Integration with Other Applications > Creo Parametric – Windchill Integration > Administrator > Preferences, Environment Variables, and Config.pro Options > Operation Preferences > Auto Associate Preferences
Auto Associate Preferences
The following table describes the preferences for the Auto Associate action.
Preference
Values
Description
Allow Association of Model Items by Model Item Sub-types
CUSTOM, LIBRARY (<comma-separated list>)
Lists Model Item subtypes for which associations are allowed. These are entered as comma-separated values.
Allow Association of Model Items by Model Item Types
COMPONENT (<comma-separated list>)
Lists Model Item types for which associations are allowed. These are entered as comma-separated values.
Auto Associate Naming Parameter
<string>
Identifies the CAD file parameter used when naming a new part during Auto Associate. The default is <no value> (no CAD parameter is used to name the part).
Auto Associate Numbering Parameter
<string>
Identifies the CAD file parameter used when numbering a new part during Auto Associate. The default is <no value> (no CAD parameter is used to number the part).
Auto Associate Truncate Name File Extension
Yes
No (default)
Truncates the file extension (from CAD filename) in the part name when the part is created. When set to "Yes," truncates the file extension (from CAD filename) in the part name when the part is created. Default is "No" (file extension is kept in part name).
Auto Associate Truncate Number File Extension
Yes
No (default)
Truncates the file extension (from CAD filename) in the part name when the part is created. When set to "Yes," truncates the file extension (from CAD filename) in the part name when the part is created. Default is "No" (file extension is kept in part name).
Modify Already Associated Parts On Check In
Yes
No (default)
Enables Auto Associate to create new or modify existing CAD document-to-part associations. If Auto Associate finds a matching part that has an existing association, the system determines whether to create an additional association or move its association from one CAD document version to another without your explicit confirmation. The default value is No.
Yes - If the matching part is related to a different CAD document, then the next available association type is created. However, if the matching part is related to the same CAD document, then the system removes the existing association and creates a new association of the strongest type to the CAD document version being checked in. In either case, Check In continues with no conflicts.
No - Check In fails with an over-ridable conflict. You confirm whether you want to create additional associations, move the part's association, or check in without associating.
Create Associate New Part
Owner Only (Default)
Owner and Contributing Image
All
Never
Specifies whether a new part should be created if a matching part is not found by Auto Associate. The default is "Owner Only" for all CAD tools. ECAD authoring applications default to "All".
Possible values are:
• Owner Only: If a matching part is not found, a new part is created when the CAD document would associate to a part with an "Owner" association.
• Owner and Contributing Image: If a matching part is not found, a new part is created when the CAD document would associate to a part with either an "Owner" or "Contributing Image" association.
• All: If a matching part is not found, a new part is created when the CAD document would associate to a part with any product structure association ("Owner", "Contributing Image", and "Image").
• Never: A new part is not created if an existing part is not found, even if it contributes to product structure. Auto associate does not fail, the CAD document is skipped, and other selected CAD documents will try to associate.
Create Content Links for Drawings
Yes
No (default)
Windchill is capable of locating all drawings referenced by a drawing model and automatically relating them to the part of the model. In some cases, you may want to distinguish manufacturing drawings versus conceptual drawings by using a link in the database, rather than using the calculated relationship. This preference controls whether the auto associate action creates a link in the database. The default is "No".
Custom Class for Auto Associate Part
<string>
com.ptc.windchill.uwgm. common.autoassociate. DefaultAutoAssociatePart FinderCreator. (default)
Specifies the name of the class that implements AutoAssociatePartFinderCreator interface. The default is the standard Windchill implementation, com.ptc.windchill.uwgm. common.autoassociate. DefaultAutoAssociatePartFinderCreator.
Disallow Product Structure Links by Document Sub-types
BULKTEMPLATE
CASTINGCAVITY
CMM
COMPOSITE
DESIGN
EXTERNALSIMPREP
INTERCHANGE
MOLDLAYOUT
NCASSEMBLY
NCMODEL
PROCESSPLAN
SHEETMETAL
SOLID
VERIFY
SKEL_MODEL
PACKAGE
MANIKIN
MANIKIN_SEGMENT
CONFIGURATION_MODULE
CONFIGURATION_ASSEMBLY
TRAY_ASSEMBLY
Lists CAD document subtypes which cannot be actively associated (form owner links). There are drop-down menus to allow assigning values per authoring application. The default values for Creo Parametric are SKEL_MODEL, EXTERNALSIMPREP, SHEETMETAL, TRAY_ASSEMBLY. These are comma-separated string values.
* 
The value OTHER is used for neutral file formats and Creo Parametric text files used as libraries (for example, .mat)
Disallow Product Structure Links for CAD Document Types
CADASSEMBLY
CADCOMPONENT
CADDRAWING
DIAGRAM
FORMAT
LAYOUT
MANUFACTURING
MARKUP
REPORT
SKETCH
UDF
MANIKIN_POSTURE
MANIKIN_COMFORT_ANALYSIS
MECHANICARESULTS
MECHANICAREPORT
Lists CAD document types which cannot be actively associated (form owner links). There are drop-down menus to allow assigning values per authoring application. The default top-level values are CADDRAWING, CALCULATION_DATA. The default values for Creo Parametric are shown in the Values column. These are comma-separated values.
* 
The value OTHER is used for neutral file formats and Creo Parametric text files used as libraries (for example, .mat)
Disallow Structure CAD Document Sub-types
SKEL_MODEL
EXTERNALSIMPREP,
TRAY_ASSEMBLY
Lists CAD document subtypes which cannot be actively associated (form owner links). There are drop-down menus to allow assigning values per authoring application. The default values for Creo Parametric are SKEL_MODEL, EXTERNALSIMPREP, TRAY_ASSEMBLY. These are comma-separated string values.
* 
The value OTHER is used for neutral file formats and
Creo Parametric text files used as libraries (for example, .mat)
Disallow Structure CAD Document Types
CADDRAWING
DIAGRAM
FORMAT
LAYOUT
MANUFACTURING
MARKUP
OTHER
REPORT
SKETCH
UDF
MECHANICARESULTS
MECHANICAREPORT
Lists CAD document types which cannot drive product structure. There are drop-down menus to allow assigning values per authoring application. The default top-level values are CADDRAWING.
The default values for Creo Parametric are listed in the Values column. These are comma-separated string values.
* 
The value OTHER is used for neutral file formats and Creo Parametric text files used as libraries (for example, .mat)
Disallow Structure Model Item Sub-types
LIBRARY <comma-separated list>
Lists Model Item subtypes which cannot create an Owner association. These Model Items create Image associations during Auto Associate. Values for generic ECAD authoring application are LIBRARY, ECAD_BOARD, ECAD_SCHEMATIC, ECAD_COMPONENT
Disallow Structure Model Item Types
<comma-separated list>
Lists Model Item types which cannot create "Owner" association. These Model Items create "Image" associations during Auto Associate.
Force Autonumbered Part Creation
Yes
No (default)
Allows Auto Associate to create an auto-numbered part upon check in if the part number specified via CAD document numbering parameter is not found in Windchill and an immutable auto-numbering is the policy for new parts in Windchill.
When set to No, and the part has no OIR for number, or the part has an editable OIR for number, then the goal is to create a part with user input. The system uses the user input in the following order.
1. Explicitly defined using Auto-numbering Parameter.
2. If the user has set the server-side preference, Operations > Auto Associate > Auto Associate Part By Base Number = Yes, then use the "Base Number"
◦ If the regular expression returns a valid value, then use it.
◦ Else when the regular expression returns nothing, then use rule #3
3. Else, use the CAD document’s number +/– the file extension.
When set to Yes, and the part’s number is immutable, an auto-numbered part is created.
Part Master Class for Search
<string>
wt.part.WTPartMaster (default)
Identifies the internal name of the part master type searched for during Auto Associate. Search is allowed for a customer defined part or part sub-class.
This preference can enable searching for customized parts by specifying the fully qualified class name of the master of the customized part, so that the search is restricted to the customized part class (and the whole WTPart class is not searched).
The value wt.part.WTPartMaster indicates that the search for part is done on WTPart class.The default is the standard Windchill implementation, wt.part.WTPartMaster.
Part Structure Override Attribute Name
<string>
Identifies the name of a boolean reusable attribute that determines if the CAD document participates in build. This reusable attribute can be on: iteration, master, member link, model item, or model item link. This reusable attribute also determines whether to auto associate the model to a part.
Phantom Assembly Override Attribute Name
Identifies the name of a boolean reusable attribute that determines if the CAD document is a phantom assembly. This reusable attribute can be on: iteration and master. This reusable attribute is used to mark the part created in auto associate as phantom (hidden from BOM).
Set Revision For Part
Yes
No (default)
Sets the revision of a part to match the revision of the CAD document during Auto Associate. When set to "Yes," Auto Associate sets the revision of a part to match the revision of the CAD document. This preference is for business practices that want to keep these revisions in sync.
Store New Parts with CAD Documents
Yes
No (default)
Specifies the location of newly created parts to be the same as the location of their associated CAD document. When set to "Yes," newly created parts have the same location as their associated CAD document.
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