Enhancement Request "Show PMI exported from NX CA...

Sandy_Gunner · ‎May 15, 2024

Dear All,

As of now, we are unable to display PMI (Product and Manufacturing Information) in Vuforia Studio or Vuforia View when exporting from third-party CAD software (e.g., NX) as a neutral file format (STEP 242, JT, etc.). Recently, manufacturers have begun to utilize 3D models with embedded PMI for various design investigations and production operations to enhance clarity and ease of understanding.

During the design and production phases, our company has also started to adopt AR applications. Additionally, other AR software can import and display PMI information.

For investigation purposes, I have attached a sample part file with PMI instructions. The creation of PMI data is based on the ISO 16792 standard for technical product documentation and digital product definition data practices.

I am not sure if PTC has considered implementing this feature or if a similar enhancement request has already been submitted and is known to the PTC R&D team. If anyone has information on this matter, please feel free to share it here.

Best regards,

Sandy

RolandRaytchev · ‎May 21, 2024

Hi @Sandy_Gunner ,

so far the product compatibility Annotation /PMIs could be used and displayed in PTC Cad Products /Creo Parametric , Creo View and Creo Illustrate only such features could be considered furter by PTC dev team to be displayed / Still several enhancement are reported to the address of PMI displays in Vuforia Studio. But the first step is still that this could be visible in the pvz so that Creo View and Creo Illustrate should be able to display them

The step format is supported but it could use only such elements which are already implemented

So here imported the step file you provided in Creo Parametric 11 and it could handle the PMI annotaitons

I checked first what Creo Cad products could interpret and see that according to article CS367645

ISO 16792:2021 standard is supported in Creo Parametric 9 and onward releases

Therefore when NX or other cad systems will use the mentioned standard conventions then this has a good prospects to be implemented in feature Vuforia STudio releases.

IN the past there are reported some tickets /enhancement to PTC R&D team and product management and they are still under development. There is no official dead line when this functionality will be provided to Vuforia products. Studio and EDitor / but they use so far I know the same View API so that the solution will be common.

I checked the current tickets:

Ticket VTS-1984 -editor/preview showing PMI annotations (these should be hidden) Status R&D Preview - because display is not consistent to the othere Vuforia Views items.
Ticket VTS-1457 what I reported last years : Annotations from a model 3D in an AR project are not working in the current Vuforia Studio Release.
Based on the ticket VTS-1457 is there a new Product management /Enhancement ticket VPM-61 :Display Creo Illustrate Annotations on a 3D model in an AR project in Vuforia Studio -> what is currently under development. Unfortunately there is no offical deadline in which release this will be implemented
Vuforia Studio Ticket (Development) STUD-3484 : When will we support displaying PMI (model annotation) info in Studio? - here I see that the status is ready for development - so that we can expect a development soon. Here I see several models for the report in the issue and exactly the same model what you attached to the ticket. Therefore I suspect that possibly this is reported by some colleagues from your team

Here I see also additional topic which are related to PMI already reported but further PTC colleagues:

DT-18110-Annotation on model in Creo Illustrate cannot been displayed in Vuforia View
VTS-393 -Annotation on model in Creo Illustrate cannot been displayed in Vuforia View
STUD-3370 Some model annotation shows in Studio Preview but doesn't in View app when viewing with iPad Pro device

So we can see that there is a lot reports in this area that I hope that we have this functionality soon.

As mentioned in the ticket STUD-3484 : When will we support displaying PMI (model annotation) info in Studio? We can expect there solution soon. So I see that there is currently a some kind of workaround which was suggested by a PTC team/Tech Support::

we could found displaying PMI is possible is Studio:

Change the step2pv_import3d_dt.rcp file in below directory by adding as instructed in Article - CS316950
"How to retrieve annotations when importing a STEP file into Creo View / Creo Illustrate" -> https://www.ptc.com/en/support/article/CS316950

adapter/outputAnnotPlanar=1

adapter/outputAnnotFloat=1

adapter/outputAnnotScreen=1

C:\Users\<username>\Documents\VuforiaStudio\Projects\node_modules\@ptc\cad-import-filters\import_filters\recipe

Import the .step file to Studio and gets converted to pvz
Import the converted pvz to Creo illustrator and can see the annotation as shown in xlxs
Import a figure again to create a sequence in creo illustrator
Export the pvz file with sequence and import to Studio
Select sequence in Studio
Annotations shows up

You can check if this will work for you. I myself did not test it if this work.

Sandy_Gunner · ‎May 21, 2024

Hi @RolandRaytchev

Thank you for providing such detailed information.

I tried the workaround provided above and was able to display the PMI in both Vuforia Studio and Vuforia View.

My only concern is that we are using a JT adapter to convert the NX-imported file (in JT format) to PVZ. With the converted PVZ file, we are unable to display the PMI in Vuforia View or Vuforia Studio. To display the PMI of this file in Vuforia Studio/View, we need to import it into Creo Illustrator and export it with a sequence, for example, "Figure 1."

Could you elaborate on the relationship between the PMI and the sequence of the PVZ model? Currently, a PVZ model with PMI cannot be displayed without creating a sequence in Creo Illustrator.

Furthermore, is there any setting for the JT adapter that would allow us to automatically create the sequence "Figure 1" when running the JT adapter batch file for conversion ?

Best Regards,

Sandy

RolandRaytchev · ‎May 23, 2024

Hi @Sandy_Gunner ,

so far, I remember PTC uses some tools/ foreign APIs which a comming from NX to implement the JT converter as part of the Creo products. So far I see we do not have directly in Studio a JT converter.

When you go to:

C:\Users\<Your_Windows_User>\AppData\Local\VuforiaStudio\node_modules\@ptc\cad-import-filters\import_filters\bin>
2.04.2024  11:43           424.720 catia2pvdirect.exe
02.04.2024  11:43           424.208 dae2pv.exe
02.04.2024  11:43           424.208 dgn2pv.exe
23.05.2024  16:32            56.691 example.pvz
10.05.2024  05:12           468.425 example.stp
02.04.2024  11:43           424.208 fbx2pv.exe
02.04.2024  11:43           424.208 iges2pv.exe
02.04.2024  11:43           424.720 inv2pvdirect.exe
02.04.2024  11:43           424.208 obj2pv.exe
02.04.2024  11:43           424.208 pgl2pv.exe
02.04.2024  11:43           424.208 pvsmake.exe
02.04.2024  11:43           424.720 pvsoptimize.exe
02.04.2024  11:43           424.208 pvsthumb.exe
02.04.2024  11:43           424.720 se2pvdirect.exe
02.04.2024  11:43           424.208 step2pv.exe
02.04.2024  11:43           424.208 stl2pv.exe
02.04.2024  11:43           424.720 sw2pvdirect.exe
02.04.2024  11:43           424.208 vrml2pv.exe

so far, I see there is no direct a converter for the jt. But if I overlooked some think then , please, let me know.
So the point how to convert JT from NX is something what should be addressed to the worker group when e.g. data is coming from Windchill - especially, so to the Creo View Macad Adapters https://www.ptc.com/support/-/media/support/refdocs/Creo_View/6,-d-,0/CVMCADAdaptersInstallConfigGuide.pdf?sc_lang=en

refering to pages 37 Installing the Creo View Adapter for JT and to Page 278 NX output for JT

but I am not sure if file converted on this way will contain the PMI. So when the options for PMI are available , I believe that in this case the option in the rcp file should have the same name so far I know but the question if they are not simple ignored because they are no recognized as valid. This is something what you could try to clarify with the Creo View Mcad adapter group in the community (Creo Parametric or Windchill community) or via opening PTC Macad Adapter for Creo View TS case where the question will be: how to import a JT object to PVZ format via adapter so that the PMI will be not lost.

what I think possibily you need to change is the workflow for the publishing process so that you can convert/output to step format first and then use e.g. the step2pvz utility - example:
```
step2pv -r ../recipe/step2pv_import3d_dt.rcp example.stp
```
to convert e.g. example.stp to example.pvz
but it is important that the pvz file should contain a sequence - because otherwise you can not set the sequence property in Studio and without setting it , so far I see it will not work - it is sufficient when only empty sequence is availible -> you can delete all steps.
I checked it when we take a file which is converted only with the step2pv tool it shows in Studio UI mode the PM but I could not get this to work without setting of the sequence propertry in preview - and I beleive also this will not work on mobile
when I used the step with the sequence creation and I set the sequence property in the 3D model widget then it worked:

Sandy_Gunner · ‎May 26, 2024

Hi @RolandRaytchev

Thank you for the investigation.

I have also confirmed that displaying the PMI requires the creation of a sequence, and that this sequence can only be created by importing a STEP/JT/PVZ file into Creo Illustrate.

If you have any information regarding the following queries, please share it:

Are there any alternatives to creating a sequence for a PVZ model without using Creo Illustrate (perhaps by using a JT adapter or another method)?
Why is the PMI only visible when associated with a sequence of the model and not with the model itself?

Thanking you.

RolandRaytchev · ‎Jun 04, 2024

Hi @Sandy_Gunner,

to 1.) I checked but could not find any options to do that. PVI file is a text file and theoretically could be generated automatically and add to the pvz file. But an empty sequence still contains some information what are only specific for this model - therefore it will be not easy to recreate all data which is required as text.

to 2. this is current limitation and there is no information what is the reason of it.

I reported your concerns to the R&D /PM team as Jira Ticket VTS-2016 so hopefully we will get some feedback soon. Thanks

Sandy_Gunner · ‎Jun 04, 2024

Hello @RolandRaytchev

Thank you for reporting my concern to R&D/PM team. Looking forward to get the feedback from them.

Sandy_Gunner · ‎Sep 19, 2024

Hi @RolandRaytchev

Have you got any feedback from R&D /PM team regarding the display of PMI Annotation in Vuforia View ?

Enhancement Request "Show PMI exported from NX CAD into Vuforia Studio and Vuforia View"

Enhancement Request "Show PMI exported from NX CAD into Vuforia Studio and Vuforia View"