Data Exchange > Associative Topology Bus > Glossary > Glossary of Terms
Glossary of Terms
Term
Definition
Associative Topology Bus (ATB)
Associative Topology Bus (ATB) is a utility built on top of the interface for Creo Parametric. It allows the associative update of imported geometry to the newer versions of the non-native reference files that were originally used to create the imported geometry.
ATB is compatible with file formats such as Autodesk Inventor, CADDS 5, CATIA, NX, CDRS, ICEM, SolidWorks, Creo Elements/Direct, and Neutral. ATB may behave differently in conjunction with the supported formats, but the available options and workflow are identical. You can use the formats that support ATB, with or without the ATB utility, to exchange data with Creo Parametric.
ATB-enabled import feature
ATB-enabled import features are created for all formats that support ATB. You can insert the geometry of ATB-enabled part models inCreo Parametric parts using Model > Get Data > Import to create ATB-enabled import features. Unlike TIMs (see Translated Image Model), parts with ATB-enabled features store their ATB information at the feature level.
File formats such as CDRS and ICEM use ATB-enabled features for imported part-level geometry. For example, when you import a CDRS IN file, the resulting part model has a standard Creo Parametric part icon on the Model Tree, but the import feature that is a CDRS IN feature (see IN Feature), has an ATB icon associated with it.
ATB-enabled geometry
A term relevant for ATB-enabled features and TIMs (see Translated Image Model).
IN feature
In Creo Parametric, the ‘IN’ features, CDRS In and ICEM In, may or may not update, depending on whether:
• The IN features were created with ATB.
• Their associative links were broken with the Make Independent ATB command.
An import feature, whether or not an IN type feature, is ATB-enabled if it has an ATB icon on the Model Tree. If the import feature does not have the icon, it is static and is not associated with its original reference file. The term, ‘IN feature’, is, therefore, not synonymous with ‘ATB-enabled import feature'.
Translated Image Model (TIM)
Translated Image Models (TIMs) are imported parts or assemblies that are ATB-enabled and have their ATB information stored at the model level. TIMs are created when you import Autodesk Inventor, CADDS 5, CATIA, NX, SolidWorks, Creo Elements/Direct, or Neutral part or assembly models to Creo Parametric using the File > Open command. When you import CADDS 5 or CATIA assemblies, their part components are TIM parts and the top-level and sublevel assemblies are TIM assemblies. Importing Neutral assemblies only create TIM assemblies. For example, if you open a Neutral assembly, the top-level assembly and the subassemblies are TIM assemblies, but the part components are regular parts with ATB-enabled import features (see ATB-enabled import feature).
TIMs are identified on the Model Tree by special ATB icons that are attached at the node level. TIMs contain the same information as regular Creo Parametric parts and assemblies. In addition, TIMs also have the ATB reference mapping information, ATB parameters, and a flag that identifies them as models generated from the data of other CAD systems.