How to pick node number for datum planes?

[Yu_707]

Hi there, thank you for taking your time!

I'd like to automate two solidify operations to obtain a-quarter cut models using mapkey.
When I check the recorded mapkey the datum planes are defined as node numbers such as 'node3' or 'node1 etc.
The node number somehow differes from model to model, thus I'd like to know how to pick them.

It will be fine if I select a datum plane by searching its name and describe it in the mapkey script.

Do you have any ideas?

Thanks!

[tbraxton]

If you are using planes with known names to make the cuts, then you can build a search query to select each plane in the mapkey.  Use the search tool to build a query to find a plane of a specific name as seen below. In this example the wildcard returns all named planes in the results. Use a specific name to return a single plane. You have the option to save a query to a file as well if you want to reuse it for more than one mapkey sequence.

[Tdaugherty]

Have you considered using a UDF to add the datum planes? It's a little more setup up front but could make your mapkeys simpler. We have a lot of mapkeys that call a UDF and then reference the UDF features after creation for other features. 

http://support.ptc.com/help/creo/creo_pma/usascii/index.html#page/part_modeling/part_modeling/part_five_sub/About_User_Defined_Features_part.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xI9T1fGHZGI

[joe_morton]

I don't quite follow what you're trying to do, but have you considered pre-selecting the datums before recording the mapkey? This would then become the pre-requisite for running the mapkey. User selects the two planes, then runs mapkey.