Going to Creo 3 from Inventor and Solidworks

[proed]

Hi folks

We use Creo across the company (900+ users) - with a couple of smaller groups still on Inventor or Solidworks.

As we prepare to upgrade to Creo 3, people from those groups are interested in how Creo 3 could handle those files.

We've begun testing in this area, so I'd like to start a discussion thread here for others in the same situation, and also ask a few questions:

Creo 3 allows you to open Solidworks files in native format, and they show in the tree.

Inventor files need to be converted, they can't remain native.

Q1 - Is there a plan for Creo to ever open Inventor files in native format, as per SW, CATIA, etc?

CAD models are showing OK, despite the lack of features - and we can use flexible modeling to push/pull/change the geometry.

Q2 - How are drawings from SW and Inventor handled in Creo 3, if at all?

Q3 - Does anyone have recommendations for working with files from these systems in Windchill? Eg: managing SW/Inventor data alongside related Creo files?

Many thanks for reading, I'm sure we'll think of more questions as time goes along.

Regards

Ed

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[rohit_rajan]

1.Creo 3.0 M020 will open Inventor Files.

2. Creo 3.0 M030 will be able to save in non-native CAD formats..there would be a collaboration extension for that separately..you have purchase this extension.

3. PTC has said nothing about non-native drawing formats.

[proed]

Hi Rohit, Thanks for your quick reply, to clarify on my first question, I'm asking if Inventor files will be handled the same as SW, in terms of ATB/model updates, etc. I'll include 2 screenshots, Solidworks then Inventor, spot the difference. Regards, Ed

[rohit_rajan]

which maintenance version of creo 3.0 are these screeshots from?

the information i gave above is as per the PTC presentation.

Creo 3.0 M020 should be able to open and not import Inventor files.

[MartinHanak]

Rohit,

File-Open action is implemented for CATIA, Solidworks, NX, only.

Martin Hanak

[rohit_rajan]

as far as i remember from the presentation video solid edge and inventor would also have this capability in M020

[rohit_rajan]

ok so i am wrong...open capabilty only for CATIA,Solidworks,NX....

Import for Inventor and Solid Edge.

Thanks for correcting me Martin.

[ChrisPLM]

Hello Edwin

This discussion is a good 6 months old now. Have you made more progress. ?

I would like to quickly (if I can) explain my situation to show my great interest in your discussion. My company is currently using PDS 2015 (Product Design Suite) from Autodesk which includes Inventor 2015 and Vault Professional 2015.  We are envisaging to move from Vault to PDMLink but we are still questioning the move from Inventor to Creo 3.

We have to balance the couple PDMLink/Creo vs  PDMLink/Inventor  and Creo reading Inventor files or if we need to manually convert those inventor files.

The intake of inventor is currently not great, still a lot of stuff in 2D Autocad.,

One of the idea is that if Creo 3 can use (not only read) Inventor files and handle them the same way it does with Creo files (so understanding geometry, references, have a assembly file with a mix of inventor and creo file etc...) then this would be great and help in the decision making.

I have seen demonstration and documentation but as always there is a big element of marketing blabla and it always works. The real world is generally quite different.

I have asked a PTC reseller to take some of our inventor files and do a demonstration but they always postpone it.......

Therefore I am now seeking out other end users like me and see what experience they have gathered so far.

Thanks

Best regards

[magnus.salomons]

We don't use it but I have tested it. Just as any import it's not 100%. A few 'open native' still fails to become solids. I've had a few parts that were opened as surfaces with quite severe artifacts. I also had one part that failed to open and made Creo Not Responding. When I removed the original Catia part from folder it could open the assembly with a missing component. I couldn't open that part as a single part either.

Even though PTC states that it can read and open native files there is still some conversion going on. The first time you open native files Creo creates a 'mapping file' that has the same name but adds .creo to filenname.See pic below. These tends to get quite big if the parts are complicated. It's a huge time difference opening the native files the first time as the .creo files are created. The next time you open the native files it's more or less just as fast as open a a native Creo file.

[ChrisPLM]

Hello Magnus,

thanks for taking the time to share your experience.

It is very informative.

It would seem that there is the Marketing blabla who want to make us believe everything is beautiful, easy ,and straighforward and there is the reality.

So far I understand that the reality is that Creo still does not read directly the other native file but create an On The Fly conversion.

It is obviously a great improve as there is no need to use neutral format and trying to create a creo file from the neutral format.

The .creo files seems to be about close to twice the size the native files. 

Correct me if I am wrong but I think you tested it offline, I mean without using Windchill.

I wonder how Windchill handles those extra files. Have you done any test with Windchill ?

You have tested with Catia, I guess it is the same process with any other type of files.

I wonder how far PTC went with that functionalities. For instance Inventor has what it is called, iparts, iassembly, ilogic, etc... I wonder if Creo can understand all of these

Thanks

Best regards

[magnus.salomons]

Yes it's doing some sort of OTF conversion creating a mapping file. I never used ATB Associative Topology Bus but I guess that Unite is the next generation of this technology. The good thing is, although I haven't tested it, is that you never need to reimport or manually update your import when the native non-Creo file changes. But and it's a big but, if it's not always translated correctly it will create a lot of problems. It's in some way very impressive as it reads and open really complicated plastic parts but on the other hand a disappointment of the few parts it can't translate correctly.

You're correct. This was offline. We're still on PDMLink 10.1 M040. I haven't checked if Unite is supported in higher maintenance release than M040 or if you need 10.2. When testing it in 10.1 M040 the behavour seemed the same as in a supported release. It wanted to Check Out all native non-Creo parts and assemblies when you save a Creo assembly with included non-Creo native parts and assemblies. It seems that it want to store the .creo hidden files maybe as attachments to the non-Creo CAD documents. It makes sense, I can't see where else they would be stored.

As stated before the Unite Technology is only supported for Catia, NX and Solidworks. You can see the supported formats here http://www.ptc.com/File%20Library/Product%20Families/Creo/Model/Unite_Technology.pdf

Screenshot Check Out of non-Creo native parts (Solidworks) and trying to save in PDMLink 10.1 M040.

[TomU]

It looks like the *.creo file is used by more than just Creo Parametric.  Creo View needs it to view the 3rd party CAD files.  See this article for more info: https://support.ptc.com/appserver/cs/view/solution.jsp?n=CS210220

[ChrisPLM]

This video is very informative

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58ZwBn8SLYg

it clarifies with demonstration the purpose of Open, Import, Automatically Update, Save As

[TomU]

One clarification.  This video was produced with an early, pre-release version of Unite.  The final production version does not do "update" the same way.  You do not use ATB functionality for models that are simply opened or assembled (vs. imported).

From tech support:

• The ability to update foreign models in session, opened with Unite Technology manually is not intended and not supported, because the workflow of updating foreign components is fully automated. There is no need for manual updates anymore.
• The manual ATB operations are for imported TIM (Translated Image Model) models only and not necessary anymore for foreign models opened directly with Unite Technology.
• Models opened with the Unite Technology behave and update in the same way native Creo components behave. 
  • In a connected session the Notification Center will inform you about any new iterations in Windchill and you can take common actions to retrieve the updates in session.
  • If you manage your files on your local hard disc non-PTC Creo files behave exactly like PTC Creo files. If you open Creo it opens the latest version of the Creo files from your hard disc.

[ChrisPLM]

Thanks for the clarification Tom,

Do you know of a newer demonstration as comprehensive as this one using the final production version ?

[MartinHanak]

Automatic update of foreign component requires a license of special module.

For example for Solidworks models user must have access to PTC Creo Solidworks Collaboration Extension. Also there is Collaboration Extension for CATIA and NX.

Martin Hanak

[ChrisPLM]

Hi

thought this video could be of interest

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAbe9Hk7w04

interview with Brian Thompson