Save as STEP file from within common space.

[dpasholk]

Can I create a STEP file of a part or assembly, with it checked in from common space only ?

[TomU]

No.  You have two options:

1. Add the object to a workspace, open in Creo (or 3rd party CAD), and save-as to a STEP file.
2. Have Windchill generate a STEP file during publishing.  (It performs the same steps as above, but on the CAD worker machine.)

[dpasholk]

Can I choose to create a selected part to be published as a STEP file. I have my change notice ready to submit and want to publish the STEP file for only this notice. Not for every notice that comes next. Are there any setting to do this selectively?

Your help is most welcome.

Dan Pasholk

[TomU]

It depends entirely on how your administrators have your system configured.

[dpasholk]

I need to have the part, being released in the change notice, STEP file created (published) so both are released

together.

If the STEP file is created as a save as in creo the possibility of the part and STEP file being out of sync

before release is of great concern. 

Where can I find out about how to configure the publisher to selectively create STEP files for one change notice then change it back.

So a change notice, task makes a change of state that triggers a publishing event.

If I have the publisher's receipt  file to make a STEP file it will be in sync with the part.

any help is most welcome.

[TomU]

If this is a one time event, it's probably not worth re-configuring the system.  Just create the STEP file as a WT Doc. and then add it to the change notice.  (I'm assuming you can add WT Docs to change notices...)

If you really want to reconfigure things, I can imagine two possible solutions.  The first is to modify the publish rules so the CAD worker will generate the STEP files during publishing.  These can be configured to generate every time something is published on just when manually requested.  The second solution is to modify the change notice workflow so that it will directly tell the publisher to generate the STEP file on command (do_publish).  This is beyond anything I've done in a workflow, but I'm sure there are others on the community who can help.

If you're interested in configuring the publisher to generate additional files (like STEP), take a look here:

https://www.ptc.com/support/-/media/FCD2FC4C598540ABAF4D1B173C2640BB.pdf?sc_lang=en (p.193)

Also review the Creo View Adapters guide, page 207:

https://www.ptc.com/support/-/media/63917263E4AB45B2A8A0B2CB3E615AFB.pdf?sc_lang=en

[dpasholk]

Can I create a toggle in the workflow, Create STEP FILE yes/no that will trigger the creation of the STEP file in the change notice/task.

Thank you for helping

[TomU]

Yes, I'm sure that could be done.  The logic to publish something could be added to an expression robot.  Take a look at this section of the documentation:

https://support.ptc.com/help/windchill/wc110_hc/whc_en/#page/Windchill_Help_Center%2FWCCG_BusLogicCust_WCVisualization_CustPublish_Procedure.html%23

[MikeLockwood]

We've had this in place for ~ 2 years with great success. 

Publish rules govern what gets created by publishing for user request vs. check in, schedule, or workflow.  We generate STEP and IGES, and also STL for Creo (not for SolidWorks), rename the resulting files to include the version (e.g. 2623465_prt_A2.stp), and show on /Content/Attachments. 

Any user can command the system to generate these files, and then download using only a browser.

[JHall]

@MikeLockwood 

We also have the post-publish rules, and produce STEP from models and PDF,DXF, and DWG for 2d files. Works really well for us.

How do you go about "rename the resulting files to include the version"  That would be great and it's something our Partner doesn't know how to do.

James - Windchill 11.0, Inventor 2018

[TomU]

These two articles explain how to rename the files after publishing:

https://www.ptc.com/en/support/article?n=CS216668

https://www.ptc.com/en/support/article?n=CS252900

[MikeLockwood]

We've got things set up pretty much per https://www.ptc.com/en/support/article?n=CS252900

Interesting that the VAR said it couldn't be done. 🙂

[JHall]

Thanks @TomU  and @MikeLockwood  

We needed this.

James 

[dpasholk]

I can create a STEP 242 file of an assembly and save it to my working directory.

How can I get to my workspace? To save it into common space? I am trying out

the 242 standard to have an embedded title block.

Thank you for any help. Dan

[JHall]

@dpasholk 

I don't think you can.  At a former company, we attached STEP files as attachments on the Content tab.

James

[dpasholk]

Add to config.pro

allow_import_file_extension stp

Import into workspace

[dpasholk]

Please review and offer improvements.

Thank you Dan