Using a File Synchronization-Capable Worker with Windchill Workgroup Manager (Creo Elements/Direct Drafting)
These instructions apply if you are using the Creo Elements/Direct Drafting file synchronization-capable worker. This configuration uses the Windchill Workgroup Manager to synchronize Windchill attributes with the attribute values in the CAD files before publishing Creo View viewables.
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, perform the following steps. 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.
xconfmanager -s
publish.cadconvert.COCRDRAFT=com.ptc.wvs.server.publish.CadConvert
COCRDRAFT,useworkerdownload=$(wt.home)$(wvs.dir.sep)auth.properties
-t <Windchill>\codebase\wvs.properties -p
publish.cadconvert.COCRDRAFT=com.ptc.wvs.server.publish.CadConvert
COCRDRAFT,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 previous examples, WVS looks 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
To synchronize the values of properties shared between an authoring application and Windchill during viewable generation, the following three components need to be installed on the worker system:
• NXAutodesk InventorSOLIDWORKS
• the applicable Creo View Adapter – (refer to the “Creo View MCAD Adapters Installation and Configuration Guide” for installation information)
• Windchill Workgroup Manager – (refer to the “Installing Windchill Workgroup Manager” chapter of the Administrator's and User's Guide for your authoring application for installation information)
Post-Install Configuration of the Worker on Windows
After the Windchill Workgroup Manager is installed, two system-level environment variables need to be defined as follows:
1. Copy the PTC_WGM_HOME environment variable definition from the user-level environment settings to the system-level environment settings. The value for this setting is the directory where the Windchill Workgroup Manager is installed. Remove the PTC_WGM_HOME environment variable definition from the user-level environment setting.
2. Create a new system-level environment variable called PTC_WF_ROOT. Set the variable value to a directory to which the System-level account has write access.
3. Restart the worker machine after defining these two environment variables to allow the new settings to take effect in the system environment.
Register the authoring application with the Windchill Workgroup Manager. Refer to the “Registering the Authoring Application” section of the Administrator's and User's Guide for your authoring application for information on how to register your authoring application. Do not register the Windchill server with the Windchill Workgroup Manager.
Configuring the PTC Worker Daemon Service Properties with Creo Elements/Direct Drafting
This service must have system access for file synchronization to function properly.
1. In Windows, edit the PTC Worker Daemon service properties.
2. In the PTC Worker Daemon Properties dialog, select the Log on tab.
3. Select This account.
4. Use the Browse button to select System admin and click OK.
5. Enter Password and Confirm password and click Apply.
6. 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 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 Parametric 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 Parametric 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:
#Default server URL.
#default.server.url=<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 Creo Elements/Direct Drafting and a file sync CAD worker for Autodesk Inventor on the same machine, but you cannot run two file sync CAD workers for Creo Elements/Direct Drafting on the same machine.
The following environment variables are used in this procedure:
<PTC_WGM_ROOT>
Root folder for each CAD worker
<PTC_WGM_APP_LOCK_NAME>
Set this variable for each worker to different values.
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This variable is applicable only for the following CAD workers:
• Creo Elements/Direct Modeling
• Creo Elements/Direct Drafting
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Windchill Workgroup Manager Configuration for File Sync Enabled Worker for Creo Elements/Direct Drafting
To setup file sync CAD worker for Creo Elements/Direct Drafting 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 Creo Elements/Direct Drafting 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_CEDD
3. Create the Creo Elements/Direct Drafting worker scripts (which includes batch file) ccdraftworker.bat in Creo Elements/Direct Drafting worker setup folder.
4. Register Creo Elements/Direct Drafting with Windchill Workgroup Manager. This creates Creo Elements/Direct Drafting registration files at the set location <WWGM_Working _directory>\PTC_WGM_ROOT_CEDD.
5. Edit the batch file ccdraftworker.bat to add the following environment variables:
set PTC_WGM_ROOT=<WWGM_Working_directory>\PTC_WGM_ROOT_CEDD
set PTC_WGM_APP_LOCK_NAME=CEDDworker
set PTC_WGM_APP_LOCK_NAME=CEDDworker
6. Delete the following environment variable from the system.
PTC_WGM_ROOT = <WWGM_Working _directory>\PTC_WGM_ROOT_CEDD
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• You must delete the environment variable PTC_WGM_ROOT before you set up another CAD worker such as the NX worker.
• Restart your machine after you setting up multiple CAD workers; for example, after setting up file sync CAD workers for Creo Elements/Direct Drafting and NX.
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7. Repeat steps 2 to 6 for another file sync CAD worker such as NX.