Make assembly component transparent

[ptc-5217703]

Is there a faster way to toggle part or component transparency in assemblies than: Click to select, then from the ribbon menu: Model Display>Component Display Style>Transparent?

As often as parts need to be toggled from opaque to transparent during the assembly modelling process, what I need is 'Transparent on/off' from the right-click cursor menu. Or even better, a hover-over cursor toolbar or menu with a transparent toggle.

[dschenken]

You could make a mapkey to do that.

What is the benefit you are trying to get; what operations are you making parts transparent to get done more easily?

[ptc-5217703]

Complicated assembly inside a housing. Need the housing visible for reference, so I don't want it hidden. Need to visualize the components inside the housing and how they interface with the housing. Creating sections through the assembly does not always suffice.

[dschenken]

You could apply a transparent material to the housing and then set key surfaces to a solid color. Alternatively there are view states that can be set with various components as shaded/wire frame.

[ptc-5217703]

I'm looking for fast and easy, not work-arounds. The original command string is not particularly cumbersome, but it's not fast. It's not a couple of clicks away like competitive products.

[dschenken]

A mapkey makes it a couple of keypresses, and is typically fast, and making it a transparent material makes it no more clicks. I gather you moved from some other software to Pro/E or Creo recently?

Whether a technique seems fast or easy is really a matter of learning and practice. It's not a work-around just because a function behaves differently in other software.

One thing that is interesting about it is that if it is difficult for you to assemble parts when you can make items transparent to make it easier to see what you are doing, imagine how difficult it will be for a person to do so with real parts without that choice.

[TomD.inPDX]

Please review this Document: Combined Views - a quick overview

It requires some setup but once it is set up, it is tab-selectable from the bottom of the graphics window.

If I had to do it often enough, I would certainly consider this. Not only for transparent, but also for wireframe.

It takes a little getting use to the interface and how it interacts with other view management, but in difficult assemblies, it can do wonders!

[Jose_Costa · Accepted solution]

The best option is really to record a mapkey for that. But you can simply add that button to your Ribbon or your Quick Access Bar. Much faster way.

See if my shot video helps you.

Video Link : 4874

José

[TomD.inPDX]

Jose... I put the button on the toolbar as you show in the video. Very nice tip for quick access! Thanks.

[Deepakjohsh]

is the video still available? i'm unable to find it.

[SolidPerks]

John, I also am transitioning from a competitive productworks , and really miss the UI RMB options. I decided to set up mapkeys, T for transparent & S to return to shaded. We'll see how it works out. At least with a mapkey I can easily program my SpacePilot to use it. I also plan to investigate if/how I can cusomize my RMB menus. Yeah, that won't be easy. With 17yrs of experience on the other CAD system, I'm hard-wired!! After 2 months, I'm still hitting Ctrl-Q when I don't think about it... considering writing a mapkey file to translate one to the other, since I use both now, and consistency would be nice.

Creo2 is OK so far, but much to adjust to. It's not bad, just different. I'm trying to be positive that I'm learning new skills that might be valuable to my next customer/employer.

Jose, thanks for posting the video, it helped me find my way around those command screens! Perhaps I'll be good enough one day to provide some answers here. Until then, I'll just keep learning...

Cheers All

[Dale_Rosema]

Just becareful with single key mapkeys since when the combination of keys are activated, the mapkey runs.

You may be better off with "TTT" and "SSS". Thanks, Dale

[Jose_Costa]

Hi Dan,

It´s nice too see someone with that attitude in here. Most of the new members just came here to blame how unintuitive Creo is.

I have worked with another cad software for 12 years too. Now I have been working with Creo by 2 years and half. I agree with all that you said, Creo is very powerful but we have to take the time to learn it and adjust it to our needs. My first 6 months were very complicated, but now I feel very comfortable working with it.

RMB can´t be customized, from what I know, unless you use the programming language Pro/Toolkit. But I think that is going to change on Creo 3, so, I wouldn´t spend much time on that for now.

And as Dale stated, single key mapkeys are not recommendable:

Imagine that later you need to create a mapkey for "Solidify" or "Sketcher", which letter will you use? you can't use "S" because you already used it for "Shaded".

Maybe "So" and "SK"? Wrong: When you press S, Mapkey "shaded" is immediately executed, so you won´t be able to call other mapkeys that start with the "S" letter.

I´m happy that my mini mini video has helped somehow .

Cheers,

Jose

[SolidPerks]

Dale & Jose,

Thx for the advice on single map keys, again, I'm used to programming single keystrokes in the other package... and I'm lazy You guys want me to double or triple my effort. Maybe time to program the Space Pilot, very happy THAT is supported.

Cheers!

-Dan

[Dale_Rosema]

That's why is suggessted "SSSS" because it is efficient laziness.

[vzak]

Gentlemen,

Imho there is no need in mapkeys to fast set component Transparent.

Select needed component(s), on Ribbon pick Model Display >> Component Display Style >> Transparent. Done.

Regards

- Vlad

[Dale_Rosema]

That requires a lot more movement of the mouse when you left hand is almost always on the keyboard to begin with. Most of my mapkeys are lefthanded.

[SolidPerks]

Precisely, Dale! The entire purpose of mapkeys & RMBs are to save the user time, mouse movement, & clicks. Thus making a better UIX. I'm just REALLY glad I can do some customization of the UI.

Vlad - I know I'm new here, but I imagine most (probably all) of your std map keys also have tool icons on the ribbon. So, why have ANY mapkeys or RMB menus?

[vzak]

Dan, mapkeys are really for each personal preference, same should be RMBs (when Creo supports customization of RMB i think Creo3 but not sure). However default provided RMB should contain "common denominator" of more popular commands that will suit default user. Well, "Transparent" is not among such top 10 or even top 20 ones. Just 2c

[dschenken]

I know I'm not a default user, so it's no surprise the RMB commands never suit me.

I'm tired of minefield options, like rarely used Move to Sheet being next to commands I do use.

One pixel difference and an item I'm trying to Move Special is now on a new sheet; my attention is now on a new sheet, I have to then move the item back to the formerly only sheet, by having to select the Move to Sheet command I didn't want to begin with, then stop and select that sheet from a menu box (because they aren't numbered 1,2,3,.. anymore) and then delete the new sheet and finally accept the Are You Sure? Only then can I try to do what I wanted in the first place.

Sure. Click more carefully. That's the answer. Slow down, take more time, work more slowly, have better eye-hand coordination, increase my IQ. Someone, somewhere, thought it would be amusing to add commands to the RMB menus that don't get used very often (except by the default user, apparently) that cause grief when triggered accidently.

And what reasoning is there for non-alphabetic ordering of selection items? In one context an item is popular, so it's at the top of the list; in another it's not so popular with the default user, so it's somewhere else in the list. Since it's not so popular it's not easy to remember just how not-so-popular it is, so it's off to read each item on the list to see exactly how unpoplular it is. That's how phone books are made right? The people with the most phone usage are put at the top and those with less are put somewhere else. Nope? Not that way?

[Dale_Rosema]

Like the close button being right above the "Annotate" tab.

[psheperd]

Once i have converted parts to transparent, how do I get them back to be controlled with the rest of the assembly again?

I tried going to the same menu as how I made it transparent, but then if i select shaded for example, when I later try to turn the whole assembly into wire frame that parts stays as shaded.

Thanks 

[DonSenchuk]

Go to the view manager and look in the style tab. It's in there.

[Hidetaka]

I have create a script and a mapkey that allow me to make a component transparent by two mouse buttons. 

That function can be assigned to any mouse buttons. For example, you can press the backward mouse button, then left click to make the component transparent.

You can do that with multiple components. 

After that, to quickly make all components not transparent, use a mapkey or a mouse gesture (with automation scripts, any mapkey can be triggered using mouse buttons only, no keystroke needed). The mapkey can be created by recording View -> Display Style -> Default.