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Adding CAD Models

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randej edited this page Jan 4, 2015 · 7 revisions

As you go about designing robots, you will often need parts that are not yet in our team CAD workspace. This page describes how to go about finding & adding them.

NOTE: All parts should be added via Creo and not in WindChill directly. WindChill imports documents just fine, but to import a file as a CAD document, you need the Creo interface. You can still view, delete, edit attributes, etc. for parts from WindChill - just the import process is Creo-specific.

###Finding Parts For common robot parts, check the Kit of Parts (KOP) links on the US FIRST website:

For other parts, the manufacturer may provide CAD files (e.g., AndyMark, Vex Robotics) or links to sources (e.g., McMaster-Carr). Failing that, there are a number of good websites out there with many of the parts we need:

For most of these sites, you'll need to search for the part by manufacturer part number, description, or both. You may also have to choose from several different postings (these come from the community), so you may want to download the part first and see if it has the features you want before importing it into the team repository.

If you don't find what you need, then you'll have to create it in PTC Creo yourself.

###File Formats Existing parts come in many different formats. These may be program-specific like .dwg (AutoCAD), .prt (PTC), .sldprt (SolidWorks), or they may be portable formats like .stp or .step. The latter import easily into PTC Creo, whereas some of the proprietary formats may or may not. Regardless, the procedure is the same - you'll need to download the file and open it in Creo.

###Renaming and Preparing for WindChill Now that your new part is in Creo, simply save it and that will start the WindChill process (provided you've connected to the WindChill workspace as in the setup instructions - https://github.com/frc-4931/2014/wiki/PTC-CAD). Close the part and navigate to the main Creo screen.

NOTE: Parts cannot be renamed once they exist in WindChill. So make very sure that you complete the rename process properly. Otherwise you'll have to delete the part and start over. Also note that deleting a part doesn't completely remove it from WindChill, so you'll have to come up with a new filename as well.

Select "Workspace" from the Common Folders on the left side of the screen. You'll see our parts database on the right side in a WindChill browser window. Your new part(s) will be shown with blue +'s and red asterisks in first few columns. You may need to scroll to the bottom of the list to see them (or click on the second/third column header to re-sort the list by old/new parts). There may be more than one part shown if you've loaded an assembly of parts - each part in the assembly will also be listed.

The first thing we need to do is make sure we have good part descriptions & filenames. We need to be able to find the parts easily via searches and get a good part number for the Bill of Materials (BOM) and ordering. First, select the checkbox at the start of each row containing an item to rename. Go up to the File Menu in WindChill (not Creo) and select Rename.

The "Rename from Workspace" screen will appear. Each part will have a "New Name" and a "New Filename" you can add/edit. You do not have to do this for every part if the defaults are ok. Here are the details on each:

Name) A common description of the part

  • It is searchable, so make sure it has keywords you want to find (sizes, colors, materials, etc.)
  • It is not searchable from the Creo File Dialog, but is from within Windchill.
  • It can be long - put as much detail as necessary
  • It can include special characters like ", &, /, etc.
  • If this is a dependent part we'll never use again, any old name will do. Otherwise choose a detailed & descriptive name so you can easily find it again.

Filename) The internal storage name in Windchill

  • This has to be short (31 characters or less)
  • It is also searchable, from both Windchill and the Creo File Dialog
  • It cannot include any special characters, only a-z and 0-9
  • It should be the part number (.prt) or description of the assembly.

Once you have renamed each part, click OK to rename the parts. If it was successful, you'll return to the parts database window in Creo & WindChill. If not, you'll see a error message at the bottom of the window. Select the Red circle with a white dash icon to bring up the details window. Click on the most recent failure and drill down to find out why the rename failed. It's often because the Filename is too long, has special characters, or already exists. Correct the problem and try again.

###Importing into WindChill Now that your part is all named and ready to go, it is time to import it into the team database. Select the checkbox at the beginning of each row for the parts you want to import. Select the "Check in object" icon (white square with blue triangle in the lower left corner under the Edit menu).

The Check In window should appear. Select the checkbox at the left end of the header row. This should select all of the parts. Click the folder icon right above the header row (not the one on each line) to set the location to store the parts. Right now that should just be the workspace's CAD Models folder. Once you've done that, hit OK to add the parts to WindChill. Again, if successful you'll return to the parts database window in Creo & WindChill. If not, you'll see a error message at the bottom of the window. Select the Red circle with a white dash icon to bring up the details window. Click on the most recent failure and drill down to find out why the import failed.

###Releasing the Part Once the part is in the database, it will have a status of "In Work". You can check it out to continue making edits, then check it back in when you are done (similar process to importing). Once the part is complete, send an email or note to the mechanical lead or mentor so they can review the part and set it to the "Released" status.

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