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2polew1-Visitor
1-Visitor
July 3, 2017
Solved

Script running CREO and Windchill, what's the best way?

  • July 3, 2017
  • 1 reply
  • 4988 views

So  I have a slight issue. I need to script a repeatable process which utlizes both CREO and Windchill.

The case is - sometimes we got a request to download certain file from company database, and then convert it to specified format, then e-mail back to a requestor. It's a deadly repeatable process, which I thought could be easily automated.

I wanted to maintain a following chain of actions:

1) Mail request gots to Outlook, it runs a rule which opens a script.
2) Script opens Creo, logs into appropriate database.
3) It opens Windchill Cabinets, searches appropriate drawing  number with data extracted from mail.
4) With use of appropriate rules (without checkout, latest or as stored state) it downloads appropriate drw to workspace, opens it. Then runs a mapkey converter.
5) After all it runs sorting script, which puts converted file in appropriate cloud drive, and sends mail back to user.

 

While steps 1,,2,5 are relatively easy and doable with powershell, python or VBA, I have giant problems with actually coming up with some kind of shell which puts it all together AND searching the Windchill database.

Could you guys maybe advise me with the way or tool I could maintain the process with? Would the Jlink be enough?

Best answer by DavidBigelow

Thanks -- CREOSON is pretty handy in the right circumstances.

 

Note - the Windchill functionality is somewhat limited thanks to JLINK - but you can at least do connection, workspace creation and management.  The searching for a file - well that is not a "thing" as I recall...  However, you can do a "file open" command in CREOSON -- and it will retrieve the file from Windchill IF connected.  But that is the catch, you need to know what to retrieve.

 

Most customers know what they want out of Windchill before they request it - thanks to a configurator, bom or some other list of files they are trying to process.

 

Hope this clarifies and helps.


Dave

1 reply

D
DavidBigelow17-Peridot
17-Peridot
July 4, 2017

Look into CREOSON .. it was designed specifically to do this kind of automation and I believe most of the functionality you are seeking is there today. You can use JSON transactions over HTTP using your current language to do what you need.

 

But it currently does not start CREO Parametric - CREOSON currently assumes CREO is running.  BUT, this is something we have thought about adding in the future (we have it now internally).

 

Dave

2
2polew1-VisitorAuthor
1-Visitor
July 5, 2017

I only had a brief look but it looks quite amazing I must say. Will it run windchill on embedded browser inside CREO without a problem? Searching for drawings on the basis of e-mail data is crucial to the script. 

D
DavidBigelow17-PeridotAnswer
17-Peridot
July 5, 2017

Thanks -- CREOSON is pretty handy in the right circumstances.

 

Note - the Windchill functionality is somewhat limited thanks to JLINK - but you can at least do connection, workspace creation and management.  The searching for a file - well that is not a "thing" as I recall...  However, you can do a "file open" command in CREOSON -- and it will retrieve the file from Windchill IF connected.  But that is the catch, you need to know what to retrieve.

 

Most customers know what they want out of Windchill before they request it - thanks to a configurator, bom or some other list of files they are trying to process.

 

Hope this clarifies and helps.


Dave

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