Enhancement Request | Ability to deal with layers in CAD data

Hi, 

I am not sure what is ment with layer, could you describe this further? Maybe using Creo Illustrate could help or the tree-widget: https://community.ptc.com/t5/Vuforia-Studio/CSS-Tree-widget-extension-implementation/m-p/846460

Hi @Shinichiro_Endo ,

 you mentioned as format STEP or JT. These formats are  export/ tranfer formats. So means they are used when we work with different cad systems and then output the file for further work in a different CAD product or enviroment. So   the question form where we will get the data. What is the native CAD system? Whay I am asking this? So your data is comming form some source cad system. For example PTC Cad Creo Parametric. It could be NX ,Catia AutoCAD or else. but this are CAD Products where I do not have detailed knoledge how they handle the Layer data.  So far I know, the most of the CAD systems could handle the Layer data very well and could use the layer settings to filter the display, delete, export , etc operation. I used in the past (over 20 years ago Autocad and remember that there was a lot of things possible via AutoLisp, VB and C API - no idea how it works in the mean time) What I could say is that also Creo Parametric (PTC CAD system) provided the Toolkit dev enviroment (C , CPP API) , J-LInk VB and some scripts etc where you can use the Creo CAD api to perform some Layer operations , visibility , selection etc. In creo you can try to use also the interface options to filter the export.(need to be more detailed with Creo Parametic team if Creo is used) So means that when you want to use the layer informaiton to do some operation on the files - to prepare them for Vuforia Studio , in this case I think, the best option is to try this automatizaitons in the source system so to export the data in the desired shape. So possibly in the native CAD system you can possibly  set the export options on easy way and so have the desired results.

If  you have data form provider only in the formats STEP and JT. In this case the access in native cad system is not availible . We can not import JT directly in Vuforia Stduio. You need to change it first e.g. in step or else supported format . https://support.ptc.com/help/vuforia/studio/en/#page/Studio_Help_Center%2FSupportedCADFileFormats.html

As next - let say you have the file what you want to import in a step format. One possibly option then could be  to try  to customize the  step2pvz utility and the correspoinding step2pv_import3d_dt.rcp configuraiton file - as mentioend in the post https://community.ptc.com/t5/Vuforia-Studio/Enhancement-Request-quot-Show-PMI-exported-from-NX-CAD-into/td-p/949763  . In the mentioned  post the the goal is different - /receiving PMI/ but the prinicple is the same. You have to try to setup the import tool according to the availible  options reported in the Creo View Macad Adapters Gide  https://www.ptc.com/support/-/media/support/refdocs/Creo_View/6,-d-,0/CVMCADAdaptersInstallConfigGuide.pdf?sc_lang=en

The usage how to change the rcp import filter so to achieve your goal (if this is possible is not 100% sure)  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 Step  object to PVZ format via adapter so that filter for layer name shold be applied..

For example if you have installed the rcp editor  - rcpedit app - is part of the Creo View adapter package /not part of the Vuforia Studio Product/

Here is an example of rcp edit (here for PDF export) where we can specify a layer filter. So the principle for PVZ is the same but the correct filter should be applied. How to set this import filters - means the setting of the rcp options - this   needs to be clarifed with the TC Macad Adapter Tech Support Team.

Alternative you can use any others STEP applicaitons (step is common interface format and there a lot of tools and provider of services with step availbile) where you will have to  input step and then as outuput the result will go to step where  you will get a filtered step data . So possibly such thirdparty tool could use the layer to filter information and get the desired result. 

addtional reference https://www.ptc.com/en/support/article/CS21380 (How to edit Client-side Recipe configuration used by Creo Parametric and the Workgroup Manager) , https://www.ptc.com/en/support/article/CS35784(How to save a copy IGES, STEP or JT file without exporting the hidden layers in Creo Parametric) and https://www.ptc.com/en/support/article/CS35784   Suggested Technique for Filtering Imported and Exported IGES Data with Layers