Creo Parametric Tips

Jul 21, 2021

Jul 14, 2021

The best advice for anyone that has trouble in Sketcher is to keep the sketch simple. Do not try and make a single sketch that encompasses the entire model shape with all cuts and rounded or chamfered edges. Rather, create multiple sketches that are simple, with fewer entities. Fewer entities are easier to control when you start making design changes. Take this muffler model, for example: The first solid geometry for this model started as this: Followed by this: Then this: Simple sketches of few entities were created, and the solid geometry started to take shape. The sketches should consist of small bites of geometry, not the whole shape at once. For more on Sketching and other topics, check out PTC University's Creo: Fundamentals and Productivity Tools!

Nov 19, 2020

Hello everyone and welcome to blog post #7 in this multibody blog series. This post also attempts to answer another body parameter related question: How can I display, use or call-out a body parameter? If you want to call out a body parameter then you have to use the syntax as explained in the Creo help here. &<param_name>:BID_<body_feature_ID> Or &<param_name>:BID_<body_userdefined_name> Note: For bodies that have the default name (body 1, body 2, etc) you cannot use the system-defined default body name but you have to use the body’s Feature ID. (The reason is that the system-defined names such as body 1, body 2, etc are localized and translated into other languages and therefore not representing stable references across languages.) Example: Let’s assume we have 2 bodies. Here their names and parameters list. To call out the parameter “MY_BODY_INFO” for both bodies, we can now use the following for body 1 &MY_BODY_INFO:BID_-5778 And one of the following options for the WHEEL body (which has id 6105) &MY_BODY_INFO:BID_6105 &MY_BODY_INFO:BID_WHEEL So if you create a note and enter: You will see the resulting note text being: I think we have a preference of using body names. Therefore the system automatically tries to convert the body IDs to body names where possible. So when you go back to the call-out symbol definition, you will see it being changed to Thanks for reading. I hope it was informative. Back to Creo 7.0 Multibody Home: Start Here! Enjoy!....Martin

Oct 14, 2020

Hello everyone and welcome to blog post #6 in this multibody blog series. I got asked recently : How can I display a user-defined body parameter in the model tree? If you are interested in that as well, here is how you do it. Let’s walk through an example step-by-step. Step 1) Let’s assign a body parameter (and let’s call it for example “MY_BODY_PARAM”) Step 2) Open the Model Tree Columns display dialog Step 3) Select the Type: Body Params Step 4) You might notice that the list shows system parameters related to bodies (e.g. PTC_ASSIGNED_MATERIAL), but not the newly added user-defined parameter Step 5) Manually enter the user-defined-parameter (in our example “MY_BODY_PARAM”) into the Name field and click the double-arrow to move it into the displayed columns Step 6) Click “OK” and ensure model tree columns are displayed. Now you should be able to see your body parameters as part of the displayed model tree columns q.e.d. 🙂 I hope that helped. Back to Creo 7.0 Multibody Home: Start Here! Enjoy!....Martin

Oct 14, 2020

Hello Multibody community! Welcome to a second post on multibody capabilities added in Creo 7.0.1. What I had not yet been fully covering in the last post was how Creo & Windchill interact as it relates to the multibody concept. So, here a summary of Multibody support for Windchill & Visualization General behavior Multibody parts are managed similarly to single body parts, bodies are not exposed Windchill versions prior to Windchill 12 Body designation information is ignored when connected to a Windchill Server version not supporting body designation yet Publishing of multibody parts to Creo View is supported since Creo View 6.1 (including exposure of bodies to Creo View) Windchill 12 & Creo 7.0.1 Support of Body designation, including Transfer of Body designation information from Creo to Windchill for models containing designated bodies WT part creation for designated bodies if BOM Designation is set (.prt, .asm) IBA mapping & propagation for body materials and mass property parameters Note on Windchill configuration: those attributes have to be added to the Body (under Model Items) type definition. They need to be part of the type definition similar as typically being done for the CAD Document type. Here is a quick demo of the above capabilities (view in My Videos) Back to Creo 7.0 Multibody Home: Start Here! Enjoy!....Martin

Sep 22, 2020

Hello Multibody community! Welcome to this new post on the multibody capabilities that we introduced with Creo 7.0. Meanwhile, the first maintenance release Creo 7.0.1 had been released and it does contain several refinements/enhancements to the initial set of capabilities. Here a list of those enhancements: Boolean Operations In Creo 7.0, the “Keep bodies” option in Boolean Merge, Subtract and Intersect features was only available during feature creation. Now it is also enabled during feature Edit-Definition workflows Curve feature You can now select a body (in addition to the previously available object types Quilt and Surface) when checking the “Place curve on surface” option. Data Exchange The “Import multiple bodies into one part” option is now available in File/Open (Unite) and ATB-enabled Import workflows Improved Body Handling Improved body handling when a feature-owned body (e.g. a body created by split-body, import or data sharing features) gets deleted from the model Data Sharing and Reference Pattern robustness enhancements for specific multibody situations Aligned Material reporting The mass properties report uses the parameter PTC_REPORTED_MATERIAL in all places where material is reported. New configuration option for multi-material parts: ptc_reported_material_mp_report Windchill support for designated bodies If you are interested in seeing demos of the above capabilities 1)-6), take 15mins to watch me walking through them. Beyond the new capabilities you might also find some of the multibody concept related background information useful. (view in My Videos) Note that I plan a dedicated video showing the Multibody related Windchill interaction for my next post. Back to Creo 7.0 Multibody Home: Start Here! Enjoy!....Martin

Sep 7, 2020

Hello Multibody community! As I recently have received some questions and suggestions around how to trim a body, let me spend a few minutes today to tackle that topic. #1) How can I trim a body by a datum, surface, quilt etc? I have heard this question several times, as there is no “Trim Body” tool currently in Creo Parametric 7.0. Still, we do have other tools that you can use to trim body geometry. If you want to trim a body by a datum, surface, quilt, this is the “Solidify-Tool” with the “Remove Geometry” option. Here are two examples how that would look like. Two hints if you want to try it: Set the body that you want to trim as default body. This saves you from needing to access the body options panel in the feature Pick the trimming object first to get access to the solidify feature #2) How can I trim a body by another body? This is often useful to perform Boolean operations with a trimmed “modifying body”. Here is an example of that where you might want to trim a “library-type”/”standard-type” grey tool body to only merge its upper half to the yellow plastic part. The most robust flavor of this might involve body split and body remove, but there are actually several more workflow flavors on how to achieve the above with mostly 3 steps. If you are interested in seeing all of different ways to achieve the result, watch a quick 6mins movie of that here: (view in My Videos) Back to Creo 7.0 Multibody Home: Start Here! Enjoy!....Martin

Jun 22, 2020

May 29, 2020

Blog Post 01 - I wrote a blog post about the topic of Multibody – Intro, Model tree interaction and What’s that default body doing? I figured it made sense to provide a more thorough explanation that would attempt to answer all the questions likely to come up. Check it out and if you have any additional questions/comments, add them under the blog post itself. Thanks! Martin (view in My Videos) Back to Creo 7.0 Multibody Home: Start Here!

May 18, 2020

Multibody Info – Collection Creo 7.0 - What’s new: Multibody Design Creo 7.0 – Multibody Tutorials (7 tutorials around multibody use cases including demo models, step by step instructions, videos and more etc) Creo Multi-Body @ Creo 7.0 PTC Virtual Conference – Includes a Multibody Use Cases & Benefits overview presentation Liveworx 2020 presentation Creo 7.0 Product Update Multibody Design - recording Liveworx 2020 presentation Creo 7.0 Product Update Multibody Design - slides Liveworx 2020 presentation Creo 7.0 Multibody Design - youtube CAD Conference October 2021 - Multibody Tipps & Tricks / Adoption / What to watch out for (replay) More to come Back to the main blog Creo 7.0/8.0+ Multibody Home: Start Here!

May 18, 2020

We're offering a series of quick Creo tutorials presented by our expert product managers. Each of these tutorials are just a few minutes long. These bite-sized tips are a perfect opportunity to learn a new skill or ensure you're following best practices. Below you’ll find about 15 minutes of video how-tos to help you boost your CAD know-how. Let's get started. Shrinkwrap All Quilts When you create a Shrinkwrap feature, by default, Creo automatically analyzes all components in the assembly and determines which ones will be included in the shrinkwrap. This could result in subassembly quilts being excluded. However, you can use the Search Tool to help find and select all quilts in the assembly. In this tutorial, Arnaud van de Veerdonk, Creo Product Manager, shows you how to use shrinkwrap to copy all quilts from all models in an assembly. Watch the tutorial now: Work with Custom Manikin Postures You can test designs for ergonomic compatibility and other human-centric requirements using a Creo Manikin. If you can't find a manikin that fits your design scenario, you can create a custom posture for your manikin. Then, you can save the posture, use it for an analysis or apply it to any other manikin later. In this tutorial, Arnaud van de Veerdonk explains how to create, store, and apply custom manikin postures. Here's how to do it: CNC Drilling on Imported Geometry Simplify your work creating hole-making sequences over imported geometry with tips from Creo Product Manager, Jose Coronado. In this tutorial you'll see how to easily create CNC drilling sequences by: Creating drill holes on imported geometry (no axes needed). Using the Auto Depth option so you don't need to manually select the end of each set of holes. Watch the tutorial: For more tips from our experts, watch the Tips from the Creo Masters main page.

Apr 30, 2020

Ready for another 15 minutes of Creo tips from our product manager experts? In the videos below, you’ll see how to avoid pitfalls when adding components to a Model Tree, a faster way to reach your AR experiences, and tips for getting embossed text on curved surfaces. Drag-and-Drop Without Restructuring the Model Tree Normally when you drag-and-drop parts and subassemblies in the Model Tree, they're moved to wherever you drop them. However, restructuring components can lead to unwanted changes in the assembly structure. However, you can change this behavior so Model Tree components are not restructured when you drag-and-drop components. In this tutorial, Arnaud van de Veerdonk, Creo Product Manager, shows you how: Bookmark Your AR Experiences Reviewing an augmented reality (AR) experience of a Creo model over and over? Stop opening that experience using the link in your email. Instead, save a few steps by creating a bookmark that automatically launches the AR experience. In this short tutorial, Creo Product Manager, Luke Westbrook shows you how to create a bookmark on your mobile device to quickly open an AR experience. See how to do it: Add Embossed Text to a Cylindrical Surface If you've ever designed a text element to emboss on a curved part, you know that getting it just right can be a mind bender. Demystify the process. Watch the tutorial below to see how to create embossed text on a cylindrical surface in Creo Parametric with as few clicks as possible. In the tutorial, Mark Fischer, Sr. Director of Product Management shows you how to: Wrap text around a curved surface. Turn the text into a designated area (a quilt that can be used to indicate areas for close examination or a special treatment), create an offset of the designated area, and then use the thicken feature to create the embossed text. Edit the appearance of the embossed text (defining the size, font, angle, etc.). Edit the definition for the text (defining the size, font, angle, etc.). Watch how it's done here: For more tips from our experts, watch the Tips from the Creo Masters main page.

Apr 16, 2020

A not-quite-right user interface can be a real nuisance day after day. But, an interface that’s just right for Sally might be all wrong for Tomas. Achieving true “one-size-fits-all” status is probably impossible. That’s why the Creo Parametric model tree is customizable. After all, your software is kind of like that Journey song … you know … “Any way you want it, that’s the way you need it. Any way you want it.” Here are some tips for getting the model tree just how you want it. Pick Your Columns and Column Widths. Do you need to see more parameters in the model tree? Or, do you need to minimize columns and expand the graphics area, so you have more room to work? No problem. Here’s how to do it. At the top of the model tree, click Settings and select Tree Columns. Add/remove displayed columns. Customize the width of the model tree, as well as the width of the other columns, using the dialog window (shown below) or by dragging the column separators in the model tree after you click Apply to add any new columns. You’ll notice the model tree itself is defined as a column that can’t be removed from the list of displayed columns (see below). And you can set its width in the same way you set the width of individual columns. Additionally, you can quickly switch between showing and hiding the additional columns. Hiding columns can be useful when you want to shrink the size of left pane and maximize the graphics area. Set Display Filters Of course, some standard features, suppressed objects, and annotations appear in the model tree by default. However, did you know you can customize these model tree display filters for part and assembly modes? Here’s how: At the top of the model tree, click Settings and select Tree Filters. Use the dialog window to select features to display in the model tree. Saving Your Model Tree Customizations Model tree column settings, including column width, and model tree display filters are automatically stored, by mode, in the creo_parametric_customization.ui file. These settings load automatically when you open a new Creo Parametric session. Model tree settings can be imported and exported in user customization file types (*.ui). Want to see more? Watch the video below You don’t need to worry about messing up your current settings when you make changes to the model tree. You’ll notice several places where you can reset default settings when needed. You can even apply the reset to the current mode or all modes.

Jan 27, 2020

Do you create or modify features in Creo? Now you can speed up your work by taking advantage of feature mini toolbars and dimension toolbars, available in Creo 6.0 and later. You'll find these toolbars for features frequently used with part and sheet metal design. Here's everything you need to know to use them. To Open Feature Mini Toolbar in Creo To reach a feature mini toolbar, simply click in the graphics area of your Creo screen. A mini toolbar appears providing you with quick access to relevant options for your feature. Right-click in the graphics area to open the mini toolbar AND a shortcut menu. Image: Feature mini toolbar and shortcut menu Note that in addition to the feature mini toolbar, there are also dimension toolbars that allow you to access some commands/options that were previously available only via the shortcut menu for the dimension. Bonus: Tabs That Reveal More If you’re in a newer version of Creo, you’ll see that tabs have a new look. In Creo 6 and later, when you open a tab, a short description (plus a link to a Help page) appears directly in the UI. Image: When the Hole tab is active, a short description appears in ribbon area. Watch the Demo You can see these tips and more demonstrated in the video below. Why Wait to Upgrade? Each release of Creo includes dozens of convenient features like these that make your work faster and more intuitive than ever. Learn more about what's in the latest versions of Creo today!

Jan 8, 2020

LiveWorx and PTC/User are now offering an entire day focused on Creo and Windchill content with the addition of CAD & PLM Technical Day on Monday, June 10. This is an additional 25 breakout sessions with all of the Creo and Windchill tips, tricks and insights necessary to get the most out of your PTC Products. Here’s what you need to know: You can take a look at what to expect for sessions here CAD & PLM Technical Day is included with your purchase of an All Access or DeluX Pass Explorer Pass holders can add it on for an additional cost of $250 until March 27 and $350 through June 13 If you are already registered it is not too late to add this to your registration: Log In to your account Enter username and password Select “Registration” Scroll down and click “Purchase Additional Event Offerings” and add the CAD & PLM Technical Day to your account Seats are filling fast for this dedicated content, don’t miss out on learning from some of our Creo and Windchill super users (and fellow Community members) on best practices and how other organizations are utilizing these solutions. Please email concierge@liveworx.com if you have any questions.

Feb 27, 2019

Creo Parametric Tips

Creo Behavioral Modeling Tips & Techniques Session Recording (West Coast)

Creo Advanced Assembly Tips & Techniques Session Recording (West Coast)

Unconventional modeling with Creo

Tip for Sketching

07 - Multibody – How to display, use or call-out a body parameter – Part 1

06 - Multibody –How to display a body parameter in the model tree

05 - Multibody - Windchill 12 & Creo 7.0.1

04 - Multibody – Creo 7.0.1 enhancements

03 - Multibody – Many ways to trim a body

02 - Multibody – 7x 90seconds Tipps & Tricks around Booleans & Split

01- Multibody – Intro, Model tree interaction and What’s that default body doing?

Multibody Info – Collection

Shrinkwrap All Quilts, Custom Manikin Postures, CNC Drilling: Tips from the Masters

Model Trees, AR Experiences, and Curved Surfaces: Tips from the Creo Masters

Did You Know? Customize the Model Tree for Maximum Usability

Did You Know? A Quicker Way to Work with Features

CAD & PLM Technical Day - Latest Addition to LiveWorx

Creo Tips and Techniques Webcast Series (West)

Creo Tips & Techniques Webcast Series (East)