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LucasDeSousaR5-Regular Member
5-Regular Member
April 23, 2025
Solved

Using Custom Parameters (e.g., "CREO_NAME") in Windchill to Reference Files with Dots in Creo

  • April 23, 2025
  • 2 replies
  • 977 views

In my environment, I have my files with the dot ".", such as "11.123.234.prt". I already have automations and integrations based on this format. Is there any way for Creo to use this name with dots or use other parameters created in Windchill to reference and work with my files? And how can I do this?
This is the case of a potential client. We already knew, Creo doesn't work with dots in the file name.
He already had files with dots. There are already Automations and integrations linked to this format.
Can we create a new parameter in Windchill for these files and have Creo use this new parameter to reference these files?
Example:
The file name is "11.123.00-prt" but in Windchill there is a parameter "CREO_NAME" and Creo searches for and works with this same file by "CREO_NAME" instead of the file name "11.123.00-prt" and still keeps the original name for my system to work with it.
Is it possible? How may I do it?
In our environment, CAD files follow a naming convention that includes dots (e.g., 11.123.234.prt). We already have several automations and integrations built around this format.
As we know, Creo does not support dots in file names by default. However, we are working with a potential client who already uses this dot-based naming convention and has legacy systems that rely on it.
To avoid renaming all files and breaking existing integrations, we are looking for an alternative solution. One idea is to create a custom parameter in Windchill, for example, CREO_NAME, which would store the original name (with dots).
Our question is:
Is it possible to configure Creo to reference or work with this parameter (CREO_NAME) instead of the actual file name?
In other words, could Creo display or interact with the file using the value from CREO_NAME while keeping the original file name for system compatibility?
Example:
Actual file name: 11.123.234.prt
Windchill parameter: CREO_NAME = 11.123.234
Creo references and displays the part as CREO_NAME, while preserving the original file name in the system.
Is such a configuration possible? If so, how can we implement it?
Any help or guidance is much appreciated!

Best answer by avillanueva

Creo will always use the filename as the primary identifier when retrieving objects. With CAD objects, there are two attributes that need to be unique. One is the object number, the other is the filename. Since we established that your cannot continue current business conventions with filename, that needs to change. Recommend, replace all but last dot to dash. If a designated attribute exists in the Creo, I believe you can make that map to the number field instead of the default filename. This should be standard mapping. If you want to have a rule created through customization, I believe you can have something that automatically transforms the filename into your current convention like reversing rule above, converting dashes back into dots and possibly dropping extensions.  I would strongly recommend extensive testing here. You can do this right now via rename without any mapping to try out this approach.  

2 replies

avillanueva
23-Emerald I
avillanueva23-Emerald I
23-Emerald I
April 23, 2025

Adding in relative article:  https://www.ptc.com/en/support/article/CS20820?source=search

 

    avillanueva
    23-Emerald I
    avillanueva23-Emerald I
    23-Emerald I
    April 23, 2025

    So is it totally impossible for the client to change their practices? Let's say you setup attributes that map the EPMDocument number from some place other than the filename and same for the WTPart number. Name should not be an issue here. Filename is what it is I assume. Configuration for all this is done via site preferences and mappings. 

    https://support.ptc.com/help/wnc/r12.0.2.0/en/#page/Windchill_Help_Center%2FProEWCIntegCustObjNameNumberManagePolicy.html%23wwID0E5XOU

    Is the client using Creo now or some other CAD system that they are migrating from?

    You can see the issue if the programmer assumed no dots and in parsing the extension, split at a dot instead of the last occurrence of a dot, trouble ensues. 

      L
      LucasDeSousaR5-Regular MemberAuthor
      5-Regular Member
      April 23, 2025

      The company currently uses SolidWorks as its CAD tool.
      Modifying all existing files, along with the automations implemented across the Manufacturing, CRM, and ERP environments, is currently unfeasible.
      Therefore, we should retain the existing file naming convention, as it is already standardized within the organization and carries relevance and meaning in the context of internal processes.
      Is there any way for Creo to recognize the file from a "CREO_NAME" and keep the original file name?

      B
      23-Emerald III
      BenLoosli23-Emerald III
      23-Emerald III
      April 24, 2025

      Creo (Pro/Engineer, Wildfire) have never accepted a period in the file name.

      Article - CS67337 - What's the rule of the file name and directory path in Creo Parametric

       

      The following requirements apply when creating and performing operations on Creo Parametric files:
      •File names have a 31 character limit. You cannot create or retrieve an object with more than a 31 character file name. However, non-PTC Creo models can have file names that extend up to 80 characters.
      •You cannot use brackets, such as [ ], { }, or ( ), spaces and punctuation marks (.?!;) in file names.
      •File names can contain hyphens and underscores, however, the first character in a file name cannot be a hyphen.
      •Use alphanumeric characters (see hyphen and underscore exception in previous bullet) in file names. Model names and paths can also contain multi-byte characters. Object files containing non-alphanumeric characters (such as " $ & ' * + , / : < = > \ ^ ` | @ # and %) in their names do not display in, and are not retrievable from dialog boxes.
      •Use only lowercase characters for file names. An object or file on disk always saves with the name in lowercase.
      •Directory paths can use special characters, such as tilde ( ~ ) and two periods ( .. ) to specify relative paths. It is better, however, to always show the absolute path names (from the root) to avoid problems if you change working directories or use the same configuration file in another startup directory.
      •A directory path can contain up to 260 characters.
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