Minor but annoying - easy improvements?

[JonathanHodgson]

Following another thread about real-world use versus PTC trainers' knowledge, how about we start a list of small things, which ought to be relatively easy for PTC to change, that nonetheless annoy you on a day-to-day basis (and always seem to be passed over in favour of introducing dashboards and ribbons)?

Since various PTC people contribute here, if we keep it tidy and concise perhaps some of our issues could be considered for addressing in imminent versions of Pro/E / Creo (/wishful thinking...)

So, here are some starters:

• Angle x D chamfers almost always choose the wrong direction for the angle by default
• Surface merges almost always choose the wrong sides of the quilts to keep by default
• Save a Copy leaves you editing the original model (opposite to Windows Save As), whilst Backup leaves you editing the backup model (why would you make a backup and then change the backup?)
• When you're working in "widget.prt" and you create a new drawing, Pro/E assumes the name "drw0001". How likely is it that you don't want to create "widget.drw" at this point?

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[RobertMcKibben]

Quitting never seemed to work before, you still had to get to a point where ProE was happy and missing components were resolved. It seems as 5.0 handles this better. It now brings in the assembly and highligts the model tree where components are unresolved. So I will say "thanks" for this improvement.

[GrahameWard]

You're right, Quit Retrieve is only available when there is a component missing.

Like, for example when you rename the bloody part and your assembly is not in session, like what just happened to me......

[JonathanHodgson]

I'm not sure about the earlier suggestion of working with part IDs rather than filenames (how will it find a part with a particular ID?), but how about:

• the ability to tell Pro/E "look, I know the name's different but this is the part you want!" when the above happens? Effectively a sort of 'replace by copy'...

[GrahameWard]

Yes, I don't really care how it's done, I just don't think the identity of a part or assembly should be based on the file name. I thought the feature name/i.d. was a good analogy.

Another good thing about it is you can rename feature names in the tree just by clicking on them. It would be good if you could the same thing to a part in an assembly. Right now for example I am editing a prefix "00" to "01" in the names of about 25 parts in several assemblies. I have to be certain I have all the assemblies and drawings in session. It has taken me half an hour so far. I have to go #file#rename#drop-down-select, then pick the part out of the assembly - or I can open each part separately and rename them. It's ridiculous.

[BillRyan]

There are config settings to manage failed components - Try regen_failure_handling and freeze_failed_assy_comp. Our company has taken the approach to ensure users don't get impacted by the failure mode prevelant in WF2 when working in the large assemblies...so now we see the red regen light quite frequently. I like that Creo has a built in filter in the model tree to quickly find objects with failed regen status.

Request: I want a config setting that forces the user saving an assembly with a failed component to fix the assembly containing the failed component before it can be saved. Here is the trick: I don't want the users saving and working in upper level assemblies to be restricted from saving upper level assemblies. (Note: we had assemblies that mysteriously started having failed components when we changed to WF5/WC9.1 so we need a away to fix legacy data)

Robert McKibben wrote:

When loading an assembly that has a failed component, there should be a way to cancel out of it without having to freeze or suppress every single child item in the rest of the assembly

[GrahameWard]

Part filenames should be separate from their I.D., just like the features in the parts.

If I rename a part I have to be ultra careful to have every assembly and drawing in session that uses this part, otherwise it won't retrieve. Despite my care I mess this up at least once a month.

[David_M]

In the orientation dialogue, when I change a reference from 'top' to 'bottom', do not erase my selection. Just update it properly.

Remove the relatively high minimum thickenss limit on thicken features.

[RandyMorrison]

Another nice feature would be to provide the ability to control Datum Plane Visibility and Model Display Styles independantly between multiple open windows. (Unique settings per window.)

[JonathanHodgson]

• When expanding the tree near the bottom of the tree pane, scroll down so that the expanded items are visible.

[RandyMorrison]

How about the ability to dissolve a sub-assembly from the Model Tree in Assembly mode and keep the parts in the upper level assembly? The only option right now is to delete the subassembly and add the components back in one at a time. Obviously, the Mate Definitions would have to be redone, but the parts would already be there.

[Patriot_1776]

Try the "Restructure" command. IT's a little tedious, but, for those of us who used Pro/E before it was an added feature, it's awesome.

[RandyMorrison]

Just a simple suggestion for the subject of this post, for it is annoying and tedious to use the restructure command.

[Patriot_1776]

Yes, but for those of us that used Pro/E before it was added, it was a blessing. I think it could be easier though.

[Patriot_1776]

Maybe but, it's still a lot better than doing it the way you suggested though, isn't it?

[BrianMartin]

Never liked restructure... still don't use it. For years it left unintended references and made a true mess of the assembly. Every few years I try it again to see if it works... still doesn't. Yuck... hate that feature. Good idea. Terrible execution!

[David_M]

You should be able to work with drafted colour shading, and other analysis views turned on. It's a pain to have to set them up, modify something, set them up again...

And it should remember your settings from the previous analysis when you start a new one of the same kind.

And when assembling components, it'd be nice to have the option to choose from those in open windows, or recently activated.

[James62]

block promt for combined display states in drawing

http://www.mcadcentral.com/proe/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=32967&PN=77

[JonathanHodgson]

• When I trim or fillet a line in a sketch, don't delete dimensions attached to the line that would still have been perfectly valid.

[KrisR]

Yes, that IS frustrating!

[James62]

Would be great if there was a quick way to close open planar boundaries of a quilt other than using "Fill" command over and over which is super slow and requires planar surface as reference.

This one always makes me wonder why the approach to select curve loop or chain inside sketcher is so much different from doing the same while being in modeling environment.

[GrahameWard]

When I create a round sometimes it fails and I get the following message:

Recent changes have caused user-defined transition references to be lost.

Changes to either the current feature's geometry or to some other feature have

caused the references for user-defined transition (No. 1) to be lost.

The affected transitions must have their references redefined.

I get this when there are no user-defined transitions. Sometimes there is only one round set, sometimes there only one edge selected in one round set. I have had this message over several of the last few releases of ProE: I don't know how far back it goes, probably only as far as Wildfire.

PTC, FIX THIS.

[BurtLand]

is anyone from PTC shadowing this thread ?

or is this all just a waste of time

maybe PTC could leverage this and put up a bunch of threads on the various functional areas - sketching, modelling, drawing etc - and get some more FREE feedback then fix some of the issues - maybe identify the top 20 and have a poll to rank them

The case logging process in SUPPORT is well and good but puts all the pain on the USER - the pain needs to be transfired to the Software TEAMS writing some of this thoughtless stuff.

[DanMarotta]

Listening intently. And I think come April, you'll be pleasantly surprised of how this will come full circle.

[RandyMorrison]

Thanks Dan, for all of the efforts from everyone @ PTC is greatly appreicated!!

[Patriot_1776]

Why, is PTC getting rid of the ribbon?

[GrahameWard]

No, but they are ushering in a new screen color, and changing the name of Creo to... Turkey Deep Fryer.

[Patriot_1776]

Whew! For a minute there, I thought they might be renaming it something to do with dingos kidneys......

[DanMarotta]

More about Burt's idea around capturing community feedback and ranking them. But you also never know what surprises Creo 2.0 will hold

[BrianMartin]

Absolutely agreed Burt.

[James62]

While creating a hole feature, during selection of a reference, while holding drag handle with LMB, add the ability to toggle between selections with RMB.