3D_Access_customize" we block the save commands in ModelManager:

;; Deactivate save commands, see: ModelManager Customization Guide: Search for "activation"

(defvar mei::*mm-commands-activation*

`((:MM_SAVE              ,nil)

(:MM_SAVE_SNAPSHOT       ,nil)

(:MM_SAVE_EDRAWING_3D    ,nil)

(:MM_SAVE_LIGHTWEIGHT    ,nil)

(:MM_SAVE_PKG            ,nil)

(:MM_SAVE_XVL            ,nil)

(:MM_AM_SAVE             ,nil)

(:MM_AM_SAVE_EDRAWING    ,nil)

(:MM_AM_SAVE_TB          ,nil)

))

And with the following entries in "all_load_save_file_types.dat" we block the save commands in 3d Access:

(:bundle      :out-cmd "display \"Export not allowed\" ")        ;;Annotation

(:drawing      :out-cmd "display \"Export not allowed\" ")       ;;Annotation

(:package      :out-cmd "display \"Export not allowed\" ")

(:sd_bundle      :out-cmd "display \"Export not allowed\" ")

(:sdexp       :out-cmd "display \"Export not allowed\" ")

(:stp       :out-cmd "display \"Export not allowed\" ") ;; IsoDraw Export Format

(:dxf       :out-cmd "display \"Export not allowed\" ")      ;;Annotation

(:dwg       :out-cmd "display \"Export not allowed\" ")      ;;Annotation

(:2d-iges      :out-cmd "display \"Export not allowed\" ")  ;;Annotation

(:igesdek      :out-cmd "display \"Export not allowed\" ")

(:step       :out-cmd "display \"Export not allowed\" ")

(:acis_sat      :out-cmd "display \"Export not allowed\" ")

(:sat       :out-cmd "display \"Export not allowed\" ")      ;;Old Version

(:vrml       :out-cmd "display \"Export not allowed\" ")

(:edrawings3d   :out-cmd "display \"Export not allowed\" ")

(:edrawings2d   :out-cmd "display \"Export not allowed\" ")