Multi-CAD in Creo3: It's nice that PTC addresses issue, but reality it's a one way street.
Hi everyone:
After 20 years of using the software, I finally got a chance to go to PTCLive this year. Specifically, I went to see what PTC is offering and proposing for multi-CAD with their new UNITE technology which will release this year with Creo3 and later.
Like many companies, my environment is a multi-CAD environment. With that comes issues, particularly if you are sharing parts between systems. I am encouraged that PTC recognizes these challenges, and is developing tools to help us.
What UNITE does is allow Creo3 users the ability to:
- Import common 3D CAD formats - Solidworks, CATIA, NX, Inventor
- Open key 3D CAD formats: Soldiworks, NX and CATIA
- Automatically notify you and update in session new revisions of non-PTC Creo data within your assemblies
- Save modified non-PTC Creo data out back to the original CAD software
I didn't know how they were going to do it, but I was HOPING that we could open up a Solidworks model in Creo3, alter the model, then save it back to Solidworks. The reality is, that it does do that (not sure if it keeps the original SWorks model tree). But in actuality, it really doesn't provide you much value because once you modify theSolidworks model in Creo3, and save it, it automatically breaks the tie to thedrawing.
To be clear:
- You have an existing Solidworks part and drawing
- You open the Solidworks part in Creo3, and modify it
- You can save it back to a Solidworks part, but the original SWorks drawing is now an orphan, and is not linked to the Solidworks model.
After talking to a few PTC folks there at the show, really what their intention for all this is to have you import these other CAD software parts in Creo3, and let Creo3 own it. You would have to either recreate the drawing then from scratch in Creo(there is a PTC tool that helps .dxf drawings associate with models, not sure how easy that works). So, while I was hoping for an altruistic approach with PTC to truly allow bi-directionality between CAD systems, it looks like they want you to import all this stuff into their software, and chuck your other CAD systems.
What they did well:
- In Creo3, if you are creating an assembly, you can bring in and assemble a CAD model from another CAD system. If somebody updates the model in the other CAD systems, it automatically updates in your Creo3 assembly. That is, you don't have to IGES in dummy parts from another CAD system, and expect it to be an orphan of that revision anymore. This is very nice.
Anybody else living in a multi-CAD environment? How are you handling it?
- Randy Mees
(above my own opinion, and not my employers opinion)
This thread is inactive and closed by the PTC Community Management Team. If you would like to provide a reply and re-open this thread, please notify the moderator and reference the thread. You may also use "Start a topic" button to ask a new question. Please be sure to include what version of the PTC product you are using so another community member knowledgeable about your version may be able to assist.