Advanced Design Pro e

Pro ENGINEER 
W I L D F I R E  2.0
ADVANCED DESIGN
St e ve n G . Sm i t h
Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 2.0 Advanced Design
Steven G. Smith
Pro/ENGINEER is a registered trademark of Parametric Technology Corporation

Wildfire is a trademark of Parametric Technology Corporation
Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 2.0 Advanced Design
CADQUEST INCORPORATED
5535 BLAKESLEE AVENUE
HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA 17111
USA
Phone 717.565.1965
Toll Free 888.922.5270
Fax 717.564.9599
mail@cadquest.com
www.cadquest.com
Copyright  1999-2004 CADQUEST INCORPORATED. All rights reserved under the

copyright laws of the United States.
This publication may not be copied or reproduced by any means unless CADQUEST
INCORPORATED consents in writing in advance.
CADQUEST INCORPORATED assumes no responsibility or liability for errors or
inaccuracies that may appear in this publication.
Publication History
Edition Date Description Pro/E Build
1.0 August 2004 Initial printing M030
2.0 June 2005 Minor corrections M120
ISBN 1-930933-37-1
Table of Contents
Introduction ................................................................................. 1
Objective of This Book ..............................................................................................................................1
Textbook Outline .......................................................................................................................................1
Textbook Conventions ..............................................................................................................................3
Exercise Files ............................................................................................................................................3
System Configuration................................................................................................................................4
Section 1 .................................................................................... 5
Datum Features ............................................................................. 7
Introduction................................................................................................................................................7
Sketches and Datum Curves ....................................................................................................................8
Uses for Sketches and Datum Curves .................................................................................................8
The Sketch Feature ..............................................................................................................................9
Datum Curve Thru Points .....................................................................................................................9
Datum Curves From Equations ..........................................................................................................12
Projected and Wrapped ......................................................................................................................13
Datum Curves by Intersection ............................................................................................................14
Datum Tag Display..................................................................................................................................15
Datum Graph...........................................................................................................................................16
Using Datum Graphs ..........................................................................................................................17
Datum Evaluate.......................................................................................................................................18
Using the Evaluate Feature ................................................................................................................19
Datum Analysis .......................................................................................................................................20
Analysis Results..................................................................................................................................21
Exercise 1 – Datum Features..................................................................................................................22
Advanced Blends ........................................................................... 34
Introduction..............................................................................................................................................34
Rotational Blend......................................................................................................................................34
General Blend .........................................................................................................................................35
Options for Non-Parallel Blends..............................................................................................................36
Swept Blends ..........................................................................................................................................37
Facts about Swept Blends ......................................................................................................................37
Optional Tangency ..................................................................................................................................38
Blend Vertex............................................................................................................................................38
Sharp or Smooth Cap .............................................................................................................................39
Facts about Advanced Blends ................................................................................................................39
Exercise 2 – Advanced Blends ...............................................................................................................40
Advanced Sweeps .......................................................................... 49
Variable Section Sweep ..........................................................................................................................49
The Variable Section Sweep Tool...........................................................................................................50
Normal to Trajectory ...........................................................................................................................51
Constant Normal Direction..................................................................................................................52
Normal to Projection ...........................................................................................................................52
Trajpar .....................................................................................................................................................53
Facts about Variable Section Sweeps ....................................................................................................53
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Helical Sweep .........................................................................................................................................54

Exercise 3 – Advanced Sweeps .............................................................................................................55
Involute Gears ............................................................................. 74
Introduction..............................................................................................................................................74
The Involute Curve..................................................................................................................................75
Datum Curves From Equation ................................................................................................................76
Creating the Gear....................................................................................................................................77
Gear Parameters.....................................................................................................................................78
Exercise 4 – Involute Gears ....................................................................................................................79
Section 2 ................................................................................... 87
Advanced Patterns ......................................................................... 89
Introduction..............................................................................................................................................89
The Pattern Tool .....................................................................................................................................90
Pattern Options .......................................................................................................................................91
Pattern Tables .........................................................................................................................................92
The Pattern Tool .....................................................................................................................................93
Pro/TABLE ..............................................................................................................................................94
The Tables Dialog Box............................................................................................................................95
Fill Patterns .............................................................................................................................................96
Fill Patterns (continued) ..........................................................................................................................97
Pattern Relations.....................................................................................................................................98
Pattern Relations (continued)..................................................................................................................99
Working with Patterns ...........................................................................................................................100
Modifying Patterns ............................................................................................................................100
Redefining Patterns ..........................................................................................................................100
Deleting Patterns ..............................................................................................................................100
In the Model Tree..............................................................................................................................100
Exercise 5 – Advanced Patterns ...........................................................................................................101
User Defined Features ...................................................................110
Introduction............................................................................................................................................110
Part UDFs..............................................................................................................................................110
Assembly UDFs ....................................................................................................................................111
Creating UDFs ......................................................................................................................................112
Managing UDFs ....................................................................................................................................113
Using UDFs ...........................................................................................................................................113
Tips on UDFs ........................................................................................................................................113
Exercise 6 – User Defined Features .....................................................................................................114
The Draft Feature........................................................................124
Introduction............................................................................................................................................124
Terminology ..........................................................................................................................................124
The Draft Tool .......................................................................................................................................125
Draft Surfaces .......................................................................................................................................126
Draft Hinges ..........................................................................................................................................126
Pull Direction and Draft Angle ...............................................................................................................126
Split Draft...............................................................................................................................................127
Split by Draft Hinge ...........................................................................................................................127
Split by Split Object...........................................................................................................................127
Variable Draft ........................................................................................................................................128
Exercise 7 – The Draft Feature .............................................................................................................129
Advanced Rounds ..........................................................................134
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Introduction and Terminology................................................................................................................134

The Round Tool ....................................................................................................................................135
Round Sets............................................................................................................................................136
Transitions.............................................................................................................................................137
Tips on Rounds .....................................................................................................................................138
Exercise 8 – Advanced Rounds ............................................................................................................139
Special Features ..........................................................................162
Introduction............................................................................................................................................162
Offset.....................................................................................................................................................162
The Offset Tool .....................................................................................................................................163
Offset Expand .......................................................................................................................................164
Offset With Draft....................................................................................................................................165
Warp......................................................................................................................................................166
Toroidal Bend ........................................................................................................................................168
Lip..........................................................................................................................................................169
Ear.........................................................................................................................................................170
Facts About Ear Features.................................................................................................................170
Local Push.............................................................................................................................................171
Radius Dome ........................................................................................................................................171
Exercise 9 – Special Features ..............................................................................................................172
Section 3 ..................................................................................183
Parameters and Relations ................................................................185
Introduction............................................................................................................................................185
Parameters............................................................................................................................................186
System Parameters ..........................................................................................................................186
Reserved Parameters.......................................................................................................................186
User Parameters...............................................................................................................................186
Parameter Access ............................................................................................................................186
The Parameters Dialog Box ..................................................................................................................187
The Parameters Dialog Box (continued)...............................................................................................188
Relations ...............................................................................................................................................189
Part Relations ...................................................................................................................................189
Assembly Relations ..........................................................................................................................189
Feature Relations .............................................................................................................................190
Pattern Relations ..............................................................................................................................190
Relation Comments ..........................................................................................................................190
Equality and Constraint Relations .........................................................................................................191
The Relations Dialog Box......................................................................................................................192
The Relations Dialog Box (continued) ..................................................................................................193
The Relations Dialog Box (continued) ..................................................................................................194
Functions and Operators in Relations...................................................................................................195
Mass Properties Functions....................................................................................................................196
Logic Statements ..................................................................................................................................197
Motion....................................................................................................................................................197
Solving Simultaneous Equations ..........................................................................................................198
Exercise 10 – Parameters and Relations..............................................................................................199
Family Tables .............................................................................213
Introduction............................................................................................................................................213
The Family Table Editor ........................................................................................................................214
Creating Generic Models ......................................................................................................................215
Creating a New Family Table................................................................................................................215
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Adding Items to the Family Table .........................................................................................................216

Naming Items in the Family Table ........................................................................................................216
Adding Instances to the Family Table...................................................................................................217
Working with the Family Table Editor ...................................................................................................218
Adding Comment Rows ........................................................................................................................220
Using Negative Values in Family Tables ..............................................................................................221
Preview Instances .................................................................................................................................222
Verify Instances.....................................................................................................................................223
Nested Family Tables ...........................................................................................................................224
Reference Models .................................................................................................................................225
Assembly Family Tables .......................................................................................................................226
Assembly Instance Configurator ...........................................................................................................227
Patternize Instances..............................................................................................................................228
Using Microsoft Excel............................................................................................................................229
Instance Index Files ..............................................................................................................................230
Instance Accelerator Files.....................................................................................................................231
Replacing Components in an Assembly ...............................................................................................232
Drawings and Family Tables.................................................................................................................233
Exercise 11 - Family Tables..................................................................................................................234
Component Interfaces ....................................................................250
Introduction............................................................................................................................................250
Defining an Interface .............................................................................................................................250
Defining an Interface (continued) ..........................................................................................................251
Using an Interface .................................................................................................................................252
Using an Interface (continued) ..............................................................................................................253
Component Interface Preferences ........................................................................................................254
Component Interface Configuration Options.........................................................................................254
Drag-and-Drop Component Placement ................................................................................................255
Exercise 12 – Component Interfaces....................................................................................................256
Component Flexibility .....................................................................265
Introduction............................................................................................................................................265
Defining Flexibility in the Assembly.......................................................................................................266
Re-Defining Flexibility in the Assembly.................................................................................................267
Defining Flexibility in the Part................................................................................................................268
Defining Flexibility During Assembly Process.......................................................................................268
Examples of Flexible Parts....................................................................................................................269
Removing Flexibility ..............................................................................................................................270
Propagate Flexibility..............................................................................................................................271
Exercise 13 – Component Flexibility.....................................................................................................272
Section 4 ..................................................................................281
Assembly Design ..........................................................................283
Introduction............................................................................................................................................283
Create a New Assembly........................................................................................................................284
Assemble Existing Components ...........................................................................................................284
Create New Components......................................................................................................................285
Activating Components .........................................................................................................................286
Working in the Active Component.........................................................................................................287
Assembly Features ...............................................................................................................................288
Assembly Features (continued) ............................................................................................................289
Repeat Components .............................................................................................................................290
Replace Components............................................................................................................................291
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Include Components .............................................................................................................................292

Package Components...........................................................................................................................293
Assembly Regeneration ........................................................................................................................294
Assembly Restructure ...........................................................................................................................295
Assembly Setup Menu ..........................................................................................................................296
Assembly Bill of Materials .....................................................................................................................297
Custom Bill of Materials ........................................................................................................................298
Custom Bill of Materials (continued) .....................................................................................................299
Exercise 14 – Assembly Design ...........................................................................................................300
Data Sharing Commands ..................................................................310
Introduction............................................................................................................................................310
Assembly Data Sharing and External Data Sharing .............................................................................311
Merge ....................................................................................................................................................312
Cutout....................................................................................................................................................313
Examples of Merge and Cutout ............................................................................................................314
Copy Geometry .....................................................................................................................................315
Copy Geometry (continued) ..................................................................................................................316
Publish Geometry..................................................................................................................................317
Shrinkwrap ............................................................................................................................................318
Shrinkwrap (continued) .........................................................................................................................319
Inheritance.............................................................................................................................................320
Inheritance (continued) .........................................................................................................................321
Locating the Inheritance Feature ..........................................................................................................322
Updating the Inheritance Feature .........................................................................................................322
Inheritance Parameters.........................................................................................................................323
Inheritance Dimensions and Features ..................................................................................................324
Inheritance Facts...................................................................................................................................325
Exercise 15 – Data Sharing Commands...............................................................................................326
Top Down Assembly Design...............................................................337
Introduction............................................................................................................................................337
Create the Assembly Structure .............................................................................................................337
Adding Components..............................................................................................................................338
Assembling New Components ..............................................................................................................339
Define Design Parameters ....................................................................................................................340
Create the Skeleton Model....................................................................................................................341
Introduction .......................................................................................................................................341
Facts About Skeletons ......................................................................................................................341
Create the Skeleton Part ..................................................................................................................341
Copy the Necessary Design Information ..............................................................................................342
Designing in the Assembly....................................................................................................................343
Finish the Design ..................................................................................................................................343
Exercise 16 – Top Down Assembly Design ..........................................................................................344
Section 5 ..................................................................................369
Interchange Assemblies ..................................................................371
Introduction............................................................................................................................................371
Interchange Types ................................................................................................................................372
Creating Interchange Assemblies .........................................................................................................372
Adding Components..............................................................................................................................373
Adding Components (continued) ..........................................................................................................374
The Model Tree.....................................................................................................................................375
Reference Tags.....................................................................................................................................375
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Auto Tag................................................................................................................................................376
Assigning Tags......................................................................................................................................377
When to use Functional Interchange Assemblies.................................................................................378
Automatic Replacement of Assembly Components..............................................................................378
Removing References to Interchange Assemblies ...............................................................................378
Review...................................................................................................................................................378
Exercise 17 – Interchange Assemblies.................................................................................................379
Introduction to Pro/PROGRAM ...........................................................385
Introduction............................................................................................................................................385
The Program Menu ...............................................................................................................................386
Editing a Program .................................................................................................................................387
Program Structure.................................................................................................................................388
Program Header ...............................................................................................................................388
Input Section .....................................................................................................................................388
Input Section (continued)..................................................................................................................389
Relations Section ..............................................................................................................................390
Features Section...............................................................................................................................390
Features Section (continued)............................................................................................................391
Mass Properties Section...................................................................................................................392
The Interact Command .........................................................................................................................393
The Execute Command ........................................................................................................................394
The Lookup Command..........................................................................................................................395
Assembly Programs ..............................................................................................................................396
Replacing Assembly Components ........................................................................................................396
Feature Comments ...............................................................................................................................397
Incorporate the Program .......................................................................................................................397
Regenerating Models with Programs....................................................................................................398
Creating Models using a Text File ........................................................................................................398
Creating Family Table Instances ..........................................................................................................399
Program Examples................................................................................................................................400
Exercise 18 – Introduction to Pro/PROGRAM ......................................................................................401
Layouts ....................................................................................411
Introduction............................................................................................................................................411
Advantages of Layouts..........................................................................................................................412
Considerations for Using Layouts .........................................................................................................412
Creating Layouts ...................................................................................................................................413
Creating Layout Parameters .................................................................................................................414
Parameter Sets .....................................................................................................................................415
Creating Layout Relations.....................................................................................................................416
Tables....................................................................................................................................................417
Sheets, Notes, and Other Tools............................................................................................................417
Example Layouts...................................................................................................................................418
Using Layouts .......................................................................................................................................419
Part Relations Utilizing Global Parameters...........................................................................................419
Global Datums and Automatic Assembly..............................................................................................420
Layout Review.......................................................................................................................................420
Exercise 19 – Layouts...........................................................................................................................421
Simplified Representations ...............................................................433
Introduction............................................................................................................................................433
Facts About Simplified Reps .................................................................................................................434
Types of Simplified Representations ....................................................................................................435
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Master Rep .......................................................................................................................................435

Symbolic Rep....................................................................................................................................435
Geometry Rep...................................................................................................................................436
Graphics Rep ....................................................................................................................................436
Default Rep .......................................................................................................................................436
User Defined Reps ...........................................................................................................................436
Simplified Reps in Part Models .............................................................................................................437
Simplified Reps in Assembly Models ....................................................................................................438
Examples...............................................................................................................................................438
Examples (continued) ...........................................................................................................................439
Zones ....................................................................................................................................................440
Envelopes..............................................................................................................................................441
Opening Simplified Reps.......................................................................................................................442
Open Reps by Default...........................................................................................................................443
On-Demand Simplified Reps.................................................................................................................444
On-Demand Settings ........................................................................................................................444
Working with On-Demand Simplified Reps ......................................................................................445
External Simplified Reps .......................................................................................................................446
Using the View Manager...................................................................................................................447
Using the File, Save a Copy Command ...........................................................................................448
Using the File, New Command .........................................................................................................449
Exercise 20 – Simplified Representations ............................................................................................450
Managing External References ...........................................................465
Introduction............................................................................................................................................465
The Model Tree.....................................................................................................................................465
External Reference Types.....................................................................................................................467
Circular References ..............................................................................................................................468
The Global Reference Viewer ...............................................................................................................469
Global Reference Viewer Filters ...........................................................................................................470
The Reference Graph ...........................................................................................................................471
The Reference Information Window .....................................................................................................472
Reference Control .................................................................................................................................473
Reference Control Configuration Options .............................................................................................474
Breaking External References ..............................................................................................................475
Exercise 21 – Managing External References......................................................................................476
Appendix A – Additional Exercises...................................................... A-1
Exercise 22 – Sketcher Exercise ....................................................... A-3
Exercise 23 – Spiral Spring ............................................................. A-4
Exercise 24 – Helical Threads .......................................................... A-5
Exercise 25 – Datum Curve Skeleton Part ............................................. A-7
Exercise 26 – Motion Using Relations .................................................. A-8
COPYRIGHT  2004 CADQUEST INC. Page vii

Page viii COPYRIGHT  2004 CADQUEST INC.

Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 2.0 Advanced Design Section 1
Introduction
Objective of This Textbook

This textbook covers advanced features and methods of Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 2.0,
mechanical design software from Parametric Technology Corporation. You will learn how to
create a variety of advanced features in part models. You will also create assemblies using
various techniques including top-down design. Part and assembly programming techniques are
also covered in this textbook. Many of the topics covered in this textbook require optional
modules of Pro/ENGINEER, including Pro/ASSEMBLY and Pro/NOTEBOOK.
It is assumed you have experience using and are familiar with the basic functions of
Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 2.0. For a complete introduction to Pro/ENGINEER, review the
textbook called “Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 2.0 Basic Design” by this author and publisher.
This textbook includes 21 chapters and laboratory exercises, each dedicated to a particular
function of the software. Appendix A includes 5 additional exercises for a total of 26.
Textbook Outline
Section 1
• Datum Features ............................................................... Exercise 1
• Advanced Blends............................................................. Exercise 2
• Advanced Sweeps ........................................................... Exercise 3
• Involute Gears ................................................................. Exercise 4
Section 2
• Advanced Patterns........................................................... Exercise 5
• User Defined Features ..................................................... Exercise 6
• The Draft Feature ............................................................ Exercise 7
• Advanced Rounds ........................................................... Exercise 8
• Special Features............................................................... Exercise 9
COPYRIGHT  2004 CADQUEST INC. Page 1

Section 1 Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 2.0 Advanced Design
Section 3
• Parameters and Relations ................................................ Exercise 10
• Family Tables .................................................................. Exercise 11
• Component Interfaces...................................................... Exercise 12
• Component Flexibility..................................................... Exercise 13
Section 4
• Assembly Design............................................................. Exercise 14
• Data Sharing Commands................................................. Exercise 15
• Top Down Assembly Design .......................................... Exercise 16
Section 5
• Interchange Assemblies................................................... Exercise 17
• Introduction to Pro/PROGRAM ..................................... Exercise 18
• Layouts ............................................................................ Exercise 19
• Simplified Reps ............................................................... Exercise 20
• Managing External References ....................................... Exercise 21
Appendix A
• Sketcher Exercise ............................................................ Exercise 22
• Spiral Datum Curve......................................................... Exercise 23
• Thread Feature................................................................. Exercise 24
• Skeleton Part ................................................................... Exercise 25
• Motion Using Relations .................................................. Exercise 26
Page 2 COPYRIGHT  2004 CADQUEST INC.

Textbook Conventions
This textbook uses the following conventions:
File, Open Bold type indicates a pull-down menu option.

Options Bold italic type indicates a dialog box tab or dashboard panel name.
Apply Bold underlined type indicates a dialog box button or dashboard panel
button.
< 1.25 > < > symbols indicates text to enter using the keyboard. Be sure to press the
‘enter’ key after typing the text. Do not include the < > symbols, only enter
what is between the < > symbols.
Pick the icon shown from a toolbar.
Exercise Files
To download the files needed to perform the exercises, visit the CADQUEST web site at
www.cadquest.com/download. If you do not have access to the Internet, contact CADQUEST by
telephone toll free at 888.922.5270 and a CD will be mailed to you. Our web site includes free
tips and tricks for Pro/ENGINEER users, and is updated regularly.
Create a new folder in your computer dedicated to this Pro/ENGINEER project as shown:
C:\wildfire\adv
Place the downloaded file into this directory. This file is a self-extracting zip file, simply double
click the file to extract the objects. Set this folder as the ‘Start In’ folder for Pro/ENGINEER
using common Windows techniques.
The units of all new parts and assemblies created in the exercises of this textbook are to be
inches. The ‘template part’ and ‘template assembly’ (included in the self-extracting zip file) are
to be used as templates during the creation of all parts and assemblies in the exercises of this
textbook. Set the configuration options as shown on the next page to use these template objects
automatically.

System Configuration
Pro/ENGINEER is highly configurable. Pick Tools, Options to add and apply configuration
options. The following configuration options should be applied before starting the exercises in
this textbook:
allow_anatomic_features yes
allow_redo_intersections yes
comp_assemble_start constrain_in_window
def_layer layer_datum dtm_pln
def_layer layer_axis dtm_axis
default_dec_places 3
display_full_object_path yes
display hiddeninvis
fix_refs_to_intersections yes
pro_colormap_path C:\wildfire\adv
sketcher_dec_places 3
sketcher_save_preview_image yes
spin_with_silhouettes yes
spin_with_part_entities yes
template_designasm C:\wildfire\adv\template_in.asm
template_solidpart C:\wildfire\adv\template_in.prt
tol_display yes
tol_mode nominal
visible_message_lines 4
web_browser_homepage about:blank

Section 1


Datum Features
Introduction
Datum features are non-solid features used during the construction of other features. Datum
features do not add or remove material from the model, and therefore do not affect the mass
properties of the model. It is assumed that you are familiar with datum planes, axes, points, and
coordinate systems.
Datums are created using the Insert menu or the Datum toolbar as shown below. Some datum
curves such as projected, wrapped, and intersected, are created using the Edit menu.
Sketch Feature
Datum Plane
Datum Axis
Datum Curve
Datum Points
Coordinate System
Datum Graph
Projected Curve
Datum Evaluate
Wrapped Curve
Analysis Feature
Curve by Intersect
Offset Planes
Some Datum Curves are in
Datum Reference
the Edit Menu and Toolbar
The Datum Toolbar

Sketches and Datum Curves

The datum curve (sometimes called a sketch) is one of the most versatile features in
Pro/ENGINEER. Datum curves can be created in many ways and can be used in a variety of
techniques. A curve can be a circle, arc, even a straight line; a curve can be any shape you can
sketch and even more.
Uses for Sketches and Datum Curves

In order to have the maximum flexibility in an assembly model, a ‘skeleton’ or ‘map’ part is
created using construction geometry including sketches and datum curves. The curves tend to be
easier to see than solids (because they are usually 2D), and the system regenerates curves much
faster than solids. After the location and shape of the major parts have been ‘laid out’, the
skeleton is included into an assembly and used to control design intent. Kinematic motion can be
built into the skeleton using relations, putting the assembly into motion during repeated
regeneration of the model.
Use sketched
datum curves to
define the design
before creating
solid features
Curves are also used to define the boundary of blended surfaces and other complex features.
Datum curves are

used to define the
boundary of
blended surfaces

The Sketch Feature

The most common type of datum curve is sketched and is simply called a Sketch. Pick Insert,
Model Datum, Sketch or pick the icon shown above. These planar curves can be used to ‘lay
out’ the design intent of a part before solid features are created. Datum curves can be used as
external sections for many features. They can be used as trajectories for sweep features and can
be selected as edges when using the ‘Use Edge’ command in the sketcher. Datum curves are
often created on a solid surface to define where labels or other markings are to be applied.
The Sketch dialog box is shown below.
Pick here to select

the sketching plane
Pick here to use

the previous sketching plane
Flip the direction of viewing the

sketch plane here
Pick here to select the reference plane
Set the orientation of

the reference plane here
Pick here to sketch the geometry
Datum Curve Thru Points

Datum curves can be defined by selecting a series of datum points and/or
vertices. Tangency and curvature can be controlled at each end of the
datum curve by selecting edges and/or surfaces. Pick Insert, Model
Datum, Curve, then pick Thru Points and Done in the small menu as
shown here.

The Datum Curve Through Points dialog box has the following elements and is shown.
Attributes Free places the curve through points

without consideration of any surfaces.
Quilt/Surf creates a curve thru points
on a selected surface.
Curve Points Select the vertices or datum points that
the curve is to pass through.
Tangency Specify continuity at the ends of the
generated curve. Endpoint must be
specified using Spline type.
Tweak Adjust the control polygon of the curve.
The CONNECT TYPE menu has the following options and is shown.
Spline Connect the selected points with a spline.

Single Rad Connect the selected points with straight segments
and a single radius at each interior point.
Multiple Rad Same as Single Rad, but with radii specified at
each interior point.
Single Point Select a single point from a datum point feature.
Whole Array Select the entire set of points in a datum point
feature. The order of the points is determined from
creation of the datum point feature.
Add Point Add points to the curve definition.
Delete Point Delete points from curve definition.
Insert Point Insert new points before the selected point.
R .225
Single Radius Curve Spline Curve

The TANGENCY menu includes these options and is shown.
Start Set the tangency at the start of the curve.

End Set the tangency at the end of the curve.
Crv/Edge/Axis Make the indicated end tangent to a datum curve,
geometry edge or datum axis.
Create Axis Create an axis on the fly to specify the tangency.
Surface Use a surface reference to control the tangency.
Srf Nrm Edge Curve will be tangent to a surface and normal to an
edge.
Clear Remove the boundary condition from the indicated
end.
Tangent Set the boundary condition at the indicated end to be
tangent.
Normal Set the boundary condition at the indicated end to be
normal (perpendicular) to the reference.
Curvature Make the curvature of the created datum curve curvature (C2) continuous
across the indicated end. The end must be specified as Tangent before the
Curvature option becomes available.
Start point
End point
Both start and end points

are ‘free’ (C0)
The start point is ‘tangent’ (C1)
and the end point is ‘normal’ (C0)
to the top surface of the block
The start point is ‘tangent’ and
has curvature defined (C2)

Datum Curves From Equations

Datum curves can be defined using mathematical equations. To create
datum curves defined by equations, select Insert, Model Datum, Curve,
From Equation, Done. Then select (or create) a coordinate system,
Cartesian (XYZ), Cylindrical, or Spherical coordinate systems may be
used. The equations are entered using the system editor as shown below.
Datum Curves
Involute Gear and Spiral Spring created using Datum Curve from Equations

Projected and Wrapped

Datum curves can be projected and wrapped onto surfaces and datum planes. Projected curves
are applied to the surface in a direction normal to the sketch plane. In wrapped curves, the length
of the curve is the same before and after application to the surface. Each of these is sketched on a
plane outside of the part.
Pick Edit, Project or Edit, Wrap or use the icons shown above to create these features.
Examples of projected and wrapped curves are shown below.
Projected Datum Curves Wrapped Datum Curves

Datum Curves by Intersection

Datum curves can be defined using two intersecting sections. Create two datum curves for the
sections, then pick the Intersect icon shown above or pick Edit, Intersect. Each curve is
projected normal to its sketch plane, and the system creates a new curve at the intersection of the
two projections.
Use this technique to create three-dimensional curves that will be used for the trajectory of a
sweep feature. The figure below illustrates an example of creating an intersected datum curve.
1. Create a curve representing the

‘top’ view of the desired product
2. Create another curve rep-

resenting the ‘side’ view
3. Pick the icon

and the system creates the
intersected curve
4. Create a sweep using
the resulting curve
as the trajectory
Datum Curve by Intersection

Datum Tag Display

Datum features such as planes and axes have ‘name tags’ associated with them. These tags are
useful to determine which datum is being selected. However, the display of many datum’s and
their associated name tags often clutter the screen making geometry selection difficult.
The display of these name tags can be toggled on/off using the Datum Display dialog box or by
selecting the icons shown below. These icons are available using Tools, Customize Screen. To
access the Datum Display dialog box, pick View, Display Settings, Datum Display.
The Datum Display dialog box and a custom toolbar containing all the datum display icons are
shown below.
Planes
Axes
Points
Coordinate Systems
Plane Tags
Axis Tags
Point Tags
Coordinate System Tags
Datum Display Icons
Select the symbol used

for datum points here

Datum Graph
The Datum Graph feature is a graphical representation of an XY function. These are used in
relations to control the dimensions of other features. The graph feature is created using the
Insert, Model Datum menu, and requires a sketcher coordinate system. When graphs are
evaluated, the system finds the corresponding Y value for a given X value. For each X value,
there can be only one Y value in the graph.
Note
The graph must include a sketcher coordinate system.
A graph feature is not displayed anywhere in the part geometry, but it is displayed in the model
tree. Use the model tree to pick the name of the graph feature. You can view or modify existing
graph features using the Edit and Edit Definition commands. An example graph is shown
below.
Datum Graph feature
10.00
8.00
4.00
4.00
2.00
Datum Graph

Using Datum Graphs

To use the graph to control a dimension of a variable section sweep, use the following format:
sd = evalgraph (“radius”, trajpar)
sketch dimension trajectory parameter
‘evalgraph’ is a name of the graph feature

system command
For more information about “trajpar” and the variable section sweep feature, see pages 49-53 of
this textbook.
Graphs can be shown on drawings using Insert, Graph. An example graph for a typical cam part
is shown below.
Datum Graph
Tip
The Y dimensions are scaled by a

factor (in this case 100) to make
the graph readable. The X
dimensions go to 360 because
The Cam is Driven the graph is used in a rotational
by the Graph feature.

Datum Evaluate
The Datum Evaluate feature is a useful feature that automatically performs measurements of the
model. An evaluate feature consists of one or more parameters, each of which gets its value from
a measurement you perform on the model. These measurement parameter values are updated
when the part is regenerated.
To create a datum evaluate feature, pick Insert, Model Datum, Evaluate (or use the icon shown
above), then enter a name for the feature. An evaluate feature may contain several different
measurements. To create a measurement in the evaluate feature, pick Create, enter a name for
the measurement, then choose a measurement type from the list as shown below.
Edg/Crv Len Measure an edge or a curve length.

Edg/Crv Curv Measure the curvature of an edge or curve at a point
on the edge or curve.
Angle Measure the angle between two selected planes,
axes, planar edges, and curves.
Distance Measure the distance between any combination of
two points, vertices, planes, axes, and coordinate
systems using the FROM and TO menus.
Area Measure a surface or quilt area.
Diameter Measure the diameter of any revolved surface.
Min Radius Measure the minimum radius of any revolved
surface. The system places a red circle or cross hair
marker temporarily at a location on the minimum
radius.
Srf Clearance Measure the clearance between two surfaces.
Measurement parameter options include:
Create Create a new measurement parameter.

Delete Delete an existing measurement parameter.
Redo Redefine a measurement parameter.
Info Display measurement information.
Show Highlight the references of the selected measurement parameters.

Using the Evaluate Feature

The results of measurements in evaluate features can be used in relations. Use the following
formats to access measurement values in relations:
measurement_name:fid_feature_name
feature_name is the name

measurement_name of the evaluate feature itself
is the name of the
measurement parameter
in the evaluate feature :fid_ is a system abbreviation for
‘feature identification’ and must be
included because of a requirement
of the system
For example, an evaluate feature is created and the name of the feature is steve. In that feature
called steve, a measurement is created called diagonal. The measurement name is diagonal, the
feature name is steve. The relation reads:
diagonal:fid_steve
Tip
Set the config.pro option as shown below to allow the creation of the
datum evaluate feature.
allow_anatomic_features yes

Datum Analysis
The Datum Analysis feature is a useful feature that automatically performs an analysis of the
model, similar to the Datum Evaluate feature. The Analysis feature allows many types of
analyses to be performed and the results stored in parameters. The Analysis feature can be used
to create a datum coordinate system at the center of gravity of the model. Pick Insert, Model
Datum, Analysis or pick the icon shown above.
The Datum Analysis dialog box is a complex tool and is shown in the next few figures.
Enter a name for the feature here
Select the type of analysis here
Select the regeneration status of the

analysis feature here
Pick Next

Analysis Results
The Analysis feature allows the creation of ‘result parameters’. For each item in the results of the
analysis, a parameter can be created. The figure below on the left shows the Analysis dialog box
during the creation of these parameters.
The Analysis feature also allows the creation of ‘result datums’. The center of gravity can be
indicated with a coordinate system or a datum point. The figure below on the right shows the
Analysis dialog box during the creation of these datums.

EXERCISE 1 – DATUM FEATURES
Task 1: Create a sketched datum curve.
• Pick File, New, then enter < clock_skeleton > for the name of the new part
• Pick OK in the New dialog box
• Pick the Sketch icon
• Pick FRONT for the sketch plane
• Pick Sketch in the Sketch dialog box
• Sketch and dimension the geometry as shown below
12.000
60
35
4.000
5.500

• Pick the checkmark to complete the sketch

• Save the part and Close the window
Task 2: Create a wrapped datum curve.
• Open the part called ‘lamp_base.prt’

• Set the selection filter to Geometry then pick this surface
• Pick Edit, Wrap
• Press and hold the right mouse button and select
Define Internal Sketch in the popup menu
• Pick Insert, Model Datum, Plane
• Pick the FRONT datum plane
• Set the type to Parallel in the Datum Plane dialog box
• Press and hold the CTRL key, then pick this surface
• Set the type to Tangent in the Datum Plane dialog box
• Pick OK in the Datum Plane dialog box
• Pick the Text icon and enter the text as shown, set the Aspect Ratio to 0.75
• Add the dimensions and modify the values as shown
0.500
0.375
3.250

• Pick the checkmark in the dashboard tool

• The result is shown below
Task 3: Create a datum curve driven by an equation.
• Pick File, New, then enter < involute_gear > for the name of the new part
• Pick Insert, Model Datum, Curve, From Equation, Done
• Select the default coordinate system, then pick Cartesian
• In the Notepad window, enter the following equations:
r = 2.819
ang = t * 90
s = (PI * r * t ) / 2
xc = r * cos(ang)
yc = r * sin(ang)
x = xc + ( s * sin(ang))
y = yc - ( s * cos(ang))
z=0
• Pick File, Save and File, Exit in Notepad
• Pick OK in the dialog box
• The result is shown
• This curve will be used to create an involute gear

Task 4: Create a datum curve driven by an equation.
• Pick File, New, then enter < sine_curve > for the name of the new part
• Pick Insert, Model Datum, Curve, From Equation, Done
• Select the default coordinate system, then pick Cartesian
• In the Notepad window, add the following equations:
x=5*t
y = sin ( t * 360 * 3 )
z=0


Task 5: Create a datum curve by intersection.
• Pick File, New, then enter < bail_clip > for the name of the new part
• Pick RIGHT for the sketch plane
• Sketch and dimension the geometry as shown below
0.590
FRONT 0.120
60
0.020
TOP

• Pick View, Orientation, Standard Orientation
• Pick the Sketch icon again
• Pick TOP for the sketch plane
• Sketch and dimension the geometry as shown on the next page

• Start with a vertical centerline

• Sketch half of the sketch and then mirror using
0.550
0.120
Centerline 0.040
0.120
0.050
0.590
0.295
0.395
0.050
RIGHT 0.195
FRONT
0.040

• Set the selection filter to Features then pick both sketch features
• Pick Edit, Intersect
• Notice the original two sketch features are
hidden by the system

Task 6: Create a datum graph.
• Pick File, New, then enter < cam_1 > for the name of the new part
• Create a datum graph using Insert, Model Datum, Graph
• Enter < graph1 > for the name of the graph feature
• Sketch as shown below, include a sketch coordinate system
360.000
110.000 40.000
H H
150.000
T T
130.000
90.000 V
Sketch a spline as shown
y
x
180.000

• Notice the graph feature in the model tree, and notice that the feature is not visible in
the graphics window
Note
The dimensions in the Y direction (the 90, 130, and 150 dimensions) have
been scaled by a factor of 100 to make the graph readable. When using
this graph, be sure to divide by 100 to cancel out the exaggeration.

Task 7: Create a datum graph.
• Pick File, New, then enter < bottle > for the name of the new part
• Create a datum graph using Insert, Model Datum, Graph
• Enter < radius > for the name of the graph feature
• Sketch as shown below, include a sketch coordinate system
10.00
8.00
4.00
4.00
2.00

• Notice the graph feature in the model tree, and notice that the feature is not visible in
the graphics window
Note
The dimensions in the Y direction (the 2 and 4 dimensions) have been

scaled by a factor of 4 to make the graph readable. When using this
graph, be sure to divide by 4 to cancel out the exaggeration.

Task 8: Create an evaluate feature.
• Open the assembly called ‘profile_station.asm’

• Pick Insert, Model Datum, Evaluate
• Enter < evaluate > for the name of the feature
• Pick Create then enter < thickness > for the name of the measurement
• Pick Distance, Plane then pick the
bottom surface of this plate
Measure this distance
• Pick Plane then pick the top surface of this plate

• Read the message in the message area
• Pick Done
• Notice the evaluate feature in the model tree
• Save the assembly and Close the window

Task 9: Create an analysis feature.
• Open the part called ‘4455-005.prt’

• Pick Insert, Model Datum, Analysis
• Pick Model Analysis in the Analysis dialog box
• Pick Next
• Pick Compute
• Enter < 0.050 > for the density
• Close
• Set the following result parameters
VOLUME yes
SURF_AREA yes
MASS yes
• Pick Next
• Set the following result datums
CSYS_COG yes
• Pick the Checkmark in the Analysis dialog box

• Notice the analysis feature in the model tree

Task 10: Create a new part.
• Pick File, New, then enter < clamp_skeleton > for the name of the new part
• Sketch as shown below, be sure to follow the dimensioning scheme shown
0.500
3.000
2.000
1.000
2.250
Centerline
TOP
0.375
3.000
RIGHT


• Pick File, New, then enter < motor_skeleton > for the name of the new part
• Sketch as shown below, be sure to follow the dimensioning scheme shown
1.000
Vertical centerline
0.625
0.235
1.300
30
0.325
TOP
RIGHT


Advanced Blends
Introduction
A blend feature consists of a series of at least two sections, which are joined together using
transitional surfaces to create a continuous feature. Pro/ENGINEER develops the transitional
surfaces by connecting the vertices of each section. Pick Insert, Blend then pick the appropriate
options.
There are several types of blend features. Parallel blends are covered in the textbook
“Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 2.0 Basic Design”, by this author and publisher.
There are three types of non-parallel blends that are covered in this section:
• Rotational Blend
• General Blend
• Swept Blend
Rotational Blend
A Rotational Blend is made up of a series of sections that are rotated about the Y-axis of a
sketch coordinate system. Each section can be rotated up to a maximum of 120º. Each section is
sketched separately and must have a sketch coordinate system, which is used to align the
sections. The ashtray part shown below uses a rotational blend using six sections. Additional
features are then added to complete the part.
Rotational Blend

General Blend
A General Blend is made up of a series of sections that can be rotated about all three axes of a
sketch coordinate system. Each section is sketched separately and must have a sketch coordinate
system, which is used to align the sections similar to a rotational blend.
The gear part shown below uses a general blend that rotates six sections about the Z-axis.
General Blend Rotating About the Z Axis
A General Blend can be created by sketching each section, or by selecting existing datum curves
or edges that define the shape of the blend. Creating a boat hull uses a technique called ‘lofting’,
and this feature, when selecting the sections, is similar. The entities in each section must be
planar.
The parts shown below each use existing datum curves to define the shape of the general blend.
General Blends Using Existing Curves

Options for Non-Parallel Blends

When creating a blend feature, the ATTRIBUTES menu is used and has the following options:
Straight A straight blend is created by connecting the vertices

of each section with straight lines, and edges are
connected with ruled surfaces.
Smooth A smooth blend is created by connecting the vertices
of each section with a smooth curve, and the edges
are connected with spline surfaces.
Open The feature is less than 360 degrees of rotation (in
rotational blends only).
Closed The first and last sections are blended to close the
feature.
Smooth Straight
Open Closed

Swept Blends
A Swept Blend is a feature that combines a sweep and a blend together. When creating a swept
blend, the ‘trajectory’ is created first, and can be sketched or it can be selected by picking datum
curves or edges. After the trajectory is defined, sections are defined at appropriate locations along
the trajectory. The sections can also be selected or sketched.
A sketch coordinate system is automatically created at each point where a cross section is to be
sketched. The Z-axis of the coordinate system always points in the direction of the trajectory.
When defining the sections, rotation about the Z-axis can be specified.
The faucet part shown below uses a swept blend using a trajectory and five sections. Additional
features are then added to complete the part as shown.
Trajectory
Sections
Swept Blend
Facts about Swept Blends

• All sections must intersect the trajectory.
• For a closed trajectory, at least two sections are required. One of these sections must
be at the start point of the trajectory, the other may be sketched at any other location
along the trajectory.
• For open trajectories, there must be a section at both the start and end points.
Additional sections can be created anywhere along the trajectory.
• Composite datum curves cannot be selected for defining sections of a swept blend.
You must use the underlying curve segments or edges the composite curve was made
from.
• You can add or remove sections to/from a swept blend feature using Edit, Definition.

Optional Tangency
Non parallel blends, including swept blends, can have a
smooth transition between the surfaces of the blended
feature and the adjacent surfaces of the part. Use the
optional ‘Tangency’ element in the dialog box.
Use the Tangency element to

control the tangency of the
blend with adjacent surfaces
Without Tangency With Tangency
Blend Vertex
Each section of a blend must have the same number of vertices. For sections that do not have the
required number of vertices, a Blend Vertex is created to indicate two vertices converging into
one. The blend vertex looks like a small circle and counts as one extra vertex in the sketch. To
create a blend vertex, pick the vertex first then pick Sketch, Feature Tools, Blend Vertex.
Multiple blend vertices may be added to a single vertex if necessary.
In the figure below, the triangle has one blend vertex added in its sketch in order to blend with
the rectangle.
The ‘blend vertex’

causes a single
vertex to blend into
two vertices

Sharp or Smooth Cap

It is possible to have the first or last section of a blended feature be a single
point. When a sketcher point is used for the first or last section, the system
will prompt for a ‘Sharp’ or ‘Smooth’ cap. When using Sharp, the
surfaces flow directly to the point. When Smooth is used, the blended
surfaces are created by forcing the geometry to be tangent at the point, as
shown below on the right.
Sharp Cap Smooth Cap
Facts about Advanced Blends

• When creating a General or Rotational blend with sketched sections, each section is
sketched in a separate window. A sketcher coordinate system is required for each
section. The first section is located with respect to the part. All remaining sections are
placed with respect to the sketcher coordinate system of the previous section.
• When modifying or redefining a General or Rotational blend with sketched sections,
each section is shown independently.
• Sections can be added to or removed from a blend using Edit, Definition.
• Existing sketches can be used while creating or redefining a blend section.
• Parallel blends can be created with the General blend by using 0º rotation for the X,
Y, and Z axes.

EXERCISE 2 – ADVANCED BLENDS
Task 1: Create a new part and a rotational blend feature.
• Pick File, New, then enter < ashtray > for the name of the new part, then pick OK
• Pick Insert, Blend, Protrusion
• Pick Rotational, Done
• Pick Smooth, Closed, Done
• Pick FRONT as the sketching plane, Okay for the direction, and Default for the
reference plane
• Add a sketch coordinate system at the intersection of the two references
• Sketch as shown below. When creating the dimensions, do not pick the datum planes,
pick the lines themselves.
1.000 0.500
0.700
0.200
Sketch coordinate system

aligned to RIGHT and TOP
• Set the start point as shown using Sketch, Feature Tools, Start Point
• Save the sketch using File, Save a Copy and enter < ashtray > for the name

• For section 2, enter < 60 > for the Y-axis rotation of the section
• Pick Sketch, Data from File and double pick the section called ashtray.sec
• Modify the 0.500 dimension to 0.300 (double pick the dimension to modify it) then
• Enter < Y > to create another section, enter a rotational value of < 60 > for section 3
• Use the same section, do not modify any dimensions this time, pick
• Use the same section again, modify the 0.500 dimension to 0.300, then pick
• Use the same section, do not modify any dimensions this time, pick
• Enter < Y > to create the last section, enter a rotational value of < 60 > for section 6
• Use the same section again, modify the 0.500 dimension to 0.300, then pick
• Enter < N > to stop creating sections
• Pick OK and then pick View, Orientation, Standard Orientation
• The result is shown below (and after a few cuts and rounds are added)

Task 2: Create a general blend.
• Open the part called ‘gear.prt’

• Pick General, Done, Smooth, Done
• Pick Make Datum, Offset, pick FRONT, pick Enter Value, enter < -4 >
• Pick Done
• Pick Flip, Okay, Default
• Pick Sketch, Data from File then double pick ‘gear.sec’
• Set the scale to < 1 > press ‘enter’ but do not pick the green checkmark yet
• Align the coordinate system of the sketch to the two datum planes, then pick the green
checkmark
• Pick to complete the first sketch
• Enter < 0 > for X rotation
• Enter < 0 > for Y rotation
• Enter < 45 > for Z rotation
• Pick Sketch, Data from File then double pick ‘gear.sec’ again
• Answer < Y > to add to another section
• Enter < 0 > < 0 > < 45 >
• Pick Sketch, Data from File then double pick ‘gear.sec’ again
• Repeat these steps until you have six sections
• After the sixth section, answer < N > to add another section
• Enter < 2.5 > for the distance between each of the six sections
• The completed part is shown here

Task 3: Open a part and create a swept blend.
• Open the part called ‘faucet.prt’

• Pick Insert, Swept Blend, Protrusion
• Pick Sketch Sec, NrmToOrigTraj, Done
• Pick Sketch Traj and select RIGHT for the sketch plane and then pick Okay
• Pick Top then pick the TOP datum plane
• Sketch the trajectory as shown below, set the start point accordingly
2.500
0.450
0.500
20
0.500
Trajectory

• Pick Accept, Accept, Accept
• Enter < 0 > for the Z-axis rotation (do this for all the sections of this part)
• Sketch five sections as shown in the following figures

1.000
0.650
2.000
0.850
Section 1 Section 2

90
0.400
0.600 0.400
Section 3
Section 4
Sketch 2 centerlines
then use Edit, Trim, Divide to cut
the circle into four parts
90
0.350
Section 5

• After finishing all the sections, double pick the optional ‘Tangency’ element in the
dialog box
• Enter < Y > for tangency at the first end
• The system highlights (in red) one of the edges of the original part
• Pick the surface adjacent to that edge as shown below
This edge is
highlighted in red
Pick this surface
• The system highlights another edge, pick the surface adjacent to that edge
• The system highlights another edge, pick the surface adjacent to that edge
• The system highlights the last edge, pick the surface adjacent to that edge
• Enter < N > for tangency at the other end
• Select OK from the dialog box
• The part is shown here and below
• Add a round feature (size = .150) and two
holes (dia = .250), then add a shell feature
(remove two surfaces, thickness = .050)

Task 4: Create a blend by selecting curves.
• Open the part called ‘core.prt’

• Pick General, Select Sec, Done, Straight, Done
• Pick Sel Loop and pick the datum curve on DTM3
• Pick Start Point and pick the vertex as shown below, then pick Done
• Pick Sel Loop and pick the datum curve on DTM4
• Be sure the start point and direction arrow are the same as the previous section, if not,
pick Start Point and pick the correct vertex, then pick Done
• At the prompt, answer < Y > then pick Sel Loop and pick the datum curve on DTM5
• Set the start point by picking Start Point and pick the correct vertex
• Add two blend vertices using Blend Vertex and pick the vertices as shown in the
figure below, then pick Done
• At the prompt, answer < N > then pick OK in the dialog box, the result is shown
• Save the part using File, Save
Set the start point here

in each section
Add the blend vertices here

Task 5: Finish the core part.
• Insert a revolved protrusion, sketch on DTM1, use DTM3 for the Top reference plane
• Sketch and dimension the geometry shown below including a vertical centerline
0.082
0.008
0.041
45
DTM5
DTM2
0.046

• Pick the checkmark in the dashboard tool to complete the feature
• The completed part is shown below

Advanced Sweeps
Variable Section Sweep

The Variable Section Sweep feature sweeps a single section along one or more trajectories. The
section’s dimensions can vary as the section travels along the trajectories. The trajectories must
be selected from existing datum curves. There are three types of variable section sweeps:
• Normal to Trajectory (see page 51).
• Normal to Projection (see page 52).
• Constant Normal Direction (see page 52).
Regardless of the type, every variable section sweep requires at least one ‘origin’ trajectory.
Several examples of variable section sweeps are shown below.

The Variable Section Sweep Tool

The Variable Section Sweep Tool is used to create all types of variable section sweep features
including solids, thins, surfaces, protrusions, and cuts. Pick Insert, Variable Section Sweep or
pick the icon shown above.
The Variable Section Sweep Tool is shown below.
The References
panel contains all
the references for
the feature
Set the section
behavior here
Make the section

variable or constant
in the Options panel
Done
Thickness of
thin features Quit
Create Thin
Flip thicken
Protrusion or cut
direction
Define the Sketch
Solid or Surface
Use the right mouse button

popup menu for shortcuts

Normal to Trajectory
When using the Normal To Trajectory option, the ‘origin trajectory’ and at least one additional
trajectory is required. The section remains normal (perpendicular) to the selected trajectory as it
sweeps.
Any number of additional trajectories can be selected, which are used to control the section’s
vertices. As the section plane is swept along the trajectories, its intersection with the longitudinal
trajectories represents ‘known points’ for section dimensioning and alignment. When a section
vertex is dimensioned or aligned to an additional trajectory, the curve represents the trajectory of
the section vertex.
origin trajectory
section
When using the “Normal to (Origin) Trajectory” option,

the section stays perpendicular to the origin trajectory
as it passes along the origin trajectory.
origin trajectory
section
trajectory selected
for section normal
When using the “Normal to (Other) Trajectory”

option, the section stays perpendicular to the selected
trajectory as it passes along the origin trajectory.

Constant Normal Direction

Variable section sweeps can be defined by using the Constant Normal Direction option. This
option creates a sweep where the section’s Y-axis remains normal (perpendicular) to a selected
plane while the X-axis and Z-axis follow the spine’s trajectory. For example, rather than
sketching a spine and X-vector trajectory to create the feature, a single trajectory and plane can
be used.
origin trajectory
section
selected plane
When using the “Constant Normal Direction”

option, the section stays perpendicular to the selected
plane as it passes along the origin trajectory.
Normal to Projection
When using the Normal to Projection option, the section is swept parallel to the selected plane
as shown below.
selected plane
origin trajectory
section
When using the “Normal to Projection” option, the

section stays parallel to the selected plane as it
passes along the origin trajectory.

Trajpar
Variable section sweep features have a system parameter called ‘trajpar’ (trajectory parameter).
Trajpar has a value that varies from 0 to 1 over the length of the origin trajectory. At the start
point of the origin trajectory, trajpar is equal to zero (0). At the other end of the origin trajectory,
trajpar is equal to one (1). At the halfway point along the trajectory, trajpar is equal to 0.5. This
parameter can be used in sketcher relations to control sketch dimensions that vary along the
trajectory.
In the example shown below, the width of the section is controlled by the X-vector trajectory.
The height of the section is controlled by a relation using trajpar. At the start point, the sd7
dimension is 1.000, and varies to 4.000 at the end of the sweep, because of the relation and
trajpar. The relation for this example is: sd7 = 1 + ( trajpar * 3 )
Additional trajectory
width Origin trajectory

4.000
Start point
height
1.000
sd7 dimension
trajpar is 1 here and trajpar is 0 here Varying section
Facts about Variable Section Sweeps

• The origin trajectory must consist of tangent entities only.
• The X-vector trajectory cannot cross the origin trajectory. However, either endpoint of
the X-vector trajectory may touch the origin trajectory.
• All additional trajectories (which are optional) must start at the plane of the section
being swept.
• The plane of the section being swept may intersect any trajectory only once at any
given location along the sweep.
• If the plane of the section being swept cannot intersect all trajectories at the sweeps
start point, a datum point on the origin trajectory may be used to define the sweep
features start point.

Helical Sweep
The helical sweep feature is used to create springs, threads, and other helical shapes. The origin
trajectory of the feature is always a linear centerline, and the outside shape is sketched similar to
a sweep profile. Pick Insert, Helical Sweep, Protrusion or Cut.
The Helical Sweep dialog box has these elements:
Attributes Display the ATTRIBUTES menu as

shown below.
Swp Profile Sketch the origin trajectory and the
outside profile.
Pitch Specify the pitch of the helix.
Section Sketch the cross section of the helix.
The ATTRIBUTES menu for a helical sweep is also shown.
Constant The pitch of the helix is constant.

Variable The pitch of the helix varies using a ‘pitch graph’.
Thru Axis The section remains parallel to the origin trajectory.
Norm To Traj The section remains normal to the helix.
Right Handed The helix turns clockwise.
Left Handed The helix turns counter-clockwise.
Some helical features are shown.

EXERCISE 3 – ADVANCED SWEEPS
• Open the part called ‘bottle.prt’

• Pick the FRONT plane for the sketch plane
• Click the middle mouse button to accept the defaults
• Sketch and dimension a vertical line as shown below
10.000
TOP
RIGHT


• Pick the FRONT plane for the sketch plane, then click the middle mouse button to
accept the defaults
• Sketch and dimension as shown below then pick the checkmark
1.000
2.000
2.000
10.000
4.000
TOP
3.000
RIGHT
Task 3: Mirror the datum curve.
• Pick the sketch you just created, then pick Edit, Mirror, then pick the RIGHT datum
plane, then pick the checkmark in the dashboard tool

Task 4: Create another sketched datum curve.

• Pick the RIGHT plane for the sketch plane
• Pick TOP datum plane for the Top reference plane
• Sketch and dimension as shown below then pick the checkmark
1.000
2.000
2.000
10.000
4.000
TOP
2.000
FRONT

Task 5: Mirror the datum curve.
• Pick the last sketch you created, then pick Edit, Mirror, then pick the FRONT datum
plane, then pick the checkmark in the dashboard tool
Task 6: Create a variable section sweep.
• Set the selection filter to Geometry

• Pick the straight vertical datum curve for the origin trajectory
• Pick the Variable Section Sweep icon
• Pick the Solid icon in the dashboard tool as shown below
Pick here

• Press and hold the CTRL key on the keyboard then pick the other 4 datum curves
• A total of five curves should be highlighted
• Pick the Sketch button in the dashboard tool as shown below
Pick here
• Sketch a rectangle aligned with the sketcher points

• Create four fillets as shown below
0.500
Sketch points
added by the system
• After creating the fillets, check the alignment of the four lines to the sketcher points


Task 7: Use the graph and ‘trajpar’ to vary the radius along the sweep.
• Control the radius value (in the section) with the graph feature (created earlier) by
creating a Section Relation, pick Tools, Relations
• In the Relations dialog box, pick the Look-In pull-down menu and select Section
• Pick the Var Sect Sweep feature in the model tree
• Locate the radius dimension in the graphics window
• In the Relations dialog box, enter the following relation:
sd# = evalgraph (“radius”, trajpar * 10) / 4

(where sd# is the dimension symbol for YOUR radius)
Notes
In the relation, ‘trajpar’ is multiplied by 10 because the bottle is 10 units

high and the graph is 10 units in the X direction. The relation is divided by
4 because the graph was exaggerated by 4 (see page 29).

• Pick OK in the Relations dialog box

• Pick Edit, Regenerate
• The radius will update and the bottle should be round at the top as shown below
Task 8: Complete the bottle.

• Pick the top surface of the bottle
• Pick the Shell icon
• Enter < 0.100 > for the thickness
• Press and hold the right mouse button and select Non Default Thickness
• Pick the bottom surface of the bottle
• Enter < 0.250 > for the thickness of the bottom surface

Task 9: Create a cam using a variable section sweep.
• Open the part called ‘cam_1.prt’

• Create a Sketch, sketch on TOP, use the default reference plane
• Sketch a 0.500 diameter circle centered on FRONT and RIGHT
• Pick the sketch you just created
• Pick the Variable Section Sweep icon
• Pick the Solid icon in the dashboard tool as shown below
Pick here
• Pick the Sketch icon in the dashboard tool

• Sketch the section as shown below
0.900
This is the circle,

spin the view to
be sure
1.250
RIGHT
TOP

• While you are still in the sketcher, pick Tools, Relations
sd# = evalgraph (“graph1”, trajpar * 360) / 100

(where sd# is the dimension symbol of the 0.900 dimension)

Task 10: Create a spring.
• Pick File, New, enter < spring_1 > for the name of the new part, then pick OK
• Pick Insert, Helical Sweep, Protrusion
• Pick Done in the small menu
• Pick FRONT for the sketching plane
• Pick Okay in the small menu
• Pick Default for the reference plane
• Sketch a vertical centerline aligned with the RIGHT datum plane

• Sketch a vertical line as shown below

• Dimension the sketch as shown below
Create a vertical centerline

aligned to RIGHT
10.000
TOP
7.500

• Enter < 1 > for the pitch

• Sketch a circle centered on the two centerlines as shown below
RIGHT
0.750 TOP

• Pick OK in the dialog box to complete feature

Task 11: Vary the pitch of the spring using a pitch graph.
• Pick the spring then pick Edit Definition in the right mouse button popup menu
• In the dialog box, select ‘Attributes’, hold down the CTRL key on the keyboard and
pick ‘Swp Profile’ and ‘Pitch’, then pick Define
• Pick Variable and Done from the ATTRIBUTES menu
• Pick Modify, Done, Sketch
• Add two sketch points and dimensions as shown below
10.000
7.000
3.000
7.500

• Enter < 1 > for the pitch at the start of the profile
• Enter < 1 > for the pitch at the end of the profile
• A graph will appear in a sub-window: pick the lower sketch point in the main window
and then enter < 2 > for the pitch at that point
• Pick the remaining point and enter < 2 > for the pitch at that point

• The pitch graph will automatically update as shown below
• Pick Done in the GRAPH menu and OK in the dialog box


Task 12: Create two sketched datum curves.

• Pick FRONT for the sketching plane
• Use the RIGHT datum plane for the Left reference plane
• Sketch as shown below
3.750
0.500
1.000

• Pick the Sketch icon again
• Pick TOP for the sketching plane
• Flip the direction in the dialog box
• Use the RIGHT datum plane for the Bottom reference plane
• Sketch as shown on the next page

3.750
Task 13: Create an intersected datum curve.
• Set the selection filter to Datums then pick both sketches

• Pick Edit, Intersect
• Notice the new curve is created by intersecting the two existing sketches
• Notice the system automatically hides the two original sketches

Task 14: Create another sketched datum curve.

• Pick RIGHT for the sketch plane
• Use the TOP datum plane for the Bottom reference plane
• Pick the vertex at the end of the intersected datum curve for a reference in the
sketcher
• Sketch an arc as shown below
Pick this vertex

for a reference

• Save the part

Task 15: Create a swept protrusion.
• Pick Insert, Sweep, Protrusion

• Pick Select Traj, Curve Chain
• Pick the datum curve created in Task 13 (the intersected curve), then pick Select All
• Be sure the start point is at the end of the trajectory adjacent to the spring
• Pick Done, Accept, Okay
• Pick Sketch, References and pick the circular edge of the spring
Pick Sketch, References

then pick the edge of the
spring
• Draw a circle centered on the wire and at the same diameter as the wire
Task 16: Create another swept protrusion.
• Pick Insert, Sweep, Protrusion, Select Traj, Curve Chain

• Pick the datum curve created in Task 14 (the sketched curve), then pick Select All,
Done, Free Ends, Done
• Pick Sketch, References and pick the circular edge of the spring similar to the last
task
• Draw a circle centered on the wire and at the same diameter as the wire


Task 17: Create a swept protrusion.
• Open the part called ‘bail_clip.prt’

• Pick Insert, Sweep, Protrusion
• Pick Select Traj, Curve Chain
• Pick the datum curve then pick Select All, Done
• Pick Accept, Okay

• Sketch a circle at the intersection of the two centerlines as shown below
0.030


Involute Gears
Introduction
This lesson covers the development of ‘involute’ gears. An involute gear is based on an involute
curve, which is a mathematical shape. To understand what an involute is, consider a simple
cylinder and a string as shown below. Wrap the string around the cylinder. While maintaining
tension on the string, trace the path that the end of the string makes while un-wrapping it around
the cylinder. This path is an involute curve.
A simple cylinder and a string. Wrap the string around the cylinder.
Pull
Involute
curve
Pull the string tight and keep it tangent to the cylinder. Trace the end of the string while un-wrapping it around
the cylinder. The resulting trajectory is an involute
curve.
There are two key parameters that control the involute curve: the diameter of the cylinder and the
angle that the string is un-wrapped around the cylinder. In the example above, the string is un-
wrapped 90º around the cylinder.

The Involute Curve

Development of the mathematical equations for the involute curve uses simple trigonometry. We
will develop the equations for 90º of one full involute. In other words, we are un-wrapping the
string 90º around the cylinder in a counterclockwise direction.
The circumference of a circle is defined by: c=2*π*r

One quarter (90º) of the circumference of a circle is then: c= π*r/2
In the figure below, the line ‘s’ is the same length as the part of the circumference the string has
been un-wrapped ( s’ ).
xc, yc
θ
s
r x, y
s’
θ We are trying to
0, 0 define this curve by
finding equations for
x and y as θ changes
Using trigonometry, we find that:

xc = r * cos θ x = xc + ( s * sin θ )
yc = r * sin θ y = yc – ( s * cos θ )

Datum Curves From Equation

In Pro/ENGINEER, datum curves can be defined using mathematical equations. When using this
feature, a system variable ‘t’ is used, that varies from 0 to 1 over the length of the curve. For the
involute curve, let the angle (ang) be equal to ‘t’ times 90. This means that the variable ‘ang’ will
vary from zero to 90º.
To define ‘s’, we combine the circumference equation and ‘t’ to form:

s=(π*r/2)*t
In this example, the diameter of the cylinder is 1.500. This is the base diameter in gear design
terminology. The radius (r) of the cylinder is 0.75 inches.
The equations for Pro/ENGINEER are:
r = 0.75
ang = t * 90
s = (PI * r * t ) / 2
xc = 0.75 * cos(ang)
yc = 0.75 * sin(ang)
x = xc + ( s * sin(ang))
y = yc – ( s * cos(ang))
z=0
The resulting datum curve is shown in bold below.

Creating the Gear

In Pro/ENGINEER, the gear is started by modeling a cylinder at the outside diameter of the gear,
see Figure 1. Several datum curves are created to define the root diameter, base diameter, and
pitch diameter of the gear, see Figure 2. Next, the involute shaped datum curve is created and
moved into the correct position to define one side of one gear tooth, see Figure 3. The curve is
mirrored and the gear tooth is cut into the cylinder using the edge of the involute datum curves,
see Figure 4. The cut is patterned and rounds are added at the base of the gear. The completed
gear is shown in Figures 5 and 6.
Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3
Involute
curve
Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6

Gear Parameters
The following are geometric parameters in gear design:
Pitch Diameter Diametral Pitch = Pitch Diameter + ( 2 * Addendum )

Root Diameter Circular Pitch = π / Pitch Diameter
Outside Diameter Number of Teeth = Diametrical Pitch * Pitch Diameter
Base Diameter Pressure Angle
Addendum
Dedendum
Tooth Thickness
Tooth Thickness Angle
Fillet Size
The figure describes some of the gear parameters.
Outside diameter Tooth thickness angle
Pitch diameter Tooth thickness
Base diameter
Addendum
Root diameter
Dedendum
Fillet size
Gear Parameters

EXERCISE 4 – INVOLUTE GEARS
Task 1: Create a cylinder.
• Open the part called ‘involute_gear.prt’

• Pick the FRONT datum plane then pick the Extrude icon
• Press and hold the right mouse button and select Define Internal Sketch in the popup
menu
• Pick Flip in the dialog box
• Pick Sketch in the dialog box
• Sketch a circle centered on the references, with a diameter of 6.500 which is the
outside diameter of the gear (see the figure on the previous page)
• Enter < 1.750 > for the depth then pick the checkmark in the dashboard tool
• The result is shown below, be sure the curve is in front of the cylinder as shown
FRONT
TOP
A_1
RIGHT

Task 2: Create three circles representing the major diameters.
• Create a circular sketch on the FRONT datum plane with a diameter of 5.376 to
represent the root diameter of the gear
represent the base diameter of the gear
represent the pitch diameter of the gear
Task 3: Create a datum point.
• Set the selection filter to Datums, pick the involute curve and the 6.000 diameter
circular sketch, then pick the Point icon and OK to create a datum point as
shown below

Task 4: Create another datum point and a datum curve.
• Be sure the selection filter is set to Datums

• Pick RIGHT, TOP, and FRONT then pick the Point icon then pick OK
• Pick Insert, Model Datum, Curve, Done
• Pick the two datum points then pick Done and OK
Task 5: Create a datum evaluate feature.
• Pick Insert, Model Datum, Evaluate

• Enter < measure > for the name of the feature
• Pick Create, then enter < angle > for the name of the measurement parameter
• Pick Angle, then pick the TOP datum plane and the curve you just created through the
points
• Pick Done then read the message window and look at the model tree

Task 6: Copy the involute curve.
• Set the selection filter to Features

• Pick the involute curve then pick Edit, Copy
• Pick Edit, Paste Special
• Add the checkmark next to Apply Move/Rotate transformations to copies in the
dialog box then pick OK
• Pick Rotate in the right mouse button popup menu
• Pick the axis in the center of the cylinder then enter < -30 > for the rotation angle
Task 7: Add a relation and regenerate the part.
• Double pick the copied involute curve (the one created in task 6)
• Double pick the 30 dimension
• In the small text box, carefully enter:
angle:FID_MEASURE + ( 7.5 / 2 )
• Pick Yes to add the relation

Task 8: Mirror the copied involute curve.
• Pick the copied involute curve (the one created in task 6) then pick Edit, Mirror
• Pick the TOP datum plane then pick the checkmark in the dashboard tool
Task 9: Copy the curve again.
• Pick the copied involute curve (the one created in task 6) then pick Edit, Copy
• Pick Edit, Paste Special
• Add the checkmark next to Apply Move/Rotate transformations to copies in the
dialog box then pick OK
• Pick Rotate in the right mouse button popup menu
• Pick the axis in the center of the cylinder then enter < -15 > for the rotation angle

Task 10: Create an extruded cut.
• Create an extruded (through all) cut using the edges of the curves as shown below
• Trim the sketch as shown below
• The result is shown at the bottom of the page
Add these two lines, be

sure to get the tangency
constraint as shown
Pick the Use Edge

icon then select these
curves

Task 11: Pattern the cut.
• Set the selection filter to Features then pick the cut you just created
• Pick Edit, Pattern, then set the type of pattern to Axis in the dashboard tool
• Select the axis in the center of the cylinder
• Enter < 15 > for the increment angle
• Enter < 24 > for the number of instances in the pattern
• Pick the checkmark in the dashboard
tool to complete the pattern

Task 12: Finish the part.
• Create a 0.020 round at the base of the gear tooth

• Pattern the round
• Create a coaxial hole with a diameter of 2.000
• Use Layers to hide the datum curves and sketches
• The completed part is shown below

Section 2


Advanced Patterns
Introduction
Patterns are a method to copy features in a part or components in an assembly in a repeating
manner. The original feature is called the ‘leader’ of the pattern, and the members of the pattern
are called ‘instances’.
There are many different types of patterns:
Dimension The feature is patterned using its locating dimensions to define the
directions for the pattern. Relations can be written to control the pattern.
Direction The feature is patterned in a linear manner using a planar surface, straight
edge or curve, axis, or coordinate system to define the directions for the
pattern. The feature does not need locating dimensions to define the
pattern directions. This functionality allows an existing pattern to be
patterned.
Axis The feature is patterned in a radial manner using an existing axis to define
the center of the pattern.
Fill The feature is patterned within a sketched region using a variety of pre-
defined pattern styles.
Table The feature is patterned using a table to define the location of each
instance in the pattern. Pro/TABLE is used to edit the pattern table and is
similar to a spreadsheet tool.
Reference The feature is patterned by following an existing pattern. The feature must
reference the leader of the original pattern.
Read the textbook titled “Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 2.0 Basic Design” for more information about
dimensional and reference patterns. Examples of parts with patterns are shown below.
Relation Driven Pattern Fill Pattern Table Driven Pattern

The Pattern Tool

To pattern a feature, pick the feature then pick the Pattern icon shown above. The Pattern Tool
is used to create all types of patterns. The Pattern Tool for dimensional patterns is shown below.
Use the right mouse button popup menu for shortcuts while selecting the pattern dimensions.
The pattern increment

dimensions are listed here
Use the Dimensions panel to

add or remove dimensions
from the pattern
Enter a name for the pattern

in the Properties panel
Done
The number of instances
in each direction are Quit
entered here
Use this pull-down

menu to select the
type of pattern you
want to create
Use the right mouse
button popup menu
for shortcuts

Pattern Options
Dimensional patterns can be created using any of three options: Identical, Varying, and
General. Use the Options panel in the Pattern Tool to select the appropriate option as shown
below.
Identical Each pattern instance is identical to the leader. All pattern instances must
be: equal in size; placed on the same placement surface; intersect any and
all other features the same way as the leader; not intersect any other
instance of the same pattern, and cannot run off the end of the part.
Identical patterns regenerate the fastest of the three types of patterns.
Varying Pattern instances can be placed on different surfaces and vary in size, may
intersect other surfaces and features, but cannot intersect any other
instance of the same pattern, and cannot run off the end of the part.
General There are no restrictions for general patterns, but are the slowest to
regenerate of the three types of patterns.
Use the Options panel to

select Identical, Varying,
or General

Pattern Tables
Pattern tables allow the creation of patterns that are not incremental. Odd shaped patterns can be
easily created. Multiple patterns, each controlled by a different pattern table, can exist for any
given feature.
In the figure below, six different patterns are created, one for each version of the part’s family.
The ‘pattern table’ can be added to the ‘family table’ of the part to create ‘instances’ of each
version. The pattern table for the 7-hole version is also shown below.

The Pattern Tool

The Pattern Tool is used when creating table driven patterns and is shown below. The table
editor is called Pro/TABLE, and is described on the next page.
Use the Tables panel to manipulate

tables used in the pattern
Press and hold the right mouse

button for the popup menu
Use the Table

Dimensions panel to add
or remove dimensions
from the pattern table
Press and hold the right

mouse button for the
popup menu
Use this pull-down Pick Edit to edit

to select the style the current table
of pattern using Pro/TABLE
(see the next page)
Use this pull-down
to set the current
table when using
multiple tables Use the right mouse
button popup menu
to re-show the
features dimensions

Pro/TABLE
Pro/TABLE is used to create and edit pattern tables. Click in a cell and enter the appropriate
value. The column widths can be easily changed by dragging the appropriate header, similar to
common Windows applications. The Edit menu includes a Swap command allowing columns
and rows to be rearranged in the table. Rows starting with the ‘!’ character cannot be edited.
Resize the columns

by dragging the
header here
The Edit menu includes

commands such as Sort
and Swap
Do not edit
this row
Example of Table Driven Pattern

The Tables Dialog Box

When a feature pattern uses a pattern table, pick Edit, Pattern Table to access the Tables dialog
box as shown below. Shortcuts to common pattern table functions can be accessed in the popup
menu as shown.
The Tables dialog box shows all the

patterns using tables in the current object
When a pattern has multiple tables,

the active one is indicated by an arrow
Press and hold the right mouse button

for the pop-up shortcut menu
Activate the selected table
Add another table to the selected pattern
Edit the selected table
Remove the selected table
Rename the selected table
Write the selected table to a file
Add a new table to the selected

pattern by reading a file

Fill Patterns
Patterns can be created to fill a sketched area. Fill patterns can fill areas with one of several
predefined methods: Square, Diamond, Triangle, Circle, Curve, and Spiral.
The Pattern Tool for creating Fill patterns is shown below.
The name of the referenced

curve or internal section is
listed in the References panel
These values control the

spacing and boundary
Use this pull-down distance of the fill pattern
to select the style
of pattern Fill patterns can fill any closed
area using these methods:
Use this pull-down Square, Diamond, Triangle,
to select the fill Circle, Curve, and Spiral.
method to use
Square Triangle Circle Curve
Examples of Fill Patterns

Fill Patterns (continued)

Facts about fill patterns are:
• The location of the original feature locates the entire fill pattern.
• The feature being patterned is not visible while sketching the section to be filled.
• To modify the dimension values associated with fill patterns, you must redefine (Edit,
Definition) the pattern.
• The dimensions between the instances and the number of instances in a fill pattern are
not accessible to use in relations.

Pattern Relations
Pattern relations can be used to create offset or staggered patterns similar to those found in
computer connectors. An example of a staggered pattern driven by pattern relations is shown.
Staggered and offset patterns are easily created using pattern relations. Existing patterns can be
redefined to be driven by pattern relations using Edit, Definition. To modify pattern relations
pick Tools, Relations.
Pro/ENGINEER has pre-defined system parameters that you can use when writing pattern
relations, these are called ‘pattern parameters’. Each dimension used in a dimensional pattern can
have relations written to control it, and each dimension has separate pattern parameters.
You can vary one dimension using a standard increment value and another using pattern relations
in the same pattern if so desired.
The pattern parameters are listed here:
LEAD_V Defines the original feature’s locating dimension.
MEMB_V Defines the location of the instances with respect to the reference of the
leader of the pattern (a dimension from where the leader is dimensioned
from to the instance).
MEMB_I Defines the increment dimension of the pattern.
IDX1 Defines the instance index value for each instance in the first direction.
The leader is assigned 0 (zero) and increments by 1 (one) for each
instance.
IDX2 Defines the instance index value for each instance in the second direction.
The leader is assigned 0 (zero) and increments by 1 (one) for each
instance.

Pattern Relations (continued)

The figure below shows the pattern parameters for the first direction. Identical parameters also
exist for the second direction.
SECOND DIRECTION
PATTERN
LEADER
FIRST DIRECTION
LEAD_V
MEMB_V MEMB_I
Pattern Parameters
Note
Either MEMB_V or MEMB_I must appear in the relation, but they cannot
both appear in the same relation together.

Working with Patterns
Modifying Patterns
The increment value and the number of members in a pattern can be modified using the Edit
command. Double pick any member of the pattern, then double pick any locating dimension,
increment dimension, or member note. After entering new values, Regenerate the part.
Redefining Patterns
To redefine a pattern, pick the pattern in the model tree then press and hold the right mouse
button and select Edit Definition in the popup menu. The Pattern Tool is displayed, and you
can change the type, style, and dimensions used for the pattern.
Deleting Patterns
To delete the instances of the pattern but not the original feature, pick the pattern in the model
tree then press and hold the right mouse button and select Delete Pattern in the popup menu. If
the Delete command is used on any pattern member, the entire pattern including the original
feature is deleted.
In the Model Tree

In the model tree, patterns are shown nested under
the name of the pattern as shown below. Pick the
‘+’ sign to expand the pattern to see all the members
in the model tree.
In the model tree, patterns

are listed under the name of
the pattern
Use the popup menu to

delete or redefine the pattern

EXERCISE 5 – ADVANCED PATTERNS
Task 1: Create a dimensional pattern.
• Open the part called ‘pattern-1.prt’

• Pick the ‘cut’ feature (feature number 5 in the model tree)
• Press and hold the right mouse button and select Pattern in the popup menu
• Pick the 50 dimension, enter < 40 > for the increment
• Enter < 5 > for the number of instances in the first direction in the pattern dashboard
tool
• Press and hold the right mouse button and select Direction 2 Dimensions
• Pick the 25 dimension, enter < 60 > for the increment
• Enter < 3 > for the number of instances in the second direction in the pattern
dashboard tool
• Click the middle mouse button to complete the pattern

Task 2: Redefine the pattern.
• Pick the pattern in the model tree and then select Edit Definition in the right mouse
button popup menu
• In the dashboard tool, change the style of the pattern to Table
• Pick Yes
• In the dashboard tool, pick Edit
• Edit the table as shown. Do not change the line shown in bold. (10 rows must be
deleted from the table)
idx d11 (50.000) d10 (25.000)
1 90 85
2 130 140
3 170 85
4 210 25
• Pick File, Exit in the Pro/TABLE editor


Task 3: Create a staggered pattern driven by relations.
• Open the part called ‘housing.prt’

• Set the selection filter to Datums
• Pick the axis as shown below
Pick this axis
• Pick the .6522 dimension, enter < -.05435 > for the increment value
• Use CTRL and pick the .303 dimension, enter < 1 > for the increment value
• Enter < 25 > for the number of instances
• Pick Dimensions in the dashboard tool
• Pick here in the Dimensions panel
• Add the checkmark here
• Pick Edit here
• Enter the relations as shown:
if (-1)^idx1 == –1
memb_v = .191
else
memb_v = .303
endif

• In the editor, pick File, Save and File, Exit

Task 4: Create a pattern using a pattern table.
• Open the part called ‘minidin.prt’

• Pick the axis A_3 (feature number 8)
• In the dashboard tool, change the style of the pattern to Table
• Pick the .0395 dimension and use CTRL to pick the .0940 dimension
• Pick Tables in the dashboard tool and enter < 8pin > for the name of the table
• Pick Edit in the dashboard tool

• Enter the data as shown below, be sure to include the negative signs as required
idx d6(0.0395) d7(0.0940)
2 -0.0395 0.0940
3 0.0985 0.0160
4 0.0160 0.0160
5 -0.0985 0.0160
6 0.0785 -0.0630
7 0.0000 -0.0630
8 -0.0785 -0.0630

Task 5: Create three reference patterns.

• Pick feature number 17 in the model tree, press and hold the right mouse button and
select Pattern
select Pattern
select Pattern

Task 6: Create an additional pattern table in the same part.
• Pick Edit, Pattern Table

• In the Tables dialog box, pick ‘8PIN’ as shown below
Pick ‘8PIN’
Pick ‘Write to File’
Pick ‘Read from File’
• Pick the ‘Write to File’ icon as shown above

• Pick the ‘Read from File’ icon as shown above
• Pick ‘8pin.ptb’ then pick Open
• Enter < 7pin > for the name of the table
• In the Tables dialog box, double-click on ‘7PIN’

idx d6(0.0395) d7(0.0940)
2 -0.0395 0.0940
3 0.0985 0.0160
4 -0.0985 0.0160
5 0.0785 -0.0630
6 0.0000 -0.0630
7 -0.0785 -0.0630

• Pick the icon at the bottom of the Tables dialog box to set the 7PIN as the
current pattern
• Pick OK
• Save the part
Task 7: Create another pattern table in the same part.
• Pick Edit, Pattern Table

• In the Tables dialog box, pick ‘7PIN’
• Pick the ‘Write to File’ icon at the bottom of the Tables dialog box
• Pick the ‘Read from File’ icon at the bottom of the Tables dialog box
• Pick ‘7pin.ptb’ then pick Open
• Enter < 6pin > for the name of the table
• In the Tables dialog box, double-click on ‘6PIN’

idx d6(0.0395) d7(0.0940)
2 -0.0395 0.0940
3 0.0985 0.0160
4 -0.0985 0.0160
5 0.0785 -0.0630
6 -0.0785 -0.0630

• Pick the icon at the bottom of the Tables dialog box to set the 6PIN as the
current pattern
• Pick OK
Task 8: Create a pattern using a pattern table.
• Open the part called ‘flyswatter.prt’

• Pick the last cut in the model tree
• Press and hold the right mouse button and select Pattern
• Set the style of the pattern to Fill in the dashboard tool
• Press and hold the right moue button and select Define Internal Sketch in the popup
menu
• Pick the flat surface of the part then click the middle mouse button to accept the
defaults
• Notice the cut is not visible while you are defining the sketch
• Pick the Use Edge icon
• Pick the Loop option in the small dialog box

• Pick each section of the part then pick Next and Accept as necessary

• Set the shape to Triangle and enter < .300 > as shown below
Pick Triangle here Enter < .300 > here


User Defined Features
Introduction
User Defined Features (UDFs) are features that can be used repeatedly in multiple parts. UDFs
can be a single feature, multiple features, and can include assembly features and components.
These features are created by you, the user, for you, the user, to make yourself more productive.
You are encouraged to create UDFs and build a library of commonly used features.
UDFs are created from existing features and can be used in any part or assembly. UDFs use a
filename extension ‘.gph’.
Features and dimensions included in the UDF can be varied when they are used in a part or
assembly. This allows a single UDF to provide a variety of options for the feature’s structure and
size.
Part UDFs
User defined features can be created in parts and used in other parts. A typical UDF is a
counterbored hole, created using a thru hole and a coaxial blind hole. These two features are
collected into a UDF and can then be used in any other part. The dimensions of the holes can be
varied when placing the UDF into other parts. Family tables can be created in the UDF to create
specific instances that adhere to standards or other specifications.
Examples of UDFs are:
• Special holes, counterbored holes, etc.

• Logos, service marks, recycle symbols, etc.
• Company specific standard features.
• Sheetmetal Punch and Notch features.
• Sheetmetal Form features.

Assembly UDFs
Assembly UDFs can be created to include components and assembly features. A typical assembly
UDF includes a hole, a bolt, and/or other fasteners. Family tables can be created in the UDF, and
if the components have family tables in them, you can create very useful table driven UDFs for
assemblies.
Examples of assembly UDFs are:
• Holes and the fasteners for them.

• Standard components such as library items, hardware, etc.
An example of a family table assembly UDF is shown below.

Creating UDFs
To create a UDF, pick Tools, UDF Library, Create. The UDF menu has
the following options and is shown.
Create Create a new UDF.
Modify Modify existing UDFs.
List List the UDFs in the current working directory and
the folder defined by the config.pro option
‘pro_group_dir’.
Dbms Manage ‘.gph’ files with commands such as Save,
Save As, Backup, Rename, etc.
Integrate Combine two versions of the same UDF into one.
Stand Alone The UDF file does not reference the original part.
Subordinate The UDF references the original part.
The following items can be defined during creation of the UDF:
• A name for the UDF.

• Option for creating a UDF reference part.
• The features and/or parts that make up the
UDF.
• Feature elements that vary.
• Feature dimensions that vary.
• The prompts for variable dimensions.
• Preset dimension values.
• The prompts for the required placement
references.
• Optional family tables.
• Units of the UDF.
• External Symbols.

Managing UDFs
New UDFs are placed in the current working directory. It is recommended to have a dedicated
folder to store and organize your UDFs. You will have to move UDFs to this directory after you
create them. Set the configuration option shown below to define the folder where you are storing
your UDFs.
pro_group_dir C:\proe\udfs
Using UDFs
To use a UDF, pick Insert, User Defined Feature. The following items are defined during
placement of the UDF:
• The name of the UDF to be used or optional family instance name.

• The values for the variable dimensions.
• The options for the variable elements.
• The placement references and directions.
Tips on UDFs
• If you know you are going to be creating a UDF, try to create the features (and the
UDF) in a ‘simple’ part. This part can then be used for the reference part for the UDF.
• If you know you are going to be creating a UDF, minimize the references used to
create the features. Each reference used to create the original features will be a
required reference when placing the UDF.
• Pro/ENGINEER considers UDFs to be a ‘group’ of features and refers to them as
such after they are placed into a part.

EXERCISE 6 – USER DEFINED FEATURES
Task 1: Create a cut to be used as a UDF.
• Open the part called ‘udf-cut.prt’

• Pick this surface of the part
• Pick Insert, Extrude
• Pick the Remove Material icon in the
dashboard tool
• Set the depth to Through All in the dashboard tool
• Press and hold the right mouse button
and select Define Internal Sketch in
the popup menu
• Pick this surface for the reference plane
• Set the orientation to Bottom in the Sketch dialog box
• Specify the axis A_1 as a reference for the sketch
• Pick Sketch, Data From File and pick ‘udf-cut.sec’ from the list then pick Open
• Set the scale to < 1 > (press ‘enter’ but don’t pick the green checkmark yet)
• Place the section aligned with the front surface of the part and the axis A_1
• Be sure the dimensions are correct then pick the checkmark in the sketcher
• Pick the checkmark in the dashboard tool to complete the cut
• The result is shown below .015
.025
.090
.065 .030
.020

Task 2: Create a UDF from this feature.
• Pick Tools, UDF Library, Create

• Enter < retainer > for the name
• Pick Stand Alone, Done enter < yes > to include a reference part
• Pick the cut feature you just created
• Pick OK. Done, Done/Return
• The system will highlight (in green), one by one, the references of the feature. For
each reference, you will be asked to enter a ‘prompt’. There should be three
references, enter the following prompts. The order of your prompts may be different.
Placement plane
For this reference Enter this prompt Axis
Sketch plane Placement plane

Reference plane Bottom plane
Alignment axis Location axis
Bottom plane
• After you enter all the prompts, the system gives you a chance to review and/or
change them using Next and/or Previous
• When all the prompts are correct, pick Done/Return
• Pick ‘Var Dims’ in the dialog box then pick Define
• Pick the .090 dimension first, and then CTRL pick the .065 dimension, then pick OK,
Done/Return, Done/Return
• For the .065 dimension enter < pin location > for the prompt
• For the .090 dimension enter < slot location > for the prompt
• Pick OK and Done/Return
• The UDF is stored in the current working directory
• Close the window

Task 3: Use the UDF in a part.

• Retrieve the saved view called ‘back-iso’
• Pick Insert, User-Defined Feature
• Pick the Working Directory icon at the top of the Open dialog box
• Pick ‘retainer.gph’ then pick Open
• Enter < No > for the reference part
• Pick Done, Done
• Enter < .090 > for the pin location
• Enter < .125 > for the slot location
• Pick Normal, Done
• The system now goes through the prompts you created for the UDF, pick on the
model for each reference as shown below
A_4
Placement plane
Bottom Plane
Pick the leader of the

pattern of axes A_4
• Pick Done
• The result is shown here

Task 4: Create another feature using the UDF.
• Pick Insert, User Defined Feature

• Pick ‘retainer.gph’ then pick Open
• Pick Done, Done
• Enter < .150 > for the pin location
• Enter < .195 > for the slot location
• The system now goes through the prompts you created for the UDF, pick on the
model for each reference as shown below
Placement plane
Bottom Plane
Pick the second axis in the

pattern of axes (the first
one on the lower row)
• Pick Done
• Save the part

Task 5: Pattern each UDF.

• Pick the ‘short UDF’ as shown below then pick Edit, Pattern
• Set the style of pattern to Direction in the dashboard tool
• Pick DTM1 in the model tree then enter < –0.1087 > for the increment dimension and
enter < 13 > for the number of instances
• Be sure the selection filter is set to Features
• Pick the ‘long UDF’ as shown below then pick Edit, Pattern
• Set the style of pattern to Direction in the dashboard tool
• Pick DTM1 in the model tree then enter < –0.1087 > for the increment dimension and
enter < 12 > for the number of instances
• Save the part
Short UDF
Long UDF

Task 6: Add the logo UDF from the UDF library.

• Pick ‘logo_protrusion.gph’ then pick Open
• Pick Done, User Scale, enter < 0.01 > then pick Done
• For the offset from the horizontal plane enter < -0.017 >
• For the offset from the vertical plane enter < 0.187 >
• For the logo depth enter < 0.005 >
• Pick Blank, Done
• Pick on the model as shown below for the references
Pick the logo surface here
Pick the horizontal plane here
Pick DTM1 for the vertical plane
• Pick Okay for the direction then pick Done


Task 7: Create an assembly UDF.
• Open the assembly called ‘bolt_nut.asm’

• Pick Tools, UDF Library, Create
• Enter < bolt_nut_hole > for the name
• Pick Stand Alone, Done
• Using the model tree, pick the hole, the bolt part (21001-6), and the nut (1-21018-3)
• Pick OK, Done, Done/Return
• Pick Single, Done/Return
• Enter < axis > for the axis prompt name
• Pick Single, Done/Return
• Enter < placement_plane > for the surface prompt name
• Enter < nut_plane > for the surface prompt name
• After you enter all the prompts, the system gives you a chance to review and/or
change them using Next and/or Previous
• When all the prompts are correct, pick Done/Return
• Pick ‘Family Table’ in the dialog box then pick Define
• Pick the Add Column icon
• Pick the hole in the model tree, then pick the .260 dimension
• Enter < hole_dia > for the symbol of the dimension in the table
• Pick the Component button in the dialog box, then pick the bolt and the nut in the
model tree
• Pick OK to finish the selection
• Please turn the page

• Fill in the table as shown below
• After finishing the table, pick OK

• Pick OK in the dialog box, then pick Done/Return
• The UDF is stored in the current working directory with the file extension .gph

Task 8: Create an assembly feature using the UDF.
• Open the assembly called ‘assy_udf.asm’

• Pick the current working directory icon at the top of the Open dialog box
• Pick ‘bolt_nut_hole.gph’ then pick Open
• Pick ‘By Parameter’ in the dialog box, pick the size of bolt you want to use as shown
below, then pick Open
Pick By Parameter
Pick the size you want
Pick Open
• Pick Independent, Done

• Pick Same Dims, Done

• Pick an axis on the top part
• Pick the top surface as the placement plane

• Pick the bottom of the bottom plate as the nut plane (spin the model)
• Pick AutoAdd in the dialog box
• Pick Done
• The hole, bolt, and nut are now part of the assembly
• The hole is an assembly feature and is not visible in the part model
• The hole can be redefined to be visible in the part model if desired
• Add a three more UDF’s to the assembly using different sizes

The Draft Feature
Introduction
The Draft feature is used in molded and cast parts to aid in removing the product from the mold
or casting. These angled features are added to the finished model, but should be created before
any rounds are added to the model. To create draft, pick Insert, Draft or pick the icon shown
above.
Terminology
Draft Surfaces The surfaces that draft is added to.
Exclude Loops The selected surface loops are not drafted.
Draft Hinges The entity that defines the apex of the draft angle. This is usually a plane
that intersects the draft surfaces at the apex of the draft angle.
Pull Direction The positive draft angle is determined by this parameter.
Split Draft Draft that is split by the hinge surface or a sketched parting line.
No Split Draft Draft that is not split as shown below.
Variable Draft The draft angle varies across the length of the surface being drafted.
Examples of parts before and after draft are shown below.
Before Draft No Split Draft Split Draft

The Draft Tool

The Draft Tool is used to create all types of draft features. Pick the surfaces to be drafted first,
then pick Insert, Draft or pick the icon shown above. The Draft Tool is shown below.
The References panel contains the draft

surfaces, hinges, and pull direction
Use the Split panel to define split options

and side options for split draft
The Angles panel controls the draft

angles and tangency conditions
The Options panel controls

miscellaneous draft options
Done
Quit
Flip the draft angle here

Enter the draft angle here
Flip the pull direction here

popup for shortcuts

Draft Surfaces
The draft surfaces are the first references selected for the draft feature. It is recommended to
select the surfaces you want to add draft to before selecting the Draft command or icon.
Draft Hinges
The draft hinge is the pivot where the draft angle starts. The intersection of the draft surfaces and
the hinge defines the apex of the draft angle as shown below. The hinge can be a plane or a
datum curve.
Pull Direction and Draft Angle

The pull direction defines the positive direction of the draft angle. In the dashboard tool, pick as
shown (on the previous page) to flip the pull direction, or pick the arrow on the model as shown
below. The draft angle ranges from –30 to +30 degrees.
Pull Direction
Apex of angle
Draft Hinge
Draft Surface
Draft Angle
Pull direction arrow, pick to flip
Draft Hinge
Draft surfaces

Split Draft
Split by Draft Hinge
When creating draft, the feature can be split by the hinge as shown below. The draft hinge can be
a plane or a datum curve as shown below.
material is removed
draft hinge
material is removed
Split by Draft Hinge
Split by Split Object

‘Split by Split Object’ draft is created by sketching the split lines. Split lines can be sketched on
part surfaces or on datum planes. After the sketch is created, it is projected normal to the
sketching plane through the part.

Variable Draft
Draft can be created that varies across the length of the surface. For example, a surface can have
a 0 degree draft angle at one end and 30 degree draft angle at the other end as shown below.
To create variable draft, pick the Angles panel in the dashboard tool. Next pick the ‘number 1’
angle, then press and hold the right mouse button and select Add Angle in the popup menu as
shown below.
Pick Add Angle in the

popup menu in the Angles
panel of the Draft Tool
0.000
Pick these drag handles to

locate the draft angles or
double pick each dimension
0.150 30.000
0.850

EXERCISE 7 – THE DRAFT FEATURE
Task 1: Create draft features.
• Open the part called ‘draft-1.prt’

• Pick the part as shown below
Pick this surface first
Press and hold the SHIFT key

and then select this edge
• Pick Insert, Draft or pick the icon

• Pick this surface for the draft hinge

• Enter < -15 > for the draft angle

• Click the middle mouse button to complete the feature
• Add three more Draft features for the cylindrical boss, the hole, and the hex pocket
using the same technique

Task 2: Create draft on the housing part.

• Pick the part as shown below
Pick this surface then SHIFT pick this edge
• Pick the Draft icon

• Spin the model and pick the part as shown
Pick this surface

then SHIFT pick
this edge

• Enter < -2 > for the draft angle then pick the checkmark in the dashboard tool

Task 3: Create a split draft feature.
• Open the part called ‘draft-2.prt’

• Pick the part as shown
Pick all the

surfaces around the
outside of the part

• Pick the datum curve that is around the mid-section of the part
• In the dashboard tool, pick here then pick DTM2
• Press and hold the right mouse button and select Split by Draft Hinge in the popup
• In the Split panel of the dashboard tool pick Draft Sides Dependently
• Enter < 10 > for the draft angle
• Pick the checkmark to complete the feature

Task 4: Create draft on the casting part.
• Open the part called ‘casting.prt’

• Pick the four surfaces of the part as shown
Pick these Pick one hidden

three surfaces surface

• Pick the TOP datum plane for the draft hinge
• Press and hold the right mouse button and select Split by Draft Hinge in the popup
• In the Split panel of the dashboard tool pick Draft Sides Dependently

Advanced Rounds
Introduction and Terminology

Many types of rounds can be created. The order in which the rounds are created can produce
differing results in the model. The use of ‘round sets’ and ‘transitions’ is powerful and can
become complex depending on the geometry of the part.
The following terms apply to rounds:

Constant The radius of the round is constant along the selected references.
Variable Radii are specified at endpoints, and optionally at intermediate vertices
and/or datum points along the edges being rounded.
Full Round Replaces a whole surface with a rounded surface. The radius will be
automatically calculated to replace the bounded surface and be tangent to
the adjacent surfaces.
Sets Different types of rounds collected into one feature.
Transitions Transition areas between round sets can be defined using one of several
options.
Trim Stop the round at a specified reference.
Value The dimensional size of the round is controlled by a value.
Reference The dimensional size of the round is controlled by a reference entity.

The Round Tool

The Round Tool is used to create all types of rounds. Select the references for the round before
picking the Round Tool icon, shown above. The right mouse button popup menu has many
different shortcuts during the creation of rounds. The Round Tool is shown below.

popup menu for shortcuts
The Sets panel

contains the references
for the feature, the type
and shape of each set
The references for the

selected set are here
The radius value for

the selected set is here
When using Transitions,

they are listed here
Use the Options panel to

create surface rounds
Done
Pick here to Select the transition Quit
create transitions type here

Round Sets
Rounds can include one or more ‘Round Sets’. Each ‘Set’ may have unique attributes, references
and radius values. Round sets can be used in conjunction with ‘transitions’ to create the required
geometry.
The part shown below is an example of round sets. Three ‘sets’ make up one feature, the ‘full
round’, the ‘constant’ round, and the ‘variable’ round.
Set 1: Full round
Set 2: Variable round
Set 3: Constant round
Rounds have the following options available in the Sets panel of the dashboard tool:
Rolling Ball Create a round that looks like you rolled a ball between the two references.
Norm To Spine Create the round surface by sweeping an arc normal to the selected spine.
Circular The shape of the round is circular.
Conic The shape of the round is a conic.

Transitions
The Transitions panel in the Round Tool allows you to specify how Pro/ENGINEER will
handle the intersection of rounds.
Stop The round will stop at or extend to an intersecting solid surface.

Blend Srfs The round set is blended into the next adjacent round set.
Intersect Srfs The geometry of the round set intersects with the next adjacent round set.
Continue The round set continues into the next adjacent round set.
Corner Sphere Results in a ball shaped corner.
Round Only Sweeps the smallest radius round set along the edge of the largest radius
round set.
Patch The geometry between three converging round sets is created as a patch.
Examples of rounds using Transitions are shown below.
Corner
Sphere
Round Only Intersect

Surfs
Stop
Patch
Blend Surfs
Continue Continue

Tips on Rounds
The following are some tips and techniques when working with rounds:
• Add rounds as late in the design as possible. There are cases where rounds should be
added early, but in general, wait until last to add the rounds.
• Create draft features (Insert, Draft) before creating rounds.
• One way to add additional features to the part and keep the rounds last is to use Insert
Mode and create the features before the rounds in the part.
• To avoid unwanted and unnecessary parent-child relationships, do not dimension to
edges or tangent edges created by rounds.
• Use the ‘def_layer’ config.pro option ‘layer_round_feat’ to automatically create a
layer and assign all round features to that layer as they are created.
• When creating multiple rounds that converge at a corner, the order of creation can
make a big difference. Unfortunately, there are no rules to govern which round to
create first, second, last, etc. Try several combinations if you don’t get the desired
results the first time. The part below is completed using simple rounds without any
transitions.

EXERCISE 8 – ADVANCED ROUNDS
Task 1: Create a full round.
• Open the part called ‘rounds-1.prt’

• Select the two edges shown below
Pick these
two edges
• Press and hold the right mouse button and select Round Edges
• Press and hold the right mouse button and select Full Round

Task 2: Create a round using a vertex.
• Be sure the selection filter is set to Geometry

• Pick the two edges shown below
Pick these
two edges
• Press and hold the right mouse button and select

Round Edges
• Pick Sets in the dashboard tool
• Pick the small pull-down menu as shown here
and select Reference

• Pick this vertex
Task 3: Create a ‘surface to surface’ round.

• Pick the two surfaces shown below
Pick these
surfaces

• Pick the Round icon

• Double pick the dimension and enter < .100 > for the radius value
Task 4: Create another ‘surface to surface’ round.

• Pick the two surfaces shown below
Pick these
surfaces
• Pick the Round icon

• Double pick the dimension and enter < .063 > for the radius value

Task 5: Create a round with multiple sets.
• Open the part called ‘round-sets.prt’

• Be sure the selection filter is set
to Geometry
• Pick these 2 edges
• Press and hold the right mouse
button and select Round Edges
button and select Full Round
• Press and hold the right mouse button and select Add Set
• Pick this edge
• Enter < .930 > for the radius value
button and select Add Set
• Spin the model then pick this edge

• Press and hold the right mouse button and select Make Variable
• Enter < 0 > for the radius value at one end of the edge
• Enter < .750 > for the radius value at the other end
• The result is a single feature that can be easily suppressed. Use Edit Definition to add
more sets or delete existing sets from the feature.

Task 6: Create another round with multiple sets.

• Orient the model using the saved view called ‘bottom_iso’
• Pick the 12 edges inside the bottom cuts as shown
Pick the 4 vertical edges in

each corner of the 3 cutouts
• Pick the 12 edges inside the bottom cuts as shown
Pick the 4 edges around the

bottom of each of the 3 cutouts

• Pick the 2 edges on the corner of the flanges as shown
Pick the vertical edge at

each corner of the flange

• Orient the model using the saved view called ‘front_iso’
• Pick the 2 edges on the top corner of the flanges as shown
Pick the edge at each

corner of the flange


• Pick the edge at the base of the front protrusion as shown
Pick this edge

• Orient the model using the saved view called ‘back_iso’
• Using One By One, pick the 4 edges as shown
Pick these two edges,

and the same two edges on the
opposite side of the part,
be sure to use One By One


Task 7: Create another multiple set round feature.
• Orient the model using the saved view called ‘rear_iso’

• Pick the edge at the base of the ‘V’ notch as shown
Pick this edge
• Orient the model using the saved view called ‘front_iso’
• Pick the edge on the front of the front protrusion as shown
Pick this edge

• Orient the model using the saved view called ‘iso-3’

• Pick the 2 edges as shown below
Pick these two edges


Task 8: Create a sketch.
• Open the part called ‘round-curve.prt’

• Orient the model using the saved view called ‘iso-1’
• Pick the part surface as shown below for the sketch plane, then click the middle
mouse button
Pick this surface for

the sketch plane
• Sketch and dimension as shown below

20.000 10.000
20.000
7.000 20.000 4.000
15.000
• After completing the sketch pick

Task 9: Create a round through the datum curve.

• Pick this edge
• Press and hold the right mouse button and select Through Curve
• Pick the sketch you just created

Task 10: Create a round with a ‘transition’.

• Pick the edge as shown
Pick this edge
• Enter < 1 > for the radius value
• Press and hold the right mouse button and select Show Transitions
• Pick the transition area on the model then press and hold the right mouse button
• Move the mouse back and forth over Blend and Continue in the popup menu
• Select Continue

Task 11: Create another round with a ‘continue’ transition.

• Pick the two edges as shown
Pick these edges
button and select Show
Transitions
• Pick here
button and select Delete
Transition
• Pick here
button and select Delete
Transition

• Pick the two edges of the transition as shown in bold
Pick these edges
• Press and hold the right mouse button and select Make Transition

Task 12: Create a round with a ‘blend’ transition.

• Pick the two edges as shown
Pick these edges
• Pick the transition as shown
Pick this transition
• Press and hold the right mouse button and select Blend


Task 13: Create a round with a ‘stop’ transition.

• Pick the edge as shown in bold

• Delete the two middle transitions using the right mouse button (select the transition
then pick Delete Transition in the popup menu)
• Pick this edge
• Pick this edge
• The result is shown on the next page

Task 14: Create a round with a ‘corner sphere’ transition.

• Pick the edge shown in bold below



• Move the mouse back and forth over the different transitions in the popup menu
• Select Corner Sphere
• Double pick the radius dimension and enter < 1.25 > for the radius of the corner
sphere

This radius is 1.00

This radius is 0.75
The radius of the

sphere is 1.25
This radius is 0.50
Task 15: Redefine the transition to be a ‘patch’ transition.

• Pick the round then pick Edit, Definition
• Select Patch

Task 16: Redefine the transition to be a ‘corner sweep’ transition.

• Pick the round then pick Edit, Definition
• Select Round Only 1
• The results are shown below
Round Only
Corner Sphere Patch

Task 17: Add rounds to the casting part.

• Pick the 16 edges shown in bold in the figure below
Each vertical edge

is actually two
edges because of
the ‘split’ draft
created earlier

Special Features
Introduction
This chapter covers the creation of several miscellaneous features. Each of these features has
unique applications and are often ignored by most users.
Offset
The offset feature offsets surfaces of the part. There are four different types of offsets that can be
created:
Standard For surface modeling only. Offset the selected surface by a specified value.
Only a single surface or quilt can be offset with this option.
With Draft For use on solid parts. Offsets a sketched region of the model, and the side
surfaces are automatically drafted by the system. A positive offset adds
material, a negative offset removes material.
Expand For use on solid parts. The entire surface or a sketched region can be
offset. A positive offset adds material, a negative offset removes material.
Replace For surface modeling only. Replace the selected surface with an existing
quilt or datum plane.
For details about Standard Offset and Offset Replace, read the textbook titled
“Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 2.0 Introduction to Surface Modeling” by this author and publisher.
Examples of Offset With Draft and Offset Expand are shown below.
Offset With Draft Offset Expand

The Offset Tool

The Offset Tool is used to create all types of Offset features. Select at least one surface to offset
or replace before picking Edit, Offset.
The Offset Tool is shown below.
The Options panel

lists several options
for the offset feature
These options change

based on the type of
offset being created
Flip the offset direction here

Standard Offset
Enter the offset distance here
Offset With Draft
Expand Surface
Replace Surface

Offset Expand
When creating the Offset Expand feature, the following controls and options are available:
Normal Offset The selected surfaces are offset normal to themselves.

Translate Offset Translate the selected surfaces a specified distance normal to the sketch
plane (or in a selected direction).
Sketched Region The offset region is defined by a sketch.
Whole Surface Offset entire surfaces.
Normal to Surface The side surfaces of the offset are normal to the original surface (see
below).
Normal to Sketch The side surfaces of the offset are normal to the sketch plane (see below).
Normal to Sketch Normal to Surface
Offset Expand

Offset With Draft

When creating the Offset With Draft feature, the following controls and options are available:
Normal Offset The selected surfaces are offset normal to themselves.

Translate Offset Translate the selected surfaces a specified distance normal to the sketch
plane (or in a selected direction).
Tangent The side surfaces of the offset are tangent to the original surfaces.
Straight The side surfaces of the offset are not tangent to the original surfaces.
Normal to Surface The side surfaces of the offset are normal to the original surface.
Normal to Sketch The side surfaces of the offset are normal to the sketch plane.
Offset With Draft
Straight Side Surfaces Tangent Side Surfaces

Warp
The Warp feature allows solids, surfaces, and curves to be parametrically altered using any
combination of five tools. These five tools are:
Transform Translate, rotate, and scale.
Warp Freeform controls.
Spine Deform all types of surfaces and solid models using a curve.
Stretch Stretch along an axis.
Bend Bend along an axis.
Twist Twist around an axis.
Sculpt Deform a portion of a surface or solid model using a control mesh.
Pick Insert, Warp. The Warp Tool is shown below. Examples of the Warp feature are shown
on the next page.
Sculpt These options change

Twist depending on the tool
selected
Bend
Stretch
Spine
Warp
Transform

Examples of the Warp feature are shown below.
Twist
Rotate
Bend
Stretch
Original Parts Warped Parts

Toroidal Bend
The toroidal bend feature bends the part, in one or two directions at the same time. Both solids
and datum curves can be bent using this feature. Pick Insert, Advanced, Toroidal Bend.
The toroidal bend feature is primarily used for modeling tires. This feature
is created by sketching a profile that defines the cross-section of the bent
tire. Datum curves and solids can be bent using this feature. When creating
a toroidal bend feature, the OPTIONS menu is displayed and has the
following options:
CrvBendContract Datum curves will be contracted radially when

bent. This is the default.
CrvBendExpand Datum curves will not be contracted radially
when bent, meaning they maintain their unbent
length.
CrvFlatContract Datum curves will remain planar and will be
contracted within the neutral plane.
CrvFlatExpand Datum curves will remain planar and be
expanded within the neutral plane.
An example of a toroidal bend is shown below.
Original Part After Adding a Toroidal Bend

Lip
The lip feature is a special type of feature that has a pre-defined section. It is used on mating
parts to create interlocking geometry. The lip is attached to selected edges, and follows the shape
of selected surfaces.
To create a lip, pick Insert, Advanced, Lip. After picking the edge and the surface, the system
prompts for three dimensions as shown. The side of the lip has a draft angle, which is measured
normal to a reference plane.
Offset
Surface to be offset
and reference plane
Draft angle
Distance from edge
Selected edge
Note
The lip feature adds material to the part if the dimension is positive, and
removes material if the dimension is negative.

Ear
The ear feature is a special protrusion that can be bent. This feature is often used in parts with a
‘living hinge’ as shown below. Pick Insert, Advanced, Ear. After sketching the section, the
system prompts for a depth, radius, and angle for the ear as shown below.
There are two types of ear features:

Variable The ear is bent at a specified angle measured from a
surface that is normal to the sketch plane. The
length of the section represents the overall length of
the inside edge including the bend region.
90 Deg Tab The ear is bent at 90º.
Facts About Ear Features

• The sketch plane must be normal to the surface to which the ear will be attached.
• The sketch must be open.
• The sketch entities that align to the surface of the part must be:
• Parallel to each other.
Depth
• Perpendicular to the alignment surface.
• Long enough to create the bend.
Radius
Angle
The ear feature is

used to create a
living hinge

Local Push
The local push feature adds an area of deformation to the part. Only rectangular and/or circular
sections can be sketched. After sketching the section, select the surface of the part to be deformed
by the push. The system creates the feature using a default depth, which can be edited after the
feature is completed. The depth can be positive, which adds material, or negative, which removes
material from the model.
An example of the local push feature is shown below.
Radius Dome
The radius dome feature also adds an area of deformation to the part. After selecting the surface
of the part to be deformed by the dome and a reference plane, the system prompts for a radius
value. The system creates the feature using a default offset distance, which can be edited after the
feature is completed.
Two examples of the radius dome feature are shown below.

EXERCISE 9 – SPECIAL FEATURES
Task 1: Create a lip feature.
• Open the part called ‘lip.prt’

• Pick Insert, Advanced, Lip, Chain then pick this edge then pick Done
• Pick this surface
• Enter < 1.50 > for the offset value, then enter < .75 > for the distance from the edge to
the draft surface
• Pick the same surface again (as shown above) for the drafting reference plane
• Enter < 3 > for the draft angle

Task 2: Create an ear feature.
• Open the part called ‘ear.prt’

• Pick Insert, Advanced, Ear
• Pick Variable, Done
• Pick this surface of the part for the sketch plane
• Click the middle mouse button twice
0.100
0.3215
• Pick the checkmark

• Enter < .031 > for the depth
• Enter < .015 > for the bend radius
• Enter < 20 > for the bend angle
• Complete the part as shown on page 170
• Be sure all subsequent features reference the Ear feature

Task 3: Create an ‘offset expand’ feature.
• Open the part called ‘offset.prt’

• Pick the four surfaces shown below
Pick these four surfaces
• Pick Edit, Offset

• In the Options panel of the dashboard tool, pick Sketched Region as shown below
• In the Options panel of the dashboard tool, pick Define as shown below
In the Options panel, pick

Sketched Region and Define

• Pick DTM2 for the sketch plane, then click the middle mouse button
12.000 40.000
15.000

• Enter < 2 > for the offset value in the dashboard tool

Task 4: Edit the depth of the offset feature.

• Pick the Offset feature then pick Edit in the right mouse button popup menu
• Double pick the 2.000 dimension for the depth of the offset, enter < -2 >
Note
When the depth dimension is changed to negative, the Offset feature

removes material from the part.

Task 5: Create a local push feature.
• Open the part called ‘local-push.prt’

• Pick Insert, Advanced, Local Push
• Pick the top surface of the part then pick Default
• Sketch and dimension a rectangle as shown
42.500
85.000 65.000
130.000

• Select the top surface of the part for the surface to be affected by the push
• Shade and spin the model
• Pick the local push feature then pick Edit in the right mouse button popup menu
• Double pick the height dimension and enter < 50 > then pick Edit, Regenerate
• The part is shown below

Task 6: Create a warp feature.
• Open the part called ‘warp-1.prt’

• Pick Insert, Warp
• Pick the part anywhere in the graphics window then pick OK
• Pick the default coordinate system in the model tree
• In the dashboard tool, pick the Twist icon
• In the dashboard tool, pick here one time

• Enter < 90 > here

Task 7: Create another warp feature.
• Open the part called ‘warp-2.prt’

• Pick Insert, Warp
• Pick the part anywhere in the graphics window then pick OK
• Pick the default coordinate system in the model tree
• In the dashboard tool, pick the Bend icon
• In the dashboard tool, pick here two times

• Enter < 90 > here

Task 8: Create a toroidal bend feature.
• Open the part called ‘tire-1.prt’

• Pick Insert, Advanced, Toroidal Bend
• Pick 360, Both Sides, Done
• Pick the top of the part where the tread is, and also pick the datum curve (in the model
tree), then pick OK, Done
• Pick RIGHT for the sketch plane and pick Okay for the direction
• Pick Top then pick TOP
• Start with a vertical centerline as shown below
5.000
0.750 2.250
Add a sketcher coordinate

system aligned to the centerline
and the bottom of the part
• Add a sketcher coordinate system as shown above



• Pick the two small end surfaces of the part as shown (zoom in first)
Pick this small surface

and the same surface at the
opposite end of the part
• Wait, wait, wait…

• After the system finishes creating the toroidal bend, pick the original datum curve text
then pick Hide in the right mouse button popup menu
• Pick View, Visibility, Save Status


Section 3


Parameters and Relations
Introduction
Pro/ENGINEER is a parametric modeling system. Parameters are created by the system as
features are created, for items such as dimensions and tolerances. The user can create additional
parameters for items such as material, finish, and any other design criteria. Each parameter has a
name and a corresponding value. Pick Info, Switch Dimensions to toggle the display of
dimensions between the names and the values.
Parameters can be related to each other using Relations. Relations are algebraic expressions that
are created in the model similar to a small computer program.
Examples of Parameters and Relations are shown below.
Name Value d1 = d2 + d7 + d8
MATERIAL STEEL
d3 = d4 + 1.25
FINISH GOLD PLATING
CLASS A d12 = SPACING
CIRCUITS 25
SPACING 12.250 d6 = CIRCUITS / 2
CUSTOMER NASA
if d2 = = 10
SHIELD YES d3 = 2.5
BASE NO endif
Parameters Relations
The Parameters and Relations commands are found in the Tools menu as shown below.
Parameters and Relations

are in the Tools menu

Parameters
There are two main categories of parameters, ‘system’ parameters and ‘user’ parameters.
System Parameters
System parameters are created automatically by the system and include dimensions, tolerances,
and the number of instances in a pattern. Dimensions have names assigned by the system such as
d0, d1, and d2. Tolerances have names such as tpm0, tpm1, etc. Pattern instance parameters are
named p0, p1, p2, and so on.
Reserved Parameters
There are several system parameters that are reserved and cannot be changed:
• G is set to 32.2 or 9.81 (gravity) for inch and
metric models respectively.
• PI (π) is set to 3.14159.
• C1, C2, C3, and C4 are reserved for the system.
User Parameters
User parameters are created and modified using the Parameters dialog box. To access this dialog
box, pick Tools, Parameters. There are four types of user parameters:
Integer A numeric value, such as 10 or 25, whole numbers only.

Real Number A numeric value, such as 10 or 25.125. Decimal points are allowed.
String A descriptive text string, such as material or finish. Spaces are allowed.
Yes No A Yes or No value. On drawings these can be displayed as true/false or
yes/no.
Parameter Access
User parameters have several different access levels that can be applied to them. These include:
• Full
• Locked
• Unlocked
• Restricted

The Parameters Dialog Box
The Parameters dialog is shown below and is used to:
• Select the type of parameters to work with: Assembly, Part, Feature, etc.
• Create and delete parameters.
• Modify parameter values by typing in the appropriate cell of the dialog box.
• Designate parameters for use with Pro/INTRALINK by adding the appropriate
checkmark in the Designate column.
• Set the desired access for each parameter.
• Set the desired units for each parameter.
• Alter the mass properties of the model.
• Add descriptions to and sort the parameters.
The type of parameter

is chosen here
The current object is

listed here
Sort the parameters by

selecting here
The parameters are

listed here
Set the units here
Add and delete

parameters here

The Parameters Dialog Box (continued)

In the Parameters dialog box, use the Look In pull down menu to select the location of the
parameters you want to work with. Parameter locations include Part, Assembly, Feature, Edge,
and many others.
At the bottom of the dialog box, set the class of parameters for the dialog box. Parameter classes
include Main, Alternate Mass Properties, and Reported Mass Properties. Main is the default,
and lists the user parameters. Use the Alternate Mass Properties to override the mass property
values calculated by the system. Use Reported Mass Properties to access the system parameters
created during mass property calculations. Model mass properties are calculated using Analysis,
Model Analysis.
The Parameters dialog box is shown below.
Set the units of the parameters here

Enter a description for the parameters here
Select the access for the parameters here
Use this pull down

menu to select the
type of parameter you
want to work with
Use this pull down menu to set

the class of parameters being
displayed in the dialog box

Relations
Relations are algebraic expressions that relate dimensions and/or other parameters in a part or
assembly model. Relations are a way to capture and document the design intent of the model.
There are four different locations where relations can be created: Parts, Assemblies, Features,
and Patterns.
Part Relations
Part relations are created in part models to relate feature dimensions and/or parameters. By
default, part relations are evaluated at the beginning of regeneration of the model. The example
shown below is a typical relation created so the width (d3) is equal to twice the height (d4). Only
the d4 dimension can be modified. The d3 dimension cannot be directly modified, it is controlled
by the d4 dimension through the relation.
d4 d3 = d4 * 2
Part Relation
d3
Assembly Relations
Assembly relations are created in assembly models to relate component dimensions and/or
parameters to each other. By default, assembly relations are evaluated at the beginning of
regeneration of the model. In the example assembly shown below, a relation is written to keep
the size of the hole for the battery equal to the size of the battery plus some clearance.
d21:2 d3:6
d21:2 = d3:6 + 0.50

Assembly Relation

Feature Relations
Feature relations, also called Sketcher relations, are created in the sketcher to relate sketch
dimensions to each other and/or to parameters in the part. These are similar to part relations, but
are evaluated when the feature regenerates.
sd4 sd3 = sd4 * 2

Feature Relation
sd3
Pattern Relations
Pattern relations are created to relate special system parameters for patterns. This allows features
to be patterned using equations similar to a small computer program. An example of a part using
pattern relations is shown below.
if (-1)^idx1 = = –1
memb_v = .191
else
memb_v = .303
endif
Pattern Relations
Relation Comments
Relations can include ‘comment lines’ to describe the purpose for the relation. The comment line
must precede the relation line and begin with these characters: /*
/* This sets the hole diameter to the battery diameter.

d21:2 = d3:6 + 0.50
Relation With Comments

Equality and Constraint Relations

Equality relations are used to set a parameter equal to another parameter or expression, for
example:
d4 = d12
d6 = 0.250
rounds = no
material = “Steel”
Constraint relations can be used to limit design constraints, for example:
d8 < = 2.54 (the ‘d8’ dimension cannot be more than 2.54)

d3 > 5 (the d3 dimension must be greater than 5)
If a parameter is set to a value that violates a constraint relation, the Information window is
presented. The user can Close the window and continue to modify the parameter in violation of
the relation. The constraint relation will only warn of the violation, it cannot prevent the change
from occurring.
The constraint The parameter The attempted

relation being violated value for the
parameter

The Relations Dialog Box

The Relations dialog box is shown below and is used to:
• Select the type of relations to work with: Assembly, Part, Feature, Pattern, etc.
• Determine when the relations are evaluated by the system.
• Add and edit relations in the dialog box.
Select the type of

relations here
Add and edit the

relations here
Pick here to access

the Parameters
Determine when
the relations are
evaluated here

The Relations Dialog Box (continued)

The Relations dialog box contains many unique icons as shown below.
Switch dims Verify the relations

Evaluate expressions Sort the relations
Highlight dimensions Insert units from a list
Make the relations unit sensitive Insert parameters from a list
Insert system functions from a list

The Relations Dialog Box (continued)
Pick the icon to access the Evaluate Expression dialog box as shown below.
Enter the expression here
Pick Evaluate
Pick the icon to access the Show Dimension dialog box as shown below.
Enter the symbolic name

of the dimension you are
looking for here
then pick OK
Pick the icon to add system functions to the relations from a list as shown below.
Pick the desired function

then pick Close

Functions and Operators in Relations

The following arithmetic operators are valid in relations.
+ Addition
- Subtraction
/ Division
* Multiplication
^ Exponentiation
( ) Use parentheses for grouping
The following comparison operators are valid in ‘if’ statements:
== Equal to
!= Not equal to
~= Not equal to
> Greater than
< Less than
>= Greater than or equal to
<= Less than or equal to
| Or
& And
~ Not
! Not
The following mathematical functions may be used in relations:
sin Sine function

cos Cosine function
tan Tangent function
asin Arc sin function
acos Arc cos function
atan Arc tan function
sinh Hyperbolic sine function
cosh Hyperbolic cosine function
tanh Hyperbolic tangent function
sqrt Square root
log Base 10 log function
ln Natural log function
exp e to an exponential degree
ceil Ceiling: the next higher integer
floor Floor: the next lower integer

Mass Properties Functions

Mass properties can be calculated through relations using the following functions:
mp_mass (path) For mass

mp_volume (path) For volume
mp_surf_area (path) For surface area
mp_cg_x (path, coord_sys, path) For the X-coordinate of center gravity
mp_cg_y (path, coord_sys,path) For the Y-coordinate of center gravity
mp_cg_z (path, coord_sys, path) For the Z-coordinate of center gravity where:
path Is the path to the component. The path can be specified
using component ID’s or names with the appropriate
extension. Each component in the path is separated by
the colon “:” For example, you could enter
< “cap.asm:plate.prt” > or < “20:20:24” >. The second
method is required when more than one part with the
same name is included in the assembly. If you access
relations while in the same part (or assembly) for which
you want to calculate mass properties, you do not need
to enter the path. To specify the current part, enter <“”>.
coord_sys The coordinate system that will be used to calculate the
center of gravity. Enter the name of the coordinate
system, for example < “ACS0” >
path, coord_sys, path Three arguments required to calculate the center of
gravity. Arguments are separated by commas; each
argument is enclosed in double quotes.
To show the mass properties such as weight, volume, and surface area on a Pro/ENGINEER
drawing, create relations as shown below. In the drawing, include the text ‘&param_name’ in a
note to show the value of the parameter.
Part Relation Drawing Note

volume = mp_volume(“”) The volume of the part is &volume.
weight = mp_mass(“”) The weight of the part is &weight.
area = mp_surf_area(“”) The total surface area of the part is &area.

Logic Statements
Logic statements can be included in relations. Parameter values can be tested and the system can
perform actions based on the results of the test. Some examples are shown.
if d2 > = 5 Test to see if d2 is greater than or equal to 5
d6 = 90
else If it is, set d6 to 90
d6 = 45
endif If d2 is less than 5, set d6 to 45
if material = = “Brass”
d24 = .125 When testing for a string parameter,
endif include it in double quotes
if material = = “Steel”
d24 = .100
endif
Motion
If the design has moving parts, you can include this motion as part of the design intent. Using
relations, any part can be programmed to move during regeneration of the part. Any type of
motion can be created using relations. The following relations can be used to animate the
oscillating motion of an air cylinder.
max = 75
min = 15 These relations cause oscillating motion
incr = 5 between the max and min values
if d7 > = max
$dir = -1 Each regeneration causes the air
endif cylinder to move by one increment.
if d7 < = min
$dir = 1 Multiple regenerations cause
endif oscillating motion between
d7 = d7 + (incr * $dir ) the max and min values.
d7

Solving Simultaneous Equations

In some cases, it may not be possible or convenient to get the desired relation setup so that only
the driven dimension is on the left side of the equation. In such cases, relations can be written so
that the system will solve simultaneous equations to obtain the desired variables.
When writing simultaneous equations to be solved, add ‘solve’ into the relations on one line.
Add the desired equations on the following lines, and end the set of equations with “for” and the
desired variables. The system will evaluate the equations and return the values.
For example, the volume and depth of a rectangular solid are to remain constant, and the width is
to be twice the height. Create parameters for height, width, depth, and volume, and assign a value
to each, then add the relations as shown below. The system will assign a new value to height and
width parameters and adjust the size of the part accordingly.
Parameters: Relations:
height = 1 solve
width = 2 volume = height * width * depth
depth = 3 width = 2 * height
volume = 50 for height, width
d3 = height
d5 = width
d4 = depth
Solution:
depth = 3.00000
volume = 50.00000
height = 2.88675
width = 5.77350

EXERCISE 10 – PARAMETERS AND RELATIONS
Task 1: Create a parameter.

• Add a parameter to control the number of positions by picking Tools, Parameters
• Pick the ‘+ sign’ as shown below
• Enter < posn > for the name of the parameter as shown below
• Select Real Number for the parameter type as shown below
• Enter < 15 > for the parameter value as shown below
Pick the ‘+’ sign Pick Real Number
Enter < posn > Enter < 15 >

Task 2: Investigate the part.
• In the model tree, scroll down to feature

number 36, and pick the ‘plus sign’ next to
‘Pattern 1’
• Press and hold the right mouse button on
top of the first axis listed in the pattern
• Select Edit in the popup menu as shown
Expand this pattern
Pick Edit in the popup menu
• Pick Info, Switch Dimensions in the top

menubar (not in the popup menu)
• Write down the p#’s of the pattern
(something like p573) as shown
p573 DATUM AXES

• Orient the model as shown below

• Repeat the steps on the previous page for the two patterns shown below
The long retainer cut pattern
The short retainer cut pattern
• You should now have the three p#’s needed to write the relations
Axis pattern ________
Short row retainer pattern ________
Long row retainer pattern ________
• Please turn the page

Task 3: Add the relations.
• Pick Tools, Relations then enter the following relations and comments:
/* Test to be sure the position parameter is ‘odd’

if (-1)^posn == 1
posn = posn+1
endif
/* Set up the ‘key’ parameter based on number of positions
key = (( posn - 1) * .05435 )
/* Set the main pattern of axes to the number of positions
p3 = posn
Your p#’s will /* Set the pattern for the short retainer cuts
be different p4 = ceil ( posn / 2 )
Substitute /* Set the pattern for the long retainer cuts
your p#’s here p5 = floor ( posn / 2 )
/* Set the overall length of the part
D6 = key + .7856
/* Set the position of the right mounting holes
D52 = ( key / 2 ) + .2738
/* Set the position of the left mounting holes
D36 = ( key / 2 ) + .2738
/* Set the size of the ‘D-sub’
D11 = key + .1616
/* Set the size of the back body
D18 = key + .1856
/* Set the size of the center bottom cut
D106 = ( key - .080 ) / 3
/* Set the size of the right/left bottom cuts
D113 = ( key - .080 ) / 3
/* Set the position of the first pin retainer cut
D125 = key / 2
/* Set the position of the leader axis
D154 = key / 2

• Save the part

Task 4: Test the relations by modifying the position parameter.
• Pick Tools, Parameters

• Change the POSN parameter to < 9 > then pick OK in the Parameters dialog box
• Pick Edit, Regenerate to update the part


• Pick Edit, Regenerate to update the part, is there 12 or 13 axes? Why?


Task 5: Add oscillating motion to the clamp part.
• Open the part called ‘clamp_skeleton.prt’

• Pick Tools, Relations and enter the following:
incr = 0.050
max = 3.000 These relations actually create parameters
min = 2.125
$dir = 1 Be sure to include the $ sign

• Save the part
• Pick Tools, Relations again
• Remove the following line from the relations:
$dir = 1
• Save the part
• Pick Tools, Relations again and add a blank line (click at the bottom of the relations
then press enter)
• Enter < if > (don’t include the < > symbols, but include a space after the ‘ if ’ )
• Select the datum curve as shown then pick this dimension

• Click in the Relations dialog box and complete the relations as shown below
if d5 >= max
$dir = –1
endif Use your ‘d#’
if d5 <= min (it may not be ‘d5’)
$dir = 1
endif
d5 = d5 + ( incr * $dir )

• Save the part
Task 6: Create a datum curve.
• Create a sketch feature, use FRONT for the sketch plane, sketch a circle centered on
the datum planes, with a diameter of < 8 >
• This is used to ‘fit’ the datum planes during regeneration
Task 7: Test the relations by regenerating the part continuously.
• Create a new mapkey to regenerate the part about 20 times

• When this mapkey is run, the clamp is set into motion
• To get maximum speed out of your computer, do the following:
• Turn off the display of the datum planes, axes, points, and coordinate systems
• Set the display to wireframe
• Now run the mapkey to animate the part

Task 8: Add motion to the motor skeleton part.
• Open the part called ‘motor_skeleton.prt’

• Pick Tools, Relations then type < incr = 30 > then press enter (don’t include the < >)
• Type < if > (don’t include the < > symbols, but include a space after the ‘ if ’ )
• Select the datum curve as shown then pick this dimension
• Click in the Relations dialog box and complete the relations as shown below
incr = 30
if d7 = = 360 – incr
d7 = 0
else Use your ‘d#’ (it may not be ‘d7’)
d7 = d7 + incr
endif

• Pick the Regenerate icon several times
• Each time the part is regenerated, the motor will index by 30°
• Add a sketched circle on the FRONT datum plane with a diameter of 5.000

Task 9: Add motion to the clock skeleton part.
• Open the part called ‘clock_skeleton.prt’

• Create a new parameter called ‘minute’ and set the value to ‘10’
• Pick OK in the Parameters dialog box
• Double pick the datum curve to get the dimension values to display
• Pick Tools, Relations
• Enter the following relations (use your d#’s)
/* Each minute is 6 degrees of a full circle d4
incr_1 = minute * 6
/* The hour hand rotates 1/12 of the minute hand d3
incr_2 = incr_1 / 12
if d3 >= 360 - incr_2
d3 = 0
else
d3 = d3 + incr_2
endif
if d4 >= 360 - incr_1
d4 = 0
else
d4 = d4 + incr_1
endif

• Each time the part is regenerated, the clock will index by 10 minutes
• Change the minute parameter to several other values and test the clock’s motion for
each new value
• If you have ‘time’, add a ‘second hand’ to the skeleton and make it move properly!

Task 10: Use an evaluate feature in a relation.
• Open the assembly called ‘profile_station.asm’

• In the model tree, pick the feature called ‘Evaluate’ then pick Info, Feature in the
right mouse button popup menu
• Read the information then dismiss the browser window
• Double pick here
d2:4
d1:4
d0:4
• Pick Info, Switch Dimensions and write down this dimensions d#

/* Set the thickness of the center plate to be equal to
/* the space allowed for it, minus 0.002 for clearance
d0:4 = thickness:FID_evaluate - 0.002 ( use your d#, it may not be d0:4 )

• Modify the parameter called ‘Spacers’, enter < 25 > for the value
• Regenerate the assembly twice
• Does the center plate update?

Task 11: Solve simultaneous equations in a part.
• Open the part called ‘figure.prt’
height
depth
width
• Pick Tools, Parameters and create four ‘Real Number’ parameters as shown
Name Value
HEIGHT 1.000
WIDTH 2.000
DEPTH 1.000
VOLUME 2.000


solve
volume = height * width * depth
width = 2 * height
for height, width
d0 = height
d1 = width
d2 = depth

Task 12: Test the relations by modifying the volume and depth parameters.

• Change the VOLUME parameter to < 200 > then pick OK in the Parameters dialog
box
• Change the VOLUME parameter to < 25 > then pick OK in the Parameters dialog
box
• Change the DEPTH parameter to < 2.5 > then pick OK in the Parameters dialog box

Task 13: Create relations that are evaluated after the regeneration of the model.

• This part has an analysis feature that was created in Exercise 1 of this textbook
• In the Relations dialog box, pick Post Regeneration as shown
PVOL = VOLUME:FID_ANALYSIS1
PSA = SURF_AREA:FID_ANALYSIS1
PWT = MASS:FID_ANALYSIS1
• Enter the relations as shown


Task 14: Add parametric notes to a drawing.
• Open the drawing called ‘4455-005.drw’

• Pick Insert, Note
• Pick Make Note then pick a location for the note
• Type each line then press ‘enter’ after each line:
THE VOLUME OF THE PART IS &PVOL.
THE SURFACE AREA OF THE PART IS &PSA.
THE WEIGHT OF THE PART IS &PWT.
• Press ‘enter’ again then pick Done/Return

• Look at the values of each parameter in the note
• Modify the 52.00 dimension, change the value to 62
• Pick Edit, Regenerate, Model
• Do the three notes update automatically?
• Save the drawing and Close the window

Family Tables
Introduction
Many products belong to product families. Parts may vary in size or by number of features. Some
may vary by having different feature configurations. In Pro/ENGINEER, ‘family tables’ are used
to build families of parts from one ‘generic’ part. The parts shown below are ‘instances’ of a
generic part with a family table.
Families of assemblies are created by including family table driven component parts in the
assembly family table. The assemblies shown below are members of a family and are controlled
by one ‘generic’ assembly.

Another example of family tables is the ‘progression’ of a sheetmetal part through a stamping die
in manufacturing. The assembly shown below is a series of ‘instances’ of the same generic
sheetmetal part used in designing the stamping die. Each instance has the appropriate bends and
unbends included in the part through the use of a family table.
The Family Table Editor

In parts and assemblies, pick Tools, Family Table to work with family tables. The Family
Table editor is shown below.

Creating Generic Models

Any part or assembly can be a ‘generic’ model. A generic is a master part for a family, it contains
the entire definition of the family. It is often necessary to create a feature, add it to the family
table, and then suppress the feature in the generic model. The feature is not suppressed in any
instance where that feature is marked ‘Y’ in the table, despite being suppressed in the generic.
This allows the generic model to contain the entire definition for each instance. The generic
model is used to build the family, and should not be used as a ‘saleable’ part itself.
Creating a New Family Table

To create a new family table in a model, pick Tools, Family Table. The Family Table editor is
displayed as shown below. The editor contains simple instructions for adding items and
instances. Pick as shown below to add items to the table.
Pick Tools, Family Table
Pick here to add items

to the family table

Adding Items to the Family Table

Dimensions, parameters, and features can be added to part family tables. In addition to these,
components can also be added to assembly family tables. Pick the icon shown above in the
Family Table editor.
When the table

Current items
is large, use
in the table are
these filters to
listed here
see only the
selected items
Pick the + sign

to add items
Pick the – sign

to remove the
selected item
from the table
Select the
appropriate
item type here
Naming Items in the Family Table

Dimensions and features that are added to family tables should be ‘named’. This is done so that
when the table is edited, it is easy to understand what dimensions and features are tabulated. To
name a feature, triple pick the feature name in the model tree, then enter a new name. To ‘name’
a dimension, use the Dimension Properties dialog box.

Adding Instances to the Family Table

After adding the appropriate items to the table, instances are added as shown below. When
entering values in the cells, a small pull-down menu is available with Y, N, and * for easy
picking. Using the * character means the instance is using the same value as the generic model.
Do not press ‘enter’ when the cursor is in the bottom row of instances unless you want to add
another instance.
To delete a row from the table, select any cell in the row then pick Edit, Delete Rows, Yes.
Pick here to add

a new instance
When entering values,

use the pull-down menu
for Y, N and *

Working with the Family Table Editor

The figure shown below describes the basic functions of the Family Table editor.
Add Item Search for instances

Add Instance Preview instances
Patternize Lock/unlock
Paste Verify instances
Copy Edit with Excel
Cut
This instance is locked Pick Open to open

the selected instance
This is a comment row into session

The Family Table editor includes a menubar with several options. Pick File to import and export
family table files. Pick Edit to access many functions as shown below.
Pick Edit, Copy

Instance to Generic
to make the selected
instance the generic
Pick here to swap

column locations
Hide and unhide
Pick here to search

for instances
Pick here to
highlight the
selected dimension
or feature

Adding Comment Rows

To add comments to the family table, pick an instance then select Insert, Comment Row. The
comment row is inserted below the selected instance.
To add a comment row to

a family table, pick an
instance then select
Insert, Comment Row
The comment row is

below the instance

Using Negative Values in Family Tables

Sometimes it is necessary to enter a negative value for a dimension or parameter into a family
table cell. When this is done, the system issues the following choices:
Read the message
Pick here to allow the feature

to flip during each
regeneration
Pick here to add ‘$’ to the

table and keep the value
negative during regeneration
The Family Table shows the ‘$’ character in the header of the column preceding the name of the
appropriate dimension or parameter and allows the negative sign here.

Preview Instances
After completing the table, instances can be previewed before loading into session. Pick as
shown below to preview the selected instance. The Preview window is shown below.
Pick an instance
then pick here
to preview the
instance

Verify Instances
The Verify command opens the selected instances into session and regenerates them to be sure
they create a valid model. Pro/INTRALINK users must Verify all family table instances before
‘checking in’ the generic model.
When using the Verify command, the Family Tree dialog box is used to select the instances to
be verified. The Family Tree dialog box can be used to show the family table and verify
instances as shown below.
After selecting
instances, pick Edit,
Show Table
Select the instances to

be verified, use Shift or
Ctrl as needed to select
from the list
Verification status
Arrow indicates
instance being verified
Pick Verify to verify

the selected instances
Note
Pro/INTRALINK users must Verify all family table instances before

‘checking in’ the generic model.

Nested Family Tables

A ‘nested’ family table is when an instance of a family contains another family table. This is
accomplished by creating a family table in a model, opening an instance of the family, and then
creating another family table inside the instance. Standard hardware such as nuts and bolts are
good candidates for nested family tables.
To create a family table in an instance, pick the instance then pick Insert, Instance-Level Table.
Use the Look In pull-down menu to switch between the main family table and the nested ones.
This instance has a family table in it

Reference Models
Reference models used for Merge, Cut Out,
Inheritance, and Copy Geom features can be
added to family tables. Reference parts used for
Form features in sheetmetal parts can also be
added to the family table. Instances of the part can
reference instances of the reference model’s
family table. This allows a family table driven
casting and family table driven machined part
combination as shown below.
Use Ref Model or Merge Part
Merge Reference
Generic Casting Part Generic Machined Part

cast-instance-1 mach-instance-1
cast-instance-2 mach-instance-2
cast-instance-3
cast-instance-4
cast-instance-5
Each instance in the machined

part may reference a different
instance in the casting part.

Assembly Family Tables

When creating assembly families, the generic components should be assembled in the generic
assembly. In the family table of the assembly, add the instance names of the components in the
appropriate cells as shown below.
In assembly family tables,

add the instance names of
the components in the
appropriate cells
Family Table Driven Assembly

Assembly Instance Configurator

When using family tables in assemblies, tools are available to replace components in assembly
instances. Pick Tools, Configure Assembly Components in the Family Table editor to access
the Assembly Instance Configurator dialog box as shown below.
Pick Tools, Configure

Assembly Components
The Assembly Instance

Configurator shows the
replacement status for
each component of the
assembly
Pick here to replace the

selected instance with a
different instance of the
same generic part

Patternize Instances
The Patternize Instance dialog box is used to ‘pattern’ instances in a family table. One and two
direction patterns can be created, meaning one or two groups of instances are created. Each
direction may contain multiple dimensions, each with a unique increment value.
To patternize an instance, pick the instance first, then pick the patternize icon shown above or
pick Edit, Copy With Increments.
The Patternize Instance dialog box is shown below.

Using Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Excel may be used to edit family tables. Pick the icon shown above or pick File, Edit
with Excel to edit the existing family table with MS Excel.
After completing the table in Excel, pick File, Update Pro/E as shown below.
In Microsoft Excel, pick

File, Update Pro/E …
Then pick File, Exit to return

to the Pro/ENGINEER
family table editor

Instance Index Files

The system creates an ‘instance index’ file (*.idx) for each directory or folder that contains
family table driven models. This file is used by the system to allow direct retrieval of instances
without first opening the generic model to get the list of instances.
Pick File, Instance Operations, Update Index to update the instance index file for the current
working directory. The name of the index file uses the name of the folder and add the .idx file
extension. An example instance index file is shown below.
Pick File, Instance

Operations, Update Index to
update the instance index file in
the current working directory
Instance names are

listed here
INST_IDX 9 Generic model names

2 4455-002-1 4455-002 are listed here
2 4455-002-2 4455-002
2 4455-002-3 4455-002
2 4455-007-1 4455-007
2 4455-007-2 4455-007
2 8855-072-1 8855-072
2 8855-072-2 8855-072
2 8855-072-3 8855-072
2 8855-072-4 8855-072
INST_IDX 9
Family Table Instance Index File

for one specific folder

Instance Accelerator Files

‘Instance accelerator’ files are used by the system to allow direct retrieval of instances without
opening the generic into session and without regenerating the instance. Accelerator files, as their
name imply, will speed up retrieval time and are thus recommended. The creation of instance
accelerator files is turned off by default. Each instance of a generic model has an associated
accelerator file using .xas or .xpr file extensions as shown below. Do not delete these files!
Generic Model Instance Name Accelerator File Name

12-872654.ASM 12-872654-1 12-872654-1.XAS
12-872654-2 12-872654-2.XAS Assembly instance
12-872654-3 12-872654-3.XAS accelerator files
12-872662.PRT 12-872662-1 12-872654-1.XPR end in .xas
12-872662-2 12-872654-1.XPR
12-872662-3 12-872654-1.XPR Parts end in .xpr
Pick File, Instance Operations, Accelerator Options to access the Instance Accelerator dialog
box. This dialog box is used to set the accelerator options for the current model as shown below.
None Do not create accelerator files

for the current model.
Always Create accelerator files when
the instances are opened into
session or verified.
Explicit Create accelerator files only
when instances are explicitly
saved using File, Save.
Update Re-create accelerator files for
all instances of the current
generic model that are ‘in session’.
Purge Check the accelerator files in the current working directory and remove
any that are invalid or no longer needed.
The config.pro option called ‘save_instance_accelerator’ controls this behavior, and can be set to
‘none’, ‘always’, or ‘explicit’ as described above. Using this option set to ‘always’ is
recommended as shown below.
save_instance_accelerator always Set this config option for

maximum productivity

Replacing Components in an Assembly

Family table driven models included in an assembly can be automatically replaced with any other
instance of the same generic model. In the assembly, pick the component then pick Edit,
Replace. The system will display the Replace Component dialog box as shown below. Pick By
Family Table Member then pick Browse. The Family Tree dialog box is displayed next, select
the instance name to replace the original model then pick OK.
Pick Family Table

then pick here
Pick the replacement

instance name
then pick OK
In the figure below, the bolt is replaced with a longer instance of the same generic part using this
technique.

Drawings and Family Tables

Creating detail drawings of each instance in a family of parts is accomplished by following this
procedure:
1. Complete a drawing of the largest or most complex instance, or the generic model.
2. Use the ‘File, Save a Copy’ command on the drawing.
3. Open the new drawing.
4. Pick File, Properties, Drawing Models, Replace.
5. Pick the new instance name.
6. Save the drawing.
7. Repeat steps 2 through 6 for each instance in the family requiring a drawing.
Pro/REPORT is used to display the contents of family tables on detail drawings. Drawing tables
containing ‘repeat regions’ and ‘report symbols’ are used to accomplish this task. See
“Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 2.0 Detail Drawings and Pro/REPORT” by this author and
publisher for more information about these topics.
Tips for using Family Tables
The following are good things to remember when using family tables:
• Assign meaningful names to features that are or will be in a family table.
• Assign meaningful symbols to dimensions that are or will be added to a family table.
• All instance names must be unique.
• When using negative values in cells of family tables, add ‘$’ preceding the dimension
symbol or parameter name in the table (the system adds this for you, see page 221).
• Features created in instances are automatically added to the family table and are
suppressed in the generic model.
• Users using Pro/INTRALINK must Verify all family table instances before ‘checking
in’ the generic model.

EXERCISE 11 - FAMILY TABLES
Task 1: Create a family table in the housing part.

• Pick Tools, Family Table
• Pick the Add Column icon in the Family Table editor
• Pick the Parameter button in the dialog box
• Pick these parameters: MATERIAL, SHIELDED, POSN then pick Insert Selected
• Pick Cancel
• Pick the Dimension button in the dialog box
• Pick the hole then the diameter dimension of the hole as shown below then pick OK
Pick this hole then

pick this dimension
• Pick the Feature button in the dialog box

• Pick the CADQUEST logo then pick OK
• Pick OK

• Pick the Add Instance icon and add four instances to the table as shown below
• Edit the table as shown – your columns may be in a different order than the figure
• After completing the table, pick OK in the Family Table editor

• Pick an instance name then pick the Open icon in the Family Table editor
• Pick Window, Close then pick Window, Activate in the generic model
• Open each instance just to check them
• Save the generic part and Close the window

Task 2: Create a family table in a reference part.
• Open the part called ‘shell-form.prt’

• Pick the Add Column icon in the Family Table editor, then pick the Dimension
button
• Pick the ‘D’ shaped protrusion and then its length dimension as shown below
Pick here then pick

this dimension
• Pick OK
• Add four instances and fill in the cells of the table as shown below


Task 3: Create a family table in a sheetmetal part.
• Open the part called ‘shell.prt’

• Pick the Merge Part button in the dialog box
• Add a checkmark next to SHELL-FORM then pick OK
• Pick the Dimension button in the dialog box
• In the model tree, pick the FIRST WALL then pick the 1.547 dimension
• In the model tree, pick DTM7 then pick the .645 dimension
• Pick OK
• Add four instances and fill in the cells of the table as shown below


Task 4: Create a family table in an assembly.
• Open the assembly called ‘connector.asm’

• Pick the Component button
• In the model tree pick HOUSING.PRT and SHELL.PRT then pick OK
• Add four instances to the table as shown below
• Complete the table as shown below

• Pick OK in the Family Table editor
• Save the generic assembly and Close the window

Task 5: Create a family of parts from a generic part.
• Open the part called ‘minidin.prt’

• Pick the Parameter button in the dialog box
• Pick the parameter called PIN then pick Insert Selected
• Pick Cancel
• Pick the Pattern Table button in the dialog box
• Pick the first pattern listed in the model tree then pick OK
• Add three instances and fill in the cells of the table as shown below

• The entire family of minidin parts is shown on the next page
• If you have time, create the other three members of the family

• The family of minidin parts is shown below

Task 6: Open a family table part using the tabulated parameters.
• Pick File, Open, pick the part called ‘hex_hd_cap_in’ then pick Open
• Pick By Parameter in the Select Instance dialog box
• Double click on ‘1/4-20UNC’ in the Value column
• Double pick on
‘0.500000’ in the
Value column
• Pick ‘Black Oxide’ in
the Value column
then pick Open
• The part is shown

Task 7: Set an instance to be the generic model.
• Open the generic assembly called ‘connector.asm’

• Pick the ‘connector-9’ instance name then pick Edit, Copy Instance to Generic
• Pick Yes in the small dialog box shown below
• The assembly regenerates, and the generic assembly is now a 9 position connector

Task 8: Lock instances in a family table.
• Open the generic part called ‘nut_hex_reg_in.prt’

• Pick the first five (5) instances then pick Tools, Lock/Unlock Instances or pick the
Lock/Unlock icon
• Notice these instances look different, and cannot be edited while locked

Task 9: Patternize instances in a part.
• Open the generic part called ‘washer.prt’

• Pick the instance, then pick the patternize icon or pick Edit, Copy With Increments
• Add the inner dia and the outer dia, set the quantity to 10, set each increment as
shown below
• Pick OK in the dialog box, then look at the Family Table, do you see the 10 new
instances?

Task 10: Delete the family table in a part.
• Open the generic part called ‘bolt.prt’

• Look at the table by picking Tools, Family Table
• Pick Edit, Delete Entire Table
• Pick Yes in the Confirmation box
• This part is no longer driven by the family table
Task 11: Determine which features are included in a family table.
• Open the generic part called ‘logo.prt’

• Look at the table by picking Tools, Family Table
• Can you tell which features are included in the table?
• Pick a cell in the table below one of the features then pick Edit, Highlight on Screen
• Repeat for the other feature
Task 12: Parent – Child relationships and family tables.
• Open the part called ‘drive.prt’

• Add the square cut to the family table
• Create an instance with the cut and another instance without the cut
• Open the instance without the cut, where is the hex shaped protrusion?
• Why is the hex not in the instance without the cut?
• Close the window in the instance
• Close the window in the generic model

Task 13: Replace a component of an assembly.
• Open the assembly called ‘utility.asm’

• Look at the bolt, notice it’s length
• Pick the bolt then pick Edit, Replace
• In the Replace Comp dialog box, pick the Open icon as shown below
Pick here
• Scroll down the list and pick the instance called ‘21001-9’ then pick OK
• Pick OK in the Replace Comp dialog box
• Notice the new (longer) bolt in the assembly
Before After

Task 14: Create detail drawings of a family of parts.
• Open the drawing called ‘wrench-250.drw’

• Pick File, Save a Copy, enter < wrench-125 > for the new name
• Pick OK
• Pick File, Close Window
• Open the new drawing called ‘wrench-125.drw’
• Notice the name of the model the drawing is referencing at the bottom of the graphics
window
• Pick File, Properties
• Pick Drawing Models, Replace
• Pick ‘wrench-125’ in the Select Instance dialog box then pick Open
• Notice the name of the model the drawing is now referencing
• Perform any ‘clean up’ required on the drawing
• Save the drawing and Close the window
Task 15: Vary the density of a part in a family table.
• Open the part called ‘weight.prt’

• Pick the Add Column icon
• Add the density by picking the Other button then enter < mp_density >
• Pick OK

• Add four instances then complete the table as shown below

• Open each instance and check the weight of each instance using Analysis, Model
Analysis
• Save the generic model and Close the window

Task 16: Work with instance accelerator files.
• Pick File, Exit to end the current session of Pro/ENGINEER

• Start a new session of Pro/ENGINEER
• Record the exact time it takes to open the instance called ‘connector-37.asm’ into
session, do not open the generic model first ( 30 seconds on my old computer )
• Notice in the message window, each family table part in the assembly was
regenerated before it was displayed
• Pick File, Instance Operations, Accelerator Options
• In the Instance Accelerator dialog box, pick Always, Update, Close
• Erase everything from session by picking File, Erase, Not Displayed, OK
• Record the exact time it takes to open the instance called ‘connector-37.asm’ into
session, do not open the generic model first ( 1 second on my old computer )
• Did the time decrease using your computer?
• Look at the contents of your student directory using a system browser
• The files ending in .xpr and .xas are the instance accelerator files
• Pick Tools, Options
• Add and apply the following configuration option
save_instance_accelerator always
Task 17: Update the instance index file for your student directory.
• Pick File, Instance Operations, Update Index

• Press the middle mouse button twice or press ‘enter’ twice
• Using Word Pad or Notepad, open and examine the file called ‘studentX.idx’ located
in your student folder
• Close or Exit the editor

Component Interfaces
Introduction
Component Interfaces are a way to define assembly constraints in the part model before
assembling the component into the assembly. With properly defined Component Interfaces,
parts can be automatically assembled into the assembly.
Defining an Interface
In the part model, select Edit, Setup, Comp Interface. The Interface Definition dialog box is
used to create ‘interfaces’ in the part. An interface is a set of assembly constraints defined in the
part. A part can have multiple interfaces defined, one for each assembly in which the part is used.
The Interface Definition dialog box is shown below.
The Interfaces are

listed here
Pick Default to
Pick Add to create an
make the selected
interface
interface the
default interface
The constraints for the
selected interface are
listed here
Pick Add to create a

Pick Remove to
constraint
delete the selected
constraint
Select the appropriate
model geometry for
the selected constraint

Defining an Interface (continued)

Another method for defining Component Interfaces is to use the Component Placement dialog
box. After manually adding assembly constraints for a particular component, pick as shown
below to automatically create a Component Interface in that part.
Pick here to access the

Select Interface dialog
box, to create a new
interface in the part
Enter a name for the new

interface here

Using an Interface
When assembling a component into the assembly, the system checks to see if the component has
Component Interfaces defined. If the component has interfaces defined, the system presents the
Select Interface dialog box. Select the interface you want to use, then pick Auto Place. The
Select Interface dialog box is shown below.
Pick the interface you

want to use then pick
Auto Place
After selecting Auto Place, the system presents the Auto Place Settings dialog box, shown
below. Select a location in the assembly where you want the component to be placed. The system
will locate possible assembly references in the vicinity of the selected location. Pick Apply to
accept the selected assembly constraints, then pick OK to complete the component placement.
2. Select the
constraint pair
you want from
the possibilities
listed here
1. Pick here to select
a location in the 3. Pick Apply
assembly to place
the component 4. Pick OK

Using an Interface (continued)

The Component Placement dialog box has a new icon at the top, which is used to display the
Component Interfaces for the part being assembled. This allows you to change the interface
used for a particular component when redefining that component in the assembly.
Pick here to access the

Select Interface dialog
box, to change the
interface being used
Select the new

interface here

Component Interface Preferences

Pick Tools, Assembly Settings, Placement Preferences to access the dialog box shown below.
Use this dialog box to set Component Interface preferences.
Component Interface Configuration Options

The following config.pro options apply to Component Interfaces.
autoplace_single_comp yes, no
create_temp_interfaces no, yes

Drag-and-Drop Component Placement

Components can be automatically assembled into the assembly using a ‘drag-and-drop’
technique. The component must have at least one Component Interface defined. In the
assembly, set the Selection Preferences to Geometry. Pick the references in the assembly, using
the CTRL key to select multiple entities. Next open the Folder Browser (or the Personal
Favorites), select the desired component and drag it into the graphics area as shown below. The
component is automatically placed into the assembly using the default interface in the component
and the pre-selected geometric references in the assembly.
If a component is dropped onto the Model Tree of an assembly, it is added to the assembly as an
‘unplaced’ component.
Pick the assembly

references first
Open the Folder
Browser here
Select the folder
Drag and drop the

component into the
assembly window
Selection filters are here

EXERCISE 12 – COMPONENT INTERFACES
Task 1: Create an interface in a part.
• Open the generic part called ‘skt_hd_cap_in.prt’

• Pick Edit, Setup, Comp Interface
• Pick the part as shown below for the first
(Mate) constraint

the Mate constraint

the Insert constraint
• Pick Add here

• Change the second constraint to Insert
• Pick the shaft of the bolt as shown above
• Pick OK here
• Pick Done

• Open the part called ‘dowel_pin_inch.prt’

• Open the Generic model
• Pick the part as shown below for the first
(Mate) constraint

the Mate constraint

the Insert constraint
• Pick Add here

• Pick the cylindrical surface as shown above
• Pick OK here
• Pick Done

• Open the part called ‘bearing_block.prt’

• Pick the bottom surface of the part as shown below for the first (Mate) constraint
• Pick Add to add a second constraint
• Pick the cylindrical surface as shown below
• Pick Add to add a third constraint
• Change the third constraint to Insert
• Pick the cylindrical surface as shown below
Pick this surface for the

Mate constraint

1st Insert constraint

2nd Insert constraint
• Pick OK in the Interface Definition dialog box

• Pick Done

Task 4: Assemble parts with component interfaces.
• Create a new assembly called ‘lab12’ using File, New

• Pick Tools, Assembly Settings, Placement Preferences
Pick Default here
Pick Automatic here
Expand this section
Remove the checkmark here
Pick OK here
• Pick the Component Assemble icon then pick the part called ‘lab-12-plate-1’
then pick Open, use the Default constraint then pick OK
• Click the left mouse button in an empty area of the graphics window
• Pick the Component Assemble icon again, then pick the part called ‘bearing-block’
then pick Open
• Pick exactly here

• Pick Apply in the Auto Place Settings dialog box



• Place the last bearing block in the appropriate location then pick OK
• Save the assembly

• Zoom in on one of the bearing blocks as shown below
• Pick the Component Assemble icon
• Pick the part called ‘skt_hd_cap_in’ then pick Open
• Pick the instance called ‘5-21000-8’ then pick Open


• Continue to place all 16 screws into the assembly then pick OK

• Pick the part called ‘dowel_pin_inch’ then pick Open
• Pick the instance called ‘dowel_pin_inch_11’ then pick Open
• Pick OK
• Pattern the dowel pin using a reference pattern

• Pick the part called ‘slide_post’ then pick Open
• In the Auto Place Settings

dialog box, select the appropriate
constraint that matches the figure
shown below then pick Apply
• Place the other slide post as
shown below then pick OK

Task 5: Assemble components using ‘drag-and-drop’.
• Open the assembly called ‘drag_and_drop.asm’

• Open the Folder Browser and the browser as shown below
• Set the selection filter to Geometry, then pick the two part surfaces as shown below
• Select the appropriate folder for your system
• Drag the part called 4455-003 into the assembly window
• Repeat for the other battery
Pick the assembly

references first
Open the Folder
Browser here
Select the folder
Drag and drop the

component into the
assembly window
Selection filters are here

Component Flexibility
Introduction
In an assembly model, components can be made ‘flexible’. A flexible component can have
different geometry in the assembly than it does in the part itself. When a component is used
multiple times in the same assembly, each occurrence can have different flexibility defined and
still appear as the same component in the BOM.
Flexibility can be defined using any of these methods:

• In the assembly, after the component is fully placed.
• In the assembly, during the redefine of the component.
• In the component model, before it is used in an assembly.
Note
Using flexible components in an assembly greatly increases the file size of

the assembly model.
Candidates for using Flexibility include:

• Springs
• Gaskets
• Threaded Rods
• Hoses, Wires, and Cables
• Rivets
• Brackets

Defining Flexibility in the Assembly

To make an existing component flexible, select the component then pick Edit, Make Flexible.
The Varied Items dialog box, shown below, is used to define the flexibility of the component.
This tool allows a variety of items to be changed including dimensions, features, GTOLs, and
parameters. Use the Method pull down menu to select alternate ways to define the flexibility
including measurement tools.
Select the component then

pick Edit, Make Flexible
The Varied Items

dialog box is used to
create the flexibility
The pull down menu
allows measurements to
drive the component’s
flexibility

Re-Defining Flexibility in the Assembly

To alter the flexibility of a component, use Edit,
Definition to access the Component Placement
dialog box. Pick Define Flexibility as shown below to
access the Varied Items dialog box.
In the Varied Items dialog box, make the appropriate

changes then pick Placement to return to the
Component Placement dialog box.
Pick Define Flexibility

to access the Varied
Items dialog box
Pick Placement to return

to the Component
Placement dialog box

Defining Flexibility in the Part

In a part model, pick Edit, Setup, Flexibility to access the Prepare Varied Items dialog box.
Items such as dimensions, features, GTOLs, and parameters can be selected to be flexible when
used in any assembly model.
The Prepare Varied Items dialog box is shown below.
When a part with flexibility defined is selected to be assembled into an assembly, the system
shows the following prompt. Pick Yes to use the part as flexible, pick No to use the standard
part.
Defining Flexibility During Assembly Process

Pick Insert, Component, Flexible to add parts to the assembly and define the flexibility during
the assembly process.

Examples of Flexible Parts

An example of a flexible part is a spring, used in several assemblies. In the part, the spring length
is fixed, but when used in one particular assembly, it must be shown in the compressed state.
Using flexibility, the spring can be shown compressed in the assembly and normal length in the
part. Using the measurement flexibility, the spring can ‘flex’ to the correct length without the use
of relations or family tables.
Other candidates for flexible parts might include gaskets that are compressed, rubber hoses that
are cut to fit, rivets, and threaded rods.
The Spring Part The Flexible Spring in the Assembly
Distance
The Flexible Spring Controlled by a Measurement

Removing Flexibility
To remove the flexibility from a part in an assembly, pick the part then use the right mouse
button popup menu and select Remove Var Items as shown below.
In the right mouse button popup

menu, select Remove Var Items
Pick Yes to remove the

flexibility from the part

Propagate Flexibility
The flexibility defined for a component can be propagated from the assembly to the part model.
This changes the geometry of the part model to match the flexibility set in the current assembly.
Select the flexible component in the model tree, then select Propagate to, Model in the right
mouse button popup menu as shown below. Pick OK in the Changing Models dialog box to
confirm.
Select the flexible component

in the model tree
Select Propagate to, Model

in the popup menu
Pick OK here to confirm

EXERCISE 13 – COMPONENT FLEXIBILITY
Task 1: Create a flexible component.
• Open the assembly called ‘cam_follower.asm’
• Pick this spring

• Pick Edit, Make Flexible
• Pick the spring again
• Pick All
• Pick the ‘4.392’ dimension (zoom in
on the spring) then click the middle
mouse button
• In the Varied Items dialog box, pick
Distance in this pull down menu

• Pick the two surfaces shown below (one is hidden) then pick Close
Measure the distance

between these two surfaces
• Pick OK in the Varied Items dialog box

• Double pick this part
• Double pick the ‘4.500’ dimension and enter < 6 >

• Does the length of the spring update?

Task 2: Create flexible components.
• Open the assembly called ‘dowel_plate.asm’

• Pick Info, Bill of Materials, OK
• The initial BOM is shown, dismiss the browser window
• Pick this dowel pin

• Pick Make Flexible in the right mouse
button popup menu
• Pick the same dowel pin again then pick the
diameter dimension (zoom in close) then
click the middle mouse button
• In the Varied Items dialog box, pick Diameter in the
Method pull-down down menu
• Pick the cylindrical surface inside the hole then pick Close
• Pick the same dowel pin again then pick Pattern in the right mouse button popup
menu
• Click the middle mouse button to complete
the reference pattern


button popup menu
• Pick the plus sign in the Varied Items dialog box
• Pick the same dowel pin again then pick the length dimension then click the middle
mouse button
• Enter < 1 > for the new length in the dialog box
button popup menu
• Pick the plus sign in the Varied Items dialog box
• Pick the same dowel pin again then pick the length dimension then click the middle
mouse button
• Enter < 2.125 > for the new length in the dialog box

• Repeat this process for the remaining two dowel pins

• Vary the diameter and height of each pin

• The final BOM is shown below
• Notice the BOM lists 8 of the same dowel pins
• Dismiss the browser window

Task 3: Create a flexible gasket.
• Open the assembly called ‘head_gasket.asm’

• Pick the gasket part
• Pick Make Flexible in the right mouse button popup menu
• Pick the gasket part again
• Pick the ‘.100’ thickness dimension then click the middle mouse button
• Enter < .062 > for the new thickness in the Varied Items dialog box
• Pick OK
• Open the part called ‘gasket_head.prt’
• Check the thickness of the part, is it ‘.100’ thick?
• The thickness of the gasket is changed only in the assembly, without the use of a
family table or an assembly cut
The thickness of the

gasket is changed only in
the assembly

Task 4: Create a flexible sheetmetal bracket.
• Open the assembly called ‘metal_cabinet.asm’

• The cabinet requires a series of brackets
• The brackets are manufactured at 102°, but need to be 90° in this assembly
• Open the part called ‘metal_bracket.prt’
• Pick Edit, Setup, Flexibility
• Pick the ‘first wall’ in the model tree
• Pick the ‘102’ angle dimension then click the middle mouse button
• Pick OK in the dialog box then pick Done
• Open the cabinet assembly
• Pick the Component Assemble icon pick the part called ‘metal_bracket’ then
pick Yes
• In the Varied Items dialog box, enter < 90 > for the new angle then pick Placement
• Mate the flat surfaces of the bracket to the inside surfaces of the cabinet base
• Align offset the FRONT datum plane in the assembly to the FRONT datum plane in
the bracket, use < 10 > for the offset value
• Pattern the brackets using a spacing value of < -10 > and create 3 instances

Task 5: Create a flexible contact.
• Open the assembly called ‘8855-104.asm’

• Pick the part called ‘8855-106’ in the model tree then pick Open in the right mouse
button popup menu
• Notice the two (2) suppressed features at the bottom of the model tree
• Pick Edit, Setup, Flexibility
• Pick the Features tab in the Varied Items dialog box
• Pick the two (2) suppressed features at the bottom of the model tree then pick OK
• Pick OK in the Varied Items dialog box then pick Done
• Pick Window, Activate in the assembly window
• Pick the contact part then pick Make Flexible in the right mouse button popup menu
• Pick the Features tab in the Varied Items dialog box
• In the Varied Items dialog box, set the New Status of each feature to ‘Resumed’ then
pick OK
• The result is shown below on the left
• Pick the contact then pick Edit, Pattern
• Pick the checkmark to complete the pattern
• The result is shown on the right

Task 6: Redefine the flexibility of an existing component.
• Open the assembly called ‘cable_assembly.asm’

• Pick the cable part
• Pick Edit Definition in the right mouse button popup menu

• Pick Define Flexibility in the Component Placement dialog box
• In the Varied Items dialog box, change the new value to < 5.625 >

Section 4


Assembly Design
Introduction
Much of the design process involves designing a part relative to other parts in an assembly.
Components can be created and modified from within the assembly model. This method allows
the designer to build and design within the assembly and to see immediately how the new design
fits with the other components. This is generally called “Top Down Assembly Design”.
Before discussing top-down design, several other assembly commands should be discussed first.
These include:
• Assemble Existing Components
• Create New Components in the Assembly
• Working in the Assembly
• Assembly Features
• Repeat Components
• Replace Components
• Include Components
• Package Components
• Assembly Regeneration
• Assembly Restructure
• Assembly Setup
• Assembly Bill of Materials

Create a New Assembly

Creating a new assembly is similar to creating a new part. It is good practice to use a ‘template’
when creating assembly. The template should include default datums, layers, parameters, and
saved views. Pick File, New, pick the Assembly button, enter a name, then pick OK.
Assemble Existing Components

Existing components are assembled to the assembly using Insert, Component, Assemble, or
pick the icon shown above. Constraints such as Mate, Align, Insert, and Orient are used to
define the components placement in the assembly.
For a complete review of assembling existing components into an assembly, read the textbook
titled “Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 2.0 Basic Design” by this author and publisher.
Pick this icon to use

the Default constraint

Create New Components

To create new components while in the assembly, pick Insert, Component, Create, or pick the
icon shown above. In the Component Create dialog box, pick the appropriate options and enter
a name as shown below.
Pick the type and sub-type

of component, enter the
names, then pick OK
In the Creation Options dialog box, use the Copy From Existing option. Pick Browse to select
the appropriate template part to assure the proper layers, saved views, and datums, are present in
the component model.
Use Copy From Existing
Pick Browse
then pick the appropriate
template from the list
After the template is

selected pick OK here

Activating Components
To work on a component in context of the assembly, pick the component first, then pick Edit,
Activate or pick Activate in the right mouse button popup menu. The system displays the name
of the active part and its associated default tolerances on-screen as shown below. The model tree
also indicates the active component with a special icon as shown.
When a component is activated, you are working ‘in’ that component while you are looking at
the entire assembly.
The Active
component is listed
with a special icon
The name and type of

the Active component
is shown here

Working in the Active Component

When a component is activated, you are working ‘in’ that component while you are looking at
the entire assembly. Care must be taken when creating features in the active part of an assembly.
Do not reference other components of the assembly unless it is dictated by the design intent and
you know exactly what you are picking.
Many config.pro options exist to control the user’s ability to create external references in an
assembly, and some are shown below. See the section titled “Managing External References” in
Section 5 of this textbook for more details about these options and external reference controls.
allow_ref_scope_change yes, no
ignore_all_ref_scope_settings no, yes
model_allow_ref_scope_change yes, no
scope_invalid_refs copy, prohibit
Note
Extreme care must be taken when working in a part while in the assembly.
Unwanted external references can easily be created. Pick with care!
Use
Extreme Pick
Caution With
Care

Assembly Features
Assembly features are features that are created in the assembly. These include features that
happen in the assembly process of manufacturing. Normally these features are not included in the
part model, because they only happen in the assembly, and are not shown on the part drawing.
Assembly features can be included in the part model if desired using the Intersect panel as
shown below.
Assembly features are created using the Insert menu. The following can be created as assembly
features: Hole, Cut, Slot, and Pipe. Note that protrusions cannot be created as assembly features.
In the Intersect panel, set

the display visibility by
picking in this column
The following configuration options apply to assembly features:

allow_redo_intersections no, yes
fix_refs_to_intersections no, yes

Assembly Features (continued)

Assembly features can be redefined using Edit Definition. In addition, the
intersection of assembly features can be redefined using the Intersect
command in the right mouse button popup menu as shown.
Pick the assembly feature then pick

Intersect in the popup menu
The Intersected Comps dialog box is used when redefining the

intersection of assembly features. This dialog box contains a list of the
components being intersected and includes a column indicating the
visibility of the feature. Components can be added manually (by picking)
or automatically (using AutoAdd) to the list. Use Remove to remove
selected components from the list.
Use the Auto Update Intrscts checkmark to force the system to recheck for new components
that may be intersected by the feature during each regeneration of the assembly model. ‘New’
components must exist before the assembly feature in the model tree.
Pick the Auto Update Intrscts

checkmark to force the system to
recheck for new components that may
be intersected by the feature during
each regeneration
Set the visibility level here

Repeat Components
Components of an assembly can be ‘repeated’. This means that the component is copied to new
locations in the assembly, by picking new assembly references. Only those assembly constraints
that change need to be picked, common references are automatically copied between components
being repeated. The new component is not a child of the original component.
Pick the component you want to repeat then pick Edit, Repeat.
The Repeat Component dialog box is shown below. Pick the constraint that changes for the
component, then pick Add, then pick the new reference for the new component.
Pick the constraint that changes
Pick Add
then pick the new reference in the
assembly, in this case an axis

Replace Components
Components can be automatically ‘replaced’ in an assembly if one or more of the conditions
apply:
• The component is a member of a family table.
• The component is a member of a functional interchange assembly.
• The component has an associative external shrinkwrap or inheritance model.
• The component has global datums declared from a layout (Pro/NOTEBOOK).
This functionality is extremely powerful. Combined with

Pro/PROGRAM and Pro/NOTEBOOK, design automation can be
achieved.
To replace a component, pick the component you want replace

then pick Edit, Replace. The Replace Comp dialog box is
displayed, pick the appropriate type of replacement here.
After selecting the type of replacement, pick here.
In the Family Tree window, pick the replacement

model, then pick OK.

Include Components
Components can be ‘included’ in an assembly. This means the component is ‘unplaced’ in the
assembly, but can be included in the bill of materials. Pick Insert, Component, Include, then
pick the name of the component to be included then pick Open.
Components that are ‘included’ in an assembly do not appear in the graphics window, but are
listed in the model tree as shown below.
Components that are ‘Included’ in an assembly can become ‘Regenerated’ components using
Edit, Definition.
Components of an assembly
that are ‘Included’ have
a different icon
and have a status of
‘Unplaced’
When creating a BOM, pick

here to include the
‘Unplaced’ components

Package Components
Components can be ‘packaged’ in an assembly. This means the component is ‘not fully
constrained’ in the assembly. If you do not specify constraints when assembling a component, the
system will ‘package’ the component.
Components that are ‘Packaged’ in an assembly can become ‘Regenerated’ components using
Edit, Definition.
Components of an assembly
that are ‘Packaged’ have
a different icon
and have a status of
‘Packaged’
Several config.pro options apply to packaged components as shown below.

allow_package_children all, feat, none
package_constraints update, disallow, freeze
package_ref_alert no, yes

Assembly Regeneration
When working in an assembly, the Edit menu has two commands relating to regeneration of the
model as shown below.
Regenerate All parts that require regeneration will be automatically selected and
regenerated.
Use this icon to Regenerate the active component.
Custom Regenerate Use the Regeneration Manager dialog box to create a custom
regeneration list as shown below.
Use this icon to Custom Regenerate the assembly.
The Edit menu has Regenerate

and Custom Regenerate at the top
The Regeneration
Manager is used to
select the components
to be regenerated

Assembly Restructure
Assembly components can be moved from the top-level assembly into sub-assemblies (or from
one sub-assembly to another) using the Edit, Restructure command. Use Move Comp in the
small menu to select the part to be restructured, then Select Target in the small menu to pick the
new sub-assembly.
Facts about the Restructure command are:
• The model tree is used to pick the component and the target sub-assembly.
• Only one component can be restructured at a time.
• The Restructure command does not move the references used by the component.
• If you restructure a child and not all of its parents, that child will be frozen in its sub-
assembly if any of the parents are not in session.
An assembly model tree before (on the left) and after (on the right) restructuring is shown below.
These four components were

moved from the top level
assembly into the sub-
assembly using the
Restructure command

Assembly Setup Menu

The Edit, Setup command has the following options in an assembly:
Mass Props Assign values in the assembly mass property data

file.
Accuracy Set the accuracy of the assembly model.
Units Set the units of the part or assembly model.
Dim Bound Set the dimension bounds (upper, middle, nominal,
or lower) on selected dimensions.
Dimension Create and show dimensions in the assembly.
Ref Dim Create and show reference dimensions in the
assembly.
Name Assign names to assembly features.
Geom Tol Create and delete geometric tolerances in the
assembly.
Surf Finish Create surface finish symbols.
Notes Create model notes (3D notes).
Symbol Apply drawing symbols to model entities.
Grid Work with the model grid.
Tol Setup Set the tolerance standard (ANSI, ISO/DIN).
Interchange Show the interchange groups that the assembly is a member of, and
remove the references the assembly has to any existing or past interchange
assemblies.
Ref Control Set the rules for creating external referenced in this assembly. This is not a
global setting, but only for the active assembly model.
Comp Interface Create component interfaces in the assembly to be used when the assembly
is used in other assemblies. See pages 250-255.
Designate Designate parameters and other objects for use with Pro/INTRALINK.
Flexibility Create flexibility in the assembly similar to flexibility in parts, see pages
265-271.

Assembly Bill of Materials

To create a bill of material listing for an assembly, pick Info, Bill of Materials, then pick as
shown below.
Pick here for BOM of the top

level assembly
Pick here for BOM of the

selected sub-assembly
Pick to include skeleton parts and

unplaced components
Pick OK to produce the BOM
The default BOM is listed

in the Browser window in
HTML format

Custom Bill of Materials

The default bill of material listing can be customized. Set the following config.pro option:
bom_format path/mybom.fmt
Create a text file, ending with .fmt, containing special formatting commands. This file is called
the BOM format file, and is divided into two sections. The ‘breakdown’ section is first and lists
the name, type, quantity, and any desired parameter of each component in the assembly. The
second section is called the ‘summary’ section and lists the total quantity of each part included in
the assembly, adding identical components that may be included in different sub-assemblies. One
or both sections can be included in the custom BOM format file.
Note
The BOM format file must end with a blank line of text.
The following are BOM format file commands:

.breakdown This command appears at the beginning of the breakdown section.
Subsequent text in the BOM format file appear as a header in the listing.
.summary This command appears at the beginning of the summary section.
Subsequent text in the BOM format file appear as a header in the listing.
.titles May be used within either section to the specify column titles in the
listing.
.row May be used within either section to specify row information in the listing.
You can include these three system parameters: (precede system parameters with %$)
%$name The filename of the component will be listed.
%$type The type of component (part or assembly) will be listed.
%$quantity The number of occurrences of the component will be listed.
You can include any part parameter known to the components using this format: (precede other
parameters with %)
%param_name The value of the specified parameter for the component will be listed.

Custom Bill of Materials (continued)

Any parameter may be immediately followed by a format specifier:
[8s] The parameter is a string and the column is a minimum of 8 characters

wide.
[8.8s] The parameter is a string and the column is fixed at 8 characters wide.
[2d] The parameter is an integer and the column is 2 characters wide.
[6.2f] The parameter is a floating point (real number) and the column is 6
characters wide, with 2 characters after the decimal point.
[-2d] A negative sign causes the column to be left justified.
An example BOM format file is shown:

.breakdown
The %$type %$name contains the following components:
.titles Qty; Part Number; Type; Description;
------------------------------------------------------------
.row %$quantity[-5d]; %$name[-14s]; %$type[-14s]; %DESC[-30s]
The resulting BOM listing is shown in both

HTML and text format.

EXERCISE 14 – ASSEMBLY DESIGN
Task 1: Create an assembly feature.
• Create an assembly cut feature. This feature will intersect all the parts at the assembly
level, but not in the part models. This means the parts will not have this cut when
opened individually, but will have the cut when ‘in’ the assembly.
• Open the assembly called ‘assy_cut.asm’
• Pick Insert, Extrude or pick the icon
• Set the depth to Through All
menu
• Pick the top surface of the top part in the assembly
• Pick ADTM3 then set the orientation to Bottom in the dialog box
• Pick ADTM1 and ADTM3 for the sketch references
• Sketch a symmetrical rectangle as shown below
5.750
6.500
2.250


• Pick the Intersect panel of the dashboard tool
• Notice the feature is listed visible in the assembly for each part as shown below

• Do you see the cut in all three parts?
• Open the part called ‘plate1’ using File, Open
• Do you see the cut?

Task 2: Redefine the assembly feature using Edit Definition.

• Pick the assembly cut feature then pick Edit, Definition
• Pick the Intersect panel in the dashboard tool
• Remove the checkmark next to ‘Automatic Update’ in the Intersect panel
• In the Intersect panel, pick the part called ‘PLATE1’ then pick Part Level in the right
mouse button popup menu
• In the Intersect panel, pick the part called ‘PLATE3’ then pick Part Level in the right
• Add the checkmark next to ‘Automatic Update’

• Do you see the cut in all three parts? Pick File, Close Window
• Open the part called ‘plate1.prt’
• Do you see the cut? Pick File, Close Window

Task 3: Redefine the assembly cut using the Intersect command.

• Pick the assembly cut feature then pick Intersect in the right mouse button popup
menu
• In the Intersected Comps dialog box, remove the checkmark next to ‘Auto Update
Intrscts’
• In the Intersected Comps dialog box, pick each part then pick the Remove button
• Set the Level to Part Level
• Pick the Auto Add button
• Notice all the parts have the visibility level set to the part
• Pick OK
Task 4: Create a part feature in an assembly.

• Pick the part called 4455-019 then pick Edit, Activate
• Pick the axis in the 4455-018 part
• Pick Insert, Hole
• Pick Secondary References Collector in the right mouse button popup menu
• Pick the top surface of the 4455-019 part
• Enter < 1 > for the diameter
• Set the depth to Through All
• You just created an external reference!

• Pick the part called 4455-018 then pick Edit, Activate

• Change the location of the axis in that part
• Pick the top level assembly in the model tree then pick Activate in the right mouse
button popup menu
• The location of the hole will update
Task 5: Add a new sub-assembly to an existing assembly.

• Pick Insert, Component, Create
• Pick the Subassembly button, enter < 4455-038 > for the name, then pick OK
• Pick Browse and pick the metric assembly template from the list, then pick Open
• Pick OK in the Creation Options dialog box
• Use the Default constraint then pick OK
Task 6: Restructure the assembly.
• Pick Edit, Restructure

• Pick one of the parts called 4455-021 in the model tree
• Pick the new sub-assembly called 4455-038 then pick Done in the small menu
• Notice the new location of the part under the sub-assembly (pick the plus sign next to
the sub-assembly in the model tree)
• Pick Edit, Restructure
• Pick the other part called 4455-021 in the model tree
• Pick the new sub-assembly called 4455-038 then pick Done in the small menu
• Notice the new location of the part under the sub-assembly (pick the plus sign next to
the sub-assembly in the model tree)

• Using Edit, Restructure, move the following components to the sub-assembly:

• 4455-028
• 4455-029
• 4455-026
• 4455-022
• Open the sub-assembly called 4455-038.asm using File, Open
• Dismiss the Browser window
• The sub-assembly is shown below
Task 7: Repeat components in an assembly.
• Open the assembly called ‘repeat.asm’

• Pick the bolt part
• Pick Edit, Repeat

• Pick the Align constraint and then pick Add as shown below
Pick Align here
Then pick Add here
• Pick the four other axes as shown below, then pick Confirm
• As you pick the axes, new bolts are added to the assembly
Pick each axis

• Repeat this process for the nuts (spin the model over)
Task 8: Include Components into an Assembly.
• Create a new assembly using File, New, enter < included_comps > for the name
• Pick Insert, Component, Include
• Pick 4455-001 then pick Open


• Pick Info, Bill of Materials
• In the small dialog box, add the checkmark next to Unplaced then pick OK
• Notice how quickly you can create a bill of materials without assembling any parts
Task 9: Create a format file for bill of materials.
• Using any system editor, like Notepad or WordPad, create a text file
• Call the file < mybom.fmt > and save it in your student directory or folder
• The file must contain the exact text shown below
.breakdown
The %$type %$name contains the following components:
.titles Qty; Part Number; Type; Description;
------------------------------------------------------------
.row %$quantity[-5d]; %$name[-14s]; %$type[-14s]; %DESC[-30s]
Note
This file must contain a blank line as the last line of text in the file.

Task 10: Add and Apply a Configuration Option.
• Pick Tools, Options

• Add the following configuration option
BOM_FORMAT C:/studentX/mybom.fmt (Use the Browse button)
• Pick Apply and Close in the Options dialog box
Task 11: Generate the custom Bill of Materials.
• Open the assembly ‘4455-010.asm’

• The information window shows the custom bill of materials for the assembly. The
system has also created a text file in the working directory called 4455-010.bom,
which you can print or use in other systems.

Data Sharing Commands
Introduction
The Insert, Shared Data commands provide useful techniques for handling special design tasks.
These commands allow geometry to be shared between components of an assembly. These
commands also allow geometry to shared between two individual parts not related to an
assembly.
These techniques can be accomplished using a variety of commands that are found in the Insert,
Shared Data menu and include:
Merge This command copies the solid geometry of one part into another part. The
entire part is copied. This is typically used to copy a ‘casting’ into an
‘empty’ part, to be used as the machined version of the casting. The copied
geometry is a single non-parametric feature in the receiving part.
Cutout This command removes the material of one part from another, similar to a
‘Boolean’ subtraction command. One part is the ‘cutter’ and the other part
is cut by the reference part.
Copy Geometry This command copies portions of one part into another part. Solid features
cannot be copied using this command. This command is typically used in
top-down assembly design to copy geometry form the ‘skeleton’ part to the
appropriate components in the assembly.
Publish Geometry This command creates a list of non solid geometry that can be copied by
others. A team leader might use this command to control the amount of
geometry that can be copied by other members of the design team.
Shrinkwrap This command copies the outer surfaces of the model into a single part
that can be used to represent an assembly or complex part model.
Inheritance This command copies the solid geometry of one part into another part. The
entire part is copied by default, but features can be ‘turned off’ in the
receiving part. The copied geometry is a group of parametric features in
the receiving part. Dimensions and other entities can be varied in the
receiving part without affecting the original part.

Assembly Data Sharing and External Data Sharing

There are two versions of the data sharing commands listed on the previous page.
Assembly Data Sharing These commands allow geometry to be copied between

components of a common assembly. Use these commands for top-
down assembly design, mold design, die design, and various other
assembly level design tasks.
External Data Sharing These commands allow geometry to be copied between two
independent parts. Use these commands when an assembly is not
needed to the design task being performed, such as creating a
machined version of a cast part.
The Insert, Shared Data menu is shown below.
These are the assembly level

data sharing commands
These are the external

data sharing commands
The Shared Data Menu

Merge
The Merge and Merge from Other Model commands copy solid geometry from one part to
another. The receiving part is usually an ‘empty’ part. The copied geometry is listed in the model
tree as a single ‘Merge’ feature. Additional features can be added to the merged geometry
without affecting the original part.
A common use for the Merge command is for creating a single ‘weldment’ part from a collection
of individual parts in a common assembly. After assembling the parts into an assembly, the
Insert, Shared Data, Merge command is used to combine the geometry into a single
‘weldment’ part.
A common use for the Merge from Other Model command is for ‘casting’ and ‘machining’
versions of a single part. After modeling the casting part, its geometry is copied into an ‘empty’
machined part using the Insert, Shared Data, Merge from Other Model command.
The External Merge dialog box is shown below.
Ref Model The model containing the geometry to

be copied, usually the casting part.
Copy Datums Determine whether or not to copy the
datum features from the reference part
into the active part.
Location Determine the relative location of the
reference model to the active model.
Dependency Determine whether the active part
‘references’ the reference part or not.
Dependent means reference,
independent means do not reference.

Cutout
The Cutout and Cutout from Other Model commands remove material from one part, using
another part as a ‘cutter’. This is similar to a ‘Boolean’ subtraction operation in older CAD
systems. The copied geometry is listed in the model tree as a single ‘Cutout’ feature.
A common use for the Cutout command is in mold design. A ‘cavity’ part is subtracted from the
mold base in the mold assembly using the Insert, Shared Data, Cutout command. Both parts
must contain solid geometry and must reside in a common assembly.
A common use for the Cutout from Other Model command is in plastic part design. A ‘core’
part is modeled as a separate part and then subtracted from the plastic part using the Insert,
Shared Data, Cutout from Other Model command. Both parts must contain solid geometry.
The External Cut Out dialog box is shown below.
Ref Model The ‘cutter’ part. The part that does

the cutting.
Copy Datums Determine whether or not to copy the
datum features from the reference
model into the active model.
Location Determine the relative location of the
reference model to the active model.
Dependency Determine whether the original part
‘references’ the reference part or not.
Dependent means reference,
independent means do not reference.

Examples of Merge and Cutout

Examples of the Merge and Cutout commands are shown below.
Merge
The Casting Part The Empty Machined Part
After merging the casting

geometry into the machined part,
the machining features are added
The Completed Machined Part
Cutout
The ‘Cutter’ Part The Plastic Part
The geometry of the

cutter part is removed
from the plastic part
The Resulting Plastic Part

Copy Geometry
The Copy Geometry and Copy Geometry from Other Model commands allow datum and
surface geometry to be copied between two models. These commands do not allow solid features
to be copied between parts.
To copy geometry between parts, pick Insert, Shared Data, then pick Copy Geometry or Copy
Geometry from Other Model.
The dialog box for creating the Copy Geometry from Other Model feature is shown below.
Ext Model Select or Open the model containing

the geometry to be copied.
Location Default or selected Coord Sys to
locate the copied geometry.
Surface Refs Copy the selected surfaces. Solid
surfaces and quilts may be selected,
both turn into quilts in the part being
copied into.
Edge Refs Copy the selected edges. The adjacent
surfaces are copied into the receiving
part.
Curve Refs Copy the selected datum curves.
Misc Refs Copy the selected features. The Misc Refs dialog box is used to collect
features that can be copied with this option. These include surface quilts,
datum planes, datum points, datum coordinate systems, datum axes, copy
geom, and external copy geom features.
Publish Geom Copy the selected Publish Geometry features.
Dependency Control the dependency of the copied items. Dependent causes an
external reference to the geometry being copied, Independent copies the
reference into the part. Dependency can be toggled on and off to control
when the external references updates.
Note
The Copy Geometry feature is twice as efficient as any of the other

methods of creating external references.

Copy Geometry (continued)

The Copy Geometry feature can be used to communicate design intent to or from any part, sub-
assembly, or skeleton model. The appropriate references for the design of a particular part are
copied into that part. The part can then be completed outside the assembly, preventing unwanted
external references, while maintaining the design intent.
2. Copy Geometry
1. The Skeleton The appropriate geometry in the
The skeleton part contains datum curves skeleton (in this case curves) are
and Kinematic motion using relations copied into the appropriate part
using the Copy Geometry feature
3. The Part
4. The Assembly
The part is designed using the
Each part of the assembly uses a
copied curves from the skeleton.
similar technique. Each part uses
In this case the solid protrusion is
the appropriate copied geometry
aligned to the copied curves
from the skeleton part

Publish Geometry
The Publish Geometry feature allows a user to specify which geometry should be copied by
others. The Publish Geometry feature does not prohibit other geometry from being copied, but it
serves as a repository for suggested references.
The Publish Geometry features allow you to create a collection of model geometry that can be
copied as a single feature using the Copy Geometry feature. The Publish Geometry feature is
only a list of items to be published, and cannot contain any features involved in external
references.
An assembly level Publish Geometry feature can be created and may contain only assembly
features.
In the skeleton part, the

appropriate geometry is
‘published’ for others to use

Shrinkwrap
The Shrinkwrap and Shrinkwrap from Other Model commands create an associative copy of
the outer surfaces of the selected part or assembly model. These commands are not the same as
the Shrinkwrap option found in File, Save a Copy. This is a Shrinkwrap feature and is
associative, meaning it updates as the original part or assembly updates.
The Shrinkwrap from Other Model feature is usually created in an empty part, allowing the
part to be used in an assembly, or sent to a vendor or customer. The part will update when the
original assembly is changed, or it can be set to be independent. To create a Shrinkwrap feature,
create a new part with an appropriate name, then pick Insert, Shared Data, Shrinkwrap from
Other Model.
The External Shrinkwrap dialog box is shown below.
External Model Specify the part or assembly model

that the shrinkwrap feature references.
Location Specify the coordinate system that
locates the shrinkwrap feature in the
new part.
Comp Subset Controls which parts are included
when creating a shrinkwrap of an
assembly model.
Subset Handling Specify how the system handles the
specified components when creating
the feature.
Attributes Controls the quality of the shrinkwrap
feature (higher is better) on a scale of
1 to 10. Other attributes are automatic
hole filling, inclusion of surface features, and the ability to ignore small
surfaces based on a percentage of the entire model.
Additional Srfs This optional element allows additional surfaces to be included into the
shrinkwrap model.
Include Datums This optional element controls the inclusion of datum features into the
shrinkwrap model.
Geom Dependency Set the dependency of the shrinkwrap feature to the original part or
assembly model. The default is Dependent.

Shrinkwrap (continued)
When specifying the Attributes of the shrinkwrap feature, the Shrinkwrap Attributes dialog
box is used. This dialog box has several options and is shown below.
Set the quality of the surface gathering

here
Pick here to automatically fill holes
Include surface features here
Pick here to ignore surfaces smaller

than the specified size
Use the optional Comp Subset option to set the condition for each component of the original
assembly model as shown below.
Consider The surfaces of the selected components will be

considered for inclusion in the shrinkwrap feature.
Ignore The surfaces of the selected components will not be
considered for inclusion in the shrinkwrap feature.
Undo Last Undo the last selection in the model tree window.
Display Mode Toggle the display of the model tree to show only
those components being considered for inclusion.
Use the optional ‘Subset Handling’ element, the Subset Handling dialog box has two options:
Shrinkwrap and Select The entire assembly is analyzed to identify the external
surfaces, but only the surfaces that belong to the selected
components are included in the feature. This option is
the default action.
Select and Shrinkwrap Only the selected components are analyzed to identify
the external surfaces, and all others are ignored. This
option produces the best results.

Inheritance
The Inheritance and Inheritance from Other Model commands produce a special type of
Merge feature, where the features of the base model are merged into the target model. This is a
one-way associative feature, meaning the base model drives the target model, but the target
model does not drive the base model.
An example of the Inheritance from Other Model feature is shown below.
Base Model Target Model Target Model

Has features Usually an After adding the
you want to inherit. empty model. inheritance feature.
Target Model
After adding
additional features.

Inheritance (continued)
After creating a new part for the target model, pick Insert, Shared Data, Inheritance from
Other Model.
The External Inheritance dialog box has many elements
as described below.
Attributes The Attributes element is new and

allows the feature to add or remove
material from the part.
Base Model The model from which the features
are inherited.
Location The relative location of the geometry
in one model from the other. Any of
the standard assembly constraints
can be used to place the feature.
Var Dims Specified dimensions can be varied
in the target model.
Var Feats Specified features can be suppressed in the target model.
Var Params The Var Params element is new. Specified parameters can be edited in the
target model.
Var Refs The Var Refs element is new. Specified references can be edited in the
target model.
Var Annots Determines if annotation features are copied along with the geometry from
the base model to the target model.
Dependency Determines if the target model references the base model or not. This
option can be toggled on/off.
The Attributes element allows the Inheritance feature to add or remove material from the target
model.
Set the Attributes of

the feature: Add or
Remove Material

Locating the Inheritance Feature

When creating Inheritance features, you are no longer restricted to using coordinate systems to
define the location of the inherited model. Using the Inheritance Placement dialog box, choose
from the standard assembly constraint types such as Mate and Align to place the inherited
model.
Choose from the standard assembly

constraint types such as Mate and
Align to place the inherited model
Updating the Inheritance Feature

When changes to the base model are made, the target model
does not update automatically. To update the target model,
pick the Inheritance feature in the model tree and use the
right mouse button popup menu to select Update
Inheritance as shown below.
You can also

In the model tree of the use the popup
target model, use the menu to Open
right mouse button the base model
popup menu to update
the geometry
Pick Yes

Inheritance Parameters
Using the Var Params element, you can edit the values of user-defined parameters that belong to
the base model. Pick the parameter by name, then pick Insert Selected to add the parameter to
the target model.
Pick the parameter by name

then pick Insert Selected
In the Varied Parameters

dialog box, enter the new value
for the parameters here

Inheritance Dimensions and Features

When varying dimensions in the Inheritance feature, the Varied Dimensions dialog box is used
to select the dimensions and enter the new values as shown below.
When suppressing features in the Inheritance feature, the Varied Features dialog box is used to
select the features and suppress them as shown below.

Inheritance Facts
The following are facts about the Inheritance feature:
• The Inheritance feature is one way associative: The target model references the base
model. The base model is unaffected by changes to the target model.
• All features of the base model are copied to the target model.
• The Inheritance feature can be created anywhere in the model’s feature list.
• The Inheritance feature can be expanded in the model tree to display all the features.
• When suppressing features that belong to an Inheritance feature, all parent/child
relationship rules apply.
• The Inheritance feature can add or remove material in the shape of the base model.
• The target model and the base model must have the same units.
• The Inheritance feature can be used as an alternative to family tables.
• The Inheritance feature can be used as an alternative to the merge feature.
• The Inheritance feature can be used as an alternative to the cutout feature.
In the Model Tree, the Inheritance feature is displayed as shown below.
This is the target part
This is the Inheritance

feature, showing the part
number of the base part
These features are part of

the Inheritance feature

EXERCISE 15 – DATA SHARING COMMANDS
Task 1: Create an external merge feature.
• Pick File, New, enter < machined > for the name of the new part
• Pick Insert, Shared Data, Merge from Other Model
• Pick Open in the small menu
• Pick ‘casting.prt’ then pick Open
• Use the Default constraint then pick OK in the Merge Placement dialog box
• Pick OK in the External Merge dialog box
• Notice the single feature called External Merge in the model tree
• Save the part
Task 2: Add the machining features to the machined part.
• Pick the TOP datum plane then pick the Extrude icon
• Pick the Remove Material icon in the dashboard tool
• Set the depth to Through All for Side 1 and Side 2 in the dashboard tool

• Press and hold the right mouse button and pick Define Internal Sketch
• Click the middle mouse button to accept the defaults
0.250

• Create another cut using the same options as the previous cut
0.250
0.750


• Pick the cut you just created then pick Edit, Mirror
• Pick the FRONT datum plane to mirror about
• Pick the checkmark to complete the mirror
• Create a hole as shown below

0.300
0.300

• Save the part

Task 3: Modify the casting part and see the changes in the machined part.

• Modify the following dimensions of the ‘casting’ part:
change the depth of the base feature (the first solid feature) from 1.00 to 0.5
change the width of the tab from 1.15 to 1.55
change the length of the tab from 1.00 to 1.25

• Activate the ‘machined’ part in the Window menu then pick Edit, Regenerate
• The machined part is automatically updated with the changes made in the casting
• Save both parts and pick File, Close Window in each part
Task 4: Create an external cutout feature.
• Open the generic part called ‘housing.prt’

• Modify the ‘posn’ parameter to < 9 > then regenerate the model
• Pick Insert, Shared Data, Cutout from Other Model, then pick Open
• Pick the part called ‘core.prt’ then pick Open
• Align the axis in the core part to the leader of the axis pattern in the housing (A_4)
• Align the back surface of the core part to the surface of the housing as shown below
Align these
surfaces
• Pick OK in the Cutout Placement dialog box

• Pick OK in the External Cutout dialog box
• Notice the volume of the core part was removed from the inside of the housing

Task 5: Pattern the cutout feature.
• Pick the External Cut Out feature in the model tree

• Pick Edit, Pattern
• Set the pattern type to Reference in the dashboard tool
• Save the part
Task 6: Modify the reference part.
• Open the part called ‘core.prt’

• Double pick the revolved protrusion, then double pick the 0.082 diameter dimension
and enter < 0.100 >
• Activate the housing part using the Window menu then pick Edit, Regenerate
• Did the housing update?
• Activate the core part using the Window menu
• Double pick the revolved protrusion, then double pick the diameter dimension and
enter < 0.082 >
• Activate the housing part using the Window menu then pick Edit, Regenerate
• Did the housing update?
• Save the housing part (which also saves the core part) and Close both windows

Task 7: Create an external copy geometry feature.
Purpose
This exercise uses the external copy geometry feature to copy surfaces of
one part into another part. The Independent option is used, which copies
the referenced surfaces into the existing part. If the Dependent option is
used, the existing part references the other part. In both cases, there is
an external reference created to the other model. This allows you to
redefine an independent feature and make it dependent.
• Open the part called ‘cartridge.prt’

• Pick Insert, Shared Data, Copy Geometry from Other Model
• Pick the model called ‘blade.prt’ then pick Open
• Pick Default in the small menu
Pick this surface
• Double pick ‘Surface Refs’ in the dialog box then press and hold
• Pick the surfaces as shown here the Shift key then
pick this edge
• Pick OK in the Select dialog box
• Scroll down in the dialog box and double pick ‘Dependency’
• Pick Independent, OK, OK
• Shade the model, do you see the copied surfaces?
• Save the model using File, Save
• Erase the model using File, Erase, Current, Yes

Task 8: Check the status of the external reference.
• Open the part called ‘blade.prt’ from ‘in session’

• Pick Info, Feature, pick the copied surfaces
• Read the information window:
FEATURE EXTERNALLY REFERENCES MODEL BLADE
Look at Item #8 Dependency: Independent
• Pick Info, Session Info, Object List
• Notice the only part ‘in session’ is the cartridge part
• Close the Information window
Task 9: Redefine the feature’s dependency status.
• Pick the copied surfaces then pick Edit, Definition

• The system must open the reference model called ‘blade’, pick Yes
• In the dialog box, double pick ‘Dependency’

• Pick Dependent, OK, OK
• Save the model using File, Save

Task 10: Recheck the status of the external reference.
• Open the part called ‘blade.prt’ from ‘in session’

• Pick Info, Feature, pick the copied surface
• Read the information window:
FEATURE EXTERNALLY REFERENCES MODEL BLADE
Look at Item #8 Dependency: Dependent
• Pick Info, Session Info, Object List
• Notice the only part ‘in session’ is the cartridge part, even though the dependency is
set to ‘dependent’
• Close the Information window
• If the copied feature is redefined, the reference model must be loaded into session
Note
If the reference model is deleted from the system, renamed, or moved to

another folder, the system will still allow you to redefine the feature and
make it independent again

Task 11: Create an external shrinkwrap feature.
• Create a new part using File, New, enter < 4455-010-swrap > then pick OK
• Pick Insert, Shared Data, Shrinkwrap from Other Model
• Pick ‘4455-010.asm’ then pick Open
• Pick Default
• Set the shrinkwrap attributes as shown below
Set the quality

to 5 here
Add the
checkmark here
• Pick Done here

• Double pick ‘Subset Handling’ in the dialog box
• Pick Select and Shrinkwrap then pick Done
• Pick OK in the External Shrinkwrap dialog box
• Wait …
• Examine the model then Save it and Close the window

Task 12: Open the part to be inherited from.
• Open the part called ‘cooler_bracket.prt’

• This is the part we want to inherit features from
• This is a sheetmetal part
Task 13: Create a new part and an inheritance feature.
• Create a new sheetmetal part called < smetal_bracket > using File, New
• Be sure this is a sheetmetal part with units of inches
• This is the part we want to inherit the features into
• Pick Insert, Shared Data, Inheritance from Other Model
• Pick Open then double pick ‘cooler_bracket.prt’ in the dialog box
• Use the Default assembly constraint
• Pick OK in the Inheritance Placement dialog box
• Pick OK in the External Inheritance dialog box
• Look at the model tree, expand the External Inheritance feature (pick the plus sign)
Task 14: Modify the new part.
• Pick the first Protrusion feature in the model tree then pick Edit in the right mouse
button popup menu
• Double pick the 1.00 radius dimension
• Answer Yes to the question
• Enter < 0.5 > then pick Edit, Regenerate

Task 15: Unbend the part.
• Pick Insert, Bend Operation, Unbend

• Pick Regular, Done
• Pick a surface of the part then pick Unbend All, Done, OK
• The part is shown below
Task 16: Redefine the Inheritance feature.
• Pick the Inheritance feature in the model tree then pick Edit, Definition
• Double pick the ‘Dependency’ element (scroll down in the dialog box)
• Pick Independent, OK, OK
• The inheritance feature is now independent of the original cooler_bracket part

Top Down Assembly Design
Introduction
Top down assembly design means many things. The main thing is that you are designing the
assembly while in the assembly. This means you are creating component parts and sub-
assemblies relative to each other in the assembly. Sometimes external references are created
between components in the assembly to satisfy design intent. Sometimes geometry is copied
from one part to another so more than one user can work on the assembly at the same time.
Preferably a ‘skeleton’ model is used to capture critical design intent and other information about
the assembly. This ‘top level’ information is passed ‘down’ to the components of the assembly,
thus the term ‘top-down’. This method of assembly design is a powerful way to control the
associative and parametric nature of Pro/ENGINEER.
There are many different approaches that can be used in top-down assembly design. This
textbook uses a simple yet practical method of top-down design, employing a datum curve
skeleton part with Kinematic motion.
Create the Assembly Structure

The first step in top-down design is to create the assembly structure. This means to create the
empty assembly, component parts, and any sub-assemblies required by the design. If the structure
is not known at the beginning of the design, create just one assembly and a few parts to get
started.
Creating the structure of the assembly involves creating a new assembly. Using a ‘template’
when creating the new assembly assures the proper layers, saved views, and datums are present
in the assembly model and each of the components.
Note
Use a ‘template’ assembly when creating a new design assembly.

Adding Components
After creating the assembly file, the component parts and sub-assemblies can be created. Pick
Insert, Component, Create or pick the icon shown above. In the Component Create dialog
box, select the appropriate type and sub-type for the new component as shown below.
Pick the type and sub-type

of component, enter the
names, then pick OK
In the Creation Options dialog box, use the Copy From Existing option. Pick Browse to select
the appropriate template part to assure the proper layers, saved views, and datums, are present in
the component model. The other options, Locate Default Datums, Empty, and Create
Features, do not use the ‘template’ models and are not considered desirable by this author in the
context of this textbook.
Use Copy From Existing
Pick Browse
then pick the appropriate
template from the list
After the template is

selected pick OK here

Assembling New Components

New assembly components should be assembled to the assembly using standard assembly
constraints. Use the Default assembly constraint to place components into assemblies quickly. If
the design intent calls for a different component placement, use Edit Definition to change the
constraints.
Pick this icon to use

the Default constraint

Define Design Parameters

After the initial assembly structure is defined and created, you may want to define any known
design parameters. There are several methods for accomplishing this.
• In the assembly pick Tools, Parameters to create assembly parameters.

• Pick Tools, Relations to add assembly relations and/or parameters.
• Use the model tree columns to create and edit component parameters from the top-
level assembly.
• Declare a ‘Layout’ to pass parameters to the assembly. This method allows others to
control the parameters because they are external to the assembly.
See ‘Parameters and Relations’ in this textbook for details about creating parameters. See
‘Layouts’ in this textbook for details about Layouts.

Create the Skeleton Model
Introduction
Often a ‘skeleton’ part is used to define the original design intent of the design. This part usually
contains datum geometry such as planes, points, axes, and curves to define the design intent.
Kinematic motion can be applied to this model along with other design criteria needed for the
design. In 2D CAD, a design was often started as a ‘layout’. The 3D skeleton model serves this
same purpose, to ‘layout’ the design before creating any solids. The skeleton should contain all
the important design information that will be copied to the necessary components of the
assembly.
Facts About Skeletons

The skeleton model is very efficient because it contains minimum solid geometry. This allows a
designer to control a large assembly without the overhead of always having the assembly in
session. Because the skeleton regenerates quickly, changes to the design can easily be
accomplished, and regeneration of the assembly can be delayed until absolutely necessary.
Skeleton parts can be excluded from mass property calculations and bill of material reports. An
assembly model can have multiple skeletons (one in each sub-assembly), and it must be the first
component of the assembly. Skeletons can be excluded from drawing views and in simplified
representations of the assembly. Assembly features cannot intersect the skeleton part, even if the
skeleton part has solid features present.
Create the Skeleton Part

To create the skeleton part in the assembly, pick Insert, Component, Create and pick the
Skeleton Model button as shown below. Then use the Copy From Existing option. If the
skeleton model has already been developed, use the Copy From Existing option and select the
existing skeleton model.
When creating the skeleton,

use the Skeleton Model type
Enter the name

for the skeleton here

Copy the Necessary Design Information

After the assembly structure is in place, and with the parameters and skeleton model created, the
next step is to copy any necessary design information from the skeleton part (or any other part) to
the proper components. There are many ways to accomplish this task, the most efficient being the
Copy Geometry feature. This feature allows all types of geometry to be copied from one
component to another in the assembly, and is the most efficient method of copying geometry
between components of an assembly. This method creates an external reference to the other
model. The Copy Geometry feature is created in the part while in the assembly.
Another feature that can be used in conjunction with Copy Geometry is called Publish
Geometry. This feature allows one user to specify which geometry should be copied by others.
The Publish Geometry feature does not prohibit other geometry from being copied, but is serves
as a repository for suggested references.
See pages 315-317 for details about the Copy Geometry and the Publish Geometry commands.
In the part, the Copy Geometry

feature is included in the model
tree like any other feature

Designing in the Assembly

True ‘top-down’ assembly design means the components are designed directly in the assembly.
This allows parts to be defined relative to other parts to see how they fit together. This method,
including the Copy Geometry feature, creates external references between the parts. These are
good things, as long as they are in control. Similar to a nuclear power plant, when out of control,
external references can be bad. Care must be taken not to create unwanted external references.
• External references increase regeneration time in the assembly (there is a price for
everything).
• When detailing (drawing) a part that has external references, dimensions usually
cannot be ‘shown’ from the part, they must be created on the drawing.
• Components that will be reused in other assemblies should not contain external
references.
• External references can be broken, see ‘Managing External References’ in Section 5
of this textbook.
Finish the Design

After all the necessary preparation is completed, the design proceeds. Additional components can
be added to the assembly using previously discussed methods. In traditional top-down design, the
components are created in the assembly and designed there also.
Using the Copy Geometry feature, the design can be finished outside of the context of the
assembly (in the part model) and still reference the assembly or skeleton. Parts can also be
designed completely independent of the assembly or skeleton and then assembled into the
assembly.
Designing the parts independently from the assembly and skeleton part is considered a viable
method of design. Although not part of true top-down design, this approach has several
advantages:
• No external references to manage.

• All dimensions are in the part.
• Regeneration is quicker.
• By assembling these parts to the appropriate attachment points in the skeleton, they
can still move with the skeleton during regeneration of the assembly and can be easily
interchanged with other parts.

EXERCISE 16 – TOP DOWN ASSEMBLY DESIGN
Task 1: Create the assembly structure.
Purpose
This task creates an assembly structure using empty parts. At the

completion of the task, no solid geometry will have been created, but an
accurate bill of materials can be generated.
• Pick File, Close Window to clear any working window

• Create a new assembly by selecting File, New, pick the Assembly button, enter
< 8875-001 > for the name, use the default template, then pick OK
• Pick Insert, Component, Create
• Pick the Part button, enter < 8875-004 > for the
name then pick OK
• Pick the Copy From Existing button then pick
Browse
• Pick ‘template_in.prt’ from the list, pick Open, OK
• Assemble this part into the assembly using the
Default placement constraint
• Repeat these steps until the following assembly
structure has been created:
• 8875-004
• 8875-005
• 8875-006
• 8875-007
• 8875-008
• 8875-009

Task 2: Add parameters to the assembly components.
• In the model tree pick Settings, Tree Columns

• Remove any existing columns from the tree
• In the Model Tree Columns dialog box, select Model Params for the Type
• Add the DESCRIPTION parameters to the column on the right side of box by
picking as shown below
Pick Model Params here
Pick DESCRIPTION
Pick the >>
Pick OK
• The additional column is displayed in the model tree as shown below

• Pick in the model tree, in the DESCRIPTION column, next to a part, and enter the
appropriate description text as shown below
• Enter the parameter for each part of the assembly as shown below
Task 3: Add the skeleton part to the assembly.
Purpose
An existing part will be used to create the skeleton for this assembly. This
skeleton part contains datum curves and relations which define key
design characteristics.
• Pick Insert, Component, Create or pick the icon

• Pick the Skeleton Model button then pick OK as shown below
Pick the Skeleton Model

button here
Pick OK here
• Pick Browse and select motor_skeleton then pick Open
Pick Browse here
Pick ‘motor_skeleton.prt’
then pick Open
• Pick OK here

• Notice where the skeleton part is in the model tree and notice its name
The skeleton model

is inserted into the
assembly before
the datum planes
Note
The skeleton part in the assembly is now called 8875-001_skel and not
motor-skeleton. The geometry and relations from the original part have
been copied to the new skeleton part.

Task 4: Add datum coordinate systems to the skeleton part.
Purpose
Because this assembly involves Kinematic motion, the components that

actually move must have their original placement in the assembly
redefined. Coordinate systems for each of these components will be
created on the datum curves in the skeleton part. When the datum curves
change location, the coordinate systems will reorient themselves
accordingly.
• Open the skeleton part called ‘8875-001_skel.prt’

• Pick the vertex shown below
Pick this vertex
• Pick the Insert Coordinate System icon

• In the Orientation tab of the Coordinate System dialog box, pick here
• Pick this curve

• Set the ‘to determine’ value to Y as shown below
Set this to Y
• Pick here

• Pick the FRONT datum plane in the model tree then pick OK to complete the feature

• Pick the TOP datum plane in the model tree

• Set the ‘to determine’ value to Y

• Pick the last ‘Use’ box then pick the RIGHT datum plane in the model tree
• Set the ‘to determine’ value to X
• Pick OK to complete the feature

• Pick this curve

• Set the ‘to determine’ value to Y
• Pick the last ‘Use’ box then pick the FRONT datum plane in the model tree
• Pick OK to complete the feature

• Regenerate the part several times, notice how the curves move and the coordinate
systems reorient accordingly (ignore the warning message about the relations)

Task 5: Redefine the placement of the piston part.

• Pick the part ‘8875-004.prt’ in the model tree then pick Edit Definition in the right
mouse button popup menu (8875-004 is the piston part)
• Pick the Default constraint then pick the – sign to remove the constraint
• Pick the + sign to add a new constraint
• In the Constraint Type pull-down, pick Coord Sys
• Display the piston part in the separate window (pick the two icons at the top of the
dialog box)
• Pick the default coordinate system in the piston part in the small window
• Pick the coordinate system in the skeleton part at the top of the connecting rod
• Pick OK in the Component Placement dialog box
Task 6: Redefine the placement of the other parts.
mouse button popup menu (8875-005 is the connecting rod part)
• Repeat the last task, pick the default coordinate system in the connecting rod part and
the coordinate system in the skeleton part at the bottom of the connecting rod curve
mouse button popup menu (8875-006 is the crank part)
• Repeat the last task, pick the default coordinate system in the crank part and the
coordinate system in the skeleton part at the bottom of the crank curve (the one in the
center that turns when the skeleton is regenerated)
mouse button popup menu (8875-009 is the shaft part)

• Repeat the last task, pick the default coordinate system in the shaft part and the
coordinate system in the skeleton part at the bottom of the crank curve (the one in the
center that turns when the skeleton is regenerated, the same one from the last step)
Task 7: Copy the geometry from the skeleton part into the piston part.
• Pick the part called ‘8875-004.prt’ in the model tree then pick Activate in the right
• Pick Insert, Shared Data, Copy Geometry
• In the Copy Geometry dialog box, double click on ‘Curve Refs’
• Pick the four datum curves in the skeleton part that represent the piston (the rectangle)
then pick Done, OK
Task 8: Create the piston geometry.

• Pick the Revolve icon
• Press and hold the right mouse button and pick Define Internal Sketch in the popup
menu, then click the middle mouse button
• Create a vertical centerline aligned with the RIGHT datum plane
• Pick Sketch, Edge, Use, then pick three of the four datum curves that were copied
from the skeleton part
• Close off the sketch and trim the lines
• Complete the geometry of the piston, see page 364

Task 9: Check the assembly.

• Does the piston move during each regeneration of the assembly?
• Do you know why?
Task 10: Copy the geometry from the skeleton part into the connecting rod part.
• Pick the single datum curve in the skeleton part that represent the connecting rod then
pick Done, OK
Task 11: Create the connecting rod geometry.

• Pick the Extrude icon
• Set the depth to Both Sides and enter < 0.350 > for the depth
• Press and hold the right mouse button and pick Define Internal Sketch in the popup
menu then click the middle mouse button
• Delete the sketch references selected by the system
• Pick the vertex at each end of the datum curve for the sketch references
• Sketch the outer perimeter of the part (see page 364)

• Add additional features to complete the part as shown on page 364


• Does the connecting rod move correctly?
• The assembly is shown
Task 13: Copy the geometry from the skeleton part into the crank part.
• Pick the single datum curve in the skeleton part that represent the crank of the motor
then pick Done, OK

Task 14: Create the crank geometry.

• Create an offset a datum plane from the FRONT datum plane by a value of < -0.200 >
• Create the outer geometry of the part as shown on the drawing on page 365
• For the sketch plane, use the offset datum plane
• Delete the sketch references selected by the system
• Pick the vertex at each end of the curve for the references
• For the direction, extrude away from the FRONT datum plane
• Add the other features as necessary to complete the part as shown on page 365

• Does the assembly move correctly?
• Does the crank clear the connecting rod and
piston as it goes around?
• The assembly is shown
0.025
Right Side View

Task 16: Create the shaft geometry.
Note
Because the shaft requires no geometry from the skeleton part, geometry
does not need to be copied into it. The geometry of the shaft will be
created in the shaft part itself. After the shaft is created, its placement in
the assembly may need redefined again.

• Create the geometry of the part as shown on the drawing on page 365
• The shaft part is shown here
Task 17: Redefine the shaft in the assembly.

• Pick the shaft part then pick Edit, Definition
• Delete the existing constraint, and then add the appropriate constraints to assemble
the shaft into the hole in the crank part as shown below
• The shaft should turn as the assembly is regenerated
• Save the assembly again and Close the window

Task 18: Create geometry to control the cylinder block.
Note
Because the cylinder block does not move in the assembly, it does not
need to be redefined. Geometry will be copied from the skeleton to the
block to control its size.
• Open the skeleton part called ‘8875-001_skel.prt’

• Double pick the sketch that represents the piston
• Add a relation that sums the length of the crank’s curve, the connecting rod’s curve,
the height of the piston, then subtracts the distance the connecting rod is inside the
piston as shown below
d4
d5
d6
Add a relation that sums
d7
these three dimensions
together then subtracts
d1
this one (use your d#’s)
Example:
d2 block_top = d2+d7+d5-d6
• This relation will be used to control the height of the cylinder block and position the
cylinder head in the assembly, pick OK in the Relations dialog box

• Pick the TOP datum plane

• Pick the Insert Datum Plane icon
• Enter a value of < 2 > then pick OK
• Double pick the new datum plane then double pick the 2.000 dimension
• Enter < block_top >
Task 19: Copy the geometry from the skeleton part into the block part.

• Pick the part called 8875-007 in the model tree then pick Activate in the right mouse
button popup menu
• In the Copy Geometry dialog box, double click on ‘Misc Refs’
• Pick the Dtm Plane button in the dialog box, and then pick the new datum plane you
just created in the skeleton part (use query select to be sure)
• Pick OK, OK, OK
• Pick Insert, Shared Data, Copy Geometry again
• Pick the datum curve that represents the side of the piston part
• Pick OK, Done, OK

Task 20: Create the cylinder block geometry.

• For the lower protrusion, sketch on the FRONT datum plane and use Both Sides
• For the upper protrusion, sketch on DTM1 (the copied datum plane from the skeleton
part) and extrude down to the lower protrusion
• For the hole, use the curve copied from the skeleton as a reference while creating a
cut feature
• Complete the part as shown on the drawing on page 366
Task 21: Redefine the cylinder head.

• Pick the part called 8855-008 in the model tree then pick Edit, Definition
• Remove the Default constraint
• Align three datums in the cylinder head to three datums in the skeleton part as shown
below (use Layers to remove any unwanted datums to make picking easier)
Cylinder Head Skeleton Part
RIGHT RIGHT
TOP DTM1
FRONT FRONT

Task 22: Create the cylinder head geometry and finish the project.
• Pick the part called ‘8855-008.prt’ then pick Edit, Activate

• Use the edge of the cylinder block to create the outer perimeter of the head
• Finish any details that are missing from the parts
• Assemble the head bolts from the ‘parts’ folder
• Assemble the wrist pin from the ‘parts’ folder
• Assemble the rod bearing from the ‘parts’ folder
• Assemble the cover from the ‘parts’ folder
• The completed compressor assembly is shown below
Head Bolt
Cylinder Head
Piston
Wrist Pin
Connecting
Rod
Cylinder
Block
Shaft
Crank
Rod Bearing
Cover

Piston
SECTION A-A 8875-004.prt
SECTION A-A Connecting Rod

8875-005.prt

Crank
8875-006.prt
Shaft
8875-009.prt

Cylinder Block
SECTION A-A
8875-007.prt

Cylinder Head
8875-008.prt

Piston, Crank,
Connecting Rod,
Top Level Assembly and Shaft
8875-001.asm
Exploded View

Section 5


Interchange Assemblies
Introduction
An ‘Interchange Assembly’ is a special type of Pro/ENGINEER object. Interchange assemblies
are not similar to regular Pro/ENGINEER assemblies, but they are a ‘group’ of regular
Pro/ENGINEER parts and/or assemblies that have a common theme or interest.
For example, you may have many different drive motors available for your design, in different
sizes and from different vendors. After building a design using a particular motor, the
specifications change and the plan now calls for a different motor. By having an interchange
assembly that includes all possible motors, you can automatically ‘replace’ the existing part with
any member of the interchange using the Edit, Replace command. Any set of interchangeable
parts and/or assemblies can be included in an interchange assembly.
Two example interchange assemblies are shown below. The example on the left has three
interchangeable motors for a simple index mechanism. The example on the right has three
different attachments that can be interchanged on the loader assembly.
Interchange Assembly
Interchange Assembly
Index Assembly
Loader Assembly

Interchange Types
There are three types of interchange assemblies:
Functional Interchange Used to automatically Replace functionally equivalent

parts and/or assemblies. For each reference the object
makes in the assembly, ‘reference tags’ are created and
assigned to corresponding references (surfaces, axes,
planes) which are used to the replace the component. All
references (assembly constraints, assembly feature
references, external references) both to and by the object
must be ‘tagged’.
Simplify Interchange Used to define different components which can be
substituted for complex components when creating
simplified representations of that assembly using
Substitute.
Consolidated Interchange Combines both functional and simplified interchanges
into one group. By default, all interchange assemblies
created are the ‘Consolidated’ type.
Creating Interchange Assemblies

To create an interchange assembly, pick File, New, pick the Assembly button and the
Interchange button as shown below. Enter a name for the interchange and then pick OK.
Pick the Assembly

button
Pick the
Interchange button
Enter the name here
Pick OK

Adding Components
After creating the interchange, the first part is added by picking Insert, Component. The first
component is always considered ‘functional’. After adding the first part to the interchange,
additional parts are also added using Insert, Component.
The Add Interchange Component dialog box is used to select the type of component
(functional or simplified) and is shown below.
Select the type of component

you want to add here
Pick OK
Notes
Use Functional Component when you want to use the Replace command
to swap components in an assembly.
Use Simplify Component when you want to use the Substitute command
to swap components in an assembly.

Adding Components (continued)

Components are added to functional interchange assemblies just like any part is added to a
regular assembly, using Mate and Align commands. It is not necessary, however, to fully
constrain these parts, so using the ‘Packaged’ function is recommended to speed up the process.
When adding components to

interchange assemblies, the
Component Placement
dialog box is used
Use Automatic but don’t

pick any references
If you do not specify any

references and pick OK
the system will automatically
‘Package’ the component

The Model Tree

The model tree of an interchange assembly is shown below. The first three parts are ‘functional
components’ and the last is a ‘simplify component’. Notice the different icons for each type of
component.
Functional components
Reference tags
Simplify component
Reference Tags
After the interchange is created and functional components are added, reference tags must be
created. Pick Reference in the menu, and the system displays the Reference Tags dialog box.
The first step is to Auto Tag any of the components that already exist in a regular assembly. This
is the quickest way to identify all the required references and the associated geometry.
Pick Auto Tag then pick a

component that is a member of a
regular Pro/ENGINEER assembly

Auto Tag
After picking Auto Tag, pick the part you want to tag. This part must already be a member of a
regular Pro/ENGINEER assembly. In the Open dialog box, pick the name of the regular
assembly it is a member of. The system displays the Auto Tag Creation dialog box as shown
below. For each reference listed in the top portion of the dialog box, enter a name in the Tag
Name box. Use the small graphics window to identify what geometry is involved in the
reference.
For each reference

enter a name here
When you pick a reference to add the name,

the system highlights (in red) the geometry
involved in the reference in the small window
After all the reference names are entered, pick OK

Assigning Tags
After the auto tag process is complete, the system returns you to the Reference Tags dialog box
as shown below. The next step is to assign each tag to each member of the interchange assembly.
One by one, pick the tag name, then pick the appropriate geometry in each member of the
interchange assembly (don’t pick the one you auto tagged, it’s already assigned).
Pick the tag name

then pick the
appropriate geometry
in each part
This was the ‘auto tag’ part,

don’t pick it in this step
After all tags in all parts

have been correctly
assigned, pick OK

When to use Functional Interchange Assemblies

The creation of interchange assemblies and the subsequent creation and assignment of reference
tags may seem like a lot of work to be able to automatically replace a part in an assembly, and it
is. The benefits to design automation can outweigh the cost of creating the interchange. However,
instances of family table parts can be automatically replaced in assemblies without creating
interchange groups. Furthermore, parts containing global declarations from a common layout
(covered later in this section) can be automatically replaced in assemblies without creating
interchange groups.
You should use interchange assemblies only if necessary. Sometimes family tables cannot
generate the required geometry, and the use of ‘global datums’ (see Layouts) is as much work
and more confusing than assigning reference tags.
Automatic Replacement of Assembly Components

Members of functional interchange assemblies may be ‘replaced’ wherever they are used. To
replace a part in an assembly, pick the part first then pick Edit, Replace. See Section 4 of this
textbook for details about replacing components.
Removing References to Interchange Assemblies

To remove the reference created when a part is included as a member of an interchange
assembly, pick (in the part) Edit, Set Up, Interchange, Remove.
Review
To review, the basic steps to using functional interchange assemblies are:
• Create the interchange assembly.
• Add the first component, preferably one already in a regular assembly.
• Add additional components as ‘Functional Components’.
• ‘Auto Tag’ the first component by entering names for each reference.
• Assign reference tags to all the other components by selecting the appropriate
geometry in each component.
• Save the interchange assembly.
• You can now automatically replace any of the members of the interchange in the
assemblies where they are used.

EXERCISE 17 – INTERCHANGE ASSEMBLIES
Task 1: Create an interchange assembly and add the first member.
• Pick File, New, pick the Assembly button and the Interchange button as shown
below
• Enter < swap > for the name and pick OK as shown below
Pick the
Assembly button
Pick the
Interchange button
Enter the name here
Pick OK
• Pick Insert, Component

• Select ‘motor.prt’ from the list, then pick Open
• Notice the part is added to the interchange assembly without using constraints

Task 2: Add two more members to the interchange assembly.
• Pick Insert, Component, then pick OK

• In the Open dialog box, pick ‘motor-2.prt’ from the list then pick Open
• In the Component Placement dialog box pick OK without adding any constraints
• Pick Insert, Component, then pick OK
• In the Open dialog box, pick ‘motor-3.prt’ from the list then pick Open
• In the Component Placement dialog box pick OK without adding any constraints
Task 3: Auto Tag the first component.
• To assign the reference tags for the motor part, pick Insert, Reference Tag
• Pick Auto Tag as shown below
Pick Auto Tag
• Pick the first motor part (the one that was added first) in the graphics window or the
model tree
• Pick ‘index.asm’ in the File Open dialog box then pick Open

• In the Auto Tag Creation dialog box, enter a tag name for each reference as shown
below
For each reference

enter a tag name here
When you pick a reference to add the name,

the system highlights the geometry involved in
the reference in the small window
• After all the reference names are entered, pick OK in the Auto Tag Creation dialog
box
Task 4: Assign the reference tags in the other parts.
• To assign the necessary tags in the other parts, pick the first tag in the dialog box and
pick the appropriate surfaces in the other parts (the reference surface in the first part is
highlighted in red, pick the appropriate surface in the other two parts)

• Pick the second tag in the dialog box and pick the appropriate surfaces in the other
parts (the reference surface in the first part is highlighted, pick the appropriate surface
in the other two parts)
Pick here then select the

appropriate reference
in the parts
• Repeat this process until all the tags have been assigned in all the parts. Be sure to
assign all 6 of the tags to each part. You may have to scroll the dialog box or expand
it to see all the tags as shown below.
Verify that all three

parts have a ‘Y’
listed in this column
• Verify that all three parts have a ‘Y” listed as shown above, then pick OK
• Save the interchange and Close the window

Task 5: Replace the motor in the assembly.
• Open the assembly called ‘index.asm’

• In the model tree pick the part called ‘motor.prt’ then pick Replace in the right mouse
button popup menu
• Pick the Open icon in the Replace Comp dialog box as shown below
Pick the Open icon here
• Pick the + sign next to ‘swap.asm’, pick ‘motor-2.prt’, then pick OK as shown below
Pick the + sign here
Pick ‘motor-2.prt’ here
Pick OK here

• Pick OK in the Replace Comp dialog box

• Do you see the new motor?
Task 6: Replace the motor again.
• Repeat the task and replace motor-2 with ‘motor-3.prt’

• Does the system replace the motor?
• Replace the motor again, this time use ‘motor.prt’ (the original part that was in the
assembly)

Introduction to Pro/Program
Introduction
Pro/PROGRAM is a special language describing a part or assembly model. This ‘program’
contains the definition of each of the features and/or components in the model. Each model has
this ‘program’ by default. The program can be edited and user inputs or prompts can be added.
When the model is regenerated, the program is read and variations of the model are built based
on user input. Pro/PROGRAM is not a user programming language like Lisp is to AutoCAD.
Pro/PROGRAM can be used to:

• Create different versions of a part or assembly design by varying dimensions and
other parameters.
• Create parts and assemblies by reading a list of parameters and values from a text file.
• Manipulate features and components of the design.
• Calculate the mass properties of part and assembly models.
• Create family instances without using the family table editor.
A simple example of using Pro/PROGRAM in a part model is illustrated below.
VERSION
REVNUM 46472
LISTING FOR PART 113-0021
INPUT
POSN NUMBER
"How many mounting holes?"
END INPUT
RELATIONS
The Model and D125=KEY/2
D154=KEY/2
its Program D156 D123/2 Input 1
Edit the
Input 2
Program and Regenerate Get User
Incorporate the Model Input
the Changes
Input 3

The Program Menu

Pick Tools, Program to access the PROGRAM menu, shown below.
Pick Tools, Program
The PROGRAM menu is shown below.
Show Design List the design in a text editor for read-only

purposes.
Edit Design Make changes to the design by adding
Pro/PROGRAM commands and options.
Enable Repls Allow the program to replace components of the
assembly design.
Disable Repls Do not allow the program to replace components of
the assembly design.
Instantiate Create a family table instance of the current design.
J-Link Access the J-Link module of Pro/ENGINEER for Java Applications.
In an assembly, Pro/PROGRAM can be used to create multiple variations based on user input. In
the example shown below, the attachment for the loader is changed automatically using
Pro/PROGRAM.
Change the
attachment for the
loader using
Pro/PROGRAM
Pro/PROGRAM in an Assembly Model

Editing a Program
A program exists in every model by default. Pick Tools, Program, Edit Design to edit the
program using a system text editor. For maximum flexibility, the model should contain the
features and or components needed to support all the possible variations you want to create. This
may require some features to be suppressed. The following tasks can be accomplished when
editing a program:
• Add “Input” statements for design parameters and values.
• Manipulate parameters and relations.
• Create program branches with IF and ELSE and ENDIF statements.
• Add “Interact” commands to suspend program execution, to allow additional
features to be added that were not included in the original part.
• Add “Execute” commands to execute part programs from the assembly and to pass
parameter values from the assembly to the parts.
• Add comments to features. These comments are displayed using Info, Feature.
A typical program has five sections as shown below.
Header { VERSION
REVNUM 46430
INPUT
Input Section { POSN NUMBER

"How Many positions do you want?"
END INPUT
RELATIONS
Relations Section { D125=KEY/2
D154=KEY/2
END RELATIONS
{
ADD FEATURE (initial number 1)
INTERNAL FEATURE ID 1
TYPE = DATUM PLANE
Features NAME = DTM1
FEATURE IS IN LAYER(S) :
DTM_MAJOR - OPERATION = SHOWN
END ADD

TYPE = DATUM PLANE
NAME = DTM2
END ADD
.
.
.
{
MASSPROP
Mass Properties PART 113-0093
END MASSPROP

Program Structure
The program of a model is divided into five sections: Header, Input, Relations, Features, and
Mass Properties as shown on the previous page.
Program Header
The header section cannot be edited. This section includes system specific information and the
name of the model.
Input Section
In the input section of the program, the system provides the following two lines:
INPUT
END INPUT
Between these two lines, statements can be added to cause the system to prompt the user each
time the model is regenerated. The prompt is added to the program by inserting two lines of text
between the INPUT and END INPUT statements as shown below. The first line declares the
parameter name and type, the second line is the text of the prompt, which must be enclosed in
double quotation marks.
This line declares the INPUT

thickness number
parameter name and type “What thickness do you want?”
END INPUT
This line is the prompt
When the model is regenerated, the GET INPUT menu is displayed and the user has the option to
enter a value for the prompted parameter. The value entered by the user is assigned to the
parameter and can be used in relations to control the design.
Three types of parameters may be used:

number Numeric values may be assigned to the declared parameter.
string Text strings including numbers, letters, and spaces may be assigned to the
declared parameter.
yes_no Yes or No may be assigned to the declared parameter.

Input Section (continued)

Multiple prompts may be added to a program as shown below. Each prompt must follow its
corresponding parameter name and type.
INPUT
This is a number parameter thickness number
“What thickness do you want?”
holes yes_no
This is a yes_no parameter “Do you want to include the holes?”
finish_spec string
This is a string parameter “Enter the finish spec number:”
END INPUT
In the input section of the program, IF, ELSE and ENDIF statements can be used to control
prompts based on user input. In the example below, the user is prompted to include holes in the
part. If the user answers “yes”, the system then continues to prompt for the diameter and other
parameters used to control the holes.
INPUT
holes yes_no
IF statement here “Do you want to include the holes?”
if holes = = yes
hole_dia number
If the answer is yes then “Enter the hole diameter:”
ask these questions, hole_angle number
if the answer is no then “Enter the angle for the first hole:”
don’t ask these questions num_holes number
“Enter the number of holes:”
ENDIF statement here endif
END INPUT
Each parameter that is

added to the input section
of the program
is presented to the user
in this menu when the
model is regenerated

Relations Section
In the relation’s section of the program, part relations are listed. If the part has no relations the
program appears as shown here:
RELATIONS
END RELATIONS
While editing the program, you may add part relations as shown here:
RELATIONS
These relations d27 = hole_dia
control the design d25 = hole_angle
based on user input p29 = num_holes
d28 = 360/num_holes
END RELATIONS
These relations must conform to the rules and conditions as described in the “Parameters and
Relations” chapter of this textbook.
Features Section
After the relations section, the features of the model are listed, one after another. Each feature
begins with ADD FEATURE and ends with END ADD. Shown below is the first feature in a
part model.
The feature starts here INTERNAL FEATURE ID 1
TYPE = DATUM PLANE
Feature name and type NAME = DTM1
Layer association FEATURE IS IN LAYER(S) :

The feature ends here END ADD

Features Section (continued)

In the feature section of the program, IF, ELSE, and ENDIF statements can be inserted into the
program to control the existence of features or components. In the example shown below, a
yes_no parameter is used to control the existence of a round in the model.
if rounds == yes
If the parameter ADD FEATURE (initial number 13)
called ‘rounds’ INTERNAL FEATURE ID 339
is set to yes, the PARENTS = 17(#6) 58(#5)
feature is included ROUND: General
NO. ELEMENT NAME INFO
-------------------------
1 Round Type Simple Defined
2 Attributes Constant, Edge Chain Defined
3 References Defined
4 Radius Value = 1.0000 Defined
5 Round Extent Optional
6 Attach Type Make Solid Defined
FEATURE'S DIMENSIONS:
The ‘endif’ goes after d37 = 1.000R
the END ADD END ADD
endif
In an assembly model, the components are also listed in this section of the program. Each part
starts with ADD PART and ends with END ADD as shown below.
ADD PART 4455-003
INTERNAL COMPONENT ID 46
PARENTS = 39(#5)
END ADD
The component if cover_param == yes
starts here ADD PART 4455-005
The component PARENTS = 39(#5)
ends here END ADD
endif
ADD PART 4455-006

PARENTS = 49(#8)
END ADD
ADD PART 4455-002

PARENTS = 51(#9)
END ADD

Mass Properties Section

The last two lines of a model’s program are mass property statements as shown below.
MASSPROP
END MASSPROP
In a part model, add a single line to the program as shown below to have the system calculate the
mass properties of the part at the end of each regeneration. This means the user does not have to
calculate the mass properties manually (using Analysis, Model Analysis) in order for the mass
property system parameters to update after changing the geometry of the model. The syntax of
this line is: part part_name In the example, the name of the part is “spacer.prt”.
MASSPROP
Enter the word ‘part’ and part spacer
then the actual name of the END MASSPROP
part (don’t include the .prt)
In an assembly, add a line to the program for each part you want to calculate the mass properties.
The mass properties of the top level assembly and subassemblies can also be calculated as shown
in the example below.
MASSPROP
part spacer
part top_plate
Enter the word ‘part’ or part bottom_plate
‘assembly’ as required (don’t assembly sensor_01
include the .prt or .asm) assembly diaphram_06
END MASSPROP
The mass property statements can be included in IF and ENDIF statements as shown below.
MASSPROP
if check_mp == yes
part spacer
part top_plate
part bottom_plate
assembly sensor_01
assembly diaphram_06
endif
END MASSPROP

The Interact Command

The Interact command is used in cases where the original part cannot be built to include all the
required features of the final part. During regeneration of the part, when the system encounters an
interact statement, regeneration is suspended and the user is able to create additional features.
After each new feature, the system prompts, “Do you want to insert more features?”. When the
user is finished creating features, the regeneration is completed. This technique is useful when
the base geometry is known, but each new design can include customer specific features or other
customizations. The following are facts about the Interact command:
• The Interact command can be inserted anywhere in the Features section of the
program.
• The Interact command can be used in both part and assembly programs.
• When the system encounters an Interact
command, the program execution is suspended.
The user can add features to the model as VERSION
required, or choose not to. REVNUM 4643451
• The Interact command is replaced in the
INPUT
program by the features created during the END INPUT
program suspension. RELATIONS
END RELATIONS
• Multiple Interact commands can be used is a
single program. ADD FEATURE …
END ADD
• An example of using the Interact command is ADD FEATURE …
shown. END ADD
INTERACT
The Interact command
ADD FEATURE …
can be used anywhere END ADD
in the Features section ADD FEATURE …
of the program END ADD
INTERACT
When an Interact command is found, MASSPROP

END MASSPROP
the system issues this message
After creating a feature, the system

issues this prompt

The Execute Command

The Execute command is used in cases where the assembly includes parts with edited programs
in them. During regeneration of the assembly, when the system encounters an execute statement,
the system will run that part’s program, prompting the user for any required input for that part.
When the part regeneration is completed, the regeneration of the assembly continues.
The Execute command can also be used to pass the values of parameters from the top level
assembly to skeletons and components of the assembly. This can be useful to control the
behavior of lower level components from the top level assembly.
The following are facts about the Execute command:

• The Execute command can only be used in an assembly program.
• The Execute command can execute programs in component parts and sub-assemblies.
Use EXECUTE PART (as shown below) or EXECUTE ASSY respectively.
• Parameters in the Execute command must be listed in the Input section of the part
being executed.
• The Execute command is added to the program immediately after the Relations
section.
• The Execute command can be included inside IF and ENDIF commands.
• The syntax of the Execute command is shown below:
INPUT INPUT
depth number depth number
“What depth do you need?” run yes_no
run yes_no END INPUT
“Do you want motion? [Yes, No]”
END INPUT RELATIONS
d21 = depth/2
RELATIONS d22 = depth/2
d6 = depth END RELATONS
END RELATONS
EXECUTE PART 772501_SKEL In the part program, the

depth = DEPTH parameters declared in
run = RUN In the assembly the Execute command
END EXECUTE program, the of the assembly
Execute command program must be listed
is added after the here as shown.
Relations section.

The Lookup Command

Family table driven components of an assembly can be replaced using Pro/PROGRAM. As an
alternative to the user inputting the exact instance name, the Lookup command can be used to
search the family table for the appropriate instance.
The following are facts about the Lookup command:

• The Lookup command can only be used in an assembly program.
• The Lookup command is added to the program in the Relations section.
• The syntax of the Lookup command is:
LOOKUP_INST (“generic.prt”, match_type, param_name, match_value)
This is required The name of the

family table
Enter the name of the generic parameter
model including .prt or .asm
-1 (less than or equal to) The value of the

0 (exact match) specified parameter
1 (greater than or equal to) to match
An example of using the Lookup command is shown below. Two parameters are required to
match for the bolt and one for the nut. These parameters are driven by the diameter and length
INPUT
END INPUT
RELATIONS
BOLT_NAME = LOOKUP_INST ("shcs_in.prt", 0 , "d2", D3:50, "d3", D0:50+.250)
LNUT_NAME = LOOKUP_INST ("hex_nut_in.prt", 0 , "d1", D3:50)
END RELATONS

Assembly Programs
In the features section of an assembly program, IF, ELSE, and ENDIF statements can be inserted
to control components of the assembly design. In the example shown below, a yes_no parameter
is used to control the existence of the cover in the assembly. A nested if statement is used, one if
statement inside another. The nut is included only if the cover is included and if the nut
parameter is set to yes.
if cover == yes
ADD PART TURBINE_COVER_006
If the parameter called INTERNAL COMPONENT ID 287
‘cover’ is set to yes, the PARENTS = 76(#26)
cover is included in the END ADD
assembly
if nut == yes
ADD PART NUT_STD_INCH
If ‘cover’ and ‘nut’ are INTERNAL COMPONENT ID 288
both set to yes, then the PARENTS = 76(#26) 287(*)
nut is also included END ADD
endif
endif
Replacing Assembly Components

Components of an assembly can be replaced using Pro/PROGRAM if any of the following
conditions apply:
• The component is driven by a family table.
• The component is the object of an external reference model, such as an External
Merge, Inheritance, or External Shrinkwrap model.
• The component is included in a functional interchange assembly.
• The component has declared global datums that reference a layout.
This is accomplished by adding a prompt in the input section to get user input. In the features
section of the program, replace the component name with the parameter name enclosed in
parenthesis as shown below.
INPUT
The parameter is declared drive_motor string
here and its type is listed "Which motor do you want?"
END INPUT
In the features section of the ADD PART (drive_motor)
program, substitute the INTERNAL COMPONENT ID 79
parameter name in parenthesis PARENTS = 71(#6)
for the original component name END ADD

Feature Comments
Pro/PROGRAM can be used to add comments to features. These comments become part of the
feature’s information shown in the information window when using Info, Feature or Info,
Model. The comment must start with /* and must immediately follow the ADD FEATURE
line in the program as shown below.
/* This is used for assembly purposes: Do not delete.
TYPE = COORDINATE SYSTEM
NAME = CSYS_DEF
DTM_CSYS - OPERATION = SHOWN
END ADD
Incorporate the Program

After the program has been edited and saved, the system will prompt the user to incorporate the
changes into the model. Pick Yes and the system will execute the program and update the model.
If the program is not incorporated into the model, there will be two versions of the program
associated with the part, the file and the model. The file version of the program is the edited
program, the model version is the last regeneration of the model. If the program needs to be
edited again, the system will ask which version of the program is to be edited. If the model
version is selected, the system will warn that the existing file version of the program will be
overwritten.
Pick Yes to incorporate the program into the design
If you don’t incorporate

the program, two
versions will exist

Regenerating Models with Programs

When the model is regenerated, the user is presented with the GET INPUT menu as shown.
Current Vals Use the existing values from the last regeneration.
Enter Prompt the user to enter values for selected items.
Read File Read values from a text file (ending in .txt) in the
current working directory.
Creating Models using a Text File

When using the Read File option shown above, you must specify the name of the text file
including the ‘.txt’ extension. The input file must have one parameter and value per line,
formatted as shown:
param_name = value
If the text file contains fewer parameters than are called for in the program, the system assumes
current values for any missing parameters. If the file contains more parameters than are needed
for the program, any extra parameters are ignored. This allows you to create global input files to
use as input for a number of models. An example input file is shown below.

Creating Family Table Instances

After a programmed model has been regenerated, it is possible to turn the resulting design into a
family table instance. To do this, select Instantiate in the PROGRAM menu. The system will
prompt for a name for the new instance. The instance is automatically created and can be opened
using Tools, Family Table.
VERSION X
REVNUM 46472
LISTING FOR GENERIC
PART 110-0065
INPUT
POSN NUMBER
"How many circuits?"
The Generic Model END INPUT
and its Program RELATIONS
D125=KEY/2
D154 KEY/2
Regenerate Get User

Pick Instantiate
the Model Input
then enter a name for
a new family table
instance
Family
Table
Instance_1
Instance_2
Instance_3
Instance_4

Program Examples
In the example programs shown here, the assembly VERSION
program prompts the user for the parts to be included REVNUM 281554
LISTING FOR ASSEMBLY 4455-067
in the assembly. The user is also prompted for the
thickness of the washer, but only when it is included INPUT
WASHER YES_NO
in the assembly. The location of the nut will adjust for “Do you want a washer?”
the thickness of the washer, and for when the washer IF WASHER = = YES
WASHTHICK NUMBER
is not included. The nut is driven by a family table “Enter the thickness for the washer?”
and is therefore interchangeable in the assembly. ENDIF
NUT_NAME STRING
“Which nut do you want to use?”
END INPUT
RELATIONS
IF WASHER = = NO
D1:5 = 0
VERSION ELSE
REVNUM 27332 D1:5 = WASHTHICK
LISTING FOR PART WASHER_03 ENDIF
END RELATIONS
INPUT
THICK NUMBER The assembly IF WASHER = = YES
END INPUT EXECUTE PART WASHER_03
program passes the THICK = WASHTHICK
RELATIONS thickness parameter END EXECUTE
d3 = THICK ENDIF
END RELATIONS
value to the
washer’s program ADD PART PLATE
INTERNAL MEMBER ID 1
ADD FEATURE (initial number 1) END ADD
ADD PART BOLT
FIRST FEATURE: Extrude INTERNAL MEMBER ID 2
PARENTS = 1
NO. ELEMENT NAME INFO STATUS END ADD
-----------------------------------------------------------
1 Section Defined IF WASHER = = YES
2 Depth Blind, depth = 0.125 Defined ADD PART WASHER_03
SECTION NAME = S2D0033 PARENTS = 1 2
END ADD
ENDIF
FEATURE'S DIMENSIONS: The nut is replaced here
d1 = 0.450 Dia ADD PART (NUT_NAME)
d2 = 0.800 Dia
based on user input INTERNAL MEMBER ID 4
d3 = 0.125 PARENTS = 1 2
END ADD END ADD
MASSPROP MASSPROP
END MASSPROP END MASSPROP
Example Part Program Example Assembly Program

EXERCISE 18 – INTRODUCTION TO PRO/PROGRAM
• Create a new part using File, New, enter < spacer > for the name
• Build the part with three separate features in the order as listed below:
• One extrude for the cross shape
• One extruded cut for the holes. Do not create four separate hole features.
• One round feature using four edges
• Be sure to follow the design intent as shown below
• If you need any help creating these features, review the textbook titled
“Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 2.0 Basic Design” by this author and publisher.

Task 2: Edit the Pro/PROGRAM in the part.
• Pick Tools, Program, then pick Edit Design in the small menu
• Create a parameter called SIZE and a prompt as shown below (Add the lines of text
shown in bold)
VERSION 2.0
REVNUM 344
LISTING FOR PART SPACER
INPUT
SIZE NUMBER
"WHAT SIZE DO YOU WANT THE SPACER TO BE?"
END INPUT
RELATIONS
D1=SIZE Your d# may be different,
D2=SIZE use your d# for the overall size
END RELATIONS of your spacer (the 200 dimensions)
DATUM PLANE
.
.
.
• Save the file the and exit the program editor

• Answer < Yes > to incorporate the changes into the model
• Pick Enter, Size, Done Sel in the small menu
• Enter < 300 > for the size
• Notice the part regenerates and is now 300 in size
• The part is shown here

• Pick Edit Design

• Add the two lines shown below in bold
VERSION 2.0
REVNUM 344
INPUT
SIZE NUMBER
END INPUT
RELATIONS
D1=SIZE
D2=SIZE
END RELATIONS

DATUM PLANE
.
.
.
IF SIZE > 185
PARENTS = 1(#1) 3(#2) 17(#5)
CUT: Extrude
.
.
.
d5 = 10 Dia
d6 = 150 Dia
END ADD
END IF

PARENTS = 14(#4)
ROUND: General
.
.
.
• Save the file and exit the program editor

• Pick Enter, Size, Done Sel and enter < 100 > for the size
• Notice the part regenerates and is now 100 in size and the holes are suppressed
• Pick Edit Design, add the lines shown below in bold
VERSION 2.0
REVNUM 344
INPUT
SIZE NUMBER
RADII YES_NO
“DO YOU WANT THE ROUNDS?”
END INPUT
RELATIONS
D1=SIZE
D2=SIZE
END RELATIONS

DATUM PLANE
.
.
.
IF RADII == YES
PARENTS = 17(#5)
ROUND: General
.
.
.
d8 = 10R
END ADD
END IF
MASSPROP
END MASSPROP

• Pick Enter, Size, Radii, Done Sel
• Enter < No > for the rounds
• Notice the part regenerates and is now 200 in size and the holes are resumed and the
round is suppressed, pick Done/Return
• Pick Edit, Regenerate, Enter, Size, Radii, Done Sel
• Enter < Yes > for the rounds
• You can now create 4 versions of this design as shown below

Task 3: Edit the program in an existing part.
• Open the part called ‘figure.prt’

• Pick Tools, Program, Edit Design, add the lines shown in bold
VERSION 2.0
REVNUM 133
LISTING FOR PART FIGURE
INPUT
VOLUME NUMBER
“What volume would you like?”
END INPUT
RELATIONS
SOLVE
VOLUME=HEIGHT*WIDTH*DEPTH
WIDTH=2*HEIGHT
FOR HEIGHT, WIDTH
D0=HEIGHT
D1=WIDTH
D2=DEPTH
END RELATIONS

DATUM PLANE
.
.
.
MASSPROP
PART FIGURE
END MASSPROP

• Answer < Yes > to incorporate the changes
• Pick Enter, Volume, Done Sel and enter a new value for the volume
• Pick Enter, Volume, Done Sel and enter a new value for the volume

Task 4: Regenerate a part using a text file.
• Open the part called ‘hook.prt’

• Using a system editor, such as notepad or textedit, open the text file called
‘hook_input.txt’
• This file contains a list of parameter and corresponding values
• This file can be used to drive the part during regeneration
• Change the value of the body diameter to 25 then Save the text file
• Pick Enter in the small menu
• Look at all the parameters that can be input
• Pick Quit Sel
• Pick Read File, then enter < hook_input.txt >
• Notice the part changes
• Edit the text file again, change the holes to ‘no’
• Save the text file
• Pick Edit, Regenerate, Read File, enter < hook_input.txt >
• Notice the part changes again
• Edit the text file again, change the holes to ‘yes’, change the rounds to ‘no’
• Notice the part changes again
• Edit the text file, change all the values
• Notice the part changes

Task 5: Add comments to features.

• Pick Tools, Program, Edit Design
• Scroll down through the program, find feature number 4
• Immediately after the statement “ADD FEATURE (initial number 4)”, enter a new
line of text as shown below in bold
/* THIS IS USED FOR ASSEMBLY PURPOSES: DO NOT DELETE.
TYPE = COORDINATE SYSTEM
NAME = CSYS_DEF
DTM_CSYS - OPERATION = SHOWN
END ADD

• Pick Info, Feature then pick CSYS_DEF in the model tree
• The Browser window is shown below, notice the comment line

Task 6: Edit the program of an existing assembly.
• Open the interchange assembly called ‘swap.asm’

• Open the assembly called ‘index.asm’
• Pick Tools, Program, Edit Design, add the text shown below in bold
VERSION 20.0
REVNUM 1884
LISTING FOR ASSEMBLY INDEX
INPUT
MOTOR_NAME STRING
“WHICH MOTOR DO YOU WANT TO USE?”
END INPUT
RELATIONS
END RELATIONS
.
.
.
ADD PART MOTOR_CRANK
PARENTS = 69 (#5)
END ADD
ADD PART (MOTOR_NAME)

PARENTS = 71 (#6)
END ADD
ADD PART INDEX_ARM

END ADD
.
.
.
MASSPROPS
END MASSPROPS

• Pick Enter, Motor_Name, Done Sel in the small menu
• Enter < motor-2 >

• Notice the motor is automatically replaced, do you know how this happened?
• Pick Instantiate in the small menu
• Click the cell then enter < index-1 > as shown below (be sure to press ‘enter’)
Click this cell then

enter < index-1 > here
then press ‘enter’
• In dialog box, pick File, Exit

• Read the message in the message area
• Notice the instance that was created by the Instantiate command
• Enter < motor-3 >, notice the motor is automatically replaced again
• Pick Tools, Program, then pick Instantiate in the small menu
• Enter < index-2 > for the new instance name then pick File, Exit in the dialog box
• Enter < motor >
• Look at the table

Layouts
Introduction
Pro/NOTEBOOK is used to create ‘layouts’. Layouts are like engineering notebooks, containing
key design information and rules. Layouts allow you to create parameters that control the model,
just like any other parameter. What’s different about the layout is that it is not a model, and it’s
not a ‘layout’ at all. This is not similar to the old drafting term ‘layout’.
Part and assembly models can both ‘reference’ layouts. When a part references a layout, it
‘knows about’ all the parameters in the layout. If the parameters in the layout are modified, the
parts referencing the layout will update when they are regenerated.
Think of the layout as a storage area for all the parameters you need for a project. As the project
develops, parameters are added to the layout. As models are developed, they reference the layout.
That way, if key design parameters are used by more than one part in the project, the parameter
only needs to be modified in the layout, and the entire project will update.
For example, the connector assembly shown below has many components. The customer
specifies the number of pins and the desired plating. Other parameters control optional shields,
hardware and other components of the assembly. The layout contains all these parameters, and
each component of the assembly references this layout. To create a bigger size connector, simply
modify the number of pins in the layout and the system builds you a connector that size.
The Layout or Notebook
Number of pins 15
Pin Spacing 0.108
Plating GOLD
Shielding YES
Hardware YES
Pin Spacer YES

Advantages of Layouts
Layouts are extremely versatile and powerful Pro/ENGINEER objects. With some imagination
and perseverance, the possibilities for using layouts are endless. When combined with
parameters, relations, and Pro/PROGRAM, layouts can be used to make design decisions based
on known rules. Layouts can also be used to create and modify models based on global ‘yes/no’
and ‘numeric’ parameters. Some common advantages of layouts are listed below.
• Consolidates engineering rules and critical requirements of the design into one central
location.
• Used to develop and maintain the basic part geometry for components of assemblies.
• Ensures proper fits and sizes of components in assemblies.
• Allows the user to drive any number of assemblies, parts and drawings, from one
location.
• Stored with the design objects in the database.
• Provides information about the objects where global parameters are used.
• Allows ‘automatic’ assembly of components, useful in design automation.
Considerations for Using Layouts

At some point in the design process, it can be useful to capture all of the critical design
requirements and place them in a layout. Typically this includes parameters and relations, but can
also include simple sketches, balloons, and notes, to make the layout easier to use and maintain.
This type of information is cosmetic and is used for annotation of the layout only.
The project leader or engineer can be responsible for the layout, controlling key design
parameters for the entire design team. As each team member creates their models, they reference
the layout. This approach allows true electronic concurrent or simultaneous engineering to be
performed using Pro/ENGINEER.
Although not always possible in today’s fast paced work environment, some preparation and
good design rules can ensure the design intent is carried through, and the design requirements are
fulfilled. Using layouts can make it happen.

Creating Layouts
To create a layout, pick File, New, pick the
Layout button, and enter a name in the New
dialog box. The New Layout dialog is
displayed and you can choose a drawing
format or specify a size for the layout as
shown below.
Pick the Layout button
Enter the name for

the layout here
Pick OK
Pick Empty with format

to use a drawing format
for the layout
When using Variable,

enter the size of the
layout’s sheet here
Pick OK

Creating Layout Parameters

The main use of a Layout is to contain important design parameters. Pick Tools, Parameters to
create and modify parameters in a layout. The layout Parameters dialog box (shown below) is
similar to the Parameters dialog box used in part and assembly models (see pages 185-188).
Pick the ‘plus’ sign to add a parameter, pick the ‘minus’ sign to delete a parameter. The name,
type, and values are entered, and the parameters can be ‘designated’ for use with
Pro/INTRALINK.
When parameters are created in a layout, they are considered ‘global’ parameters. This is because
they are used outside the layout by parts and assembly models that reference the layout.
The Layout Parameter Dialog Box

Parameter Sets
After the layout is established and parameters are defined, ‘sets’ of parameters can be created.
This provides flexibility when modifying parameters and allows custom configurations to be pre-
defined. Pick Parameters, Param Table in the Parameters dialog box to access the PARAM
TABLE menu shown below.
Add Param Add parameters to the table.

Del Param Delete selected parameters from the table.
Apply Set Apply the selected set of parameters to the layout.
Edit Edit the parameter sets using Pro/TABLE.
Show Show the contents of the parameter table.
In the small engine layout example on page 418, a set of parameters can
be created for each application of the engine as shown below.
Each row of the

table is a ‘set’
of parameters

Creating Layout Relations

The layout can also include relations similar to part relations. These relations are used to control
parts of the design not covered directly by parameters. For example, in gear design the number of
teeth is controlled by the relation: num_teeth = pitch_dia * diametral_pitch
The user enters values for ‘pitch_dia’ and ‘diametral_pitch’ in the layout, and the system
calculates ‘num_teeth’ and passes it to the model.
Relations are added to a layout by selecting Tools, Relations. The Relations dialog box is shown
below. See pages 185-197 for a full explanation of relations and the available math functions.
The Layout Relations Dialog Box

Tables
Tables are a convenient method of presenting parameter names and values to the end user of the
layout. The layout shown below includes a table containing the important design parameters and
their values. Pick Table, Insert, Table to create a table in a layout. See the note below.
The end user of the layout simply edits the values of the parameters and then regenerates the
layout. The layout shown below also includes imported 2D IGES geometry.
Sheets, Notes, and Other Tools

Sheets, notes, draft entities and other drawing related items can be added to the layout. The
commands to annotate a layout are similar to those found in detail drawings, and are not covered
in this textbook.
Note
See the text entitled “Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 2.0 Detail Drawings and
Pro/REPORT” by this author and publisher for complete information about
tables, sheets, notes, and other annotation commands.

Example Layouts
Layouts are used to control parts and assemblies. The example shown below is an electrical
enclosure, containing sheetmetal and solid parts. Using this layout, a new enclosure can be
generated at any desired size and configuration in a few minutes. The layout drives the complete
assembly, which drives the associated drawings and manufacturing information.
Another example of a layout contains 2D sketched geometry, dimensions, notes, and balloons as
shown below. This 2D geometry is similar to draft geometry on Pro/ENGINEER detail drawings.
It is not associative to any model, but is created to make the layout easier to use by others. This
example layout includes instructional notes and a simple bill of materials.

Using Layouts
After the layout is established and parameters are created, it can be used to control a new or
existing design. The first step is to be sure the layout is in session. Then open the part or
assembly and pick File, Declare, Declare Lay, then pick the name of the layout. The ‘declare’
command creates the reference to the selected layout. After the layout is ‘declared’, all the
parameters in the layout are available to the part or assembly model. You can use the parameters
in the layout for relations in the part or assembly to control the design.
The DECLARE menu is shown.
Declare Lay Declare (reference) the selected layout.

UnDeclr Lay Un-declare (break the reference) the layout.
Table Declare global references.
DeclareName Declare a global datum (see the next page).
UnDecl Name Un-declare a global datum.
List Decl List the declared layouts and global datums in the
information window.
Part Relations Utilizing Global Parameters

After the layout has been ‘declared’ in the part, relations can be created in the part to associate
dimensions to global parameters. This can be accomplished by adding relations, editing relations,
or by modifying the part dimension and entering the global parameter name.
It’s a good idea to add comments to the relations, especially if your designs are to be used by
others. Comments are used to explain the purpose of the relation, and to describe the dimensions,
features, and constants involved. Comments must be added before the relation as shown below.
/* The number of teeth is equal to the pitch diameter times the diametral pitch
num_teeth = pitch_dia * diametral_pitch
/* The tooth thickness is equal to the circular pitch divided by 2
tooth_thick = circular_pitch / 2

Global Datums and Automatic Assembly

Another advantage of layouts is the use of ‘global datums’. Global datums (planes and axes) are
created in the layout, and then ‘declared’ in the parts. Parts having common global datums can be
‘automatically’ assembled or ‘replaced’ in assemblies. When creating the global datums in the
layout, the direction of the positive/negative sides of the datum is not important, but you must
remember which way they are pointing to get the automatic assembly correct.
To create a global datum plane in the layout, pick Insert, Draft Datum, Plane, then pick a start
point and end point for the datum. Enter a name for the datum: be careful, you cannot rename a
global datum. To create a global datum axis, pick Insert, Draft Datum, Axis.
To declare a global datum in a part, pick File, Declare, Declare Name (see the previous page for
the menu). Pick a plane and then choose the direction for the positive side of the global datum.
The system will change the name of the datum in the part to correspond with the name of the
global datum in the layout. Repeat this process in each part you want to replace or automatically
assemble in assemblies.
In an assembly, if enough common global datums have been declared in a part, the system will
allow automatic assembly. Pick Automatic and the system Aligns the positive side of each
global datum plane. Global axes, points, and coordinate system may also be used to
automatically assemble components.
Layout Review
To review, the basic steps to using layouts are:
• Gather the key design parameters and rules.
• Create the layout.
• Create the parameters and relations in the layout.
• Annotate the layout with tables, figures, and notes.
• Create the part and assembly models.
• Declare the layout in each part and assembly.
• Write relations in the parts and assemblies using the parameters in the layout.
When a design change occurs:
• Modify the parameters in the layout, then regenerate the layout.
• Regenerate the parts and assemblies, watch them update.

EXERCISE 19 – LAYOUTS
Task 1: Create a new layout and add the design parameters.
• Open the assembly called ‘turbine.asm’

• Look at and investigate the assembly
Purpose
The purpose of this exercise is to be able to control the turbine assembly

from one location. The length of the blades and their angle need to be
controlled, as well as the diameter of the center ring and the outer covers.
• Pick File, New, pick the Layout button, enter < turbine > for the name and pick OK
• Set the size to ‘A’ and set the Orientation to ‘Landscape’ then pick OK
• Create a new parameter, enter < num_blades > for the name of the parameter
• Set the type to Integer
• Enter < 16 > for the value of the parameter
• Create another new parameter, enter < blade_len > for the name
• Set the type to Real Number
• Enter < 2.5 > for the value
• Create another new parameter, enter < blade_ang > for the name
• Enter < 20 > for the value
• Create another new parameter, enter < ring_dia > for the name
• Enter < 5 > for the value
• Create another new parameter, enter < hole_dia > for the name of the parameter


• Enter < 0.5 > for the value of the parameter
• Create another new parameter, enter < cover > for the name of the parameter
• Set the type to Yes No
• Enter < YES > for the value of the parameter
• Create another new parameter, enter < nut > for the name of the parameter
• Set the type to Yes No
• Enter < YES > for the value of the parameter
Task 2: Annotate the layout.
• Pick Table, Insert, Table, create a table as shown below (read the prompts)
• Enter the text in the left column as shown below (double pick the cell to add text)

• Enter the text in the right column by double picking the appropriate cell: in each cell,
enter the ‘&’ character followed by the name of the appropriate parameter. For
example, the parameter for the number of blades is called ‘num_blades’, so in that
cell enter < &num_blades > (don’t include the brackets)
• Fill in each cell of the right column with the appropriate parameter
• The values of each parameter are listed in the table as shown below
• Save the layout

• To change the TRUE values to YES, pick File, Properties
• Scroll to the bottom of the file, change the value of the last line to:
yes_no_parameter_display yes_no
• Pick Add/Change then pick Apply then pick Close
• Repaint the window
• The layout is shown below

Task 3: Add relations to the layout.

• Enter the following relations:
cover_dia = ring_dia + ( 2 * blade_len ) + 0.750
base_dia = ring_dia + ( 2 * blade_len ) + 0.750
• Save the layout
Task 4: Declare the layout in a part.
• Open the part called ‘blade.prt’

• Pick File, Declare
• Pick Declare Lay in the small menu
• Pick Turbine in the small menu
Task 5: Add relations in the blade part.
• Double pick the airfoil on the part

• Double pick the 2.500 length dimension, then enter < blade_len >
• Double pick the 30° angle dimension at the top of the airfoil, then enter < blade_ang >
• Save the part

Task 6: Test the relation.
• Switch the active window to the layout by picking Window, then pick here
• In the layout, pick Edit, Value, pick in the table on the 2.500, enter < 1 >
• Pick Edit, Regenerate in the layout
• Switch the active window to the blade part
• Pick Edit, Regenerate in the part
• Does it update?
• Switch the active window to the layout
• Change the same parameter back to 2.500 then pick Edit, Regenerate in the layout
• Switch the active window to the blade part
• Pick Edit, Regenerate in the part

Task 7: Declare the layout in the ring part.
• Open the part called ‘turbine-ring.prt’

Task 8: Add relations in the ring part.
• Add relations to control the diameter of the ring and the hole
• Double pick the main body of the part
• Double pick the 5.000 diameter dimension, then enter < ring_dia >
• Double pick the hole, double pick the diameter dimension, then enter < hole_dia >
• Save the part
Task 9: Declare the layout in the assembly.
• Switch the active window to the turbine assembly


Task 10: Add relations in the assembly.
Purpose
The blade part is assembled using an Align Offset command. This task
adds a relation to control the Align Offset dimension relative to the ring
diameter.
• Pick Tools, Relations, then pick any one of the blade parts
• Enter < d4:1 = ring_dia / 2 > (your D# may be different)
Task 11: Add relations in the assembly.
Purpose
The blade part is patterned in the assembly. This task adds relations to
control the number of parts in the pattern and the pattern spacing.
• Pick Tools, Relations, then pick any one of the blade parts
• Add a relation to control the number of blades
• Enter < p25:1 = num_blades > (your P# may be different)
• Add a relation to control the pattern spacing of the blades
• Enter < d24:1 = 360 / num_blades > (your D# may be different)

Task 12: Test the assembly relations.

• In the layout, pick Edit, Value, change the parameter values as shown

• Pick Edit, Regenerate in the assembly
• Does it update? Are there 8 blades? Did the cover get smaller?
Task 13: Declare the layout in the base part and add the relation.
• Open the part called ‘turbine-base.prt’

• Pick File, Declare, Declare Lay, Turbine
• Double pick the diameter dimension, then enter < base_dia >
• Double pick the small post
• Double pick the diameter dimension, then enter < hole_dia – 0.002 >
• Pick Yes to add the relation then pick Edit, Regenerate
• Did the part get smaller? Do you know why?

Task 14: Create two different turbines using the layout.

• In the layout, pick Edit, Value, change the parameter values as shown below

Task 15: Use Pro/PROGRAM in the assembly to toggle on/off the cover and/or nut.
Purpose
The assembly has two suppressed components, the turbine cover and the
nut. The layout has two Yes_No parameters, one for the cover and
another for the nut. This task uses Pro/PROGRAM in the assembly model
to include the cover in the assembly based on its layout parameter. If the
cover is included, then the nut may be included based on its layout
parameter. The design rules state that the nut cannot be included without
the cover.

• Pick Tools, Program, Edit Design
• Scroll to the bottom of the file and add the lines of text shown below in bold
if cover == yes
ADD SUPPRESSED PART TURBINE-COVER
PARENTS = 76(#26)
END ADD
if nut == yes
ADD SUPPRESSED PART NUT
PARENTS = 76(#26) 287(*)
END ADD
endif
endif
• Save the program file, exit the editor

• Pick Edit, Resume, All

Task 16: Turn off the cover in the layout.

• In the layout, pick Edit, Value, change the ‘Top Cover’ parameter to NO
• Save the layout
• Switch the active window to the assembly
• Look at the model tree in the ‘Status’ column
• Are the cover and the nut both listed as ‘Suppressed by Program’?
• Why does the nut also go away even though the layout has a YES for the nut
parameter?
Task 17: Declare the other parts and add their relations.
• Open the part called ‘turbine-cover.prt’

• Pick File, Declare, Declare Lay, Turbine
• Double pick the diameter dimension, then enter < cover_dia >
• Repeat this task for the nut, use the parameter called < hole_dia > for the diameter to
control the diameter of the hole in the nut
• In the nut part, after adding the relation to control the hole diameter, pick Tools,
Relations, pick the Sort Relations icon, read the message “Relations sorted
successfully.”
• Save the part

Task 18: Save the assembly.
• Switch the active window to the assembly

• Using the layout, create several versions of the turbine assembly

Simplified Representations
Introduction
Simplified representations are a way to ‘simplify’ the model. There are many reasons for creating
simplified reps, most important is to speed up retrieval and regeneration time of large assemblies.
Another reason for creating a simplified rep is to simplify the display of the model while creating
new features. Simplified representations can be created:
• In part models.
• In assembly models.
• External to assembly models.
Using simplified reps you can control which components are included in an assembly. Parts not
included in an assembly are considered ‘excluded’, and are not opened into session with the rep.
For example, you can temporarily remove (exclude) a complicated sub-assembly that is unrelated
to the portion of the assembly on which you need to work. Complex parts and sub-assemblies can
be substituted with simplified versions to speed the design process.
The Assembly Model A Simplified Rep

of the Assembly

Facts About Simplified Reps

• All simplified reps are based upon a Master Rep. The Master Rep is the entire
model including all of its features and/or components.
• Simplified reps are stored inside the model with the exception of External Simplified
Reps.
• Simplified reps ignore parent-child relationships, meaning you can exclude the
parents and leave the children included.
• When a feature or component is excluded, that means it’s not there, you can’t see it,
you can’t select it, and it’s not ‘in session’. This is completely different than putting a
component on a layer and blanking the layer.
• Simplified reps can be opened without opening the Master Rep first.
• The bill of materials listing for an assembly is always based on the Master Rep,
regardless of what components are included, excluded, or substituted in the current
representation.
• When calculating the mass properties of an assembly, only those parts that are
included in the current rep are used.
• Changes to an assembly while working in a simplified rep are applied to the master
rep, and are reflected in all other simplified reps.
• In order to use a simplified rep of a part in an assembly, you must create a simplified
rep of the assembly, then substitute the part’s rep.
• Substituted components of an assembly cannot be redefined, suppressed or deleted.
• Components of an assembly that are excluded from the rep cannot be redefined while
you are in the rep.
• Family Tables are not available while working in a simplified rep of an assembly.
• The Edit, Restructure command is not available while working in a simplified rep
of an assembly.
• The File, Integrate command is not available while working in a simplified rep of an
assembly.
• The Insert, Shared Data, Cutout command is not available while working in a
simplified rep of an assembly.

Types of Simplified Representations

Several simplified reps exist by default in each part and assembly model. Part models have the
following reps:
• Master Rep.
• Symbolic Rep.
• Geometry Rep.
• Graphics Rep.
Assembly models have an additional rep called the Default Rep. User defined reps can be created
in both parts and assemblies. Each of these different types of reps is described below.
Master Rep
The entire part, features, geometry and graphics are all included, a standard Pro/ENGINEER
model. This is what you usually work with in your models, everything is in there.
Symbolic Rep
The Symbolic Rep contains nothing. This type of rep does not have any features, geometry, or
graphics. Wireframe, Hidden Line, No Hidden, and Shading are not available (because there
is no geometry). Analysis, Measure is not available because there is no geometry to measure.
There are no Saved Views because there is nothing to look at.
Use the Symbolic rep to represent a part or sub-assembly as a single datum point in an assembly
model.
APNT1
A Simplified Rep with

The Master Rep
Parts Set to Symbolic

Geometry Rep
The Geometry Rep contains graphics and geometry. This rep does not have any features but
does have solid geometry. This geometry can be referenced in an assembly. All the display
options are available as well as measurements. Because there are no features, this rep does not
regenerate, thus making this the most useful simplified representation.
Consider using the Geometry rep of standard parts in assemblies to reduce regeneration time in
the assembly.
Graphics Rep
The Graphics Rep contains computer graphics only. This rep does not have any features or
geometry. The only display option is Wireframe. The others, Hidden Line, No hidden, and
Shading are not available (because there is no geometry). Analysis, Measure is not available
because there is no geometry to measure.
Use this rep when you need to quickly view a model, without the model being shaded.
Default Rep
The Default Rep exists only in assembly models. See “Simplified Reps in Assembly Models”
in this section.
User Defined Reps

User defined reps can be created in part and assembly models as described in this section. Detail
drawings can be created of simplified reps of assembly models, but not of simplified reps of part
models.
In detail drawings, ‘drawing reps’ can be created to speed the use of drawings when detailing
large assemblies. See the textbook titled “Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 2.0 Detail Drawings and
Pro/REPORT” by this author and publisher.

Simplified Reps in Part Models

Simplified reps can be created in part models. Pick any feature then pick View, Representation,
Exclude to remove the feature from the current display. Pick View, Representation, Include to
include only the selected feature in the current display.
Use the View, Representation

menu to set the current display
Then use the View Manager to

create a simplified rep from the
current display
Pick the View Manager icon to access the View

Manager. The Simp Rep tab View Manager is used to
manage simplified reps as shown. Pick New and enter a
name to convert the current display to a simplified rep.
An example of a user defined rep in a part model is shown

below.
The Master Rep A User Defined Rep

with Excluded Features

Simplified Reps in Assembly Models

Simplified reps can also be created in assembly models. Pick any component then pick View,
Representation, Exclude to remove the component from the current display. Pick View,
Representation, Master Rep to include only the selected components in the current display.
Pick the View Manager icon to access the View Manager.

The Simp Rep tab View Manager is used to manage
simplified reps as shown. Pick New and enter a name to
convert the current display to a simplified rep.
Use the Simp Rep tab

of the View Manager
Pick New to create a

new simplified rep
Examples
In the figure below, the ‘master rep’ is shown on the left, and a simplified rep is shown on the
right. When the simplified rep is opened, the excluded parts do not load into session, thus
speeding up retrieval time.
Master rep Simplified rep

(all parts) (excluded parts)

Examples (continued)
Another use for simplified reps is to substitute ‘envelope’ parts for complex parts or sub-
assemblies. In the example below, the cylinder head and the cylinder block have been substituted
by ‘envelope’ parts to speed up regeneration while working on other parts of the model. The
substituted parts are created using the View, Substitute command.

(original parts) (substituted parts)
Another way to create reps is to define assembly ‘zones’. In the example below, an assembly
datum plane is used to define a zone. All components of the assembly with geometry on the
selected side of the datum plane are included in the zone. Zones are created using the Xsec tab of
the View Manager.

(all parts) (parts in the zone)

Zones
A ‘zone’ is a special item created using the Xsec tab of the View Manager. Zones are used to
define an area of the assembly to be included in or excluded from a simplified rep. The zone is
usually defined by selecting an assembly datum plane and indicating which side of the datum to
be the zone. Parts having any portion of their geometry in the zone are wholly included in the
simplified rep. Any new parts added to the assembly will be included in the rep if the part’s
geometry is in the zone.
To create a Zone, pick View, View Manager, then pick the Xsec tab in the View Manager
dialog box. Pick New and enter a name for the zone, then pick Zone in the small menu. The next
dialog box is used to create the zone as shown below.
Pick the Xsec tab
Pick New here

then pick Zone here
Use this dialog box

to create the zone

Envelopes
An ‘envelope’ part is a special part created using the Envelope Manager dialog box. An
envelope part can represent several parts of an assembly. An ‘envelope’ is a separate part in
which surface or solid features are created to ‘represent the envelope’ of the parts that will be
substituted in a simplified rep. The parts for which the envelope will be substituted are defined
when creating the envelope, not when creating the simplified rep.
To create an envelope, pick View, Substitute, Envelope Manager. Pick New and enter a name
for the envelope part. The Envelope Method dialog box is used to add the envelope part to the
assembly as shown below.
Pick New
Use this dialog box to add the

envelope part to the assembly

(all parts) (subassemblies substituted using an
envelope part)

Opening Simplified Reps

Using the Open Rep option in the File, Open dialog box, you can open a simplified rep of an
assembly without bringing into session the excluded or substituted components as shown below.
Pick the assembly

then pick Open Rep
Pick the rep

then pick OK

Open Reps by Default

Using a config.pro option, the system will present the Open Rep dialog box each time the
assembly is opened, even when using the Open button instead of the Open Rep button of the
Open dialog box. This prevents the user from opening the Master Rep by mistake, wasting time
waiting for the entire assembly to load into session.
The config.pro option is:
open_simplified_rep_by_default yes
The Open Rep dialog box for an assembly is shown below.
When opening a simplified

rep of an assembly, pick here
to enable ‘on-demand’ reps,
see the next page
Note
This config.pro option also causes the system to present the Open Rep
dialog box when opening a drawing. For details about ‘Drawing Reps’,
read “Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 2.0 Detail Drawings and Pro/REPORT”
by this author and publisher.

On-Demand Simplified Reps

Simplified reps can be configured to automatically retrieve and erase components on demand, as
needed. This allows you to redefine a component that is assembled to a part that is not in the
current rep. The system will open the necessary part, show it during the redefine, then
automatically remove it from the rep and erase it from session.
On-Demand Settings
Pick Tools, Assembly Settings, On Demand. The On-Demand Settings dialog box allows
many options to be set as shown below.
Set these options if you want to be

able to work on components not
in the rep or redefine parts that
reference parts not in the rep
Pick here to be asked about

opening parts not in the rep
Pick here to have the system

automatically remove and erase
parts that it automatically opened

Working with On-Demand Simplified Reps
Follow these steps for understanding on-demand simplified reps.
Step 1
Open an assembly
rep and enable on-
demand updating.
In this rep of the assembly,

the covers are excluded (they Step 2
are not there) and they are not Redefine a component of
retrieved into session when the assembly that
the rep is opened. references a component
that is not in the rep.
Step 3
If the Settings are set to ‘Ask for confirmation’ this
warning is displayed. Pick OK to open the models
required to complete the redefine.
Step 4
Complete the Redefine.
Step 5
If the Settings are set correctly, the
system will automatically remove the un-
needed component and erase it from session

External Simplified Reps

Another type of simplified rep for assembly models called External Simplified Rep. The
external rep is a separate file that references the main assembly. Multiple external reps can be
created for a single main assembly. Modifications to the external simplified rep are automatically
transferred to the main assembly. Modifications to the main assembly are automatically
transferred to all external simplified reps. Components in the external rep can be set to
‘modifiable’ or ‘reference’ as desired.
There are three methods for creating external simplified reps of an assembly model:
• Use the View Manager to copy an existing internal simplified rep.
• Use the File, Save a Copy command with the External Simplified Rep option.
• Use the File, New command with the Ext. Simp. Rep. option.
The following statements apply to external simplified reps:

• They are External to the main assembly file.
• They use the .asm file extension.
• Creating or redefining an external simplified rep does not change the main assembly.
• They are not listed in the View Manager of the main assembly.
• Component locations in the external simplified rep reference their locations in the
main assembly.
• Components in the external rep can be set to ‘modifiable’ or ‘reference’ as desired.
• Component references created in the external simplified rep are automatically
transferred to the main assembly.
The External Simplified Rep References the Main Assembly File

Using the View Manager
To create an external simplified rep from an existing internal simplified rep, open the existing
internal simplified rep using the Open Rep button in the Open dialog box. Select the rep to
open. Next pick View, View Manager, and select Edit, Copy As External as shown below.
Enter a name for the external rep (it’s an assembly file) then pick OK.
Select the main assembly

then pick Open Rep
In the View Manager, pick

Edit, Copy As External
Enter a name for the

external rep here
Pick OK to create the rep

Using the File, Save a Copy Command
Another method to create an external simplified rep from an existing internal simplified rep is to
use the File, Save a Copy command.
Using the View Manager, set an existing rep to Active. Use the Default rep to include the entire
assembly in the external rep.
With an existing internal simplified rep active, pick File, Save a Copy, and set the Type of
object to External Simplified Representation (*.asm) as shown below.
Enter the name for

the external rep here
Set the Type to External

Simplified Representation

Using the File, New Command
External simplified reps can be created using the File, New command. Pick File, New, pick the
Assembly and the Ext. Simp. Rep. buttons in the New dialog box. Enter a name for the external
simplified rep then pick OK. Select the main assembly you want to simplify, and pick either
Open or Open Rep. The Edit Rep dialog box (also shown below) is used to complete the
definition of the external rep.
In the New dialog box, pick Assembly
Pick Ext. Simp. Rep.
Enter a name here
Pick OK
Select the main assembly

then use Open or Open Rep
Use this dialog box to Include or

Exclude components in the external rep

EXERCISE 20 – SIMPLIFIED REPRESENTATIONS
Task 1: Open the default simplified representations in a part.
• Select File, Open, pick lab20-1.prt, then pick Open Rep

• Pick Graphics Rep, OK
• Notice the Insert menu is not available
• Notice the Analysis, Measure command is not available
• Notice the only display options available are
‘shaded’ and ‘wireframe’
• Pick Geometry Rep, OK
• Notice the Insert menu is not available
• Notice the Analysis, Measure command is available
• Notice the display options ‘no hidden’ and ‘hidden line’ are available
• Pick Master Rep, OK
• Notice the Insert menu is available
• Notice the Analysis, Measure command is available
• Notice that all the display options are available

Task 2: Use the View Manager to switch reps.
• Pick the View Manager icon

• Pick the Simp Rep tab at the top of the View Manager
• Double pick Geometry Rep
• Pick Close in the View Manager
• Try to create a feature using the Insert menu
• Pick the View Manager icon again
• Double pick Master Rep
• Pick User Defined Rep then pick OK
• Pick No_Holes then pick OK
Task 3: Create a simplified representation in a part.
• Open the part called ‘core.prt’ then Close the window

• Open the generic part called ‘housing.prt’
• Orient the model using the saved view called ‘bottom-iso’
• Pick all of the retainer cuts as shown here
Pick all of the

retainer cuts

• After all the cuts are selected, pick View, Representation, Exclude
• Pick New in the View Manager
• Enter < no_retainer > for the name of the rep
• Pick Tools, Parameters and modify the ‘posn’ parameter to < 25 > then pick OK
• Pick Edit, Regenerate and notice that all the retainer cuts are automatically excluded
from the rep
• Pick Tools, Parameters and modify the ‘posn’ parameter to < 9 > then pick OK
Task 4: Create a simplified rep using surfaces.

• Enter < surfaces > for the name of the rep
• Pick Redefine in the right mouse button popup menu in the View Manager

• Pick Surfaces in the small menu and then pick the surfaces shown below
Pick these surfaces
Pick these surfaces

• Pick Done/Return in the small menu

Task 5: Create a simplified rep using a ‘work region’.

• Enter < mounting_ear > for the name of the rep
• Pick Work Region, Done
• Set the depth to Through All in the dashboard tool
menu
• Pick DTM2 for the sketch plane then click the middle mouse button
• Sketch a vertical line aligned with DTM12 and the two outer surfaces of the part
• Flip the Direction arrow in the dashboard tool
• Pick Done/Return in the small menu

Task 6: Create a simplified rep in an assembly model.
• Open the generic assembly called ‘index.asm’

• Enter < no_hardware > for the name of the rep
• In the model tree, pick all hardware parts (the parts that have numeric part names)
• When you are finished excluding the hardware parts, pick OK
• Pick the green checkmark, then pick Close in the View Manager
• Look at the model, the hardware should not be displayed

• Set the Master Rep as the current rep
• Look at the model, the hardware is displayed again

Task 7: Create another simplified rep.
• Select the five parts in the model tree as shown
Select these five parts
• Pick View, Representation, Master Rep

• Look at the model, only the five mechanism parts are displayed
• Enter < mechanism_only > for the name of the rep

Task 8: Create a zone based simplified rep of an assembly model.
• Open the assembly called ‘truck.asm’

• Pick the Xsec tab at the top of the View Manager
• Pick New then enter < front_only > for the name of the zone (be sure to press ‘enter’)
• Pick Zone in the small menu
• Pick ADTM3 in the model tree
• Pick the checkmark as shown below
The selected datum is listed here
Pick the checkmark here

• In the model tree, pick ‘truck.asm’ then pick View, Representation, Exclude
• Notice all the components of the assembly are excluded from the current view

• Pick New
• Enter < front_only > for the name of the rep (be sure to press enter)
• Pick here
• Pick the ‘Plus’ here

• Set the Rep Action to Master Rep as shown below
Set the Rep Action to

Master Rep here

• Pick Undefined then pick New in

the right mouse button popup
menu here
• Enter < steve > then press ‘Enter’
• Pick the Geometry tab

in the Rule Editor
dialog box
• Pick Zone
• Pick OK

• Pick OK in the Front_Only dialog box

• Pick the green checkmark in the dialog box
• Create another rep that excludes the zone as shown below (menu picks are not
provided for this)
• Set the Master Rep as current using the View Manager


Task 9: Create an envelope part.
• Open the assembly called ‘wheel-tire.asm’

• Pick View, Substitute, Envelope Manager
• Pick New
• Enter < wheel-tire > for the name of the envelope (be sure to press enter)
• Pick the wheel and the tire then pick Done
• In the Envelope Method dialog box, enter < wheel_tire_envelope > for the name of
the part then pick OK
• Pick Browse and then pick an inch based template part then pick Open then pick OK
• Use the Default assembly constraint then pick OK
• Pick Change, Geometry, Done
• Pick Insert, Extrude
• Create an extruded cylinder that encompasses the entire assembly as shown below
Use Up To Surface for

the depth, use the
opposite side of the tire
Use one side
of the tire for
the sketch plane
Sketch a circle
the same size as
the tire
• After completing the cylinder, pick Done in the small menu

• Pick Close in the Envelope Manager dialog box

Task 10: Create a simplified rep using the envelope part.

• Enter < envelope > for the name of the
rep (be sure to press enter)
• Pick Redefine in the right mouse button
popup menu in the View Manager
• Pick the Substitute tab here
• Pick By Envelope here
• Pick the envelope here
• Pick here
• Notice the two parts have been substituted
with the new envelope part
• Pick the checkmark here
• The simplified rep is shown below

Task 11: Create a top-level rep using the sub-assembly rep.
• Open the assembly called ‘truck.asm’

• In the model tree, select all six (6) of the subassemblies called ‘wheel-tire.asm’
• Pick View, Representation, User Defined
• Pick Envelope in the Select Rep dialog box
• Pick Apply in the Select Rep dialog box
• Notice each subassembly has been replaced by the envelope part
• Enter < wheel_env > for the name of the rep (be sure to press enter)
• The Master Rep and the new rep with the substituted sub-assemblies are shown below

(all parts) (subassemblies substituted using an
envelope part)

Task 12: Create an external simplified rep from an existing rep.

• Double pick the rep called Electronics_Only
• Pick Edit, Copy as External as shown below
• Enter <4455-010-elect-only > as shown below then pick OK
• Save the new assembly after it opens

• Close the new assembly window and then close the original assembly window

Managing External References
Introduction
References are the basis of Pro/ENGINEER models. Each feature in every model must reference
other features for their definition. References are how design intent is communicated with the
system and determine how changes affect the model.
Successful management of assembly designs depends on a clear understanding of external

references, how they are created, how to find them, how to break them, and how to prevent
unwanted references from being created.
External references are usually created in assembly models. They are parent/child relationships
between a feature in one part and a feature in another part. The Copy Geometry feature is an
example of an external reference.
The Model Tree

The model tree can be configured to show a column listing the status of external references. In
the model tree, pick Settings, Tree Columns, and then pick as shown below.
Pick Then pick this

Copied Refs arrow then
pick OK

Copied references can have statuses as shown:
Active The object containing the

reference is in session and
the referenced geometry is
accessible
Missing The object containing the
reference is in session but the
referenced geometry has
been deleted
Frozen The object containing the
reference is not in session,
therefore the referenced
geometry is not accessible
Independent For Copy Geometry
features only. The object
containing the reference may
or may not be in session. The
feature is not looking for the
referenced geometry because
it has been set to
independent.
Suppressed The object containing the
reference is in session but
the referenced geometry
has been suppressed
Tip
The model tree can be

filtered to remove the
display of certain features.
Use Settings, Tree
Filters, pick the type of
features to be filtered, then
pick OK.

External Reference Types

There are many ways to create external references. Some of these are complicated and hard to
understand, yet very easy to create. The bottom line is, you muse be very careful when designing
in an assembly.
Out of the box, by default, Pro/ENGINEER allows all types of external references can be created.
These external references are categorized as follows:
Feature References Created when a feature in ‘part-a’ references a feature in

‘part-b’ in an assembly. This is an external reference.
References Created by Relations In an assembly, relation can be written between a feature
in ‘part-a’ and a feature in ‘part-b’.
Component References Created during the assembly process using constraints
such as Mate, Align, Insert, etc.
skeleton.prt
Components of the
assembly should have
external references to the
skeleton model only!

Circular References
Circular references must be avoided at all costs. These are created in an assembly when a feature
in ‘part-a’ references a feature in ‘part-b’, and that feature then references a feature in ‘part-c’,
and that one then references the original feature in ‘part-a’, thus creating the ‘circle’.
When an assembly contains circular references, the system displays a warning message and
creates a text file (with a .crc extension) explaining the details of the circular reference, as shown
below.
The Vicious Circle:

Circular References

The Global Reference Viewer

In addition to the model tree, the Global Reference Viewer is a tool for investigating all
references in any model. Use Info, Global Reference Viewer to activate the tool. The Global
Reference Viewer can be configured to show only those features involved in external references,
and can be filtered to show only the particular types of dependencies that you want to investigate.
Pick Tree, Columns to add

columns to the viewer similar to
the model tree
Pick Show Reference

Graph
Set the filters here (see the

next page)
Double-click any feature in the

Main Tree section to make it
‘current’
Parents and children of the

‘current’ feature are listed in the
Parent/Child Tree

Global Reference Viewer Filters

The Global Reference Viewer has a variety of filters that can be applied to control the display of
items in the main tree of the tool. In the global reference viewer, pick Show Filters (see the
previous page). The filters dialog box has two tabs in the Display section as shown below.
In the Objects tab,

select the types of
objects you want to
see in the Global
Reference Viewer
In the References
tab, select the types
of references you
want to investigate
in the Global
Reference Viewer

The Reference Graph

The ‘Reference Graph’ is a dialog box used to investigate parent /child relationships in a
graphical format, similar to the model tree. To display this dialog box, select Info, Global
Reference Viewer, then pick Show Reference Graph. Pick any feature then pick the icons at
the top of the dialog box to display ‘dependency arrows’ pointing to the parents and/or children
as shown below. The ‘repaint’ icon in the dialog box is used to clear the arrows. The color of the
arrows can be changed by picking the icon with the large arrow as shown below. Features can be
moved in the graph by click and drag to arrange the graph for ease of viewing.
Draw dependency Draw dependency

arrows to the parents arrows to the children
of the selected feature of the selected feature
Pick here to
change the
color of the
arrows
Drag and drop the

features to any
desired location in
the graph to make it
easier to see what
you are investigating

The Reference Information Window

The ‘Reference Information Window’ is another dialog box (similar to the Global Reference
Viewer) used to investigate parent /child relationships. This dialog box is displayed by selecting
Info, Parent/Child, then select any feature in the model.
The Reference Information Window is shown below.
Set the extent to

which you want to
investigate the
relationships here
Pick here to select Pick here to get

another feature to complete feature
investigate information about
the selected feature
The parents and
children of the
selected feature are
listed here

Reference Control
You can control the level at which external references can be created in the current assembly
using the External Reference Control dialog box. Pick Tools, Assembly Settings, Reference
Control to access the dialog box. This dialog box has three tabs as shown below.
The ‘scope’ of reference can be set to the following:
All Allow external references to be created to any other object in the assembly
Inside Subassembly Allow external references to be created only to components of the same
subassembly
Skeleton Model Allow external references to be created only to skeleton models
None Do not allow any external references to be created in the assembly

Reference Control Configuration Options

Many config.pro options exist to control the user’s ability to create external references in an
assembly as listed below. The default action for each option is listed first.
allow_ref_scope_change yes, no
default_comp_geom_scope all, pg, none
default_comp_invalid_refs copy, prohibit
default_comp_scope_setting all, none, subassemblies, skeleton_model
default_comp_skel_geom_scope all, pg, none
default_comp_skel_scope_setting all, none, subassemblies, skeleton_model
default_geom_scope all, pg_if_exists, pg_only
default_object_geom_scope all, pg, none
default_object_invalid_refs copy, prohibit
default_object_scope_setting all, none, subassemblies, skeleton_model
default_obj_constraints_scope all, interfaces, none
default_placement_scope all, intrf_if_exists, intrf_only
ignore_all_ref_scope_settings no, yes
ignore_export_geom_declaration no, yes
model_allow_ref_scope_change yes, no
ref_scope_copy_color value
ref_scope_copy_color_change yes, no
ref_scope_no_pick_to_copy no, yes
ref_scope_no_pick_to_prohibit yes, no
ref_scope_prohibit_color value
ref_scope_prohibit_color_change yes, no
scope_invalid_refs copy, prohibit
Key:
all Everything is available to be referenced.
copy Copy the geometry being referenced into the current object to avoid the
external reference.
interfaces Component Interfaces.
intrf Component Interfaces.
none No external references can be created.
pg Publish Geometry features.
prohibit Do not allow geometry to be referenced outside the scope for the current
object.

Breaking External References

Any external reference can be broken. You may want to do this for various reasons:
• Because of a change in design intent.
• Because the reference was created by mistake.
• Because the part is to be used outside the original assembly in some other assembly
where the reference will not be available.
• Because your company standards don’t allow external references.
An external reference is a parent/child relationship. In order to break an external reference (or

any other parent/child relationship) the feature must be assigned new parents. In the part model,
use Edit Definition or Edit References to accomplish this task, but first consider these facts:
• Before you can attempt to break the reference, you must have suitable parents in the
model available for the feature to be assigned to.
• This means you must know what the feature’s parents are, and which ones are
external to the part.
• The feature’s new parents must occur earlier in the model tree than the feature itself.
• The new parents should be local to the part (not an external reference themselves).
If the model does not have suitable parents for the feature to use, they must be created. Use
Insert Mode, and create the features before the feature with the external reference. This will
allow them to be selected for new parents during the Edit References process.
Note
The exact procedure for breaking external references varies depending on

the type of feature and the extent of the reference.

EXERCISE 21 – MANAGING EXTERNAL REFERENCES
Task 1: Add columns to the model tree.

• In the model tree pick Settings, Tree Columns
• Add the Copied Refs column to the model tree as shown below
Pick Then pick this

Copied Refs arrow then
pick OK
• Expand the tree to see the added columns and adjust the column sizes
• Expand each part to see the features in each part
• In the Copied Refs column, next to each Copy Geometry feature, the status is listed
as Active

Task 2: Start and configure the Global Reference Viewer.
• Pick Info, Global Ref Viewer

• Pick Show Filters
• In the Objects tab, set the filters as shown below
• In the References tab, set the filters as shown below
• Pick OK
Task 3: Examine the children of the skeleton part for placement references.
• Double pick the part called ‘8875-001_skel.prt’ in the Main Tree part of the dialog
box
• The left side of the Parent/Child Tree shows that the skeleton has NO parents
• The right side of the Parent/Child Tree shows the components that are children of
the skeleton

Note
There are two different type of external references in this assembly:

• ‘Placement references’ where parts are assembled to the skeleton
(CSYS to CSYS, because of the Kinematic motion)
• ‘Copy Geometry’ features in the parts referencing the curves in the
skeleton. These are ‘feature references’.
• Pick Show Filters

• In the References tab, pick Placement as shown below
Pick Placement
here
• Pick OK
• Double pick the part called ‘8875-004.prt’ in the Main Tree part of the dialog box
• You are now investigating the placement references of the piston part
• On the right side of the Parent/Child Tree, nothing is listed because nothing is
assembled TO the piston part
• On the left side of the Parent/Child Tree, the CSYS in both the skeleton and the
piston are listed because these are the features required to place the piston part in the
assembly

Task 4: Investigate feature references to the skeleton part.
• In the Global Ref Viewer, pick Show Filters

• In the References tab, pick Regular as shown below
Pick Regular
here
• Pick OK
• Set ‘Current Object’ to 8875-001_skel.prt in the pull-down list
• Pick the (+) sign next to ‘8875-001_skel.prt’ in the Main Tree part of the dialog box
• Double pick the feature called ‘Sketch 1’ in the skeleton part
• Two different types of children are listed for this feature, internal and external
• The external references are listed first, which are the ‘Copy Geometry’ features in the
various components of the engine
• The internal references are listed second, which are the coordinate system created on
the curves in the skeleton

Task 5: Use the reference graph.
• In the Global Ref Viewer pick Show Reference Graph

• Drag the feature called ‘Sketch 1’ to the right then double pick it
• Pick the Parents and the Children icons here
Task 6: Investigate other references.
• Try to find other types of references in other assemblies

• Use the Global Ref Viewer in a part model to explore parent/child relationships
• Use the Reference Graph to explore external references in the assembly

Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 2.0 Advanced Design Appendix A
Appendix A – Additional Exercises
COPYRIGHT  2004 CADQUEST INC. Page A-1

Appendix A Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 2.0 Advanced Design
Page A-2 COPYRIGHT  2004 CADQUEST INC.

EXERCISE 22 – SKETCHER EXERCISE
Task 1: Create the following sketch.
• Create a new sketch using File, New, pick the Sketch button, enter < turkey > for the
name of the sketch
• Sketch, dimension and constrain the following geometry:

EXERCISE 23 – SPIRAL SPRING
Task 1: Create a watch spring.
• Create a new part called ‘watch_spring’ using File, New

• Pick Insert, Model Datum, Curve
• Pick From Equation, Done in the small menu
• Pick the default coordinate system
• Pick Cylindrical in the small menu
• In the Notepad window, enter the following equations:
inner_radius = 0.031
outer_radius = 0.750
num_turns = 7
r = inner_radius + t * (outer_radius – inner_radius)
theta = t * 360 * num_turns
z=0
• This curve can be used to create a watch spring
as shown below
• Hint: Create a Thin Extruded Protrusion

EXERCISE 24 – HELICAL THREADS
Task 1: Create threads on the bolt part.
• Open the part called ‘bolt.prt’

• Pick Insert, Helical Sweep, Cut, Done
• Pick DTM3 for the sketch plane, pick Flip then pick Okay
• Pick Top then pick DTM4
0.050
Draw a vertical Use Sketch, Edge, Use to

centerline create the sketch entity, then
trim it as shown
Extend the line to the

bottom of the bolt


• Enter < 0.020 > for the pitch, then sketch the profile as shown below
0.005
75°
0.005

• Pick Okay in the small menu and pick OK in the dialog box

EXERCISE 25 – DATUM CURVE SKELETON PART
Task 1: Create a skeleton part.
• Create a new part, enter < loader > for the name
• Create a single sketch feature to build the skeleton as shown below
• Sketch on the FRONT datum plane
Sketch point

EXERCISE 26 – MOTION USING RELATIONS
Task 1: Open the part and add the relations.
• Open the part called ‘loader.prt’ created in Exercise 25

• Add the following relations using Tools, Relations
incr = 0.05
min = 1.35 Substitute your d#’s – they may not be d34 and d45
max = 1.70
This is the
d45 dimension
incr2 = 0.025
This is the
min2 = 0.95
d34 dimension
max2 = 1.40
if d34 <= max

d34 = d34 + incr
endif
if d34 >= max & d45 <= max2

d45 = d45 + incr2
endif
if d34 >=max & d45 >= max2

d34 = min
d45 = min2
endif

• Regenerate the part many times, does it move correctly?

• Use this part as a skeleton to create a loader design as shown below

About the Author

Steven G. Smith is the president of CADQUEST INC., an independent training provider and
publisher of Pro/ENGINEER textbooks. Mr. Smith is a mechanical engineer with over 20 years
design experience. He has been using Computer Aided Design systems since 1982, and began
teaching IBM’s CADAM software at the Harrisburg Area Community College (Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania) in 1987. Over the years, Mr. Smith has also used Applicon Bravo, Prime Medusa,
AutoCAD, and Unigraphics II.
Mr. Smith holds four United States Patents for various product and equipment designs at both
RCA Corporation and AMP Incorporated. Other previous employers include TRW (Turbine
Airfoils Division) and Mack Trucks.
Mr. Smith started using Pro/ENGINEER in 1994 while supporting a rapidly growing
implementation at AMP Incorporated. He began teaching Pro/ENGINEER in 1995, and in 1997
founded CADQUEST.
Other Pro/ENGINEER and Pro/INTRALINK textbooks published by CADQUEST include:
Pro/INTRALINK 3.3 User’s Guide

Pro/INTRALINK 3.3 Administration Guide
Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 2.0 Basic Design

Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 2.0 Intermediate Design
Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 2.0 Detail Drawings and Pro/REPORT
Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 2.0 Sheetmetal Design
Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 2.0 Introduction to Surface Modeling
Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 2.0 Introduction to Mechanism Design
Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 2.0 Introduction to Pro/PIPING
Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 2.0 Introduction to Behavioral Modeling
Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 2.0 Introduction to Photorender
Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 2.0 Introduction to ISDX
These and other books are published by CADQUEST and can be reviewed or purchased online:
www.cadquest.com

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Pro ENGINEER 

Pro/ENGINEER is a registered trademark of Parametric Technology Corporation

Copyright  1999-2004 CADQUEST INCORPORATED. All rights reserved under the

COPYRIGHT  2004 CADQUEST INC. Page i

Helical Sweep .........................................................................................................................................54

Page ii COPYRIGHT  2004 CADQUEST INC.

Introduction and Terminology................................................................................................................134

COPYRIGHT  2004 CADQUEST INC. Page iii

Adding Items to the Family Table .........................................................................................................216

Page iv COPYRIGHT  2004 CADQUEST INC.

Include Components .............................................................................................................................292

COPYRIGHT  2004 CADQUEST INC. Page v

Page vi COPYRIGHT  2004 CADQUEST INC.

Master Rep .......................................................................................................................................435

COPYRIGHT  2004 CADQUEST INC. Page vii

Page viii COPYRIGHT  2004 CADQUEST INC.

Objective of This Textbook

COPYRIGHT  2004 CADQUEST INC. Page 1

Page 2 COPYRIGHT  2004 CADQUEST INC.

File, Open Bold type indicates a pull-down menu option.

Pick the icon shown from a toolbar.

COPYRIGHT  2004 CADQUEST INC. Page 3

Page 4 COPYRIGHT  2004 CADQUEST INC.

COPYRIGHT  2004 CADQUEST INC. Page 5

Page 6 COPYRIGHT  2004 CADQUEST INC.

COPYRIGHT  2004 CADQUEST INC. Page 7

Sketches and Datum Curves

Uses for Sketches and Datum Curves

Datum curves are

Page 8 COPYRIGHT  2004 CADQUEST INC.

The Sketch Feature

The Sketch dialog box is shown below.

Pick here to select

Pick here to use

Flip the direction of viewing the

Pick here to select the reference plane

Set the orientation of

Pick here to sketch the geometry

Datum Curve Thru Points

COPYRIGHT  2004 CADQUEST INC. Page 9

Attributes Free places the curve through points

Spline Connect the selected points with a spline.

Single Radius Curve Spline Curve

Page 10 COPYRIGHT  2004 CADQUEST INC.

The TANGENCY menu includes these options and is shown.

Start Set the tangency at the start of the curve.

Both start and end points

COPYRIGHT  2004 CADQUEST INC. Page 11

Datum Curves From Equations

Page 12 COPYRIGHT  2004 CADQUEST INC.

Projected and Wrapped

Projected Datum Curves Wrapped Datum Curves

COPYRIGHT  2004 CADQUEST INC. Page 13

Datum Curves by Intersection

1. Create a curve representing the

2. Create another curve rep-

3. Pick the icon

Datum Curve by Intersection

Page 14 COPYRIGHT  2004 CADQUEST INC.

Datum Tag Display

Datum Display Icons

Select the symbol used

COPYRIGHT  2004 CADQUEST INC. Page 15

The graph must include a sketcher coordinate system.