Create drawings from Family Tables

[DerrickVanNieke]

Does anyone perhaps no of a way to automatically generate drawings of items in a family table.

I have about 25 instances in a family table, basically the amount of extrudes are more and the width grows.

I need to get flat DXF files to take to my laser machine.

I do this for different products. So opening over 200 instances of products, and manually making over 200 drawings is a pain in the ... um yes...

Is there a way to do this that anyone is aware of? your help will really be appreciated!

thanks for your time,

Derrick

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[TomD.inPDX]

What exactly are you wanting to automate?

You can set up template drawings that have predefined views (or view). You can turn off the rectangular border to avoid exporting it.

I'm sure that once each sheet is set up, there is a way to run a process to export each sheet but I don't know how to do that.

[DerrickVanNieke]

Hi there,

the easy explanation is, I have about 50 or so versions of the part in a family table, I need DXF files at the end of the day.

Now, to create 50 drawings, all with top view, no border, A0 paper size, no hidden, scale 1:1, is really a big shlep.

there is gotta be a way I can open the part, process all 50 instances of the part of the family table while I step out for a nice hot cuppa coffee, come back and have my DXF files waiting for me?

thanks for taking time to respond, hopes this helps to explain what I am after?

thanks,

Derrick

[TomD.inPDX]

I just bring the thermos back to my desk and hunker down.

I am sure there are ways to automate this with a toolkit but I am certainly not the expert to define the process.

As far as I would even attempt to do this is to set up a couple of Mapkeys to simplify the mundane.

New page; new model; new view; set view properties; save-as; sip coffee... rinse and repeat.

[gwalker]

If you don't care to save the drawing (.drw) file for each instance, just replace the model in the drawing you have, export the DXF, replace with the next model and repeat.

If you do use this technique, you will need to rename the DXF as you export it to match the current instance (the tricky part).

In theory, you could create a trail file of the first few, expand it to include the rest of the instances and run the trail file. Getting this to work properly could take more time than running 50 DXF's, but if you ever have to do it again...

[DerrickVanNieke]

he he he he, yeah. sounds fimiliar.

But the whole idea of CREO is to automate the mundane, there's gotta be a way.

thanks for replying. the hunt continues...

- Derrick

[Patriot_1776]

Do the dwg once, copy the dwg and replace the model with another instance. The dims etc. will all work (as long as they don't reference geometry not resumed in that instance). You'll have to copy 50 dwgs, but it's not that hard since almost all of the work will already be done.

[Patriot_1776]

Can you simply make a "tabulated" dwg instead?

[ptc-4392950]

Dig into JLink (user manual is in the main installation folder)

I did it that way. it's not that hard just a little trial and error (i had only the very minimum knowledge of Java)

if you still searching for a solution i could mail you the java text

[B.Champ]

I am interested in the answer to the original post.

Also, I am trying to do something similar with IGS and Step files. Anyway to export family table instances out as IGS or Step files without having to open each individual instances?

[GabrielZaha]

For 3D export I would take a look to Distributed Batch or, if you are running Wildfire, Pro/Batch

Look on the knowledge base for document - CS139340 for informastion's how to get started.

If Distributed Batch is not installed look for Document - CS117362.

[JamesBurcham]

As someone who has been wishing for this functionality for years, I can tell you that Creo by default does not have the ability to do what you are looking for. You can try modifying a trail file as mentioned above, otherwise this will require customization to the creo program itself.

My recommendation is hire a college student that is majoring in engineering and have that student do that type of work. Thats what we did, gives them something good on their resume and you don't have to do crappy mundane work anymore.

Good luck, and if you find a solution for this please pass it on.

[dschenken]

AutoIT and a couple of mapkeys.

AutoIT takes care of the sequencing and the mapkeys provide the reliable control of the software.

Previously I've done Excel VBA -> Trail file generation, but it's a slog because the operation is entirely blind.

AutoIT has functions that make this a lot easier, such as acting on feedback from Pro/E or Creo.

If you wanted extreme, I'm pretty sure AutoIT could do the work and send copies of outputs via e-mail when it's done. Up to the programmer to write it, but AutoIT was developed by people who were smart enough to write it and lazy enough to want it.

[Jose_Costa]

I don´t know how you do it.

I usually do a drawing of the generic and then save a copy, open the copy and replace the model.

I made a small script for that, just for fun.

It works like this:

1 - Open Creo

2 - Set Working directory

3 - Open generic part

4 - Call Mapkey "FT"

This mapkey will open the Family Table window and copy the first column to the clipboard.

Then a script will create a array from the content of the clipboard.

The script opens a drawing with the same name of the generic part, saves a copy with the name of the first instance,

Opens the new drw, replaces model and save the file. Repeats for each instance.

This process may take a while if ft is big, consider taking a break for a coffee

Video Link : 5306

Remember that the script just works if prt and drw have the same name.

Edit file header.txt, and replace the text with the first two lines of one of your trailfiles.

For creating dxf´s type call mapkey trail.

More about FT-Drawing script in:

Trailmaker 0.3

Jose