1. PTC Product Focus: ModelCHECK
2. Tip of the Week: Suggested ModelCHECK 2000i² Configuration Order during         Implementation
3. Upcoming Events and Training Class Schedules

1.)PTC Product Focus: ModelCHECK

 

ModelCHECK is a software productivity tool add-on for Pro/ENGINEER.  It analyzes parts, drawings and assemblies, and recommends proper Pro/ENGINEER modeling techniques.  ModelCHECK imposes the use of standard design practices to improve the effectiveness of downstream users and design reuse.  Based on modern Web browser technology, this fully customizable tool also provides valuable online expert modeling advice.  Embedded directly into Pro/ENGINEER, ModelCHECK runs automatically when a user regenerates or saves their model to verify compliance to standards and proper modeling techniques and recommend improvements.  Notable recommendations are presented to the user in the form of an HTML, XML and Java based report, which appears in the user’s Web browser.  Through this report, the user can highlight recommendations directly in the Pro/ENGINEER window, or in some cases use ModelCHECK to implement them automatically.  In many cases ModelCHECK also provides detailed supporting documentation about a recommendation.  ModelCHECK can also be run interactively through a Pro/ENGINEER menu command, or in batch mode outside of Pro/ENGINEER.

CAPABILITIES

• Use of Proper Modeling Techniques:  Companies that have used Pro/ENGINEER for some time often define guidelines for building models and drawings.  However, these standards can be difficult and time consuming to enforce.  Often modeling mistakes are discovered, yet are left in the model because of the considerable amount of time it would take to correct them.  The future costs of these modeling errors can be significant.
• Conformance to Start Part and Company Standards:  ModelCHECK is an integrated application that runs transparently inside Pro/ENGINEER.  Using a configurable list of company design standards and best modeling practices, ModelCHECK immediately flags modeling violations in parts, assemblies, and drawings.  After every regeneration and save, within seconds, ModelCHECK has analyzed the model.
• Online Expert Design Advisor:  A full set of checks can be run at the user's request that will offer design advice and information about the model.          Detailed Web pages have been designed and can be customized to describe to users why each check is important and how problems can be avoided and corrected.  In this way, ModelCHECK is much more that a "gatekeeper" of design standards.  It becomes an online expert design advisor.
• Windchill, Pro/INTRALINK and Pro/PDM Gatekeeper:  A major benefit of using a PDM system is to promote the reuse of models because now that information is enterprise available. However much of the data in these systems is of questionable use as it has been created by engineering for engineering. Companies can use ModelCHECK to ensure that all data checked into their PDM system incorporate standard modeling practices so the data can be of much use to those users outside of the original author community.
• Sharing Between Suppliers and OEMs:  ModelCHECK can be used to verify, certify and facilitate the transfer of data between suppliers, OEMs and even between different departments within the same organization.

2.)Tip of the Week: Suggested ModelCHECK 2000i² Configuration Order during         Implementation
This outlines the suggested order in which the various checks within ModelCHECK are enabled.  It is suggested that there be at least one week between the various stages.  The tasks during each stage are described below:

1. These are mostly critical checks and information type checks.  These should be enabled during the initial implementation

•  Parameter names and syntax rules

2. These are less severe checks

• Model names and syntax rules
• Layer names, and feature type rules
• Drawing format naming conventions

• Datum, parameter and layer rename
• Standard family table parameters
• Standard relations
• Drawing fonts, height and .dtl information

The condition.mcc file and additional configuration files should be configured at this time (to account for different types of configurations)

5. These checks are not used by all companies, they should only be considered after the customer is very familiar with the software.