You can define a channel, sometimes referred to in the Creo Elements/Direct Cabling module as a path, through which your cables can be automatically routed. Think of a channel as one possible path that a cable might take through your model.
The Creo Elements/Direct Cabling module considers a single channel, called "Channel_1", but includes grouping commands with which you can break down a complex channel structure into more easily manageable components.
The channel may have complex geometry, including splines, and can have many endpoints and interconnections:
You can also create a channel outside of the Creo Elements/Direct Cabling module as a wireframe part using 3D Curve commands in the Creo Elements/Direct Modeling main menu. To make them to work properly in Creo Elements/Direct Cabling, remember to split edges at every junction, move the wireframe part to the harness' Channels subassembly, and rename the wireframe part "Channel_1".
After you define the channel, you can automatically route cables through the channel from one point to another. Simply define the cable's start and end points, and Creo Elements/Direct Cabling places the cable in the channel:
The purposes of automatic routing are to quickly determine cable lengths, harness topology and space calculations.
Automatically-routed cables do not automatically adapt to newly-changed channel geometry. Use the Un-Route command to remove cables from their channel, then the ExistingCable command to reroute cables in the modified channels.
To automatically route a cable in a channel,
1. Create a channel using any of the commands on the Channel tab of the ribbon. See the related topics links below.
2. Click Channel and then, in the Wire group, click Point-to-Point. The Automatic Routing dialog box opens.
4. Click Update at the top of the dialog box so that Creo Elements/Direct Cabling may properly compute the shortest path calculations.
5. Select a channel:
◦ Click Complete Channel for Creo Elements/Direct Cabling to consider the entire channel while auto-routing.
◦ Click Defined Channel Group and select a channel group for Creo Elements/Direct Cabling to consider only a single group of channels while auto-routing.
6. Select the number of cables to auto-route with the Copies list box.
7. Click Start Pnt and click a position on the active workplane nearest to the channel endpoint at which you wish the cable to begin.
If Creo Elements/Direct Cabling places the cable at the wrong endpoint, click Path Entry to explicitly define the proper endpoint. Then click a point, not near, the endpoint in the viewport.
8. Click End Pnt and do the same as you did when selecting the start point.
9. Click Next to auto-route another cable, or click to complete the operation.
To manually route cables through a channel,
1. Click Channel and then, in the Wire group, click Manual route. The Manual Routing dialog box opens.
4. Select continuous path segments in the viewport along which you want to route the cable.
5. Select the End Conditions.
6. Click to complete the operation.
To unroute automatically-routed cables,
1. Click Channel and then, in the Wire group, click Un-Route. The Un-route Cable dialog box opens.
2. Click Keep end tangents if you wish to keep the cable's existing tangents.
3. Click a cable in the viewport or click Select All.
4. Click to complete the operation.
To place an unrouted or manually-routed cable in a channel,
1. Click Channel and then, in the Wire group, click Existing cable. The Existing cable dialog box opens.
2. Click Update at the top of the dialog so that Creo Elements/Direct Cabling may properly compute the shortest path calculations.
3. Check Select path entry points if you wish to explicitly define the cables's start and end points.
4. Check Keep end tangents if you wish to keep the cable's existing tangents.
5. Click Complete Channel for Creo Elements/Direct Cabling to consider the entire channel while autorouting.
6. Click Defined Channel Group and select a channel group for Creo Elements/Direct Cabling to consider only a single group of channels while autorouting.
7. Select Cable(s), Unit(s), or Group and select it in the viewport to place in the channel.
8. Click Next to autoroute another cable, or click to complete the operation.
Point-to-Point. The Automatic Routing dialog box opens.
to complete the operation.
Manual route. The Manual Routing dialog box opens.
Un-Route. The Un-route Cable dialog box opens.
Existing cable. The Existing cable dialog box opens.