Using a File Synchronization-Capable Worker with Windchill Workgroup Manager
These instructions apply if you are using the SOLIDWORKS file synchronization-capable worker. This configuration uses the Windchill Workgroup Manager to synchronize Windchill attributes with the attribute values in the CAD files prior to publishing Creo View viewables.
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• Windows Server platform is supported only for SOLIDWORKS in the context of File Synchronization enabled CAD worker. For details about supported CAD applications, refer Windchill CAD Integration Matrix.
• When you run Windchill Workgroup Manager for SOLIDWORKS on Windows Server as File Syncronization enabled CAD worker, the SOLIDWORKS Resource Monitor crashes.
This is known native SOLIDWORKS issue as SOLIDWORKS is not officially supported on the Windows Server platform.
Publication jobs complete successfully in spite of this issue.
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The following is an example of the configuration changes needed to tell Windchill Visualization Services to use file synchronization for publishing data. This general concept applies to all file synchronization-capable workers.
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Only the Creo View adapter for Creo Parametric and Theorem Creo View adapter for CATIA V5 support multiple aliased workers (using the dAPI -DA argument) that are also configured for file synchronization on the same host machine.
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To enable the feature for the other file synchronization-capable workers, follow the steps below. Be sure to note the differences in the command string for each of the file synchronization-capable workers.
1. Append the useworkerdownload variable to the publish.cadconvert.<worker_name> variable in the wvs.properties file using xconfmanager. This tells the publisher to use the worker for the file download (useworkerdownload) and that the username and password to give the worker can be found in the auth.properties file in the Windchill directory.
From a Windchill shell, execute the following commands:
a. To display the current value of the publish.cadconvert<worker_name> variable:
xconfmanager -d publish.cadconvert.<worker_name>
b. Append the useworkerdownload variable definition to the publish.cadconvert<worker_name> variable. Using the information results of the display command, append to that:
useworkerdownload=$(wt.home)$(wvs.dir.sep)auth.properties
Use a comma (,) separator when appending the new value.
For SOLIDWORKS:
xconfmanager -s
publish.cadconvert.SOLIDWORKS=com.ptc.wvs.server.publish.Cad
ConvertSOLIDWORKS,useworkerdownload=$(wt.home)$(wvs.dir.sep)auth.
properties -t <Windchill>\codebase\wvs.properties -p
where <Windchill> is the location where Windchill is installed.
2. The publish.cadconvert.<worker_name> variable edited in the previous step references the auth.properties file. At this time, the file does not exist and must be created. Complete the following steps:
a. In the above examples, WVS will look for the auth.properties file in the Windchill directory, but it may be placed anywhere. For security reasons, the file should not be located in the codebase directory.
b. Create the auth.properties file using a text editor of your choice.
c. Add an authentication variable that includes a user name and password value. This will be the only entry in this file. The syntax is:
auth=<username>:<password>
Replace <username> and <password> with valid values. The specified user name must have read access to the Windchill objects to be published through Windchill Visualization Services, and it must have the authorization to download the content from Windchill.
d. Save your changes and close the auth.properties file.
3. Restart the Windchill server.
Configuring the Worker
In order to synchronize the values of properties shared between SOLIDWORKS and Windchill during viewable generation, the following three components need to be installed on the worker system:
• SOLIDWORKS
• the applicable Creo View Adapter – refer to the Creo View MCAD Adapters Installation and Configuration Guide for adapter installation information.
• Windchill Workgroup Manager – see the Windchill Workgroup Manager Installation Guide for installation information.
• In addition, you must register SOLIDWORKS with the Windchill Workgroup Manager. See the Windchill Workgroup Manager Installation Guide for more information.
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Do not register the Windchill server with the Windchill Workgroup Manager.
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Defining the Variable PTC_WGM_ROOT Folder Location to Create Application Data with SolidWorks
File synchronization may not function if a SOLIDWORKS worker is started from the "PTC Worker Daemon" service on the Windows XP x64 (64-bit) platform. This issue is known to affect SOLIDWORKS 2009, 2010 x64, and later editions. This configuration issue can be addressed by setting a fixed PTC_WGM_ROOT location by adding a SYSTEM level environment variable for PTC_WGM_ROOT:
1. Install the Creo View Adapter and Windchill Workgroup Manager on the worker target machine where SOLIDWORKS is already installed.
2. Set the system level environment variable PTC_WGM_ROOT to the desired folder location (i.e., where the Windchill Workgroup Manager Application Registry should be created, e.g., C:\PTC\WGM).
3. Run the Windchill Workgroup Manager client, register SOLIDWORKS, and close the Windchill Workgroup Manager client.
4. Set the system level environment variable PRO_MACHINE_TYPE=x86e_win64.
5. Reboot the machine.
6. Configure the "PTC Worker Daemon" as Windows Service (for SOLIDWORKS only: with the logon as "local SYSTEM account" and "Allow service to interact with the desktop" checked).
If problems persist, this problem is only affecting file-synchronization enabled workers started from the "PTC Worker Daemon" service. Perform one of the following:
• Disable file synchronization on the Windchill server, by removing the "useworkerdownload" argument and value from the publish.cadconvert.<AuthoringApplication> property in wvs.properties (use the xconfmanager command or edit the site.xconf and propagate with "xconfmanager -p").
• Stop the "PTC Worker Daemon" service and start it manually in a foreground login session on the worker machine, using the command "<PV_Adapters>\i486_nt\obj\WorkerDaemon", which will start the daemon listening on default port 601. To start it on another port, add the desired port as the only argument to the command, e.g. "<PV_Adapters>\i486_nt\obj\WorkerDaemon 602".
Configuring the PTC Worker Daemon Service Properties with SOLIDWORKS
This service must have desktop access in order for file synchronization to function properly.
1. In the PTC Worker Daemon Properties setup window, select the Log On tab.
2. Set Log On As to Local System Account. Select the Allow service to interact with desktop check box, and click OK.
3. On the Services panel, select Stop if the service is running, and then restart the service. If this is not done, the change you just made will not take effect, and the old environment settings will still be in effect.
Configuring the Creo View Adapter for HTTPS
Because the worker runs in the background, user dialogs that arise during communication with the server are to be avoided. In an HTTPS environment, for example, certificates should be loaded and pre-accepted in order for the worker system to avoid acceptance dialogs.
Accepting Certificates on Windows
For the Windows worker to publish data, the PTC Worker Daemon service must be configured with the specific logon information of a user who can log on to the local host and accept certificates from the Windchill server. To accomplish this, do the following:
1. In Windows, click > > . Once the Administrative Tools window opens, double-click the Services icon. The Services window opens.
2. View the properties of the PTC Worker Daemon.
3. Return to the PTC Worker Daemon’s Services window and click Stop to stop the Service.
4. Click the Log On tab.
5. Choose This account and enter the user logon and password information.
6. Click the General tab and start the Service.
7. Open Creo View or the Windchill Workgroup Manager and browse to the Windchill server.
8. Install (Accept) the security certificate for the secure site.
9. Click Exit to exit Creo View or the Windchill Workgroup Manager.
10. Refer to the "Configuring the Worker" section for the steps to configure the worker on the server.
When Windchill Workgroup Manager Is Installed from a Server on a Remote Worker System
The basic requirement for publishing with file sync enabled on a remote worker machine is that there should not be any server registered with the Windchill Workgroup Manager. However, when the Windchill Workgroup Manager is installed from a server, this condition is satisfied due to automatic server registration, and server-side publishing cannot proceed. You can correct this situation as follows:
After installing Windchill Workgroup Manager client on the worker machine from a Windchill server, edit the wgmclient.ini file located at <WGM_INSTALL_DIR>, and comment-out the entry as shown below.
#Default server URL.
#default.server.url=<server_url>
In addition, the “Start application” option should not be flagged to launch Windchill Workgroup Manager after completion of the installation.
Configuring Multiple File Sync CAD Workers
This section provides instructions on setting up multiple file sync CAD workers for different CAD tools on a single machine.
For example, you can run a file sync CAD worker for SOLIDWORKS and a file sync CAD worker for Autodesk Inventor on the same machine, but you cannot run two file sync CAD workers for SOLIDWORKS on the same machine.
The following environment variable is used in this procedure:
<PTC_WGM_ROOT>
Root folder for each CAD worker
Windchill Workgroup Manager Configuration for File Sync Enabled Worker for SOLIDWORKS
To setup file sync CAD worker for SOLIDWORKS on a single client machine, perform the following actions:
1. Install the Windchill Workgroup Manager client build in the chosen location. For example: C:\Program Files\PTC\wgm.
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Do not register SOLIDWORKS with Windchill Workgroup Manager before setting the required system environment variables.
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2. Create the following system environment variable.
PTC_WGM_ROOT = <WWGM_Working _directory>\PTC_WGM_ROOT_SWX
3. Create the SOLIDWORKS worker scripts (which includes batch file) swworker.bat in SOLIDWORKS worker setup folder.
4. Register SOLIDWORKS with Windchill Workgroup Manager. This creates SOLIDWORKS registration files at the set location <WWGM_Working _directory>\PTC_WGM_ROOT_SWX.
5. Edit the batch file swworker.bat to add the following environment variable:
set PTC_WGM_ROOT=<WWGM_Working_directory>\PTC_WGM_ROOT_SWX
6. Delete the following environment variable from the system.
PTC_WGM_ROOT = <WWGM_Working _directory>\PTC_WGM_ROOT_SWX
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• You must delete the environment variable PTC_WGM_ROOT before you set up another CAD worker such as NX worker.
• Restart your machine after you setting up multiple CAD workers; for example, after setting up file sync CAD workers for SOLIDWORKS and NX.
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7. Repeat steps 2 to 6 for another file sync CAD worker such as NX.
