Pro/ENGINEER and Windchill PDMLink

(An Integral system for the collaborative development of Pro/E Product Models)
The Challenge

Pro/E
WILDFIRE
Pro/MECHANICA
PDMLink

Pro/CONCEPT ProjectLink

Pro/DESKTOP
Pro/DESKTOP DynamicDesignLink

Pro/INTRALINK
Pro/INTRALINK PartsLink
CREATE COLLABORATE
& CONTROL
C++ Java
Native, Desktop Application 3 Tier Web Application
Routed Works
Systemswith files (Lots of files) Foundation
Associative, Parametric
Designer

The solution must be web-based, simple to use and compliment, not

constrain Pro/E

2006 PTC
Topics I will cover

User Interface
Architecture
Files types, runtime support & name resolution
Dependencies
Managing the Pro/E model development processes
Family Tables
Simp. Reps
Collaborative Design
Linking Pro/E Data to the rest of the company
Futures

2006 PTC
The user environment: Accessibility & Convenience (Immersion)

Built-in
Search

Built-in
Browsing

Built-in
Navigation
Single Button
to Download
& Open in
Pro/E

Simple drill-
down for
more
information

2006 PTC
 The user environment: Accessibility & Convenience (Immersion)

PDM
Easy (Control)
access to Information
3D Preview commands

Drag & Drop to

Visual Open or
Navigation Assemble in
Pro/E

Relationships Pro/E File

and history Information

Parameters
Created in
Pro/E

2006 PTC
 The user environment: Accessibility & Convenience (Immersion)

Windchill
available
during
placement
commands

Actions On
Model Tree

Checkout
on-the-fly

2006 PTC
The user environment: Accessibility & Convenience (Immersion)

Hyperlinks
on Notes to
Windchill
managed
documents

2006 PTC
File Support,Runtime Access and Name Resolution

Automatic Name Resolution Supported File Types

Pro/E has runtime access to the Windchill Database Pro/E can create approximately 200 types
of files:
Windchill is in the Pro/E search path
Pro/E automatically pulls files from the database
when needed
e.g. During Assembly Retrieval
Database can be accessed anytime by the user
e.g. to resolve an assembly component reference
Common Pro/E variables can point to locations in
the database
e.g. pro_library_dir (For Library Parts)
pro_symbol_dir (For Drawing Symbols)
pro_material_dir (For Material Files)
start_model_dir (For company std. start parts)

.all are managed by PDMLink

2006 PTC
 File Support,Runtime Access and Name Resolution

Architecture
All files read & written via PFA
File>Save
File>Save A Copy (IGES, STEP, .ol, Shrink wrap etc.)
File>Backup
A Windchill FPA driver makes Windchill transparent to
Pro/E Applications SAVE

All Pro/E files written by Pro/E both now and in the

future can all be managed by Windchill Pro/E File Abstraction (PFA) Layer
Use of Internet Protocols make this firewall safe
http Local fwrite()
S.O.A.P., http, https, Multi-part MIME

Windchill Local
Server Disk

Location = Location = D:
http://theserver/pdml

2006 PTC
Dependencies
Simple Dependency Example: BoM (Uses)
Dependency types Note the
a.asm bb circular
Dependencies enable associativity b.prt cc
c.prt
dependency
More than 30 dependency types d.asm

Mate/Align
e.g. MEMBER, DRAWING, FORMAT, Uses
GENERIC, MFG, MERGE, GROUP, Assembly A ee
SUPPRESSED, NON_PLACED, UDF, MARKUP d.asm f
fg
e.prt
g
Broken dependencies can lead to an f.prt
g.prt
incomplete, sometimes un-retrievable model
Assembly D
PDMLink understands and manages all Pro/E
dependency types
Robust infrastructure for exchanging dependency
information (Neutral data) More Complex Example: Assembly Drawing

Understands REQUIRED vs NON-REQUIRED

dependencies Drawing Format

uses
X-hatch

uses

2006 PTC
Family Table Support

Instances are modeled in Windchill

Separate objects, independently checked
in/out
Can each have parts associated
Checkout of one instance does not checkout
all instances
Generic automatically retrieved when
required
Supports nested instances
Supports checkout on-the-fly
Instance Verification on checkin

2006 PTC
Simplified Rep. Support

Simplified Reps.
Invaluable when working with large
assemblies
Reduces the amount of data in session
Reduces the amount of data downloaded
from the server
Windchill supports Internal & external
simp. Reps.
External Simp. Reps. New with Wildfire
1.0
Create Simp. Reps on the fly

2006 PTC
Collaborative Design
Workspace
Replace in session
Manages configurations of Pro/E Data Automatically updates in-session
(Latest, Baselines etc) models with updates from the database
Records all data referenced by user (Not
just checked out)
Subscriptions
Workspace update
Asynchronous Notification (Future)
Synchronizes work with others before
checkin

2006 PTC
Pro/E Data integrates with the Enterprise Product Structure
Part: Cell Phone
Requirements Part No: CEL9412
Cost: $34.95
Data Sheet CAD Model Weight: 3.5 oz.
Builds
Test Plan
Assembly Software Code
Part
Part No: KEY124
Analysis Name: Keypad
Requirements Cost: $0.65
Viewable Weight: 0.25 oz.
Manuf: Key, Inc.
CAD Model

Data Sheet
Builds
Component
Part
Analysis
Viewable
Skeleton Software Code Test Plan Part No: SCR243
Model Name: Screen
Cost: $1.04
Not Built CAD Model Weight: 0.35 oz.
Requirements Manuf.: Screen, Inc.

Builds Data Sheet

Component
Part
Analysis
Viewable

Software Code Test Plan

Pro/E Structure Enterprise Structure

2006 PTC
And more

Rename Pro/E Objects in Windchill Model Check Integration

All dependencies resolved & updated on Ensures objects will only checkin if they
retrieval conform to corporate standards
Windchill supports Save As
Client Side Viewable generation
Includes support for Family Tables
Viewables created by Pro/E on checkin
Ghost Object management
Performance
Prevent incomplete objects from entering the
database Parallel thread architecture
Automatic Number Allocation Avoid Network chatter
PDM Number generator linked to Pro/E Data compression
File>New, Add Instance etc. Asynchronous transactions

2006 PTC
Futures

Performance: Retrieve in session & download in parallel

Shape indexing
Asynchronous notification
Full Text Indexing of Pro/E Data

2006 PTC
Conclusion

Windchill PDMLink provides an immersive environment for

Pro/ENGINEER users to collaboratively develop high fidelity 3D Product
Models
It is easy to use and compliments, and does not constrain Pro/E
It enables user to use the full modeling power of Pro/ENGINEER, and
propagates the results to the enterprise

2006 PTC