Opening Objects in a CAD Application
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Opening CAD documents in a CAD application is only available in Windchill PDMLink or Windchill ProjectLink
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You can open CAD documents from a workspace, or from various places in the commonspace while working in the embedded browser of a Windchill Workgroup Manager or Creo Parametric. You can open CAD documents from a standalone browser if the appropriate CAD application is installed on your machine. In addition, you can open non-native CAD documents in Creo Parametric if a preference supporting the Associated Topology Bus is set in Windchill. For more information see the section Creo Parametric – Windchill Integration.
Opening Workspace Objects from the Embedded Browser
To open a listed workspace CAD document in its CAD application, click the Open in <CAD application> icon in the Actions column for the object. The object is opened in your current CAD application session. You can also access the Open in <CAD application> action (for Creo Parametric objects, this action is labeled Open in ) from most places where CAD documents are exposed in Windchill. This is explained in the following section.
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You cannot open CAD documents for UDFs (user defined features) or incomplete objects.
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Opening Objects from a Standalone Browser
When you are working in a standalone browser and an appropriate version of the CAD application is installed on your machine, you can open CAD documents in the CAD application. If a CAD application session is already running, the object is opened in your existing session. If no session is running, the action to open an object automatically launches the CAD application.
The action for opening CAD documents is available in Windchill generally where CAD documents are exposed. In addition to the workspace, these places include the:
• Folder page (when CAD documents are displayed).
• Search results page.
• Information page Structure tab.
• Product Structure report (when associated CAD documents are displayed).
The action can be initiated either by clicking Open in <CAD application> in the Actions column for the object, or selecting > from the Actions menu.
System Responses in a Standalone Server Environment
When you initiate the Open in <CAD application> action, the system does one of the following.
• Opens the objects in an existing session (for example if you already have a primary server registered with an active workspace).
• Helps you register and activate the server/workspace required.
The following are some general characteristics of the process:
• The specific iteration you select is opened in the CAD application.
• Other objects that are required to open your selected object are also collected. The collected objects represent the latest configuration, unless:
◦ You have downloaded a specific configuration to your workspace, or the workspace preference identifies a specific configuration (for example, a baseline)
◦ You are downloading an object and choose to open the CAD (authoring) application from the control in the Check Out or Add to Workspace page
• If the registered server you initiate the action from is not primary, you are asked if you want to make it primary.
• If you initiate the action from a workspace that is not active, you are asked to activate the workspace. You are warned that any objects in session are erased by the change of workspace.
• If no server is registered, the server registration window opens.
• If you have existing workspaces on the server, you are asked to select one.
• If you have no existing workspaces on the server, a default workspace is created for you.
• If you have more than one available startup configuration (.psf file) for launching Creo Parametric, you are asked to select one.
• If the action requires a different workspace to be activated, you are warned that objects currently in session will be erased.