UDF in pro manufacturing

[cncwhiz]

I want to build soem UDF's for milling sequences in some parts that I run. Can I build a UDF for a complete milling sequence and
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[cncwhiz]

sorry this thread is not complete, I closed it before I was done posting. Do we have a way to edit our posts? Ihave never made a UDF and want to make one for milling in pro manufacturing. I want to use this for my milling sequences so other people working on my manufacturing can just pick them without having to make them?

[cncwhiz]

I have my UDF's working. They will be a big help for what I am doing. I am having an issue that I am trying to get around. The UDF is asking for my "retract plane". I am having to either put a retract plane when I build the setup or let it give me an issue the needs to be regenerated. How can I build this retract into my start part?

[cncwhiz]

I have the retract working. I am having an issue with a UDF. When I am building it it picks the top inside edge. The next step should be to pick the bottom edge but it wants to pick a surface of the fixture. It will finish the UDF like this but when I am using it, I get to that point and I get kicked out of pro? How can I force a pick?

In Reply to Terry Thomas:

I have my UDF's working. They will be a big help for what I am doing. I am having an issue that I am trying to get around. The UDF is asking for my "retract plane". I am having to either put a retract plane when I build the setup or let it give me an issue the needs to be regenerated. How can I build this retract into my start part?

[bmadsen]

Terry,

First of all I know nothing about creating UDFs. Can you help walk me through the process of creating a manufacturing UDF? Or anything to get me on the right track. Anything I've looked up online or on Creo shows how to make a UDF for modeling but never manufacturing. Any help would be helpful.

Thanks,

Brian

[BillChapman]

The attached is quite old but the concepts are the same.

[bmadsen]

Bill,

Thank you so much for the pdf on Manufacturing UDFs. It was very helpful as far as creating a UDF. Do you know anything about modifying a UDF? Just in case if I make a mistake creating the UDF or if I want to edit the UDF someway. I've made a UDF, then I tried to modify it so that one of the sequences uses a different tool. I then see the new revision under my designated location for all my UDFs, so Creo saved somthing. But when I try to use the modified UDF it appears that I did it wrong cause it doesn't grab the updated sequence. Any help is appreciated.

Thank you,

Brian

[BillChapman]

To the best of my knowledge you cannot modify udfs.  If I make one that is not correct, I re-do it.

[bmadsen]

Thanks Bill. I don't know why Pro E wouldn't do something to fix that since you would think it would be an easy fix for them but they seem to neglect the manufacturing side a lot. Anyways, I really appreciate the help.

[BillChapman]

Not sure exactly what you are trying to do with these, but I suggest you check out the process manager.  This will likely be a better way (more modern way) to standardize processes.  This will create xml templates that can be reused in different NC models. See the attachment.

We use this to copy groups of nc sequences into new models.

[bmadsen]

We make a udf made up of multiple sequences and then we create a mapkey that uses that udf to create tool paths. And if we need to change a parameter or tool we only need to edit the udf. We're a job shop so speed is big for us and that seems to be the fastest for us. Thanks for the help. It's much appreciated.