Create drawings from models (Creo Elements/Direct Annotation) > Advanced topics > Customization for advanced users > Creo Elements/Direct Annotation customization for advanced users
  
Creo Elements/Direct Annotation customization for advanced users
This page offers some introductory information about the Creo Elements/Direct Annotation customization files:
Overview
Specifying preferred units
The order in which Creo Elements/Direct Annotation loads customization files
Contents
Overview
This document describes the structure of the customization functions found in the am_customize and am_plot_customize files. Also described are other functions, such as special character and frame registration functions, that can be included in a customization file and loaded into Creo Elements/Direct Annotation.
The customization functions can be included in the am_customize file, which is automatically loaded when Creo Elements/Direct Annotation is started, or included in a separate file. To load a file into Creo Elements/Direct Annotation, enter (load "path / filename")in the user input line, where path / filename is the file and its path containing valid customization functions.
Specifying preferred units
The am_customize factory settings are designed using the units 1 mm and 1 degree code. These units settings are defined explicitly at the beginning of the file, and you can change them if required. Note, however, that all unit-taking values within the am_customize file are interpreted using these initial definitions. At the end of the am_customize file, you can specify another units definition for your preferred units to be used in subsequent Creo Elements/Direct Annotation sessions. Therefore, you can use any units for the am_customize data itself and any units for the start up defaults in Creo Elements/Direct Annotation.
The order in which Creo Elements/Direct Annotation loads customization files
Creo Elements/Direct Annotation provides various levels of customization capabilities by loading configuration files (such as the am_customize file) at startup. Each file in the load sequence overwrites or adds to previous Creo Elements/Direct Annotation definitions.
Creo Elements/Direct Annotation distinguishes between three levels of customization: Corporate, Site, and User. The Corporate customization overwrites any default Creo Elements/Direct Annotation customization. A Site administrator can add Site-specific customizations to the Corporate customization, or can overwrite or omit Corporate settings. The User can use Site and Corporate customizations, and can also add personal preferences. The User is also able to modify or omit Site and/or Corporate customization definitions.
During start up, Creo Elements/Direct Annotation searches a number of locations for am_customize, am_mm_customize, and am_plot_customize files and loads them in the following order:
1. The directory set by the $SDDIR environment variable:
$SDDIR/personality/sd_customize/ANNOTATION, or
$SDDIR/personality/<language>/sd_customize/ANNOTATION
If $SDDIR is not set, Creo Elements/Direct Modeling reads from the startup directory; by default:
2. The Corporate directory (set with the $SDCORPCUSTOMIZEDIR).
3. The Site directory (as set with the $SDSITECUSTOMIZEDIR).
4. The User directory (as set with the $SDUSERCUSTOMIZEDIR).
Note that all instances of the am_customize file found above are loaded, therefore the last version takes precedence over any previous ones.
To disable default Creo Elements/Direct Annotation settings for end users, administrators are recommended to use the sd-set-setting-modifiable-flag function in the Corporate or Site-level customization files.
For further information on how Creo Elements/Direct Modeling and Creo Elements/Direct Annotation load customization files, see the Integration Kit documentation.
Contents
The following is a list of the more important functions described in this document. Click a link to open the page for the listed function. To find these and other functions, you can browse using the general categories in the left frame, or search the index.
Sheet Frame functions registers sheet frames to be available in Creo Elements/Direct Annotation.
Text functions registers text reference groups and types.
REGISTER-VIEW defines isometric view modes.
Text functions registers special characters to include in Creo Elements/Direct Annotation text.
Owner functions binds common default owners for different ownership contexts.
BOM functions customize BOM table layouts and attributes and other BOM aspects.
It is possible to change settings of these functions in the user input line of Creo Elements/Direct Annotation. However, this is not always advisable or practical. Examples of syntax and restrictions are given in the individual sections.