Imported Family Table data

[BenLoosli]

I have many family tables of hardware items designed in a system that is standalone and had to go through hoops to get the spreadsheet exported from excel moved to this system. I then have to rebuild my master CAD model of the parts and put the columns needed into a blank family table.

In Creo 4, I was able to cut and past the data from the exported .csv file into the family table, save it and then verify the instances with no issues.

Now on Creo 7, I do the import and the spreadsheet turns yellow background and when saved the family table is empty. Open the Excel editor and all of the data is there. It just won't update the Creo file data.

Any suggestions before I open a helpdesk call?

[MartinHanak]

Hi,

no problem on my PC ... Creo 7.0.5.0, Excel 2016

Test no.1

Columns in csv file separated by TAB character.

• open family table part in Creo
• open Family table dialog box and then Excel using button in Family table dialog box
• open csv file in Notepad++ > select all rows > CTRL+C
• in Excel > CTRL+V
• close Excel
• new instances are available in Family table dialog box

Test no.2

Columns in csv file separated by semicolon character.

• open family table part in Creo
• open Family table dialog box and then Excel using button in Family table dialog box
• open csv file in second instance of Excel > select all rows > CTRL+C
• in Excel > CTRL+V
• close Excel
• new instances are available in Family table dialog box

[BenLoosli]

I used your test 2 option with Creo 7.0.7.0 and Excel 365 and also Creo 7.0.5.0.

Neither would import the table data into Creo. They all turn the cell background yellow.

I have edited existing family tables in 7.0.7.0 with Excel 365, so I know the combination should work.

I have tried importing only a few rows and all 526 rows.

I just created 2 rows manually and those rows were verified into the table, including the columns that are driven by relations in the part file. Added the rest of the rows with cut and paste and when I closed the spreadsheet, it wiped out the 2 added rows.

[MartinHanak]

Hi,

I suggest you to test my option 1. I think you can import your csv file and re-save it as TAB delimited csv file. Also I think you can use Notepad instead Notepad++

[sacquarone]

Hello @BenLoosli 

I'm unable to reproduce your issue, and - I may have missed something in my keywords - but I failed to find any similar behavior reported to PTC TS in our internal Knowledge Base of acrtiles/Cases/SPRs. When proceeding as per both @MartinHanak , this always leads for me to the:

• systematic successfull creation of all instance rows
• potential absence of columns, if columns defined in first family table DO NOT EXIST in the object where Family Table is imported in Excel (and this is expected if so)

If my undesratnding of your use case is correct, even the rows are not imported as expected, and this is strange. I'm wondering if you have excel_family_table_keep_file yes in your configuration files (default value being no, and this is how I tested the use case - per default then) ?

• If set to yes, my suggestion is to try again after having modifed the value to no
• If not set (or set to no), I don't see ... Maybe would you like to attach the 2 Family Table parts to this post (if possible, without potential risk of confidentiality loss) to allow us checking if it may be a data specific issue?

As additional information:

excel_family_table_keep_file

Category: File Storage & Retrieval

Description: Yes - in case of editing family table with excel, if saved excel file exist , will always update it.

Values: yes, no*

Regards,

Serge

[BenLoosli]

I have opened PTC Case: C16272000 being handled by Gautam Roy.

I have played some more with this including building a new generic model in Creo 4, which gives me the same results when doing a cut and paste of the whole family table.

If I add rows individually, I can populate the family table, but that will take time as this is a 400+ instance table.

I can cut and paste cells from my exported spreadsheet into the new one, so at least I do not have to retype all of the reference numbers.

[BenLoosli]

Update: I was able to cut and paste all of the data except the 1st column, instance name, into Excel. If I use the Excel fill function to generate sequential numbers for the instance name, which we use for FT names, and then I could cut and paste the other columns into Excel, save it and it would verify all of my instances.

I even tried creating a new family table in Creo 4 and it would also fail to cut and paste all columns. I have not tried what I got to work in Creo 7 yet in Creo 4.

[BenLoosli]

Had a connected session with PTC tech support on 3 March and they can see what I am talking about on my system. Still waiting to see if this issue is going to be referred to R&D for resolution.

[BenLoosli · Accepted solution]

Update

CS article written: Article - CS364445 - Unable to add the Family Table instances using Edit with Excel in a specific part in Creo Parametric (ptc.com)

Bottom line is: No Plans to Fix in any release (10, 9, 8 or 7) 

Problem is part specific.

[rklesch]

Hello @BenLoosli,

even if this topic seems to be closed: Today we had the same happening in creo 7.0.5. and 8.0.5 as well.

Indeed, the problem was data dependent. It was a familiy table with reference dimensions only (for drawing purposes). Of course, they do not affect the model. So, it was not possible to change them afterwards at all. Neither in the family table UI or Excel.

Freshly created data with driving dimensions works fine.

Of course, it would be great, if the UI would give any signs or messages in such a case.

In my example, d0 is a driving dimension, d4 is a reference dimension (that can´t be modified by user)

Maybe, this could help You or others.

Best regards!

[SteveJI]

..

[rklesch]

Hello SI_10565054!

Sorry for late answer. As we don´t use IFX (intelligent fastener), I don´t have full access to this functionality

Hope that I understood it correctly and Your question is more about family tables than IFX.

It is possible to create Family tables by using excel.

In my case dimension d0 changes:

In that way, You create a whole new set of data.

I don´t know Your parts. But when using family table, I doubt that adding existing items manually is the best way. Dimensions can differ between family table elements and the “old”, standalone ones. You have to be very careful when typing in those old data and of course check the dimensions.

Returning to intelligent fastener: You can store all data in a certain directory an use config option PATH_ABS_SAVESCREWS for those.

Hope that helped without any confusion.
If not, please contact me again with a little more details.

Best regards!