Creating a New Sized Format from an Existing Format

The following procedure describes the suggested technique for creating a format of different size from an existing format using IGES or DXF translation. The end result of this procedure will be a new format, which contains all of the tables and draft entities from the original format, scaled to fit the new format size.

Procedure
1. Retrieve an existing format into memory using Mode, Format, Search/Retr and select the name of the format to be copied from the SELECT_FILE menu. 2. If the format has Pro/E tables which contain parameters, the tables will need to be saved so they can be placed on the new format once the IGES or DXF file has been read in. To save a table to disk, use Table, Save/Retrieve, Store and select one of the tables on the format. When prompted to "Enter a name for the drawing table [QUIT]:", enter a name that will be easy to remember, such as "title_block". Repeat this process for all tables on the format. 3. Once all of the tables have been saved, delete them all from the current format. This is necessary to prevent table lines from being converted into draft entities during IGES and DXF transfer. To delete a table, use Table, Delete and select a table. When prompted "Do you really want to delete the table? [N]:", enter yes. 4. When all of the tables have been deleted from the format, the IGES or DXF file can be created. To do this, use Interface, Export and select either IGES or DXF, and enter the file name. Both IGES and DXF are equally effective. 5. Create a new format by selecting Mode, Format, Create enter in the new format name. Select a new format size from the DWG SIZE menu, and then select the units of the new format from the FORMAT UNITS menu. 6. Import the IGES or DXF file created in step 4 by using Interface, Import select either Iges or DXF, and enter in the name of the file created in step 4. When prompted "Drawing is smaller/larger than format. Scale to fit format? [Y]:", enter yes. 7. Unless the format just created has the same proportions as the original format (A,C, and E sized formats have the same proportions; B and C sized formats have the same proportions) the file just imported will not "fit" the new format size correctly. The entities on the new format can be stretched using Detail, Tools, Stretch. When this is done, some entities may have to be redrawn or copied from existing entities on the format. 8. When all of the sketched entities have been finalized, the tables that were saved to the hard disk can be retrieved onto the new format using Table, Save/Retrieve, Retrieve. Enter in the name of one of the tables and place it on the format using options from the GET POINT menu. Repeat this process for all of the tables stored from the original format.

Using Parameters in Formats

There are two types of parameters, which can be used on a format, user defined parameters and those supplied by Pro/E. Each parameter has certain unique characteristics which allow them to be used in different ways when placed on a format.

Procedure
1. Create a title block similar to the one shown in Figure 1 on a format. The table can be created using standard Table functionality.

Figure 1

2. There are two different types of parameters that can be used in a format: Pro/E parameters and user defined parameters. Pro/E parameters include "&model_name", "&ampcurrent_sheet", "&total_sheets" "&scale", and "&todays_date". See the section entitled "Including Parameter Information" on page D-219 of the Pro/E User Guide for a listing of the Pro/E supplied parameters. Pro/E parameters, with the exception of "&todays_date", can be placed on a format as text in a Table cell or as a note. When the format is added to a drawing, these parameters will update with the appropriate value. For example, "&dwg_name" will update with the name of the drawing file, "&current_sheet" will update with the number of the current sheet of the drawing. Since the Pro/E parameters "&model_name", "&scale", and "&type" all need to reference a model in order to update with the correct information, it is good practice to add the model to a drawing before a format is added. 3. Add the Pro/E parameters similar to those shown in Figure 2 to the format table.

Figure 2 4. Figure 3 illustrates how this table would look if the format were added to the drawing both before and after a view of the model. Figure 3-top is the table that was added before a view of the model, and Figure 3-bottom is the table that was added after a view of the model. Notice in Figure 3-top that the parameters "&model_name" and "&scale" have not updated. They evaluate to MODEL NAME and DRAWING SCALE, respectively. In Figure 3-bottom, these two parameters have updated. This is because there was a model to reference to find the appropriate information. If a model is added after the format is added, then add the format again by using Sheets, Format, Add/Replace.

Figure 3 (top, bottom)

5. Although &todays_date is an internal Pro/E parameter, it needs to be placed in a Table in order for it to be evaluated when the format is placed on a drawing. If &todays_date is

placed as a free note on a format, the parameter will not be evaluated. The note will appear as "&todays_date". 6. In order for a user-defined parameter to update with information from the model, the parameter must be placed inside a Table. Placing the parameter inside a Table is a cue for Pro/E to search the current model for a parameter of the appropriate name. If the parameter is not placed inside a Table, the parameter will not update with information from the model, but will be treated as a regular note. However, if a parameter name is entered into a Table, and this parameter does not exist in the model, Pro/E will prompt to "Enter text for the parameter "parameter name" [NONE]:". This is a good method of having Pro/E prompt for a value, such as "&drawn_by", when a format is placed on a drawing. As seen in Figure 4, the user defined parameters "&mat" and "&drawn_by" have been place inside of the Table on the format.

Figure 4