Layout QuickView Mode

Overview

High precision layout is the only way to display a layout in Creo Elements/Direct Modeling and to get 3D info into the 2D world. This calculation is very time and memory consuming and therefore inhibits performance. To overcome the problems in situations where a high precision layout is not required (e.g. display in Creo Elements/Direct Modeling, dumpscreen accuracy is enough etc.) Creo Elements/Direct Modeling supports layout functionality directly on the faceted model. This mode is called "QuickView". Instead of calculating the layout, and displaying the 2D geometry, Creo Elements/Direct Modeling produces layout views by displaying the 3D object in the specified views. The silhouettes are derived from the facets model when the layout view is drawn on the screen. The QuickView mode takes therefore NO extra memory.

Activation

Enter into command line

   (load "quickview") 

Or add this line to your customization file.

This places two new buttons in the Creo Elements/Direct Modeling toolbox.

Description

One command in toolbox is called 'Layout Mode' and lets you switch on/off the layout QuickView mode.

The second new command in toolbox one is called 'DWG-Frame' and lets you define a workplane which is added to the drawing list of the QuickView port. It is positioned in a way that it can be used to load/create a drawing frame. The default-name of this workplane is

<layout-owner-name>/<layout-name>-FRAME

NOTE: This workplane is NOT connected to the layout. If you want to store it as an MI-file together with the layout you have to do this separately.

A QuickView port offers the following functionality :

• all view types are supported
• for section views Creo Elements/Direct Modeling automatically colors the section faces
  NOTE: This section face information is NOT passed to MI when storing 2d-data of a calculated layout and not using the Creo Elements/Direct Annotation module.
• 3D labels are displayed in a view if the normal of the label's display plane and the view direction of the corresponding view are the same. 3D labels CANNOT be added/positioned using the QuickView port. They must be defined in an ordinary 3D port.
  NOTE: 3D label information is currently NOT passed to MI when the layout is calculated.
• the drawing list of the QuickView port can be unlocked.
• the default layout color can be customized
• the display mode can be specified for each view as:

  default color:

  the view is displayed in the layout default color

  part color:

  the parts in this view inherit the 3D part's color; especially useful for assemblies with different colored parts

  shaded:

  the view is displayed as shaded model

• changing the display of hidden lines is implemented through face transparency. The options 'HIDDEN NONE', 'HIDDEN DASHED', 'HIDDEN SOLID' are realized through face transparency 0.0, 0.5 and 1.0
• the options 'TANGENT EDGES ON/OFF' have no effect on the QuickView port
• dump screen is of course possible (use the change viewport background color tool). For best results maximize the QuickView port before dumping.

Limitations, hints and tricks

• Hints and tricks

  switching QuickView on and off

  To avoid confusion and unexpected results you should ALWAYS work in one mode. Don't mix layout ports and QuickView ports. For the same reason don't mix calculated views and views displayed in QuickView mode in the same viewport. To achieve a unique state ALWAYS start with cleared views. The best way to achieve this is to update the entire layout with the :CLEAR_VIEW option. If you wish to switch from one mode into another follow these steps:

  1. clear the entire layout using the :CLEAR_VIEW option
  2. delete the corresponding port
  3. switch the QuickView mode
  4. recall and update the layout

  adding a drawing frame

  This is only possible in the QuickView mode. Press the "DWG-Frame" button in the toolbox and identify the layout. Creo Elements/Direct Modeling creates a new workplane, sets it current and adds it to the QuickView ports drawing list. You then can create 2D geometry in this workplane using ordinary 2D creation methods (including loading an MI-file)

  scaling a drawing

  If you need to scale a drawing you have to scale the drawing frame. It is not possible to scale the contents of the drawing.

  adding labels

  If you want to add text or labels to the drawing frame workplane you first have to unlock the QuickView port's drawing list. You then can add the labels directly in the QuickView port. Don't forget to lock the drawing list again when you have finished your work.
  If you wish to add labels to the 3D model you have to define them in an ordinary 3D port. The labels are displayed in the QuickView port if their display plane is parallel to a view.

  suppressing the magenta colored border of the layout

  Switch 'show constr' off in the show settings menu

  the layout viewport seems to be blank

  • check whether 'show constr' is switched off
  • update the layout with the :clear_view option

• there is a graphics problem which might lead to stitched or missing silhouettes, especially for faces with a coarse facets resolution. In this situation a facets refinement on the corresponding face often helps.
• there is no 'save environment support' for the QuickView mode.
• to transfer the layout to ME10 you have to switch QuickView off before the layout is updated
• Labels and section face information displayed in the QuickView port will NOT be transferred to MI when the layout is calculated (For sections see NOTE above).
• the feedback in a layout viewport is displayed incorrectly until the command is completed. (QuickView port and and ordinary 2D viewport).
• NEVER try to add 3D-labels to a section view
• NEVER use the drawing frame workplane for machining
• A section view is NOT updated automatically when its parts are changed
• It is NOT possible to pick an updated view of a layout in QuickView mode.