Newby questions

Discussion in 'Pro/Engineer & Creo Elements/Pro' started by BF, Nov 12, 2004.

  1. BF

    BF Guest

    Greetings list,
    I'm trying to self-learn WF2. I know that I should do formal training but
    it's not convenient at this time. So the follow question are the questions
    that I would ask in a class. You're indulgence and help is appreciated. Note
    that I have purchased and done the exercises in
    Toogood's Tutorials (WF1).

    The following list is not questions but conclusions which I believe to be
    true, please advise if I'm in error:
    1. one cannot apply a taper or draft angle directly during an extrude,
    either protrusion or cut
    2. one cannot suppress an individual occurrence or otherwise modify a single
    occurrence of a pattern
    3. the template file for mmns_part_solid is the same as solid_part_mmns
    (etc)
    4. WF2 is not multi-threaded


    The following are in fact questions:
    1. How does one make changes to system colors stick, specifically the
    background for sketching. If it's in config.pro, it's pretty obscure or is
    there a way to automatically open a SCL file?
    2. In a drw, when creating a section view I don't get the cutline arrows. I
    can show view direction arrows but they have the projection plane
    nomenclature not the section name
    3. Is there a zoom "previous"
    4. When doing a mmb orbit or spin, there is a red line centered at the spin
    center, what is it trying to tell me? It's movement seems much too random to
    be of any benefit
    5. File>erase items not displayed What are these items, what should I know
    about them, how can I use them, if at all?

    Thanks for any and all responses,
    BF
     
    BF, Nov 12, 2004
    #1
  2. BF

    BF Guest

    Thanks Ben,
    I appreciate the answers / confirmation.
    My background is limited UG, but a wee bit. Mostly the midrange modelers,
    Solidworks, Inventor, Mechanical Desktop, Ironcad, Rhino and a bit of
    Vellum.
    Since you were kind enough to answer, I'll ask if you can give a bit further
    info on how to direct config.pro to open the .scl file?
    Also, does config.pro set the session's working directory and the model tree
    "tree filter settings" in the navigation tab?
    And while I'm here, is there anyway to change a copied part edge to
    construction or reference? Doesn't appear to be but maybe I'm missing
    something.
    And one last for now, is there any place to set or "play with" the graphics
    setting to try to improve the displayed render mesh?
    Again thanks for any and all advise,
    BH
     
    BF, Nov 12, 2004
    #2
  3. BF

    David Janes Guest

    : Greetings list,
    : I'm trying to self-learn WF2. I know that I should do formal training but
    : it's not convenient at this time. So the follow question are the questions
    : that I would ask in a class. You're indulgence and help is appreciated. Note
    : that I have purchased and done the exercises in
    : Toogood's Tutorials (WF1).
    :
    : The following list is not questions but conclusions which I believe to be
    : true, please advise if I'm in error:
    : 1. one cannot apply a taper or draft angle directly during an extrude,
    : either protrusion or cut

    True

    : 2. one cannot suppress an individual occurrence or otherwise modify a single
    : occurrence of a pattern

    Not true

    : 3. the template file for mmns_part_solid is the same as solid_part_mmns
    : (etc)

    No idea what you're talking about: check <loadpoint>/templates for all the
    'default' templates Pro/e comes with and which can be referred to in config.pro
    options TEMPLATE_something. As to what distinguishes these templates, you will
    either have to get hold of a file utility which does a byte-by-byte comparison
    (Beyond Compare comes to mind) or open them as files and check out such stuff as
    parameters, units, material assignments, anything in the 'Edit>Setup' menu for
    differences. Also check preset views and layers for similarity/difference. Parts
    used as templates may be named anything and be stored anywhere; they are not
    marked as special in any way. So your solid_part_mmns could simply be a copy of
    mmns_part_solid and for no more reason than that somone thought this made more
    sense or just plain liked it better.

    : 4. WF2 is not multi-threaded

    First of all, four executables open to load Pro/e: xtop.exe, pro_com_message.exe,
    nmsd.exe and pglclock.exe. Pro_comm_msg reports 2 threads in the XP Task Manager
    Process Report; xtop reports 15 threads, nmsd is reported to be using 2. Seems to
    be multi-threaded though don't know what criteria you're using to judge this.
    Possibly rumors on the SW newsgroup?
    :
    :
    : The following are in fact questions:
    : 1. How does one make changes to system colors stick, specifically the
    : background for sketching. If it's in config.pro, it's pretty obscure or is
    : there a way to automatically open a SCL file?

    Point to your custom system colors file with the config.pro option
    SYSTEM_COLORS_FILE and browse to its location. Then press 'Add/Change' and
    'Apply'. If you don't do this, the changes don't take effect. Then make sure you
    go to the config.pro file menu (double disks at top) and save your changes to the
    config.pro file. It should be the config.pro saved in the initial Windows 'Start
    in' directory. This is where config.pro, config.win, tree.cfg, syscol.scl,
    color.map, color.dmt, layer.pro, and .dtl files should be stored so that they are
    found and load automatically. Some config.pro options let you specify different
    places to store many of these files. If there is no general pointer to a default
    file, any such file found in a set working directory will be used. You can have
    sets of these, say different ones for each project you work on, in each working
    directory you use. Pro/e is freighteningly infinitely configurable.

    : 2. In a drw, when creating a section view I don't get the cutline arrows. I
    : can show view direction arrows but they have the projection plane
    : nomenclature not the section name

    Possibly because you didn't give the section a name. To be safe and precise, make
    your sections in the model, give them explicit names and these will be selectable
    when you create section views in a drawing. Pro/e leaves such things up to you and
    makes very few assumptions for you.

    : 3. Is there a zoom "previous"

    'View>Orientation>Previous' is as close as you can get with Pro/e; no short cut
    that I know of, make Mapkey to simplify.

    : 4. When doing a mmb orbit or spin, there is a red line centered at the spin
    : center, what is it trying to tell me? It's movement seems much too random to
    : be of any benefit

    More control is available, as of Wildfire, by turning off Spin Center. It can be
    set to off by default in config.pro with SPIN_CENTER_DISPLAY set to NO. The new
    method in Pro/e, with spin center turned off, is to use the entity, feature or
    point in space by your mouse pointer as the center of rotation of the model. This
    point is moveable just by moving the pointer over another area of the model.
    Prehighlighting shows you what will be used for rotation or zoom focus.

    : 5. File>erase items not displayed What are these items, what should I know
    : about them, how can I use them, if at all?

    Unlike Windows programs where closing a document means erasing it from memory,
    Pro/e's close window just gets is more like the typical Windows Minimize window.
    It's in memory, but in the background. Opening an assembly effectively opens the
    models but they are 'opened' minimized ~ in memory but not the active part. In an
    assembly, they are accessible and available but not active. When you hover the
    cursor over the assembly, components prehighlight. With one prehighlighted, you
    can RMB 'Open'. Then the model moves to active memory. After making your changes,
    you can save and close the part file but it is still in memory, but not the
    forward, active memory. To see that it is still in memory, check the assembly and
    see that the changes you made are now reflected in the assembly component. If you
    close the assembly but don't erase it, it and all its parts/components are still
    in memory. If you select 'Open' and get a file list, supposedly of a disk
    directory, and pick a file that is already in memory, you may think you are
    opening the file from the disk but, in reality, you are 'opening' the one in
    memory. To purge memory completely of any and all opened files, select
    'File>Erase>Not displayed'. Only then may you open the file on disk and only on
    disk.

    David Janes
     
    David Janes, Nov 13, 2004
    #3
  4. BF

    J. Perry Guest

    I agree with David Janes' response to your questions. But there is a way in
    Pro/ENGINEER to add a taper or draft to an extruded Protrusion or Cut
    feature. The functionality is called Draft Offset. You could even do this in
    several releases prior to Wildfire 1 and 2. Instead of using the Extrude
    icon in Wildfire, or the Insert-Protrusion/Cut functionality in Releases
    2001 and prior, use the Draft Offset command. I'm at home now and can't
    remember the exact command sequence(e.g. Insert-Advanced-Draft Offset--or
    something like that). At any rate, you will still select a sketching plane,
    create a sketch, and enter an extrusion depth. A positive value with result
    in a Protrusion-like feature, and a negative value will remove solid
    material similar to a Cut feature. You'll have the opportunity to enter a
    draft/taper angle, and you can also have the software to add tangent radii
    to the top and bottom of the tapered sides if that's what you desire. It's
    not exactly as smooth as UG's functionality for this type of feature
    creation, but it will work in many cases. If you find that accessing the
    Draft Offset functionality requires too many menu picks, you could create a
    Mapkey and corresponding toolbar button for easy access to it.

    Best regards,

    J. Perry
     
    J. Perry, Nov 13, 2004
    #4
  5. BF

    BF Guest

    Thanks David and J.Perry,
    A much better and more detailed response than I had even hoped for much less
    expected.
    With regard multi threading, I was referring to multiple processors or hyper
    threaded processor, not really important either way. I don't recall
    Solidworks multi threading to different processors either, have to check
    sometime.
    I will have to check out the Advanced-Draft option, since most of my design
    is in plastics.
    The one thing that was not explained was how it is possible to make a single
    instance of a pattern independent? IE, suppress, delete or change without
    effecting the pattern as a whole.
    Thanks again, I think I'm actually starting to get some of it.
    BF
     
    BF, Nov 13, 2004
    #5
  6. BF

    David Janes Guest

    : Thanks David and J.Perry,
    : A much better and more detailed response than I had even hoped for much less
    : expected.
    : With regard multi threading, I was referring to multiple processors

    Pro/e is capable of utilizing the power of multiple processors with a config.pro
    option called PROCESSORS_TO_USE set to the number available and supported by your
    operating system. Obviously, if your OS doesn't support multiple processors,
    neither can Pro/e.

    : I will have to check out the Advanced-Draft option, since most of my design
    : is in plastics.
    : The one thing that was not explained was how it is possible to make a single
    : instance of a pattern independent? IE, suppress, delete or change without
    : effecting the pattern as a whole.

    Sorry for the abreviated answer, but when questions are vague, general, broad, the
    answers will be short and non-specific. Better answers require better questions.
    So, have you actually tried WF2 patterning? Seems that, with both a fill pattern
    and dimension driven pattern, it shows you instance positions. If you click on the
    black dot, it skips regenerating these. If you want them back, you edit definition
    and click them so they turn black again. Pretty simple, about as simple as SW!

    : Thanks again, I think I'm actually starting to get some of it.

    Shouldn't take you that long since you're a newbie to Pro/e, but not to the
    general concept, outlook and methodology of solids modelling.

    David Janes
     
    David Janes, Nov 13, 2004
    #6
  7. BF

    Jeff Howard Guest

    PROCESSORS_TO_USE

    Hi, David.
    Is there any documentation on this? I couldn't find anything on it. Unix
    only? Distrubuted computing has to be set up (it it's an optional setup
    during intall I probably skipped it)?

    To go off on a tangent: Re Distributed Computing in the Installation Guide
    there is a statement; "Distributed Computing is suitable only for
    multiobject design studies.". What does that mean in English?
     
    Jeff Howard, Nov 13, 2004
    #7
  8. BF

    J. Perry Guest

    Hi BF,

    You're welcome for the assistance. By the way, the Wildfire equivalent to
    the old Draft Offset functionality is called Edit - Offset. In Wildfire 1
    and 2, you just set the selection filter to Geometry, pick the surface you
    want to extrude from, and then select Edit - Offset. From there, you select
    from the pulldown at the extreme left and choose the icon that looks like a
    tapered object. If you don't have an existing sketch to choose for your
    profile to extrude, choose References - Define and then you can re-select
    your sketching plane and horiz/vert ref plane for sketching. Then create
    your sketch profile. There's a cell in the dashboard area where you will be
    able to enter your draft/taper angle.

    Best regards,

    J. Perry
     
    J. Perry, Nov 14, 2004
    #8
  9. BF

    BF Guest

    Thanks again David,
    Tried the processor_to_use. Comes up as a red circle in options.
    Pattern instance suppression works great, would never have thought to use
    the graphics area for that.
    Regarding learning the program, I've hesitated because, in part, the
    impression on the street is that a) Pro/E is the most capable modeler with
    the most features and b) partly because of it's multitude of features and
    partly because of a somewhat unwieldy UI, that it takes years to become even
    proficient much less a master of the program.
    After a week of study, I'm to the point where I think I can muddle through a
    design, at least one not too complex. I've even seen the logic to the pre WF
    UI.
    BF
     
    BF, Nov 14, 2004
    #9
  10. BF

    David Janes Guest

    :> PROCESSORS_TO_USE
    :
    : Hi, David.
    : Is there any documentation on this? I couldn't find anything on it. Unix
    : only? Distrubuted computing has to be set up (it it's an optional setup
    : during intall I probably skipped it)?
    :
    Well, I just checked WF2 and this is not even a config option anymore! Where I was
    it though was on a dual Zeon processor system with Wildfire on Win2k. Use of the
    second processor, according to the Task Manager performance graphs seemed to
    improve. Though, of course, this is anecdotal and could be completely coincidental
    that performance seemed sluggish to begin with. It could just as easily have been
    a network or licensing issue. But I wasn't the one who installed the software for
    a multiprocessor machine so I don't know if there was any special
    detection/support option offered or if got installed automatically. I would think
    it would be automatic. I mean who would buy a dual processor system then tell
    Pro/e NOT to dig into its bag of tricks to get whatever benefit it could out of
    it.

    : To go off on a tangent: Re Distributed Computing in the Installation Guide
    : there is a statement; "Distributed Computing is suitable only for
    : multiobject design studies.". What does that mean in English?
    :
    MODS refers to an advanced function within Behavioral Modelling which varies and
    tracks the results of changing various model parameters on 2 or more different
    design goals and converges on solutions which satisfy all of them. But, when
    confronted with explaining similarities/differences between multiprocessor,
    parallel computing and distributed computing, it's not failure of the language to
    express but my lack of a degree in computer science that's holding me back. I am
    pretty sure that distributed computing is a somewhat different animal from dual
    processors, first requiring a program to be written with it in mind and second a
    computer architectures and high speed network that can handle keeping hundreds of
    processors working together. But this is stuff out of Scientific American and
    Fermi News, from Fermi Lab, where they have that kind of setup for data
    acquisition and analysis.

    David Janes
     
    David Janes, Nov 14, 2004
    #10
  11. BF

    BF Guest

    Thanks again,
    Got it, though it seems to need a "starter" surface or solid. Easy enough to
    start with a feature smaller than the one I need.
    BF
     
    BF, Nov 14, 2004
    #11
  12. BF

    Jeff Howard Guest

    .... impression on the street is that ........

    Autodesk propoganda, for the large part. At one time, when Acad was an up
    and coming thing, there was probably truth to it. Somewhere along the
    line, before my time (2000i or 2001? I started with WF.), things changed
    but the urban myth was already well established. With the introduction
    of WF & WF2 there's little truth left in it, though I can see where the
    most casual of 3D CAD users might still shy away from it.
    I'm sure it does take quite some time to "master", even with formal
    training. There's a lot there.

    - after about a year .... still a Fellow Newbie. Pro/E cuffs my ears
    regularly, but for the most part it's been a joy to use compared to what I
    was using.
     
    Jeff Howard, Nov 14, 2004
    #12
  13. BF

    Jeff Howard Guest

    Thanks, David.
    I think you are correct. If I'd ever paid attention I've forgotten it. I
    just pulled up a large-ish assembly, and it appears that Pro/E will use two
    processors for, at least, generating graphics / render mesh during the
    loading, changing shade quality, etc. Created an Envelope part with
    shrinkwrap feature of a complicated part and it only used one processor to
    create the feature, though. If I were to venture a guess it might use two
    for structural or dynamic analysis, etc.
    Ok. Thanks, again.
     
    Jeff Howard, Nov 14, 2004
    #13
  14. BF

    David Janes Guest

    You're doin good, BF, and probably better, with a weeks' experience, than any of
    us in a similar situation would have done 5 years ago. It's getting easier and
    more user friendly. Many things still require some explantion but that's what this
    learning/teaching/helping community is about. Keep participating and you'll learn
    loads of good stuff.

    David Janes

    : Thanks again David,
    : Tried the processor_to_use. Comes up as a red circle in options.
    : Pattern instance suppression works great, would never have thought to use
    : the graphics area for that.
    : Regarding learning the program, I've hesitated because, in part, the
    : impression on the street is that a) Pro/E is the most capable modeler with
    : the most features and b) partly because of it's multitude of features and
    : partly because of a somewhat unwieldy UI, that it takes years to become even
    : proficient much less a master of the program.
    : After a week of study, I'm to the point where I think I can muddle through a
    : design, at least one not too complex. I've even seen the logic to the pre WF
    : UI.
    : BF
    :
    :
    : : > : Thanks David and J.Perry,
    : > : A much better and more detailed response than I had even hoped for much
    : less
    : > : expected.
    : > : With regard multi threading, I was referring to multiple processors
    : >
    : > Pro/e is capable of utilizing the power of multiple processors with a
    : config.pro
    : > option called PROCESSORS_TO_USE set to the number available and supported
    : by your
    : > operating system. Obviously, if your OS doesn't support multiple
    : processors,
    : > neither can Pro/e.
    : >
    : > : I will have to check out the Advanced-Draft option, since most of my
    : design
    : > : is in plastics.
    : > : The one thing that was not explained was how it is possible to make a
    : single
    : > : instance of a pattern independent? IE, suppress, delete or change
    : without
    : > : effecting the pattern as a whole.
    : >
    : > Sorry for the abreviated answer, but when questions are vague, general,
    : broad, the
    : > answers will be short and non-specific. Better answers require better
    : questions.
    : > So, have you actually tried WF2 patterning? Seems that, with both a fill
    : pattern
    : > and dimension driven pattern, it shows you instance positions. If you
    : click on the
    : > black dot, it skips regenerating these. If you want them back, you edit
    : definition
    : > and click them so they turn black again. Pretty simple, about as simple as
    : SW!
    : >
    : > : Thanks again, I think I'm actually starting to get some of it.
    : >
    : > Shouldn't take you that long since you're a newbie to Pro/e, but not to
    : the
    : > general concept, outlook and methodology of solids modelling.
    : >
    : > David Janes
    : >
    : >
    :
    :
    :
     
    David Janes, Nov 14, 2004
    #14
  15. BF

    BF Guest

    Thanks for the encouraging words, and don't fear I'll be around as problems
    crop up.
    BF
     
    BF, Nov 14, 2004
    #15
  16. BF

    Guest Guest

    Just out of curiosity ... what's all this above? Footnotes?

    Regards,
     
    Guest, Nov 16, 2004
    #16
  17. BF

    hamei Guest

    picky picky :) You probably don't like top-posting, either.
     
    hamei, Nov 17, 2004
    #17
Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments (here). After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.