To load a model into Creo View, the associated document or part must be published. Publishing is a visualization feature that creates the necessary Creo View files from the CAD model. Windchill documents can always be published because they store the necessary CAD model data. Parts can only be published if they are associated with an EPMDocument. (You can also publish the WTPart structure for standalone WTParts.) If a part has not been published, it can be loaded into Creo View, but no geometry is visible. Data without associated CAD content can be viewed, but not published, in Creo View.

Windchill systems are typically configured so that publishing takes place automatically as CAD documents are checked into the system by a Windchill Workgroup Manager. However, the publish operation is also available in the WVS user interface, and by creating schedule jobs.

As a result of publishing, a representation for the object is created. The representation stores the Creo View files created for the object. A single part or CAD document can have multiple representations for different configurations of an assembly; however, one representation is designated as the default representation. When a thumbnail is shown for a CAD document or part, the thumbnail is of the default representation.

If CAD documents are loaded into Windchill by the Windchill Workgroup Manager, WVS can publish a representation of this data. Multiple representations can be generated (such as in the case for an assembly), illustrating different configurations of the structure. The generation of a representation can occur automatically or by user request. Publish requests are queued for processing. Users can monitor the queue and the status of the publish job.