ProENGINEER Administration

1
ProENGINEER Administration
Doug Schaefer Senior Project Engineer,
Mechanical Design Central
Andrew Amsden CAD\PDM Administrator Midmark
Corporation
2
Agenda

• ProE Configuration
• Config files
• Philosophy
• Implementation
• Resources
• PTC.com
• PTCUser
• ProHelp
• Forums
• Other Sites

3
ProE Configuration config files

• Basic file types
• config.sup
• Text file, company standards, options cannot be
  overwritten by later files, first file read, can
  only be read from the installation directory
• config.pro
• Same text format as config.sup, can load as many
  as you want, options in later files supersede
  options in earlier files (last file loaded wins),
  can load new one at any time
• Tools Options to edit and save config.pro files
  or edit in your favorite text editor like Notepad
• config.win
• Controls window layout, toolbars, etc., can load
  multiple files but results can be very
  unpredictable!
• Tools Customize Screen or Right click on any
  tool bar and select commands or toolbars to enter
  the dialog to change and save config.win files
• Binary file, can only edit in Pro/E

4
ProE Configuration config files

• Other file types
• syscol.scl
• Text file, sets custom system colors through View
  Display Settings System Colors (WF3) and then
  File Save once you have your colors set.
• Config option to load the syscol.scl file at
  startup system_colors_file
• tree.cfg
• Controls model tree options and layout, extra
  columns, widths, etc. Look at settings menu in
  the tree.
• Config option to load the tree.cfg file at
  startup mdl_tree_cfg_file
• Printer config files
• .pcf Printer config. Click on Configure in
  the print dialog to set and save a configuration.
  Saved configs appear in printer list. Set
  pro_plot_config_dir to directory where your .pcf
  files are saved
• .pnt Pen table file, controlls line weights.
• Others color.map / appearnace.dmt for colors,
  layers.pro for layers, search.pro for search paths

5
ProE Configuration Philosophy

• Ensure consistent data
• angular_tol_, dxf_export_mapping_file,
  dxf/dwg_export_format, linear_tol,
  tolerance_standard, intf_in_use_template_models,
  linear_tol_, save_objects, todays_date_note_form
  at, tol_mode
• Provide a consistent environment
• pro_colormap_path, pro_dtl_setup_dir,
  pro_format_dir, pro_group_dir, pro_library_dir,
  pro_note_dir, pro_plot_config_dir,
  pro_symbol_dir, pro_texture_library,
  search_path_file, start_model_dir, trail_dir,
  template_designasm, template_drawing,
  template_solidpart, template_
  use_8_plotter_pens, use_software_linefonts,
  user_iges_header_file
• Provide as much user freedom as possible
• allow_anatomic_features, allow_round_all,
  enable_component_interfaces, enable_offset_fan_cur
  ve, enable_advance_collison, logical_objects,
• Make things easier
• general_undo_stack_limit, provide_pick_message_alw
  ays
• mapkeys, custom menus, launch scripts, etc

6
ProE Configuration Implementation

• Where to put config files?
• ProE loadpoint\text (config.sup then config.pro)
• User home (as defined by Windows environment
  variable HOMEDRIVEHOMEPATH)
• Start up directory (as defined in the shortcut
  Start In field)
• How Design Central does it
• Place company config files in a server directory
  that everyone has access to
• Place each users config files in a user specific
  directory
• Set the Start In field in the ProE launch icon
  to the user config folder
• Create a batch file with this command to copy
  company config files
• xcopy /q /y company_config_dir\.
  load_point\text\
• And this line to launch ProE
• call load_point\bin\proe_executable_file
  (usually proe.exe)
• Point ProE launch icon to the batch file instead
  of the ProE executable

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ProE Configuration Tips

• If using multiple config.win files (company
  user), best to separate their areas of influence
  one file controls toolbars, one file controls
  menus, for example. Having two files manipulate
  the same area can be very unpredictable.
• Config.win files are versioned (.1, .2) to
  make sure that users dont save a newer version
  in the loadpoint that will take precedence over
  your company files, create two identical company
  files with the max numerical extensions .32767
  .-32768 (the dash is important)
• Users will need write access to the ProE
  loadpoint for the batch file to work.
• Using the users login name for folder names
  makes the path to the user config folder simpler,
  something like P\user_configs\username\

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Resources PTC.com Getting an account

• Go to ptc.com
• Click My Account
• Create Basic Account
• Upgrade account
• Need customer no. SCN, SON or site number
• Get your SCN from Help-gt Technical Support
  Info
• How to video

9
Resources PTC.com Update Advisor

• Determine if an upgrade will resolve those
  nagging issues or introduce new ones.
• Go to PTC.com
• Click on support and then ProENGINEER support
  center
• On the left, find the Update Advisor link
• Pick the two versions you want to compare.
• Could be two builds of the same version, or
  two
• versions.
• Reported Unresolved or new
• An interesting comparison is Release 12 with
  WF5.
• Note the Reported issues from 15, 16, 17

10
Resources PTC.com Knowledge Base Search

• Search through tutorials, help files, SPRs, TANs,
  etc.
• Go to PTC.com
• Click on support and then ProENGINEER support
  center
• The KB Search is near the top of the page.
• Filter the results.

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Resources PTC.com Technical Support
Subscriptions

• Get notified when new information is posted.
• Go to PTC.com
• Click on support and then ProENGINEER support
  center
• On the left, find the Technical Support
  Supscriptions link
• Set up your notifications

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Resources PTC.com Call Logging and Tracking

• Report and track problems.
• Go to PTC.com
• Click on support and then ProENGINEER support
  center
• On the left, find the Call Logger and Call
  Tracker links
• Logging a Call
• KB article suggestions
• Upload relevant files
• Tracking a Call

13
Resources PTCUser Getting an Account

• www.ptcuser.org -gt click login
• Click on Request Login
• Fill in the form-gtClick on OK-? Its that Easy!
• PTC/USER will send you and email with further
  instructions

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Resources PTCUser Forums / Exploder

• Login -gtSelect My Subscriptions
• In drop down, select Public Discussions then
  Pro/Engineer CAD
• Congratulations, you joined the most popular and
  most active Pro/E Forum!
• You can choose how your forum is delivered, read
  the bottom of the page for details.
• Tips
• Ask your question in context and as a very
  specific question.
• In sketcher, when drawing a line, how do i force
  it to be horizontal?
• Only ask a couple of questions per thread (email)

15
Resources Forums MCADCentral.com

• The most useful forum outside of PTCUser
• Register or login using the green box at left.
• Click on Pro/ENGINEER in center, then FORUMS at
  the top
• Email notices are the key
• Click Settings
• Click Notify
• Set notifications on sub-forums to get daily
  notices of topics and replies in that forum

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Resources Forums PTC.com

• Click on Resource Center and youll find the
  forums link at the bottom.
• Requires a ptc.com account, not sure if its a
  basic or upgraded.
• The forum page looks like any other.
• Click on the Digests link and you can subscribe
  to daily or weekly digests of posts in each
  section.
• You can then scan each email for items of
  interest without visiting the forum.

17
Resources ProHelp

• Working In Pro/E Help Center (Not the most
  intuitive)
• Select Help-gtHelp Center
• A browser pops up, select Global Search
• enter a search term ex. tol_
• Select the books to search (Fundamentals,
  Config Options... or Allgtgtgt)
• Use the right arrow to move books to the
  Selected.. side
• Then hit search

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Resources ProHelp

• Check out the other options from the help page
• EXPLORE!
• Its ALL here, well almost....
• http//www.ptc.com/community/resource-center/proen
  gineer/index.htm
• Tip the embedded browser can be a pain
• RMB on the page in the Help Center and select
  properties
• Copy the URL
• Fire up you favorite browser
• Clik in the address bar and CNTRL-V (paste)

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Resources Pro/GOOGLE -)

• Seriously Google is a very good resource
• Ever have trouble finding whats new for a
  previous release? Search ptc using Google
  what's new wildfire 3 siteptc.com
  (will not search protected content)
• Try video siteptc.com
• Sometimes Google can just find it faster

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Resources Other Sites

• ProE FAQ - www.proefaq.com/
• Infrequently updated tips tricks blog
• CADmin.co.uk - www.cadmin.co.uk/
• Lots of good info for admins
• CADminBlog - cadmincouk.blogspot.com/
• Blog associated with cadmin.co.uk
• Olaf Corten - www.proesite.com/
• Longtime ProE resource
• Config file checker, benchmarking, config option
  lists, mapkey database, more
• ProE Homepage - www.prohomepage.com/
• Relatively new, but regularly updated
• PTC Express - www.ptc.com/community/express-archiv
  e/index.htm
• lots of tips and articles
• ProE Community www.proe.com/
• Run by Connect Press

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Resources RSS Feeds

• RSS feeds help bring new web content to you
  through a Feed Reader.
• Internet Explorer and Firefox both have built in
  Feed Readers or you can use sites like
  www.google.com/reader, www.bloglines.com, and
  others.
• Great lt 4 minute video on using RSS
  www.youtube.com/watch?v0klgLsSxGsU
• Look for the RSS icon or a Subscribe link.

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Thank You
Doug Schaefer Senior project Engineer,
Mechanical Design Central d.schaefer_at_design-centra
l.com 614-890-0202
Andrew Amsden CAD\PDM Administrator Midmark
Corporation AAmsden_at_midmark.com 937-526-8770
COPUG User Meeting March 31, 2009