Creo Parametric supports all sections of the IDF 2.0 Board File Format, and all sections of the IDF 2.0 Library File Format. All IDF 2.0 functionality supported in IDF 3.0 continues to be supported.

IDF files default to the following extensions:

When you import or export with the IDF format, Creo Parametric supports the Library File fields .ELECTRICAL and .MECHANICAL. Use these parameters to indicate whether an imported or exported component is electrical or mechanical. Use them in the .emp (export profile) file to set the type of component.

The system imports parts from the .OTHER_OUTLINE sections of an IDF file with default datum planes and coordinate systems at their origin. The system also imports each of them with two part parameters. The first parameter, ECAD_PART_TYPE, has the value .OTHER_OUTLINE. The second parameter, ECAD_PART_NAME, has a value equal to the name of the .OTHER_OUTLINE section where it originated.

Sometimes when you import a part, a part with the same name already exists in the current directory or session. In such cases, the part that already exists is used rather than the part specified in the IDF file.

If you prefer, you can specify another name for the system to use during import. To do this, add the lines to the ecad_hint.map file. For example, <board_name> is the name of the board part being imported, <.OTHER_OUTLINE <name>> is the name in the .OTHER_OUTLINE section of the IDF file, and <desired_name> is the name you want to use. Use this method to specify an alternative name for the .OTHER_OUTLINE part or, if the <desired_name> is the same as the name of a part in the current directory or session, specify another part to use instead of the part from the IDF file.

All .OTHER_OUTLINE parts that Creo Parametric imports keep their corresponding coordinate system and name. Specify the name of the coordinate system in the .OTHER_OUTLINE section with the ecad_other_outl_csys_def_name configuration option. If you do not set this option, the system assumes that the name of the coordinate system is ECAD_DEFAULT.

The system uses the units for the ECAD system board from which this part was imported as the units for the imported part.

To export parts that you create in Creo Parametric as an .OTHER_OUTLINE section, create a part parameter called ECAD_PART_TYPE, with a value of .OTHER_OUTLINE. To specify the name of the .OTHER_OUTLINE section you create when you export this part, create a second part parameter called ECAD_PART_NAME. Assign it a value equal to the name you want for the .OTHER_OUTLINE section. If you do not specify this parameter, the system specifies the name of the part being exported as the name of the .OTHER_OUTLINE section.

Exported components must have two surfaces (TOP and BOTTOM) parallel to the TOP and BOTTOM of the board in the assembly.

To import all sections specified as .DRILLED_HOLE with either the PTH (Plated Holes) or the NPTH (Non-Plated Holes) attribute in the IDF file as Through-All Hole features, set the ecad_import_holes_as_features configuration option to YES.

In IDF 2.0, the system stores all imported holes with the ECAD_HOLE_TYPE feature parameter. The value of this parameter is either PTH (plated through hole) or NPTH, (non-plated through hole) depending on the value of the .DRILLED_HOLE section in the IDF file.

IDF 3.0 uses an ECAD_PLATING_STYLE parameter similar to the ECAD_HOLE_TYPE parameter.

The system exports boards with drilled holes, created in Creo Parametric, with a default value of NPTH for the ECAD_HOLE_TYPE feature parameter. Create this feature parameter to specify a value of PTH.