Mill windows and new reference model

[JasonPensack]

I have a complex part that I programmed from a STEP file. This part is an aerospace/defense part so I can only recieve STEP files, not native CAD files. Since the last time we made the parts, there was a rev change that made some significant changes to the geometry. Mainly adding and removing material in certain locations. I could just lay the new model of the old model and make the needed changes to my profile milling and trajectory milling sequnces. The problem that I am having is that now my mill windows are seeing both parts.

Is there a way to tell the mill windows to ignore one of the refernce models? Or any other way to achieve what I am looking for?

I am using CREO 2.0 M070.... Thanks in advance!

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[SteveLucas]

Jason,

What I do is make a copy of your manufacturing file with the name of the new rev added to the file name (if you want to keep the original file).

Close the original file and open the new file (erase memory before opening the new)

the right click on the old part and select replace and then replace the old part with the newer revision with the same assembly constraints.

[JasonPensack]

I have tried this but all of my references to the old model fail.

[SteveLucas]

Jason,

Usually the mill window will fail because it references features in the old part. you will have to go and update and reference the window to the new part or if possible reference all your windows to the default datums so they don't fail when replaced.

[JasonPensack]

Thats what I figured..... My program has around 125 Sequences (Profile Milling, Trajectories, Surface Milling) so there are alot of refernces to replace. But I guess this is the route that I will have to take.

Thank you for time!!

[SteveLucas]

Jason,

I understand your frustration, I do the same thing all the time because we do a lot of reuse of parts. and most of the mill windows fail even if I tie them to the default datums.

The way I look at it is most of the time it is just a simple update of references or even a redefine is a lot quicker than starting over from scratch.

[NickMihelich]

I take it whole part (auto) windows are out of the question?

[SteveLucas]

Nick,

If you reference a surface on the old part for depth it will more than likely have to be redefined or updated if you do a part replacement. If you define the depth as a value it will probably work ok. At least this is my experience with any mill windows.

[JasonPensack]

I figured this one out so I figured I would share.

Using Simplified Reps I can make this work. If I add an updated model with design changes, I can exclude my old model and the mill windows will only look at my current model. This works great because any mates or references (such as sketches, profiles, volumes, etc.) to my old model are still fully intact and do not fail. Now if the design change affects one of these references than I will have to open the feature and modify it to the new model but this is not a big deal compared to replacing every single reference to the old model because two or three mill windows are looking at two different models.

The only problem that I ran into is that if I create a new Rep then when I use Play Path the tool doesn't show up. (I'm not sure if this is a bug or not) So to get the tool to show up I just exclude the old model in my Default Rep instead of creating a new Rep.

[gkoch]

When you say: "This part is an aerospace/defense part so I can only recieve STEP files, not native CAD files."

Does this mean, you get a neutral format, because they do not want to provide the full know-how or because they use a different application?

Because if it it about the former and the sender has Creo, too, he could provide you with neutral file format instead of STEP.

This format will also have all logic removed, but you can enable ATB to track changes, when you receive a new export file. This will help keeping the references of geometries that have not changed.