Level/stage of completion prt/drw Blank part->Machined part->Ground part->Coated part
CREO 7.0.3.0
Hello,
The point:
What options are there? Is there a better/"best" way? Is Creo good enough in this area or would some changes make it easier?
My area of struggle:
example I make a 4 level of completion part set with each merged into the next. I want to make a similar product, Usually I would do a save as copy and CREO+Windchill grabs the drw and make a copy of that part and drw with the new name. Problem with the level of completion part set is the save as copy has no way to save all 4 levels into a new independent set(I would not expect it to). I have to export all 4 levels of prt/drw to my local machine, disconnect Windchill rename all the prt/drws in a session, reconnect windchill, upload the new parts set and drws. I want/wish/dream to streamline saving a level of completion part set as a copy. Sometimes I do the offline rename sometimes I run my mapkeys through the program 4x to make the parts from scratch.
There is a rare case I do want to use save as copy when a new finished version can be made from the same old blank part, it maybe the common case for others.
My history with the process:
For years now and with multiple companies I have worked with models that had levels of completion and drawings at each level. Old job/s only did 2 levels max and only multiple levels in the case of a cast/forged part. That was nice. Casting or forging drawing and a drawing speccing the finished state of the part letting the supplier do as they wish to get there. New work likes to get in there and micro manage with Blank part->Machined part->Heat treat->Abrasive flow machined part->Ground part->Superfinish part->Coated. Those are examples, some are 1 level some many and everywhere in between.
How I have done it:
Old work it was done at the corporate level with special start part/mapkey setup that copied in the 2levels and renamed with new part numbers for the parts. To me it looked like blank part was merged into the finished part as the first model tree feature. Had to click on the External Merge feature and "Open Base Model" to edit the blank part. I asked how it was done and drafter showed me the process(pre-creo) that was used.
The steps:
1. Make blank part file
2. Make empty part file for the next level of completion
3. Open new empty ASM file (will not be saving this ASM)
4. ASM the empty part file for the next level of completion in the ASM file, cso to asm acso
5. ASM the blank part in the ASM file, Part CSO to PART CSO
6. Boolean operation(old name was different) merge the blank in to the part.(there are some check boxes to check and uncheck in creo...details)
7. Save the new level of completion part
8. Cleanup, close asm and erase it.
The process is the same at my work now. The process is specific to not end up with a dependency to the ASM file. I made a mapkey that does most of the work but, still have to pause for several selections.
What my research has shown:
Get data>Merge: The merge part of this I think results in the same or similar outcome as the ASM method of merge but with much fewer clicks. The downside is I cannot test this because access to the feature is not available its always greyed out which I assume means I do not have the license for it. I think it is part of "Advanced Assembly Extension". Regardless there is no change to my save as copy struggle. This option looks to be the updated user experience version of what I already do but at additional cost.
Get data>Merge+Inheritance: I have read how this works, having access to the features inside the merge. I can see the use case but, I do not need it.
Have not found anything to make the copying of a level of completion part set easier.
I am starting to think what I could do with a mapkey but it would have a lot going on. Thought I would post this up first after my research came up dry. If no solution I hope this post can still be used by people trying to make merge parts without AAX
