Overview of exporting Modeler systems and sub-systems to Windchill PDMLink (Integration for PTC Windchill)
PTC Integrity Modeler Windchill Exporter (Windchill Exporter) allows you to create a Part structure in Windchill PDMLink (Windchill) from the Block and Block Property structures that define a system or sub-system in Modeler.
In addition, Windchill Exporter can create options and choices in Windchill based on Variation Points and Variants in Modeler.
Item mappings
The Windchill Exporter exports the following items from Modeler to Windchill. The name of the imported item in Windchill is set to that of the source item in Modeler.
Modeler Item
Windchill Item
Block
Part
Block Property
Part Usage Link to the Part that is created for the Block Property type.
The quantity of the Part Usage Link is set to the multiplicity of the Block Property.
Variation Point
Option
Variant
Choice
Alternative Choice
Option Choice Master Link
Artifact Dependency
Choice Assignment
Setting up Windchill for use with Windchill Exporter
Before using Windchill Exporter, you must set up Windchill to receive data from Modeler.
You start Windchill Exporter from a Block, Block Property, Variation Point or Package in Modeler and right-click the item, point to Tools, point to Windchill, and then click Export:
• When started from a Block or Block Property, Windchill Exporter includes the Block for export, and allows you to select other Blocks and Block Properties from the model to export.
You can then select Variation Points and Variants that are linked to those Blocks and Block Properties through Artifact Dependencies.
• When started from a Variation Point, Windchill Exporter includes the Variation Point for export, and allows you to select other Variation Points from the model to export.
You can then select Blocks and Block Properties that are linked to those Variation Points and Variants through Artifact Dependencies.
• When started from a Package, Windchill Exporter includes all Blocks, Block Properties and Variation Points from the Package and its child Packages. You can also include other Blocks, Block Properties and Variation Points from the model to export.
The first page of Windchill Exporter will show Blocks and Block Properties, or Variation Points depending on the type of the first valid items it encounters.
It is important to select an item for export only once. If an item is selected for export in two or more different places, the export will not be performed.
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When to export systems and sub-systems
Windchill Exporter performs one-off exports of Blocks, Block Properties, Variation Points and Variants.
After using Windchill Exporter to create Parts, Options and Choices in Windchill, you cannot then use Windchill Exporter to update those items with changes made in Modeler.
If possible, it is best to ensure that a system or subsystem design is in a complete state before exporting it to Windchill. For example, you may want to export a system or sub-system only when it is signed off.
What items to include in an export
If you are only going to use Windchill Exporter to perform one export from a model to Windchill, you can simply include the items you want to export.
However, sub-systems can often be completed at different times and you may want to export systems and sub-systems in separate phased export operations. If so, you must choose which items you export very carefully.
If a Windchill import file contains a Modeler item that has already been imported to a Windchill Product or Library, the import operation will fail and no items will be imported to Windchill. For information about resolving this problem, see
Troubleshooting (Integration for PTC Windchill).
When choosing which items to include in a Windchill Exporter export operation, consider the following issues:
• An item can be imported to Windchill only once
Items in a model will often be used by many sub-systems in that model. For example, Blocks can be used as types in different sub-systems, and Variation Points and Variants may be applied to Blocks in different sub-systems.
• As part of the import process, items being imported to Windchill cannot be linked to items that are already in Windchill.
This means that if you export a system and its sub-systems from Modeler to Windchill in separate exports, you must then use Windchill to link the system to its sub-systems in the Windchill environment.
Windchill item parameters
Windchill Exporter generates Windchill import files (JAR files) that contain XML files for the exported items. These XML files define the parameter values that are set for the items that are created in Windchill when the import file is imported.
There are two way of setting the parameter values for items that are exported through Windchill Exporter:
• You can set up the parameter values on the Configurations page of Windchill Exporter.
• You can set up a Parameter Configuration file that specifies the default values of the parameters for the Configurations page of Windchill Exporter. The Configurations page allows you to select a Parameter Configuration file to use.
You should ensure that the parameter values are correct for the target Windchill Product or Library, because resolving incorrectly set parameter values in Windchill for all the items that are imported can be very time consuming.
We recommend that a Windchill user (such as an Administrator, Product Manager or Product Architect) should set the required values of the parameters through a Parameter Configuration file. That Parameter Configuration file can then be referenced from Windchill Exporter to set the parameter values as required.
Importing the generated Windchill import file to Windchill PDMLink
Windchill Exporter generates Windchill import files (JAR files) that contain XML files for the exported items.
You can then import these Windchill import files to the Product and Library containers in Windchill PDMLink. If you import Modeler systems and sub-systems as separate imports, you should use Windchill to link the Part structures that are created as required.
You may be able to import the Windchill import files to other containers in Windchill, but only Product and Library containers have been tested.
To import the Windchill import files to Windchill PDMLink from Windchill open the target Product or Library, select the required folder, and on the Action menu click Import From File.
When variability items are exported from Modeler, an Option Set object is also created. When Imported into Windchill, this Option set must be assigned to the relevant products.
