Enable Creo Unite collaboration while connected to Windchill

[ggiuliani]

Should be possible to save-as 3rd party CAD format (NX, CATIA, SWX....)  from Creo Parametric into the local workspace and chekin the file into Windchill using Creo Parametric WGM.

Should be possible also to open from Windchill 3rd party CAD files from Creo Parametric Workspace, assemble them and checkin back the Heterogeneous CAD assembly to Windchill (at the moment the file created using Unite Technology and checked in by Creo wgm are not correctly interpreted by Windchill and it's impossible to open them again into Creo or native application).

Using the UWGM and the 3rd party CAD solution, should be possible to open, modify and chekin the native data created by Creo Parametric Unite.

Implementing this feature no more 3rd party CAD license and UWGM license needed to collaborate with external suppliers in a Windchill controlled environment... smooth and simplified transition from 3rd party CAD solution to CREO + Windchill and finally enables users to work into a real multicad collaboration scenario within Windchill.

[mmaggiolo]

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@ggiuliani wrote:

Should be possible to save-as 3rd party CAD format (NX, CATIA, SWX....)  from Creo Parametric into the local workspace and chekin the file into Windchill using Creo Parametric WGM.

Should be possible also to open from Windchill 3rd party CAD files from Creo Parametric Workspace, assemble them and checkin back the Heterogeneous CAD assembly to Windchill (at the moment the file created using Unite Technology and checked in by Creo wgm are not correctly interpreted by Windchill and it's impossible to open them again into Creo or native application).

Using the UWGM and the 3rd party CAD solution, should be possible to open, modify and chekin the native data created by Creo Parametric Unite.

Implementing this feature no more 3rd party CAD license and UWGM license needed to collaborate with external suppliers in a Windchill controlled environment... smooth and simplified transition from 3rd party CAD solution to CREO + Windchill and finally enables users to work into a real multicad collaboration scenario within Windchill.

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I definitely Agree!

[adragoni]

would be great !

I agree

[gbruzzone]

I agree

[mmarangoni]

I agree and support proposal

Fully integration in Windchill environment is very important!

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[fferro]

Absolutely make sense

[SteveShaw]

Have you looked at the latest releases of Windchill (11.0 M030) and Creo 4.0?  Although it doesn't necessarily address all of the use cases you have outlined, in Windchill 11.0 M020 working with Creo 4.0 we allow opening 3rd party CAD data into Creo and saving it to the workspace in its native format and checking this data into Windchill.  This capability was introduced to support supplier collaboration scenarios where you recieve 3rd party CAD data from a vendor/supplier but don't own licenses to this 3rd party CAD tool.  You can check the data into your Windchill retain the data in its original authoring format and reuse the data in your Creo designs.  However, this capability is not a substitute for the 3rd party workgroup manager, as such CAD documents are only retrievable from Windchill using the Creo integration.  If you own these 3rd party CAD tools then this data should be checked-in using its respective workgroup manager, where the resulting Windchill data can be consumed by both the the 3rd party CAD tool going forward as well as Creo using the Unite technology.

[RandyJones]

However, this capability is not a substitute for the 3rd party workgroup manager, as such CAD documents are only retrievable from Windchill using the Creo integration. If you own these 3rd party CAD tools then this data should be checked-in using its respective workgroup manager, where the resulting Windchill data can be consumed by both the the 3rd party CAD tool going forward as well as Creo using the Unite technology.

This is the first time I have seen this extremely important bit of information. This should be listed in bold as one of the caveats in articles CS188975 and CS202059

https://www.ptc.com/en/support/article?n=CS188975

https://www.ptc.com/en/support/article?n=CS202059

[TomU]

@RandyJones, totally agree!  Fundamentally Creo Unite is no different from taking a STEP file, importing it into Creo, and then saving the Creo file.  You really aren't working with the native file, you are just working with a Creo created import of the original file.  Opening a SolidWorks or Catia file in Creo and then saving it to your workspace is really just saving the Creo translated file, regardless of what you call it.  Once that happens you can never work on the original file in the original CAD system again.  It doesn't exist in Windchill.

On the other hand, when using a 3rd party CAD system and a related workgroup manager the native CAD file IS saved to Windchill.  In this case, opening the 3rd party file in Creo will do the same thing, the file will be translated by Creo and a new .creo file will be created.  This .creo file is then saved separately back into Windchill (but hidden) consuming twice the space (or more) than just the native file requires.  Anytime a user re-opens the 3rd party file in Creo, they are really just opening the previously created .creo file, NOT the native 3rd party CAD file.  If the 3rd part CAD tool makes changes to the native file, Creo will need to reimport (re-translate) it again and then update the related .creo file.  (This can be problematic when the Creo user does not have write permissions in Windchill to where the 3rd party CAD file is located because the new .creo file can't be uploaded and associated.)

[ggiuliani]

@SteveShaw I know exactly what the integration between Creo 4.0 and WNC11.0 can do, but it supports only the "consolidation" scenario... and actually not all the use cases and with tons of bugs (see TS).

Unfortunaltelly the most common scenario in the real world is the collaborative one (also as a transition state to consolidation) and it is not supported at all.

So, why customers should buy a creo unite module? 3rd party CAD updates in a "consolidation" scenario?

[gplatini]

I absolutely agree