Enhancement Requests for Creo - Summer 2013 TC Meetings

[BrianMartin]

Hi Everyone...

Starting directly after the PTC Live Global conference in June (9th-12th), PTC/User is holding it's bi-annual "face to face" Technical Committee ("TC") meetings. These meetings are held twice a year- once in January at PTC Headquarters and again at the PTC Live Global (in Anaheim this year).

For those of you are not familiar with what these committees do, here's a description:

Volunteers from PTC customers and other interested individuals comprise the membership of these Technical Committees. Working closely with PTC, the Technical Committees provide product feedback, enhancement requests, and other information that helps to influence future software development. At the face-to-face meetings,Technical Committee members have direct access to PTC software developers and Product Line Managers. These are the people responsible for enhancements, upgrades, and future functionality for all PTC products including Creo/ProE, Windchill, and Creo View.

There are well over a dozen different TC's of which I'm a member of about 7 of them. Obviously my main goal in joinging was to share NASA's feedback, comments, and concerns with the software developers and other committee members. In January, I sent out an open solicitation to all users on PTC Community to submit their feedback, insights, comments, concerns, and enhancement requests. I gathered those contributions and took them to the meetings with me. Many of them made it in front of the developers and were well-received.

The goal is to make positive contributions and hopefully influence future enhancements to the software. This isn't intended to be another "gripe" thread. Let's please focus on bringing something positive to the discussion. These are professional meetings held at the pleasure of PTC and it's employees and we're invited guests. Please remember that ultimately I'm representing my employer and I need to maintain a professional demeanor. I can't just go into a TC meeting and start tearing into the PTC people for every complaint and issue you have with Creo. However, I can go in there with a reasonable request supported by sound logic and a true business need and make a case for a software enhancement.

The first time I attended one of these meetings, many people just sat there quietly. The second time, we had some really productive conversations and I feel we made some real progress. The goal is to continue this trend. We have the PTC Product Line Managers standing there asking for feedback and we want them to hear our concerns and note them for future consideration. This is a rare opporunity to speak directly to the programmers, managers, and those in charge at PTC.

If there's an enhancement you really need... or a problem you're having... or some piece of feedback you really want to make it up the chain of command, now is the time to say something!

Add to this thread and send in your feedback and requests. I'll do my best to get it in front of the developers. I'll catalog the requests and post a synopsis and a final report after the meetings similar to what I did the last time. Remember to keep it positive if possible... but let's hear what you have to say!

Thanks!!

-Brian

PS: I am currently a member of the following Technical Committees so I can address topics in any of these areas:

• Routed Systems - Cabling/Piping & Schematics
• Core Modeling
• Model Based Definition (ASME Y.14.41 Standards)
• System Administration
• Detailing
• Creo View / Visualization
• Windchill

PPS: If you're interested in joining a TC, go to the PTC/User Website, create a login, and sign up!

This thread is inactive and closed by the PTC Community Management Team. If you would like to provide a reply and re-open this thread, please notify the moderator and reference the thread. You may also use "Start a topic" button to ask a new question. Please be sure to include what version of the PTC product you are using so another community member knowledgeable about your version may be able to assist.

[BrentDrysdale]

Oh yeah,

ou can see in my examples I use the pre WF color scheme. As was suggested I have tried the default scheme in Creo 2.0 (as I did in WF5) but did not take to it.

Yes I am a dinosaur from back to R14 in '95 but that is not the reason. I find the lack of contrast with "modern" pastel and off white schemes hopeless for doing concentrated work.

Brent

[TomD.inPDX]

Have a look at the attached file, Brent... it has a hidden command in it for pre-wildfire color scheme:

USE_PRE_WILDFIRE_ENTITY_COLOR YES

No one would answer what this meant when I opened a case for it but I use the attached file with very good conformity to my old 2000i scheme.

[ptc-4864603]

Thanks, I'm liking this one.

[dgschaefer]

I have found that going into the system colors in Creo2 and selecting 'black on white' as the scheme helps a lot. you then get the light and clean white background look which is attractive in the default Creo scheme, but the entity highlights and selection colors are bold rather than the pastel blues and greens of the default. Works quite well.

[dgschaefer]

I like your suggestion here. I'd say that perhaps what is needed is better, or more grouping. As more items have been added to the RMB menu, the list has gotten longer. Logical grouping would be helpful and consistent placement of items that are common across menus would be helpful.

[magnus.salomons]

Exactly and why not add icons on the left side of the command. Some icons can be hard to understand but e.g Delete and Pattern icons are very easy to distinguish.

Maybe something similar to this...from RMB in Creo View. Grouped with icons and also info about key shortcuts.

[magnus.salomons]

There you go....screenshot from Creo 3.0...

[rohit_rajan]

have the "repeat" and "replace" options been clubbed somewhere here?

[magnus.salomons]

Into the graphics window... Strange I wasn't aware of this before. Even in Creo 2.0 Replace and Repeat is only available using RMB in the graphics window but not in the feature tree.

Repeat is available in main ribbon but Replace is under Operations.

[LukaszMazur]

Unless I misunderstood, it is available in model tree:

It's Creo 2.0 M050.

[magnus.salomons]

You're correct. Grrr....I wish I took screenshots of what happened before as I wouldn't have written "Strange I wasn't aware of this before" when I checked it. Now I can't recreate the same behaviour...?

[LukaszMazur]

MAGNUS SALOMONSSON wrote:

Now I can't recreate the same behaviour...?

Guess you're working with some kind of alpha build then and it's one of it's "features" maybe?

BTW, did I understand you correctly, that now RMB menu have different options for model tree and graphics window? I'm not sure if I like this idea, because it adds a feeling of inconsistency to the menus (yeah, I know, nothing new really in ProE/Creo), but maybe I'd need to check how it works. So far RMB menu was the same regardless of place it was invoked and it feels better that way.

[magnus.salomons]

No the behaviour was in Creo 2.0.

The screenshot is from recorded PTC Live keynote session. I'm not doing any alpha testing. I guess since 3.0 release is around 1 year ahead of us this might not be the final design of RMB commands.

[BrianMartin]

Hi everyone...

I haven't forgotten about you. I'm trying to clear out a backlog of work that has kept me very busy over the past couple of weeks. I'll get back to responding to each of your requests, adding them to the master list, and preparing for the face-to-face Technical Committee meetings within the next few days.

Thanks for your patience!

-Brian

[ptc-4864603]

a lot of good things mentioned.

one that isn't technical by any means is the amount of white the Creo interface has! It's blinding with no way to control it. I have a coworker that is light sensitive and he started getting headaches when we moved to Creo.

please help our eyes!

[rohit_rajan]

i totally agree on this. never understood why they fiddle with background color and interface sooooooooo much!

[BrianMartin]

Thanks Ryan (and Rohit)... I totally agree and I took this directly to the interface designers (or at least one of them). I clicked between Default and the Black and White color choices and asked if he could tell the difference.

Your choices for colors now are: Brilliant White, Slighly less brilliant but still annoying white, dark or... Custom which is basically saying "Figure it out yourself". But it's excessively tough to get something that even approximates the old colors.

I think I went off for about 10 minutes on colors. I went all the way back to Rev 9 and reviewed all of the color changes and asked why they kept fiddling with it. Or... if they insist on fiddling with it, at least give us the old color schemes as an option. We got ripped off in Creo... you get white... or nothing.

Thanks!

-Brian

[TomD.inPDX]

...to say nothing about the hidden option: USE_PRE_WILDFIRE_ENTITY_COLOR YES in the SCL file

...for which I never received an acceptable response from CS when I inquired as to its meaning.

This was the configuration I ended up with after a lot of research:

CUSTOM.SCL file

COLOR_SCHEME 0

USE_PRE_WILDFIRE_ENTITY_COLOR YES

SYSTEM_DIMMED_MENU_COLOR 57.8125 57.8125 59.765625

SYSTEM_LETTER_COLOR 100.0 79.6875 19.921875

SYSTEM_HIGHLIGHT_COLOR 39.84375 7.8125 7.8125

SYSTEM_EDGE_HIGH_COLOR 100.0 14.84375 14.84375

SYSTEM_GEOMETRY_COLOR 94.53125 94.53125 97.65625

SYSTEM_HIDDEN_COLOR 75.78125 75.78125 79.6875

SYSTEM_SHEETMETAL_COLOR 7.8125 39.84375 7.8125

SYSTEM_CURVES_COLOR 19.921875 19.921875 59.765625

SYSTEM_VOLUME_COLOR 39.84375 19.921875 39.84375

SYSTEM_SECTION_COLOR 19.921875 79.6875 100.0

SYSTEM_PRESEL_HIGHLIGHT_COLOR 39.84375 100.0 19.921875

SYSTEM_SELECTED_COLOR 19.921875 79.6875 39.84375

SYSTEM_SECONDARY_SELECTED_COLOR 19.921875 79.6875 79.6875

SYSTEM_PREVIEW_GEOM_COLOR 100.0 54.6875 0.0

SYSTEM_SECONDARY_PREVIEW_COLOR 79.6875 39.84375 59.765625

SYSTEM_DATUM_COLOR 59.765625 39.84375 19.921875

SYSTEM_QUILT_COLOR 100.0 79.6875 19.921875

SYSTEM_SHADED_EDGE_COLOR 4.6875 4.6875 5.078125

SYSTEM_BACKGROUND_COLOR 0.0 0.0 19.921875

BLENDED_BACKGROUND yes

SYSTEM_TOP_BLENDING_COLOR 0.0 0.0 23.4375

SYSTEM_BOTTOM_BLENDING_COLOR 0.0 0.0 11.71875

[ptc-4864603]

Thank you!

[TomD.inPDX]

Welcome

[DaniloAraneda1]

hi brian.

I think that a wiil be excelent that a future creo version have a library of flanges (ansi)....accesories as elbow, valves, tees,,,etc....in HDPE, steel and PVC...above all for mechanical designer/industrial designer than me ...

Too creo-piping have default configurated this options already been mentioned to route piping.

[ReinhardN]

Hi Brian,

Some low hanging fruits:

-- Config option save_display and opening a drawing

The option save_display yes makes Creo Parametric save an image of the drawing which is used when you open your drawing write protected. So far so good.

When you open the drawing in standard way the image is shown and you must not forget to update all views to show the current state of the model. Regenerating will not help.

If Creo is working to spec here this spec is dangerous and dead wrong !

Imagine you model a cube with all vertices rounded and create a drawing, save it under the option save_display yes. Dimensioning radii you do by a note 'all undimensioned rounds 3mm'.

A few days later you decide to remove some of the rounds in model, you dont touch the drawing. Another few days later someone else prints your drawing and gives it to manufacturing. The drawing looks correct but will show the old state of the model and you get scrap parts with all vertices rounded.

There is no flashing warnig to prevent this.

It must be the users choice how he wants to open the drawing

- standard with regeneration (maybe tedious with large drawings)

- fastopen using previously saved images

and this must be part of the opening dialog.

-- Highlighting Items in Help Tree

The current help item should be highlighted in the help tree. This would be especially useful when you search for a theme and want to get information of adjacent topics.

Reinhard

[BrianMartin]

Hi Reinhard...

About the "save display" thing, I thought that was addressed previously. If it is indeed still working this way, I agree it's a problem that has to be fixed.

The latest version of the "Help" tool seems to be much, much nicer with links to the Learning Connector, PTC's website, and even PTC Community. Or... am I imagining that I saw that? Sheesh... I can't even recall now.

Thank you for the detailed and well-written message. I am a bit short on time at the moment but having a nice, concise, and detailed description of what you're asking for is tremendously helpful when I go back to compile one big wish-list.

Thanks again!

-Brian

[ReinhardN]

Hi Brian,

we all must praise you for your efforts to make Creo better. I think some low hanging fruits should be collected first.

- save_display still there when I checked at Hannover Fair in April

- Highlighting Help has improved but no highlighting

some more:

- Hiding ribbon - can be toggeld by Ctrl/F1. Ribbon is opened by pressing a tab. I would prefer the ribbon to open while pressing a hotkey which can be reached by left hand and to close when releasing the key.

- columns in model tree

You can dimension the width of each column in tree.cfg except the first. It wouldnt be ProE if you could do that.

- flyout menues

It is a pain to select a thread in the hole tool because the flyout window doesnt resize according to hole table. The window could go down to the bottom of the screen, once te thread is selected its closed anyway. This applies to other areas as well.

Have a nice weekend

Reinhard

[BrianMartin]

Hi Danilo...

That would be wonderful. The "library" you're given with piping now is pretty bare bones and useless. So far, no one has really mentioned piping. At the Technical Committees, piping is not even discussed. I mean, I think the last two times we met I can't recall even one piping enhancement being discussed. It's not that piping doesn't need attention... it's just that everything else seems to need so much more attention.

What default options were you interested in for Creo Piping? Because of so little feedback on piping, there's probably a good chance to get your ideas in front of the piping people.

Thanks!

-Brian

[BrianMartin]

Okay everyone...

The TC Meetings are actually happening right now. I've compiled a massive (and I mean massive) list of issues and items to discuss. I've planned out the next two days and I'll be taking as many of your comments, concerns, and enhancement requests to the PTC developers as I can.

Thanks to everyone for all the solid, actionable inputs. Just as I did in January, I'll post the completed spreadsheet of issues and whether or not I was able to get them into the discussion.

I'll post an update later today... thanks again!

-Brian

[BrianMartin]

Okay everyone...

Between the new items and the existing carryovers from the last TC meetings in January, we have over 100 enhancement requests. That doesn't even count the ones from January that were addressed but required following up.

These meetings so far have been far less productive than the ones in January. I mean this only from my personal standpoint of being able to bring your enhancement requests to the developers. There hasn't been the same time allowed to discuss these issues and many of the available slots have been filled by other TC members hoping to be heard.

This is actually quite a bit different than January where I could almost run the floor for most of the meeting. This time, the presentations from PTC and some of the other members has really chewed into the time to discuss specifics.

I'll try again tomorrow and, like last time, publish a list of the issues which were addressed. I may need to hire a personal assistant to help keep it all straight!

Thanks again everyone...

-Brian

[JoshH]

Keep at it Brian!

Wish I was down there to help you out!

[KeithCarew]

Brian:

First let me say I appreciate your hard work with this committee.

I would like to see a selection to export a search path based on the current status of an assembly.

Here is how I imagine it working:

One opens an assembly model with or without a search path. The items loaded may be commodity items or specific versions of a part file stored in specific locations. It may be that when initially opened the parts are not found but after tediously searching for the items one can search around for them. Then one exports the current full path of all items as a single text file thus creating a search.pro file which applies to this specific version of your assembly.

I am sure there are other ways to acheive a similar result but I think this is the easiest way to ensure a complicated assembly which is loaded is reproduced in your next session.

Thanks,

Keith

[BrianMartin]

Hi Keith...

Once upon a time you could get this kind of information from the model info window. I've tried unsuccessfully now for 20 minutes. Even setting the options to display the full path of each object in session, I do not actually GET the paths. The option seems to not work!

I'll get this on the list of requests. You can track the request on the updated spreadsheet of all requests which will be posted on the new Enhancement Requests for January 2014 Discussion thread (as soon as it's available).

Thanks!

-Brian