Windchill PLM "Windchill Extensions" Tips & Techniques Session Recording (West Coast)

Overview

This 48-minute PTC PLM Tips & Techniques session recording, presented by Ryan Butcher (Solution Consulting, Fellow) with Donna Fedeli (Solution Consulting, Principal) on December 21, 2022, introduces Windchill Extensions: ready-to-use add-ons for Windchill PLM delivered through the Windchill Extension Center in partnership with Wincom. It is aimed at Windchill administrators and users who want to add capabilities without customization or an upgrade, and includes live demos of the Extension Center, the Extension Manager, CAD Quick, PDF Quick Access Starter, Representation Export Plus, and Watermark.

Chapters

This video has chapters, also available from the player menu.

• 0:00 to 0:46: Welcome and introductions
• 0:46 to 1:21: What Windchill Extensions are (Wincom partnership)
• 1:21 to 4:53: Overview video: the Windchill Extension Center
• 4:53 to 8:08: Free trials, supported releases and installation
• 8:08 to 13:30: Browsing the Extension Center: search, filters, bundles
• 13:30 to 16:31: Extension Manager: guides, licenses, logging, config
• 16:31 to 21:04: Bundle updates and CAD Quick one-click CAD download
• 21:04 to 24:33: PDF Quick Access Starter: configuration options
• 24:33 to 27:45: PDF Quick Access demo and IHS extension question
• 27:45 to 31:52: Representation Export Plus: configuration options
• 31:52 to 35:02: 3D PDF question and Representation Export demo
• 35:02 to 39:36: Watermark extensions: local watermarking, SVG templates
• 39:36 to 43:27: Watermark demo: on-demand watermarks and cover sheets
• 43:27 to 44:56: Recap and browsing extensions outside Windchill
• 44:56 to 48:34: Q&A: watermark conditions and security labels

Key Takeaways

• Windchill Extensions can be used with Windchill 11.1 and higher, and every subscription extension has a free 30-day trial.
• From Windchill 12.0.1 onward the Extension Manager is pre-installed. For earlier releases, an administrator performs a one-time install of the Windchill Extension Platform, which takes less than 15 minutes with an installation wizard.
• Extensions are applied as hot updates: after you install or reconfigure one and refresh the browser, the change is live without stopping and starting Windchill.
• Anyone, administrator or not, can browse extensions, their videos, screenshots and user guides at windchill-extensions.ptc.com. Downloading a trial uses the same PTC login used for technical support.
• Paid extensions can be bought individually or in bundles. In December 2022 there were two bundles, Engineering and Engineering Plus, and new extensions added to a bundle become available to existing bundle subscribers.
• Representation Export creates 2D PDFs only; 3D PDF export is not available.
• The Watermark extension can watermark locally, using an internal service instead of the Wincom cloud service. Local watermarking needs no further configuration on Windows, but needs a brief installation on Linux servers.

What are Windchill Extensions?

Windchill Extensions are standardized, ready-to-use add-ons that extend Windchill PLM without customization, upgrades, restarts, or implementation services. PTC provides them in partnership with Wincom through the PTC Windchill Extension Center, which works like a smartphone app store: administrators browse, research, and install extensions on their own. The overview video describes more than 20 extensions covering business-rule validation on changes and promotions, import and export automation including watermarking and cover sheets, and third-party supplier component database integrations. Some extensions are free and the rest are available by subscription, individually or as a bundle.

Watch: 0:46 to 4:53 (introduction and the Windchill Extension Center overview video)

Which Windchill versions support Windchill Extensions, and how are they installed?

Windchill Extensions can be used in Windchill 11.1 and higher, and from Windchill 12.0.1 the Extension Manager is already pre-installed. On earlier releases, an administrator first installs the Windchill Extension Platform once; after that, anyone given access to the Extension Center and Extension Manager can add extensions without stopping and starting Windchill.

1. Check your release: On Windchill 12.0.1 or later, skip to step 3.
2. Install the Windchill Extension Platform (earlier releases only): This is a one-time administrator task that takes less than 15 minutes with an installation wizard.
3. Add the extension: As an administrator, open the Site area to reach the Extension Center and the Extension Manager, and add the extension.
4. Refresh the browser: Extensions are applied as hot updates, so the installation is live once you refresh a Windchill page.

Watch: 4:53 to 8:08 (slides on trials, supported releases, and the install process)

How do I browse and try Windchill Extensions before buying?

Go to windchill-extensions.ptc.com, where anyone can search and filter the available Windchill Extensions, review each one, and log in to download a free 30-day trial. Administrators can also reach the Extension Center from the Site area inside Windchill.

1. Search or filter by release: Filter the list to your Windchill release. Some extensions are backward compatible and some are only available for certain releases.
2. Filter by bundle: Select a bundle to see which paid extensions it includes. Clearing both bundle filters shows everything currently available plus extensions marked as coming soon.
3. Review an extension: The Overview tab loads by default. The Media tab has a short demo video, screenshots, and the user guide, and the Documentation tab opens the user guide.
4. Download a trial: Log in with the same PTC login you use for technical support, then download the 30-day trial.

The demo also points out the Google Workspace Connect extension, which connects to Google Drive so content can be checked in to Windchill, as an example of an extension that is only available for recent releases.

Watch: 8:08 to 13:30 (live tour of the Extension Center filters, bundles, and extension tabs)

How do I configure an installed extension in the Windchill Extension Manager?

Open the Extension Manager from the Site area as an administrator, select the installed extension, and open its configuration, then choose Update and refresh Windchill to apply the change. The Extension Manager lists every extension installed on the system and gives administrators the user guide, an administrator's guide, license information, a logging switch, an undeploy option, and the configuration interface for each one. In the demo, the only setting for CAD Quick is a yes or no option controlling whether users can download assemblies together with their required CAD documents.

Watch: 13:30 to 16:31 (Extension Manager tour and a CAD Quick configuration change)

How can I download CAD files directly from Windchill without Workgroup Manager?

The CAD Quick extension downloads the primary content of CAD documents straight from the Windchill interface, without going through Workgroup Manager. You can download a single CAD file or several files as a zip, either by right-clicking a CAD document and choosing CAD Quick, or by adding a CAD Quick column to a table view and clicking its icon. The presenter notes that many customers had asked for this.

1. Right-click the CAD document: In a folder or table, right-click the CAD document and choose CAD Quick.
2. Choose a location: Pick the directory to download to and select Save.

The column is not named CAD Quick in the table view's column list; the presenter refers viewers to the administrator's guide for its name.

Watch: 17:40 to 21:04 (right-click download of a CAD document's primary content)

How do I open a published PDF in one click in Windchill?

The free PDF Quick Access Starter extension adds a one-click icon that opens the PDF representation published with a part, CAD document, or drawing directly in the browser. Without it, reaching that PDF means navigating through related objects to the drawing, then to its representations, and downloading the file from there. The extension can be configured per object type and lifecycle state, so PDFs of objects that are not in an acceptable state can be withheld, and it supports on-demand watermarking if you have the watermark capability from the Engineering bundle.

1. Open the configuration: In the Extension Manager, open the PDF Quick Access Starter configuration.
2. Turn on the icon per object type: Set the quick access column icon to Yes for CAD objects, drawings, or WTParts as needed.
3. Set watermark options (optional): Choose whether to use a watermark template and which template applies.
4. Apply: Choose Update, then refresh the Windchill folder to see the PDF icon.

Watch: 21:04 to 27:17 (configuration change, then the many-click path compared with the one-click PDF icon)

How do I export STEP, PDF, and other representations from Windchill in one zip?

The Representation Export extension exports the published representations of one or more objects on demand as a zip, downloaded through the browser or saved to a server location. Exports can also be automated by event triggers or workflows, and can cover collections such as promotion request and change notice collections. The Plus version adds options such as email distribution to recipients by role or address, exporting collections as zips, latest drawings only, XML data files, document numbers, and a list of file extensions (for example PDF, DXF, STEP, IGES, DWG) that limits what goes into the zip.

1. Select the objects: In Parts or CAD Documents, select one or more objects and choose the Export Plus action.
2. Confirm the version: Review the version to be exported and choose Next.
3. Choose options: Optionally select creating the export as a document and emailing users, then choose Finish.
4. Save the zip: Save the zip locally. It contains only the published representations whose file types are on the configured list; in the demo, an XML and a STEP file.

Watch: 27:45 to 35:02 (configuration settings, then exporting a CAD document's representations to a zip)

How do I add watermarks and cover sheets to PDFs in Windchill?

The Watermark extensions add a watermark or a cover sheet to any PDF in Windchill, and generate a PDF on the fly if one does not exist yet. There are three levels: Watermark Starter (free), Watermark (which includes all Starter features), and Watermark Plus. Watermarking can run on demand from the right-click menu or be triggered by lifecycle states and workflows.

With local watermarking, the service runs inside your Windchill instance instead of the Wincom cloud service, takes seconds, and lets you create your own templates. Design the watermark in any image editing tool, save it as an SVG file, then create a new template in the configuration area and upload the SVG. The watermark is overlaid as a separate layer in the PDF.

1. Find the object: Search for a document or drawing and right-click it.
2. Choose the watermark action: Select watermark at the bottom of the menu, then choose a watermark or a cover sheet, and whether to download the content or remove the watermark.
3. Confirm the template: Check the template, for example one that adds the current lifecycle state and a footer, and select OK.

In the demo, the downloaded PDF shows the lifecycle state Concept as the watermark and the company name and object number in the footer.

Watch: 35:02 to 43:27 (administrator's guide settings, then on-demand watermarking of a document and a drawing)

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can Representation Export create a 3D PDF in Windchill?

A: No. The PDF it creates is 2D only; 3D PDF is not available. (answered at 32:01)

Q: Did the S&P Global acquisition of IHS Markit change the IHS extension for Windchill?

A: No. IHS Markit was purchased by S&P Global, and there are no changes to the Wincom app. (answered at 27:28)

Q: Can watermarking be switched on or off by condition, for example for government purpose or unlimited rights data?

A: Yes for lifecycle states: a listener can remove the watermark or apply any loaded template when an object reaches a given state. The configuration also shows a condition for security labels, the Windchill capability used for compliance such as ITAR. Whether a watermark can be tied to a CAD parameter was not confirmed in the session; the team planned to follow up on the community post. (answered at 45:01)

Q: Do I have to restart Windchill to install or change a Windchill Extension?

A: No. Extensions are applied as hot updates; after installing or updating one, refresh the browser on a Windchill page. Only releases before 12.0.1 need the one-time Windchill Extension Platform install first. (answered at 7:06)

Links & Resources

• PTC Windchill Extension Center (windchill-extensions.ptc.com)
• Introducing Windchill Extensions (windchill-extensions.ptc.com)
• Installing the Windchill Extension Platform (windchill-extensions.ptc.com)
• Windchill Extension Manager: User Documentation (windchill-extensions.ptc.com)
• Windchill Extensions are Available in Windchill (12.0.1.0 What's New) (support.ptc.com)
• Windchill Extensions (ptc.com)