Explicit Attributes with Creo and Windchill

[mbrown-nasa]

I'm trying to understand if explicit attributes initially flow from Windchill into the Creo model. It seems that this is the case. Also, does identifying uppercase Creo parameter in the "Creo" field of a specific attribute (via Type Manager) make that attribute explicit?

[TomU]

I am curious about this as well. Certain parameters automatically show up in the CAD model as soon as they're saved to the workspace. Others do not.

Currently we create all of our custom attributes at the CAD Document subtype level:

I've been told that if you create them at the EPM Document Master level they will automatically propagate like the other built-in Windchill parameters, but I've not had a chance to try it myself yet.

I don't think using all caps has anything to do with it.

[bclaerhout]

Thanks Tom,

Your answer here helped me figure out my similar question on another thread.

Bryan

[LoriSood · Accepted solution]

Mike,

Specifying the name of the parameter in the Creo field in the Attribute data as you pointed out will set up explicit mapping. As Creo parameters are in upper-case then the parameter name specified in that field should also be upper case. Implicit-mapping will occur if an attribute has been associated with the CAD Document type that has the same name and case as the Creo parameter (i.e. Windchill IBA Internal name is TEST and Creo parameter name is TEST).

There are a couple of help topics in the Windchill Help Center that cover the different kinds of mapping. Info can also be found in the Using Creo Parametric with Windchill Guide.

http://support.ptc.com/cs/help/windchill_hc/wc102_hc/index.jspx?id=ProEWCIntegCustProEParamWCAttrMap&action=show

http://support.ptc.com/cs/help/windchill_hc/wc102_hc/index.jspx?id=TypeMgrExplicitMapCreate&action=show

http://support.ptc.com/cs/help/windchill_hc/wc102_hc/index.jspx?id=TypeMgrAttributeMapAbout&action=show

Tom,

Specifying them at the EPM Document Master level means that the attribute values will not be file-based (i.e. all iterations of a particular CAD Document version will have the same attribute value). Additionally, only file-based attributes (those specified on EPM Document/CAD Document) will map to Creo parameters.

[mbrown-nasa]

Great! Thanks Lori!

I'll check into these help sources. I want to be sure that the directional flow is always from Creo to Windchill. In other words, I want to be sure that if an attribute is created in Windchill, and a corresoponding parameter for that attribute is not created in Creo, then that attribute will not be pushed into the Creo parameters table.

[TomU]

Lori,

It would be helpful if "Explicit Attribute Mapping" were better defined. The first article list both options, but only explains implicit. The second article tells you how to make an explicit attribute, but not how it works. The third article only says, "Explicitly mapping Windchill attributes to CAD application parameters publishes Windchill information to the Creo Parametric system and other CAD applications." I did a quick search and couldn't find any other help pages talking about explicit attributes.

• Will explicit attributes automatically create corresponding parameters in Creo, even if those parameters don't already exist?
• Can explicit attributes be edited in the CAD application, or only in Windchill?
• Are explicit attributes versioned, common across all iterations of a revision, common to all revisions? (Like 'name', 'number', and 'filename')

Thanks!

[mbrown-nasa]

Its looks like both implicit and explicit attributes publish information to the Creo parameters table. It also seems to be the case that the non-implicit attributes will disappear from the Windchill details page of an object if that CAD object has been modified and iterated.

[mbrown-nasa]

Tom,

We have discovered the following while using Creo 2.0 with Windchill 10.1 M040. If the Creo model has been created and checked in, you can go into Windchill, edit attributes on this model by placing information in the attribute fields. These attribute fields are not parameters in the Creo model. They have been created in the EPMDocument MCAD master. Once you place this information in these fields, they automatically become designated parameters in Creo. These parameters show up in uppercase. They are not explicitly mapped.

This shows that non-explicitly mapped Windchill attributes, once given content manually, push into Creo parameters.

[mbrown-nasa]

Windchill help states, "Implicit mapping is recommended as the preferred mapping method because otherwise released data could be changed without a new iteration being reviewed. If a change is made to an explicitly mapped attribute and then a file is downloaded, you might see a different result than before the change to the mapping was done." Does this mean that explicit mapping is the only way to go if the desire is to make changes to attributes via Windchill without iterating the EPMDocument?