CAD CAM / Australia

Following on from last week, we will now take a look on how to use those custom made balloon symbols that we designed.

Now go into the BOM file in which you wish to create and set the repeat regions for BOM Balloons. This is done by going to the Table tab in the drawing ribbon, selecting the BOM balloons from the balloons group and then going to BOM balloon menu manager, select Set region to custom. Once you have done that select anywhere within the repeat region as shown. Next from the GET SYMBOL menu, you will need to select name and then the balloon option. This will acquire the custom symbol which was named balloon. To show the BOM balloons in the drawing view, click create balloon and show by view. After that select the view from the graphics window. Click OK from the custom balloon height dialog box to accept the default height values for the symbol used. Once you have done all of this, you should be able to see that the BOM balloons are now displayed on screen.

Now to use a different user-defined BOM symbol, go to the BOM balloon menu manager and select Alt Symbol. Once this is done select the balloon whose symbol is to bre replaced and then click okay from the select box. from the get symbol menu click on the appropriate name of the custom BOM balloon symbol. Click okay once you have completed adjusting the balloon height.

NOTE: In order to replace a BOM Balloon with a different symbol, the repeat region parameters displayed by the new symbol must match the old symbol. That is, if the original only displays the index in the balloon, the new symbol cannot display the index and the quantity together; only the index.

Congratulations, you have successfully use your own custom BOM balloons in PTC Pro/E Wildfire 5.0

Tags: BOM | Billing | Materials | Billing of materials | .drw | CAD | 3D | 2D | software | wildfire 5.0 | Pro/Engineer | PTC | Pro/E | improvement | symbols | file | Wildfire | 5.0

As demand for more complex sheetmetal designs increase, the need to have the correct CAD system with the required features becomes ever more critical. Alibre Design Version 12 was released at the same time as Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 5.0. Both of these platforms have the capability to create sheetmetal designs, but which one stacks better in the long term? Which one is easier to use?

Well let us view some critical points in both of these CAD systems and see how they compare:

Feature Design:

Alibre Design Version 12 has  few new features such as Contour and lofted flange support.  sheet metal designs can include tapered corners or profile flange with variable radius along its length. These "lofted flanges" are nicely flattened in Alibre (along with the rest of the part) for the initial pattern stamp or cut-out. Also Alibre has a refined and enhanced interface compared to its previous version , however the design process still remains the same with a simple dialogue box with preset options and a limited amount of features which could be added. Any custom features will require importing into the catalog feature and then defined in the design. A bit of a long way about of adding custom designs for companies who require to add new features on the fly.

However, where Alibre Design falls short, PTC Pro/ENGINEER NC Sheetmetal design picks up the pieces. Pro/E NC Sheetmetal provides a rich amount of sheetmetal features such as punching and die casting, creating various "notch/stress" reliefs on the design as well as creating sheetmetal designs for 3D solids. Require to import a custom design or edit the flange walls? No worries PTC allows for quick and efficient design change and importing from various CAD software to the Design process.

Ease of use/Workflow:

Alibre Design is still using a tweaked interface of their previous sheetmetal design CAD System, so the ease of use is still quite simple and easy to use,however the work flow of the Alibre Design is still somewhat staggered still, in the sense that the need to select multiple features and options to do the same task as Pro/E NC sheetmetal will do in one feature, providing all the necessary options to customize the feature to suit the needs of the design. Hence saving time and allowing the user to become more proficient in design more complex sheetmetal designs.

Nesting/Toolpath:

For Alibre Design, nesting function does not exist in their Sheetmetal CAD system, a serious flaw in making sure that the design data doesn't get lost in migrating over to other platforms to do the nesting and tool-path. This also adds in the necessary requirement to get another CAD system to do the nesting as well as the tool-path required for the manufacturing of the design. Pro/E NC Sheetmetal however looks after the nesting process as well as the tool-path creating a seamless integration from designing to manufacturing of the sheetmetal design. Also with a NC sheetmetal comes with a NC player which is design to show a preview of the path in which the tool will cut and the amount of time require for design to be cut from the stock material. A definite advantage in providing ways in saving money as well as time for PTC Pro/ENGINEER NC Sheetmetal.

Summary:

With everything weighed up, PTC Pro/E NC Sheetmetal is a clear winner by far in providing a seamless,feature rich CADCAM software for Sheetmetal design. However it doesn't meant that Alibre Design isn't worth buying. Alibre Design provides the  solution for sheetmetal CAD design system for Users wants an cost effective Sheetmetal CAD system without the bells and whistles attached. But for those who want to be serious about their sheetmetal design, PTC provides a clear- no compromise solution of NC Sheetmetal Addon.

Tags: speed | Tool paths | improvement | simulation | scrap | manufacturing | Metal | Sheet | NC | 5.0 | Wildfire | ease of use | wildfire 5.0 | Pro/Engineer | PTC | use | ease | Pro/E | hardware | design | machine | software | 3D | Features CAD | Toolpath | Nesting

When creating Billing of Materials Sheet, it is important to create a different BOM balloons are displayed for a repeated region on the sheet to save you confusion or to make it stand out. This post will look at how to create and use custom BOM symbols. You will to firstly retrieve the file with .drw you want to customize for the session. Next you will need to go the Annotate tab from the drawing ribbon and expand to the format group and select the symbol gallery.

From the SYM GALLERY menu manager Dialogue box, click define and type in balloon as the new symbol name and press enter. Next click insert and then note. from here you are able to change the justification to Center and then click make note. Select the appropriate location to make the note and then type in \index\ in the Enter NOTE input window.  Press enter twice to confirm the changes. Click Done/ return once you see the new note appear in the window. Sketch the symbol Geometry as required using the sketch tools.

Note to remember: If text notes are enter with a backslash before and after them, they will become variable text notes. This means that you can arrange for preset values to be defined as symbol attributes and selected when placing the symbols on drawings. However if you want to use the same preset text in the symbol, do not add in any backslashes.

If text notes are entered with a backslash before and after them, they become "variable text" notes. Variable text allows for preset values to be defined as symbol attributes and selected when placing the symbols on drawings. Preset values may be used for each of these notes. If the text in a note is to remain constant when placed, do not use any backslashes.

Now that you that have finished creating you new balloon symbol you will need to configure the symbol General Attributes. By clicking on the Attributes from the SYMBOL EDIT menu manager, this will open up a new dialog box with the name Symbol Definition attributes. Make sure that you define the free, left leader and right leader placement types. Next Select the variable -drawing units as the symbol instance height option is available.Now you will have to configure the symbol Variable Text. This is done by going to the Var Text tab in the dialogue box and type in rpt.index in the preset values for index box text box.

Now complete the symbol configuration by clicking Ok, done with symbol edit menu and done with SYM gallery menu.

The Var Text tab in the Symbol Definition Attributes dialog box is used to define the parameter that will be called out by the variable text note. When the symbol is placed, the system will replace the variable text with the corresponding information being called out by the parameter. Any of the system parameters for drawings or user-defined parameters can be used.

For example, if one would like to call out component names in a BOM Balloon, the variable text can be defined to something like "\comp_name\", and the preset value/variable parameter would then be "asm.mbr.name".

NOTE: Note parameters cannot be used for the value of variable text.

Hopefully that will get you on the way of creating customized Balloon Symbols, Next week we will take a look on how to use that in the billing of Materials.

Tags: 5.0 | Wildfire | file | symbols | improvement | Pro/E | PTC | Pro/Engineer | wildfire 5.0 | software | 2D | 3D | CAD | .drw | Billing of materials | Materials | Billing | BOM

Yeah it is true everyone wants to become faster and faster at any CAD platform that they wanna use. Only problem is, that many people are not to sure how to. One way in which you can gear up the designing and drafting process is using the shortcut keys which are available. In this case we will be looking at some of the key shortcuts that are commonly used in Pro/E Wildfire 5.0:

Regenerate = Crtl+ G

New Files = Crtl+ N

Open File = Crtl + O

Save File = Crtl + S

Find = Crtl + F

Undo= Crtl + Y

Redo= Crtl + Z

Repaint = Crtl + R

Standard View = Crtl + D

For those of you who have known these, may think that is pretty basic knowledge. Another tip to increase your design/drafting speed in Pro/E using the ribbon tabs. Now that is all pretty basic, but you will be amazed on how much time is saved by arranging and customizing the ribbon tabs during the design process. Another tip is the using the Key Tips within the Ribbon tabs. This allow for quick and easy access to the functions and modes of ribbon toolbars.To activate this function simply press the Alt tab button and you will notice your tabs will lettered with appropriate keystrokes for each of the toolbar various functions

It will take time to remember all the functions of Pro/Engineer Wildfire 5.0 but remembering the shortcuts as well as utilizing the Ribbon toolbars to your advantage will cut the learning curve as well as give you that speed edge in the drafting and design side of Pro/E.

Tags: CAD | 3D | software | machine | design | Pro/E | ease | use | PTC | Pro/Engineer | wildfire 5.0 | ease of use | proengineer | speed | shortcuts | keyboard | ribbon | key tips

There many easy tips that will save you time and effort in Pro/E Wildfire 5.0.As i was working in Wildfire 5.0 today, i stumbled across some tricks which i found to be quite handy to have in mind the next time you run about in NC Sheetmetal Extension.Here are just three that i found particularly useful.

Tip 1: Use mill windows

Still using mill volumes? Mill windows are the fastest to collect geometry for creating volume milling and face milling sequences. In fact, for roughing, re-roughing, corner finishing, and finishing sequences, mill windows are the only way to collect the geometry. Mill windows allow for faster geometry collection, easier referencing for use in other models (via templates) and more robust updates when the underlying part geometry changes. Mill windows are: faster to create, more flexible, faster to regenerate, used in more types of sequences, and can do almost anything that mill volumes can do.

Tip 2: Reuse existing tool paths

There are more ways to reuse existing NC sequences than can be described here, so it will suffice to mention three.

First of all, if you want to quickly reuse one or more NC sequences in the same model, select the NC sequence(s) and pick Edit > Copy then Edit > Paste. You will be prompted for each of the required references (coordinate systems, surfaces, mill windows, etc.) and there you have it, the NC sequence is created and may be redefined if desired.

Second, manufacturing user-defined sequences(MUDF’s) provide a great way to copy manufacturing features into other models. MUDF’s can create any number of features, including datums, manufacturing geometry such as mill windows or turn profiles, and NC sequences. Common applications for MUDF’s include hole-making (especially auto-drilling), pocket roughing and finishing, and lathe programming.

A third way to capture and reuse NC sequences is by creating templates in the NC Process Manager. This is a very fast and powerful way to create programs very quickly, especially when used in conjunction with the mfg_auto_ref_mfg_template config.pro option.

Tip 3: Use the correct post processor

Ideally, you should be able to create a program in Pro/NC, post process it, and send it straight to the CNC machine without ever needing to manually tweak the codes.

PTC offers around two hundred post processors for free download from our website, but while most of them are in use by someone, somewhere, that does not guarantee that they will provide you with the output that your machines (or your operators!) require. The posts may need some editing, or perhaps you will need a completely new post. To that end, every seat of Pro/NC comes with the ability to create and edit NC post processors.

These three tips will help you to be faster and more proficient with that design or project in Pro/E Widlfire NC sheetmetal!

Tags: Tool paths | CAD | 3D | 2D | software | machine | design | CNC | machinist-software | milling | Pro/E | Pro/Engineer | 5.0 | Wildfire | Sheet | Metal | NC | manufacturing

Now, installing the a new licence for any CAD software can be tricky, and PTC is no stranger to this. However it doesn't have to be hard at all with friendly help from the support team in PTC who are available 24/7. Note that also the email support is quite good as well with any enquiries you may have with update the licences. Now installing the program initally as well can be quite a handful, but quite easy if you know what are doing.

Now here are some simple guide on how to do so.

1. Run the setup.exe accordingly, click next and read through the terms and agreements, click accept when you are done and select next.
2. click onto install Pro/E and select the files that you want to install with the necessary options needed.
3. The next window will show you a blank screen with your services to flexnet. Now you will need to add in a new license in by clicking add. Now majority of users will be on a single node server.
4. Select the single option and note to leave the port to 7788. The hostname will be your computer name which can be located in my computer,view system infromation or properties under computer name. ( note to ping your computer to ensure there is no problems with picking up the correct hostname).
5. Once you have completed this click okay and a new license should be retrieved. * note to have a golden/yellow key icon next to your hostname/port licence.
6. Click next to contuine and install all the necessary options but make sure to tick additional licences box before click next.
7. Now go to the licence which pro/E and click edit on the far right hand side to add in any additional extenisons or addons that you brought. Click okay when you are done.
8. Cick next twice and the installer will start install all the necessary components to Pro/E
9. Click exit when finished and fire up Pro/E wildfire 5.0.

Steps for upgrading Pro/ENGINEER license with new license pack from PTC:

1) Open the old c:\program files\flexnet\licensing\license.dat
2) Re-save license.dat as "license.dat.old"
3) Highlight the entire two "middle" sequential lines which start with either SERVER or DAEMON, CTRL-C copy thse two lines to the clipboard
4) Open the new licese "lmxxxx.xtx" file
5) Highlight the same two middle SERVER and DAEMON lines in the new license file; CTRL-V to paste over with the information from the old file
6) Save the NEW "lmxxx.txt" file as  c:\program files\flexnet\licensing\license.dat
7) From the CONTROL PANEL -> ADMIN TOOLS -> SERVICES first STOP the RESTART the "Flexlm Server for PTC" service. This will cause flexnet to "re-read" all license files.
8) Start Pro/ENGINEER normally, using new license

With these simple steps, it makes the installation process easier to work with so can be on your way to designing on Wildfire 5.0!

Tags: improvement | automated | proengineer | proe | administration | wildfire 5.0 | Pro/Engineer | PTC | software | 3D | CAD

Just quickly reviewing the the NC Sheetmetal Design enchancements that can be found in the widlfire 5.0 has shown that PTC always believes there is room for improvement.

 Some of the new enhancements to the NC sheetmetal desgin is the removal of the .mfg file type. Now for those of you who haven't used this option, mfg file type is the file type which was introducted into wildfire 4.0 NC sheetmetal design for the manfacturing side of Pro/E. The removal of .mfg file is being replaced by the .asm file type. This allows for easier data management of the manfuactoring model and provides functionality to the design as well.

Note that in Wildfire 5.0, when a .mfg file is retrieved, Pro/E will do the folllowing:

1. The model carries the information stored in the manufacturing model in memory.
2. Information is written to the assembly file on save.
3. The .mfg file is no longer required to open the manufacturing model. 

Another Feature which was improved in the NC sheetmetal addon was the Manufacturing Information Dialog Box. Addtional infromation such as the percentage of the scrap material of the stock used as well as the machining time of the part are displayed in the Manufacturing info dialog box to help with keeping track of waste and time taken during the manufacturing simulation stage.

For more information about NC sheetmetal Design, please vist PTC.com.

Tags: NC | Sheet | Metal | .mfg | file | manufacturing | PTC | Wildfire | 5.0 | scrap | simulation | improvement

Going through PTC Pro/Engineer Wildfire 5.0, i noticed a new enhancement which is now made available to Pro/E wildfire 5.0, that is the Spark Analysis Extension. Now to me at first it was like about as clear as mud. However as you read up on the function, tinker around with the extension and view the videos provided by PTC, the function made perfect sense.

With Design any sort of product with electrical components and electricity running through it, there are two fundamental issues. They are clearance and creepage distances. Now as explained in the video, clearance distance refers to the shortest distance between electrical fields than can travel through a gas medium or in air. Creepage distances is referring to the shortest path in which electricity can flow through surfaces. Now both of these factors are important when considering the safety and reliability of the electromechanical part.

PTC-Spark Analysis Extension fully automates and highlights problem areas in which it occurs in your part or design. This saves time and money from going back to the drawing boards changing it in the design and then the prototype. The best part of this extension is changes to the clearance can be edited and then applied to the model followed by a quick retest. This make sure that you design is always to the highest standard that you can provide in your final product. Another reason why PTC Pro/Engineer Wildfire 5.0 has become so appealing to the Engineering Community

Tags: Spark | Analysis | Electrical | Electro | mechanical | design | CAD | Wildfire | 5.0 | PTC | Safety | Reliablity | Prototypes | Product development | creepage | clearance | automated

29th of January 2010 was the PTC Solution Day in North Sydney at the Rydges. As CADDIT.net has mentioned in their article of the PTC solution day, the day revolved around showing off PTC's newest Brainchild Windchill 9.1 in how it can be incorporated into the Lifecycle of PLM. Greg Brown did a fantastic job captivating the crowds in the demos as well as the presentation.

PTC's Windchill is really leading the competition in this area with wonderful security management system for designs and intellectual property from formulas to analysis to manuals quickly and efficiently allowing for clients to interact with little hassle. Not only using Native files from PTC but also files from CATIA, inventor as well as Solidworks showing that PTC is really on the life pulse on the needs of companies and clients internationally.

The new enhancements of Windchill 9.1 is great but the most exciting thing for me was the new Wildfire 6.0 and its newest features and the line in which PTC is going to take. The changes include enhancements in the user interface, as well as introduction of 3D modeling based on 3D deformation. The best way to describe is like a ball of clay. Now by using the mouse you can pull the ball into different shapes and places molding the 3D model. Pretty cool in action.

There many other things which i can mention that was a real eye opener that day but i guess it is best to leave it to PTC to start the show. Until next time. See ya.

Tags: Wildfire 6.0 | Winchill | PTC | Solution Day | North Sydney | Security Managment | Intellectual Property | 3D modeling | 3D Deformation | 3D

Pro/Engineer Wildfire 5.0 rolled out, it was promised that the ease of use was the greatest improvement made in Pro/E, and it shows. With the introduction of right click menus in sketch as well as new ribbon interface into Pro/E Wildfire 5.0, learning how to use the CAD system just got easier.

Now the right click menu can be operated based on the selected entities that the user has chosen. By holding down the right button on the mouse, a set of new options have been intregrated into the user interface. For example, let say you have selected two or more entities in a sketch which are identical to each other, but you need to change the dimensions of these selected features. Highlight the necessary features, hold down the right click for the menu and select the dimension option. Change the dimensions accordingly and bam, you have changed all three in one go. Now that is just one of the possibilities that are now available with right click menu. Changing the feature itself, dimensions and even the constraints can be all altered with the right click menu. This simply cuts down the unnecessary time required to do it manually and makes using Pro/E that much more easier to use.

Oh have I mentioned that Wildfire 5.0 works even with files from AutoDesk? Another sore spot that most CAD software has is the loss of data in between CAD systems. The boffins from PTC have increased native support for other CAD systems and non-geometric data exchange. So you do not have to deal with the brain numbing experience of redoing all the data for that model or assembly again.

Just goes to prove the myth of PTC Pro/Engineer wildfire 5.0 being to hard to use dead wrong.

Tags: PTC | Pro/E | Pro/Engineer | wildfire 5.0 | right click menus | ease of use | ribbon interface | Autodesk | compatability

As the weeks progress in using Pro/E Wildfire 5.0, i am impressed at the ease of use of the program itself. Just getting the parts required for the assembly can be a nightmare for some engineers since they sometimes are working in more than one project in the same directory with about 5 other files types of the same model. Pro/E has made it quite simple in sorting the files that you require simply by using the file type filter opinion to select the model type i want as well as using the search function.

The best part of this function is that you can do this either on the local harddrive or on a network based system to file the design required for editing. It is also worth noting that the search function is not limited to single part files either. You can use the search function of Pro/E Assembly for ASM files with many parts. Instead of manually finding the part that you are looking for, go to Edit and find function and you will get another dialogue box showing that you can search for various components in assembly by using the correct name and hopefully you have named the parts in the assembly as well.

Now the 3D mode, allows for assemblies to be quickly disassembled and shown in an exploded view. This helps to show the various components in which can be edited dynamically now in Wildfire 5.0. This is simply done by going to  main menus >View > Explode > Explode View. To move components in exploded view just go to View > Explode > Edit Position, then from here just move the necessary components required. This is just a few functions that i have found particularly useful that are available in Pro/E Wildfire 5.0.

Here is a nice example that i have found:

Tags: use | ease | search | views | exploded | Pro/E | design | machine | software | 3D | CAD

I'm Phil, I will be working on a couple projects involving two mechanical engineering CAD programs. We use multiple CAD based programs and compare their features, it is quite interesting to see the differences and the packages which are offered between them. For example, PTC Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 5.0 Pro/NC and Pro/TOOLMAKER are both CAD/CAM programs that meet the needs of CNC machinists in widely different areas.

You may have already read about the articles on the 4 Myths of Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire and A preview of Alibre CAM 2.0 CNC software, the high end and mid-low range of CAD/CAM manufacturing and CNC machine programming.

Where do I stand in all of this? Well as the weeks go on, I will provide some details blogs post of each of the CAD Programs and the new changes they have made as well as how to use the features. I will keep you posted with new features here. Phil Signing off for now.

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