Creo CADDS 5 has two main subtypes of model items: Custom and Library.

The distinction is important because it has implications for how the corresponding WTParts are to be created. Instead of creating WTParts for catalog parts (library model items) on-the-fly during Auto-Associate best practice, you should have the WTParts already created in a Windchill Library.

In the case of a library model item, the WTPart whose number corresponds to a catalog part link property is searched for during Auto-Associate. You need to create the WTPart using a number having same value as that of the library model item link property. For this to happen, either you need to disable Auto-Numbering altogether in the library context, and then create WTParts for the catalog model item with the number, or you keep the auto-numbering enabled, but set it as overridable. The disabling of Auto Number or keeping it overridable can be achieved from the object initialization rules (OIR) of the library context.

Out-of-the-box, the catalog part property is typically used for the following purposes. These link properties are automatically created and passed on to the corresponding model item of the business object or occurrence object as described in the following table.

In Windchill, preference management ensures that for every catalog model item (Model Item Subtype=LIBRARY) no new WTPart is created and that the association is always formed with an existing WTPart. The type of association formed for library model item is ‘IMAGE’.

Having created the WTPart with Number=Catalog Part Link Property and with the out-of-the-box preferences, once you check in a published business object or occurrence with the Auto-Associate option enabled , then for the catalog part model item, the existing library WTPart (whose number matches the link property value) is picked up and associated as an ‘IMAGE’ type of association with the catalog part/library model item.