Heterogeneous Design Using TIMs
This method of heterogeneous design converts source information from design files that were authored in other CAD tools (for example, Creo Elements/Direct Modeling or CATIA V5) into Translated Image Models (TIMs) that can be assembled into a Creo Parametric design. This functionality must be enabled by settings for the Windchill server and in Creo:
On the Windchill server, ensure the following settings.
Set the preference, Workgroup Manager Client > Open In CAD Tool for Non-native Objects, to Yes (default) to allow a user of Creo Parametric to open supported non-native CAD documents into Creo Parametric session.
Add the following property in the site.xconf file to enable the New Image Design Context’ action on the Structure tab for a Windchill-authored design context.
com.ptc.windchill.uwgm.cadx.caddoc.enableImageDesignContextActions
overridable=true
targetFile=codebase/wt.properties
value=true
* 
Run ‘xconfmanager -p’ from Windchill shell to propagate this property.
In Creo Parametric, set the following config.pro options.
Set the config.pro option topobus_enable to YES to allow you to directly import a non-native file into Creo Parametric session.
Set hdic_export_v5_to_ws_enable to YES to enable HDIC export as Image for CATIA V5 to workspace
* 
In worker mode, this config option is not needed to be set on the worker Creo client.
Set hdic_export_v5_secondary_cgr to YES so that HDIC export for CATIA V5 allows the attachment of CGR as secondary content.
Set intf3d_out_parameters as appropriate (values are all*, designated, and none) to enable attribute exchange (the option sets which parameters are exported with models).
These settings are designed to work with the Creo Parametric module ATB (Associative Topology Bus) which enables the direct import of a non-native file. With the Windchill preference set, opening of these non-native files is supported from a Windchill PDMLink search, from the CAD document information page, from the workspace, and from the Search Navigator, if you are using the embedded browser (not supported for a standalone browser). The advanced mode of the Windchill collection process enables the inclusion of source and image CAD documents for selected CAD documents to be included in the collection of objects for PDM actions.
Briefly, in heterogeneous design non-native files can become source files for Creo Parametric-created files that are derived from them, which are referred to as image (also, TIM or translated image model) files. Managing these files in a PDM environment is aided by additional information page reports such as the Source and Image table and the Relationship Report.
The Source and Image table displays the sources or images for the object whose information page you are viewing, and it indicates in a status column if the source and image are in sync. No icon displayed in the status column indicates that the source or image is up-to-date with regard to the object version of this info page.
When the row in the report shows an image, this icon indicates that it is out-of-date with regard to the object version of this information page (which, in this case, is the source). This could happen, for example, when the source object has been iterated since the image file was derived. When the report shows a row with a source object, this icon indicates that there is a newer version of the source and the object version of this information page is out-of-date with regard to it.
It should be noted that both an original, non-native model and the TIM can be associated to the same Windchill part (though only one can have an owner association). Consequently, both can contribute to a BOM.
For more detailed information about heterogeneous design, refer to Creo Parametric documentation.
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