Make Restricted Parameter List dynamic

[BenLoosli]

Currently, the Restricted Parameter list is imbedded into a file when that file is created, either a part or a drawing. With changing personnel, I would like to see this list be dynamic and automatically update when a file is opened. This would save time in that the designers would not have to remember to do the manual update. 

I suppose a config.pro option setting that would allow the update to be automatic or manual would also be nice so the system admin could control if they want this option.

1. Describe your environment: What is your industry? What is your role in your organization? Describe your stakeholders.
We design large structures and have a steady turn-over of designers who are contractors. This leads to many changes to the config.pro file and often the template files do not get updated at every change to the list.

We are in the energy business sector, designing large centrifuges and the supporting building structure.

I am the Creo/Windchill system administrator and responsible for updating the restricted parameter list across 3 systems.

The designers would benefit from this proposed change as it would save them time if the list was automatically updated. We have about 10 active designers.

2. What version of Creo Parametric are you currently running?
Creo 7.0.5.0 on one system, c Creo 4 M080/M150 on the other 2 systems. Both Creo 4 systems are on the schedule for upgrade to Creo 7.0.5.0 or higher in January.

3. Describe the problem you are trying to solve. Please include detailed documentation such as screenshots, images or video.
I am trying to get the restricted parameter list to update automatically so the users do not have to go through the menus to do it manually.

4. What is the use case for your organization?
Update the names used in drawing sign-offs in a more timely and less work for the designers by doing this one function automatically.

5. What business value would your suggestion represent for your organization?
There would be a time savings if this list updated automatically. The user has to contact me to get the list changed but then for every drawing, they have to manually update the list imbedded in the file. A lot of times, they forget to manually update the list and I get asked to add a name that is already in the list.

[olivierlp]

Hello,
Thank you for your idea and the information provided.

[S_Edgenear]

Also, the restricted parameter list, as currently implemented is barely usable. There is no User Interface to quickly create the restricted parameter lists, the Creo Help related to restricted parameters is terrible, there are no clear examples, three is cryptic badly formatted html table that tries to explain the syntax of the files, but that is barely readable. We have managed to decipher and implement some restriced parameters (and parameter tables, which is even more poorly documented).  Also, the fact that the restriced parameter file is only read when Creo starts makes the whole process painful when one is trying to debug the poorly documented process. If we need to create table parameters for a specific part, the user should have the option to use a simple user interface within Creo to create them.

[TomU]

@S_Edgenear,

It is possible to create restricted parameter values directly inside Creo without needing a separate restricted parameter list file.  Granted, this is not helpful if you want the restrictions to automatically populate for all users (assuming their config is pointing to the same restricted parameter list file), but it is handy when you want a newly created parameter to have some limits applied or to display a list of values in a dropdown.  Just create the new parameter and then right click and go to properties.  The third tab will allow you to create whatever restrictions you need, with no restricted parameter file required.

I do agree that it would be nice if there was a config option to force restricted parameters that were created from a restricted parameter definition file to automatically update anytime changes are made to a matching definition in that file.

[S_Edgenear]

@TomU 

Hi Tom,

Thank you for your feedback and for trying to help. In this case, I know that we can create "simple" restricted parameters inside Creo in a few versions back. It was a good addition, but what I meant was for the use of Table Restricted parameters. We can only use Table Restricted parameters if using the restricted parameter definition file. And it is only read once at start-up. The syntax of the table restricted parameter definition is not easy and not well documented, even the the one or two samples have errors in it. Table Restricted parameters are very useful but a pain to define. They allow the assignment of values to several parameters at once, similar to selecting a row to specify an instance in a family table of a part. And it avoids having very long and complex relations to do the same thing. It's similar to "configuration tables" in SW. I saw recently the online documentation of UX and they added a few versions back the parameters table, which Creo has a "Read only" feature, since there is User Interface to show the tables in Creo, but not for its creation (they are create only using the restriction parameter definition file).