Pro|ENGINEER Wildfire5

Schools and Schools Advanced Edition

Drawing formats and templates

02

Drawing formats and templates

W5-SE-L1-J.E.F-10

Written by These materials are 2010, John Forth

John Forth
Amended Dec2008 for Pro|ENGINEER Wildfire5
All rights reserved under copyright laws of the
United Kingdom, United States and other
countries. Amended 2010 for Pro|ENGINEER
Wildfire5
PTC,
the
PTC
Logo,
Pro|ENGINEER,
Pro|DESKTOP, Wildfire, Windchill, and all PTC
product names and logos are trademarks or
registered trademarks of PTC and/or its
subsidiaries in the United States and in other
countries.
Conditions of use Copying and use of these materials is authorised
only in the schools colleges and universities of
teachers who are authorised to teach
Pro|ENGINEER in the classroom.
All other use is prohibited unless written
permission is obtained from the copyright holder.
Acknowledgements
Manufacturing Proofing and comments
Trialling materials Feedback In order to ensure these materials are of the
highest quality, users are asked to report errors to
the author.
[email protected]

Suggestions for improvements and other activities

would also be very welcome.

Product code W5-SE-L1-J.E.F.-10

Contents
Drawing formats and templates .......................................................................................1
Pro|ENGINEER Wildfire5 Schools and Schools Advanced Edition ........................1
Contents ..........................................................................................................................3
Overview..........................................................................................................................5
To assign a dtl file to the config.pro file ........................................................................7
About Drawings............................................................................................................9
Detailed Drawings Module.............................................................................................10
Create a New Drawing ...............................................................................................11
Adding Dimensions ....................................................................................................14
Adding new sheets.....................................................................................................19
Pictorial Views............................................................................................................20
Creating a sectional view ...........................................................................................21
Sectional View Created in the Drawing file ................................................................24
Enlarged Details.........................................................................................................25
Offset or Stepped Section ..........................................................................................26
Modifying Cross-Hatching display..............................................................................30
Exploded Views .........................................................................................................32
Other Views ...............................................................................................................32
To create a customised exploded view ......................................................................33
More with Annotation. ................................................................................................35
To Change the Format Sheet.....................................................................................37
To Create your own Format...........................................................................................38
To add a Table...........................................................................................................43
To Add a Logo ...........................................................................................................46

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To Create a Template....................................................................................................49
To Add a Bill of Materials (BOM) Table......................................................................51
Creating a Bill of Materials for a blank format. ...........................................................54
Creating the BOM for an assembly ............................................................................54
To create a new Repeat Regions Table.....................................................................58
Appendix 1. Setting up and editing a Drawing Options File. .........................................63
Appendix 2 System Parameters for Drawings .............................................................65
Appendix 3: To Control the Format of the Date ............................................................69
Appendix 4. To create a multiple parts drawing............................................................70

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Overview
The creation of an Orthographic set of drawings in Pro|ENGINEER Wildfire5 is very
simple once you get the hang of it but can appear daunting when you first approach the
procedure.
The first thing you have to keep in mind is that what you are creating is a particular way
of looking at a three dimensional object.
In the diagram below you can see the relationship between various aspects of the
outputs available from Pro|ENGINEER Wildfire5. The various part models (*.prt) can
be assembled to form complex assemblies (*.asm). Both parts and assemblies can be
shown as drawings (*.drw). Whilst not part of this tutorial, the models can also be
shown as rendered images; simulations and animations; and behavioural models using
the Finite Element Analysis (FEA) part of the Schools Advanced Edition.

Part

Part

Part

Part

Model

Model

Model

Model

Engineering drawing(s)
Components

Engineering drawing(s)

3D Assembly

Rendered Image(s)

Assemblies

Simulations and Animations

Behavioural Models (FEA)

For Orthographic drawings, often called Detail Drawings, Pro|ENGINEER Wildfire5

merely represents this 3D object using whatever standard you have chosen.
The diagram below summarises the relationship between the 3D model or assembly;
the engineering drawings and the various ways that the program creates the drawings
and sets the agreed standards for that particular set of orthographic drawings.

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3D Model

Config.pro

or Assembly

Active
Drawing.dtl

BS8888.dtl

BOM
Information

Engineering drawing(s)

Format

Template.dtl

Template

BOM Blank table

Firstly, make sure you have the correct drawing setup file (*.dtl) referenced in the
config.pro file. The standard look of orthographic drawings will vary depending on the
part of the world you are in and which particular set of standards you need to use to
communicate your ideas with others. In the United Kingdom the British Standards
Institute set the agreed standard, the current one for schools being BS8888. In other
areas the ISO (International Organization for Standardization) or ANSI (American
National Standards Institute) standards apply; if you work in these areas you will need
to set the Configuration File to suit your standard.
In Pro|ENGINEER Wildfire5 there are a number of batch files (*.bat) in the
pro_standards folder of the program. Activating the appropriate batch file will set the
config.pro file to the correct standard for your needs.
To create a drawing you will also need a Format, this file is the look of your drawings.
The Format can also be overlain with a Template that positions the views and creates
the text height, line type etc. This is controlled by the *.dtl file which could be the default,
in this case the bs8888.dtl file, or a specially created one called the Active Drawing File
which will only affect the drawing to which it is attached. If a Bill of Materials (BOM) is
required, a bom table can be inserted into the Template that can extract the necessary
information from the Bill of Materials contained within the assembly file.

A drawing format file (*.dtl) can be tailored to a specific set of drawings and saved
under a name, e.g. Oil_Box.dtl in which special changes are made to suit the needs
of this set of drawing. This is the Active Drawing file.

If a Template is used its drawing format file (*.dtl) file will determine the outcomes
unless overwritten by an Active Drawing file.

If no template is used then the Global dtl file, e.g. bs8888.dtl, will be used.

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To assign a dtl file to the config.pro file

1. Open the pro_standards folder in the C:/Program Files/Pro|ENGINEER Schools

Edition. It will look a little like the one above. Read the README.txt file therein
(reproduced below)
Dear Pro/ENGINEER Users,
The PTC Education Group has provided a number of batch files to help
set your default units quickly and easily.
If you choose the "Metric" option during the installation of
Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 5.0, it is installed using
the MMKS Unit System and ASME drawing standard.
If you choose the "English" option, Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 5.0 is
installed using the
INLBS Unit System and ASME drawing standard.
You can easily reconfigure your installation to follow a different
Unit System and/or Drawing Standard
using one of the supplied configuration .bat files as follows:
1) Exit Pro/ENGINEER.
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2) Double-click one of the five ".bat" files to configure your

Pro/ENGINEER Education installation for a desired
Unit System and Drawing Standard:
configure_for_asme_inlbs.bat ASME standard drawings with INLBS
unit system
configure_for_asme_mmks.bat ASME standard drawings with MMKS
unit system
configure_for_bs_mmks.bat BS8888 standard drawings and an MMKS
unit system
configure_for_iso_mmks.bat ISO standard drawings and an MMKS
unit system (1st Angle Projection & Commas)
configure_for_STANDARD_UNIT-SYSTEM.bat - For advanced users only,
this can be edited to create your own custom setup.
3) Restart Pro/ENGINEER
*** Notes:
1) To configure your installation using the supplied .bat files, you
must have read/write access to the your
Pro/ENGINEER loadpoint folder (and subfolders). This folder is
typically "ProENGINEER Schools Edition".
In Windows 7 and Vista, this typically requires you to disable the
UAC (User Account Control) and restart your computer.
2) Prior to running a configuration .bat file, you will see drawing
templates for BOTH MMKS-ASME (A1,A2,A3,etc)
and INLBS-ASME (A,B,C,etc) drawing templates. You should only use
the templates that are relevant to your
unit systems.
3) The following folders contain drawing standard specific Drawing
Templates:
templates_asme_in Inch length unit, ASME standard drawing
templates, Sizes A,B,C&D.
templates_asme_mm MM length unit, ASME standard drawing
templates, Sizes A1,A2,A3,A4.
templates_bs_mm MM length unit, BS8888 standard drawing
templates, Sizes A1,A2,A3,A4.
templates_iso_mm MM length unit, ISO standard drawing
templates, Sizes A1,A2,A3,A4.(1st ANGLE PROJECTION).

In my case I have activated the one in bold above

2. Double Left-Click the appropriate batch file.
3. Now when you start the program the relevant standard is set.
If you want to use the default set of Formats and Templates then this is all you need do
to set things up. However if you notice some anomalies in your drawings then you may
have to edit the *.dtl file, to do so see Appendix 1.

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Above is an example of a Drawing Setup File (*.dtl).

About Drawings
Using the Pro|ENGINEER Drawing mode, you can create drawings of all
Pro|ENGINEER models, or import drawing files from other systems. You can annotate
the drawing with notes, manipulate the dimensions, and use layers to manage the
display of different items. All views in the drawing are associative: if you change a
dimensional value in one view, Pro|ENGINEER updates other drawing views
accordingly 1 . Moreover, Pro|ENGINEER associates drawings with their parent models.
The model automatically reflects any dimensional changes that you make to a drawing.
In addition, corresponding drawings also reflect any changes that you make to a model
(such as the addition or deletion of features and dimensional changes) in Part,
Sheetmetal, Assembly, or Manufacturing modes.

Only those parametric dimensions used to create the 3D model can do this. Extra dimensions added
manually cannot.

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Detailed Drawings Module

Detailed Drawings extends the drawing capability of Drawing mode. You can use it with
Pro|ENGINEER to create, view, and annotate models and drawings.
Detailed Drawings support additional view types and multisheets, offers numerous
commands for manipulating items in a drawing, and lets you add and modify different
kinds of textual and symbolic information. In addition, you can use it to customize
engineering drawings with sketched geometry, create custom drawing formats, and
make multiple cosmetic changes to drawings.
With Detailed Drawings, you can also use a shortcut menu to modify any object in a
drawing from anywhere in the model tree. At any time when a drawing window is
active, you can interrupt your current process and activate a drawing object for
modification.
With Pro|ENGINEER Interface or Detailed Drawings, you can access various interface
commands for exporting drawing files to other systems and importing files into drawing
mode.
To understand the views you can get from your model or assembly, in your 3D model,
use the Saved Views ; here you can set Front, Top, Left, Right, Trimetric and
Isometric views plus a few others. Try it now, in the modelling mode; alter the model to
No Hidden, (Left-Click ) as you do so. You will soon see how Orthographic and 3D
views are related in Pro|ENGINEER Wildfire5.

Above is the LEFT view, to the right is

the FRONT view and below is the
TOP view. Note how one relates to
the other. The datum planes on show
should help you understand this.

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Create a New Drawing

With a 3D model open on the screen
1.

Left-Click File then click New

2.

Select the Drawing radio button

3.

Type in a name for your drawing file

4.

Make sure the Use default template

box is ticked.

5.

Left-Click

6.

Pick the drawing size you want and

Left-Click

Depending on the part or assembly you have open on the screen; the design of the
format and template you use, you will now get the 2D drafted representation you
require. It will not be complete but of that later.
(Note: If you have Datum planes
and Coordinate systems
open to view then they
will appear in the drawing. Just turn them off and Left-Click anywhere in the Graphics
window to see them disappear or Left-Click repaint

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or Ctrl+R )

11

If you look at the picture above you will see what is meant. There are certain elements
missing; i.e. dimensions and some elements may be wrong for your standard; the
representation of the filleted corners for example. Note the blue line (pre-selection
highlight) around the view that will help us change things. Note also such things as the
border around the edge, the folding guides and reference numbers, the text boxes etc.
This is known as the Format and you can create your own format. The three views
havent appeared by magic. Their position and appearance is due to another file that
overlays the format and is called the Template. It is the combination of your model, the
format and template that makes the drawing unique (see diagram on the next page).
First take a close look at the screen shot and note that it has a new feature, this is
called the Ribbon Interface.

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Each tab on the ribbon allows different options into play.

Select each drawing tab to observe the functionality found in each:
Layout Sheets, formats, views, display settings and drawing
objects are controlled from this tab.
Table Tables are created and edited using tools in this tab.
Annotate Dimensions, notes and tolerances are shown, created
and controlled using tools in this tab.
Sketch 2D draft entities can be sketched using tools in this tab.
Review Update your drawing, compare different versions, query
for information and take measurements using tools in this tab.
Publish Preview, print and export your drawing from this tab.

As we progress through the tutorial these features will be addressed in more detail.
Relationship of model and drawings

This is the model, it appears in the final

sheet which is made up of the format;
the template that places the views and
finally the drawing with the views in
place.

7.

Double Left-Click on the blue line, it goes red indicating selection, the following
dialogue box appears, the use of this will allow you to modify the views.

Note: The list of categories down the left

hand side.
8.

Left-Click each and see what you

get.

9.

You can play about with the options

and if you Left-Click the
button you can see how the view
changes; if you dont like it change it
back.

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The important one at this stage is the

View Display. Here we can show or hide
Hidden lines and remove tangent edge
display. On our own templates, created
later, we can automatically set these
functions.
10. If you want to show hidden lines and
no tangent edges then choose as
shown here.
11. Once you have finished Left-Click
or

then

Adding Dimensions
1.

Select the view that you want

to add dimensions. Left-Click
the Annotations Tab in the
Ribbon Inteface.Left-Click the
blue line, you will find it by
floating the mouse near to the
view.

2.

Left-Click Show Model

Annotations
and the
following floating menu will
appear.

3.

Left-Click Show All Dimensions.

Dont panic, I know there are a

lot and they are in the wrong
places. We will proceed to
edit their position and remove
the unwanted.
4.

Left-Click OK

5.

If you select the view again

and Right-Click; In the Floating
Menu you will see the option
to Cleanup Dimensions. This
allows you to quickly move
things about so you can see
the wood from the trees.

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The Offset is for the first dimension and

defaults to 12.5mm, each subsequent
(Increment) dimension is 5mm on from
the offset. A set of dotted guide lines is
shown to help set them up. These can
be deleted as explained below. To not
show them uncheck the Create Snap
Lines box
For the moment just accept the defaults
6.

Left-Click

7.

Now Left-click to select and Delete all the hatched guide lines; (Use the Ctrl
key to select multiple lines and then hit the Delete Key (see drawing above)

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8.

Now select those dimensions you want to delete, either one at a time or
multiple select using the Ctrl Key select with a Left-Click then Right-Click
and select Erase. (If you hit the Delete key they will disappear immediately)

The dimension(s) will grey out and only disappear when you select the next one or
anywhere in the Graphics Window. This gives you the opportunity to Right-Click and
Unerase if you accidentally choose the wrong one. Whilst you are doing this you can
also Left-Click-Drag to reposition the dimension and/or the value.
9.

Spend some time tidying up.

10. In Pro|ENGINEER Wildfire5 you can move a dimension from one view to
another. The procedure is very simple.
a. Select the dimension to move with a Left-Click
b. Right-Click and select Move item to view
c. Select the view to receive the dimension. Note: It has to be one that has
the feature orientation that is suitable.

11. You can add a note to a dimension

value by Double Left-Click the value
and follow the instructions in the
dialogue that appears. As shown here

You can alter a lot of things on these three

boxes to determine exactly what you want. In
this example we have added the prefix 4 X to
the @D. (This is the code for the 5mm of the
four mounting holes.) This is neater than
dimensioning each one.

Your view will now look a bit like this.

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12. You can now manually add

dimension using the same
technique as in the
Sketcher.
13. Select the Create Standard
Dimension
Tool from the
Toolbar
14. Also Align Dimensions.
First selected will be the
datum. Other will align to it.

15. Left-Click to select the first

object of the dimension;
edge, axis, etc., Left-Click
the second object.

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16. Then Middle-Click where

you want the dimension
placed.

Note: These added dimensions are

not parametric and will not change
the model if you try to change them in
the drawing.
17. To add Centre Lines (Axis)
Left-Click the view on which
they are to be placed.
18. Left-Click
Axis Tab.

and select the

19. Put a check in the box of

the Axis you want, or select
all.
20. Left-Click

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Notes can be added as can a Bill of Material (BOM) table and much more. If you want
to use this function see the section To Add a Bill of Materials (BOM) Table.
Remember that these apparent drawings are in fact representations of 3D objects and
assemblies. As such any changes made to them will be reflected in these drawings.
This Associativity is an important productivity aspect of Pro|ENGINEER Wildfire5 .
You can try it by opening the part,
1. (Right-Click in the Navigation window on the part and choose Open),
2. Change a feature of the part or add an extra chamfer. Now go back to the drawing
and see that the change has already been made.
3.

In some cases you may need to regenerate. Left-Click

the drawing. This is the
essential difference between a 3D modelling CAD and a 2D drafting CAD.

Adding new sheets

You can add sheets to the file.
1. Left-Click New Sheet on the Layout
Tab. This will come in as a blank
format onto which you can place
general and projected views, create
sections or even exploded views.

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Pictorial Views
When you create your part or assembly you also can create views using the View
Manager. Also with View Manager you have the ability to set special 3D views that
best show your model. These views can also be used within drawings.
To create a special view move the model in the Graphics Window as required.
1. Open the View Manager
2. Left-Click<Orient ,
3. Left-Click<New and type a name e.g.3D.
4. Close the View Manager. Return to the Drawing window
5. On the new blank sheet Right-Click and select from the menu Insert General View.
6. Left-Click on the sheet, where you want to place the view. The drawing view
dialogue box opens to allow you to finalise the view.

It opens in View Type.

1. Type in a model name and then scroll
down the list of Model View Names until
you find the one you want. Trimetric,
Isometric and your own 3D views are all
available.
2. Left-Click

; notice the view is

shaded as it appears in the part modeller.
Use other functions in the Drawing View
dialogue to set other aspects of the view
as you desire, in the same way as
described previously. To set a different
scale go to the Scale category and select
Custom Scale, place a decimal number
to represent your needs, e.g. 2.0 will
double the scale from the default.

On completion Left-Click

then

You will notice that the view is locked in place. If you want to re-position the view on the
sheet you will need to select the view, (Red line around it); Right-Click and un-tick Lock
View Movement then Left-Click-Drag to the new position. To lock the view again, reverse
the procedure. You can place more than one view on the same sheet.

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In this case the right hand view is a specially created one called 3D and it is shown with
Hidden detail showing. These appear as greyed out lines but will print-out or plot using
whatever standard you have set; they appear as dashed lines in BS8888 for example.

Creating a sectional view

To create a sectional view you have to start in the part /assembly file. The simplest way
of creating a section is to make sure there is a datum plane lying just where you want
the section to be. You can either use the ones created when the model was made or
you can place a plane with its sole purpose being to create a sectional view.
You can also create a sectional view within the drawing file itself; see the section
headed Sectional View Created in the Drawing file. Creating the sectional view within
the model does allow you to see the finished section and also use it to create a 3D
sectional view, something unique to 3D Modelling packages.

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1.

Activate the View Manager and select

the Xsec tab.

2.

Left-Click New; type a name or letter

and hit return. You will be presented

with some choices in the Menu
Manager.

3.

Accept the defaults and Left-Click

Done. The Menu Manager changes and
you have to create or select the
Datum Plane you intend to use as the
cutting plane.

4.

In the Graphics window select the plane required. You will be then back in the View
Manager.

5.

Left-Click Display, Select Set Active and the model will be sectioned to show how it
will appear. If you want to cut off the opposite side Left-Click Display Flip.

The view will appear as below. To return to

normal view
Double Left-Click No Cross Section.
You can go on and create as many
different sections as you think you require.
When complete
the View
Manager.

You can now go to the drawing view and create the sectional views you require.
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6.

Create a general or projected view on the sheet, this view will be sectioned. To
create a projected view. Select the parent view; Right-Click and select Insert
Projected View. A ghost of the view will appear Left-Click when you have positioned
it. Whether it is a 3rd Angle or 1st Angle will depend on how you have set up the
Drawing Options File (see Appendix 1).

A.
a. Select the view with a
Double Left-Click to open
the Drawing View box.
b. Select the Sections
Category

7.

Left-Click select the radio button

2D cross-section
8.

Left-Click the + and the available

Xsec will appear. Note: Some

will obviously not be possible on
some views.
9.

Left-Click to select the one you

want and Left-Click

. The
view will change to appear as
below.

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Left-Click Close
Select the view and Right-Click select
Add Arrows and then choose the view
to which the arrows should be
attached.
The view will now look something like
this, see below.
If the hatching is too widely spaced or
at the wrong angle Double Left-Click
on the selected hatching and a Menu
Manager will appear that will let you
change whatever is needed to create
the right effect. The Section title can
be repositioned by Left-Click-Drag.
To remove hatching from any part
select it by Double Left-Click and set
the spacing so wide that it disappears.

Sectional View Created in the Drawing file

If you have not created the sections within the model file it is still possible to create the
section from within the drawing window. Ensure you have the Datum Planes visible and
a Projected view created that will be sectioned.
a. Select the view with a
Double Left-Click to open
the Drawing View box.
b. Select the Sections
Category

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At this point there will be no Xsec in the box.

1. Left-Click + and Create New
2. Select Planar<Done
3. Enter a Name or Letter
4. In the Menu Manager Plane will be highlighted if not select it.
5. In the graphic Window Left-Click the Datum plane to be used (in an
assembly use a ASM datum plane, you may need to Right-Click and
use Pick from list to find the required plane) Or select from the Model
Tree
6. In Arrow Display select the view in which the arrows will be
displayed.
7. Left-Click OK

Enlarged Details
To create a detail is quite easy. It is in three parts, first select the feature you want to
highlight; then create a spline curve surrounding the part; then place the detail view. If a
sectional detail is selected then the detail will be a section.
1.

Left-Click Insert<Drawing
View<Detailed

2.

Left-Click to select the feature,

edge or face etc. A cross will

appear that indicates the centre of
the detail.
Move away from the centre cross and
create a spline curve surrounding the
detail. (There is no need nor is it
possible to use the Sketch Spline tool )
3.

You do not have to complete the

curve, when you get close MiddleClick and a dashed circle will
appear.

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4.

Left-Click in the position you want the detailed view and it will appear. The default
scale is 2:1(set in the *.dtl file) but Double Left-Click the scale value to enable it to

be varied.

The sheet will now look like this. Dimensions can be added to detailed views.

Offset or Stepped Section

There is occasionally the need to create a sectional view that uses a set of offset lines
or steps to define the section cutting plane. To do this is not difficult but requires a clear
approach to the objective.

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Here is an example of a Stepped or Offset Section, Note that lines denoting the steps
are not shown in the sectioned view, however since this is an assembly the hatchings
are separate.
Follow the instructions to create a Stepped section
1.

Insert a general view to be the

parent of the Stepped Section
or choose an existing view.

2.

Right-Click and from the

floating menu select Insert
Projection View and place it.

3.

Double Left-Click the

projected view and choose
Sections from the
Categories list in the
Drawings View dialogue.

4.

Choose 2D section

5.

Choose

6.

Choose Offset < Bothsides

7.

Choose Done and enter a

letter in the dashboard area to
label the section, hit Enter

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Your sheet should look like this.

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What happens now is that a new

window opens that is very much
like the sketcher. Notice the face
on which we are to place the
stepped line has been selected.

Select the face and accept all the

defaults.
8. A References window opens
.
9. Left-Click to select 4 edges to
enclose the area on which to
sketch the stepped line as
shown opposite. Close the
reference dialogue.

10. Left-Click Sketch < Line<Line

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11. Sketch the stepped line as if it

where in the sketcher starting
at one of the reference edges
and finishing on another
reference edge. Use the
automatic Horizontal and
Vertical Constraints, there can
be no lines at any other angle.

12. This line can be dimensioned in

the same way as in the
sketcher. Select Sketch
<Dimension <Normal. Use
the Constraints tool to align
with axis and any other feature
necessary
13. To complete the line creation
choose Sketch < Done

14. Select the view for the arrow

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display as shown opposite.

15. Choose View Display to
modify the view as required to
show hidden line and tangent
edges etc., Left-Click OK
16. The stepped sectional view
now appears and can be
modified as required. Note:
The hatching of the shaft is not
to BS8888 and therefore needs
to be removed. The next
section deals with modifying the
hatching lines

Modifying Cross-Hatching display

Double Left-Click on any of the
hatching lines in the view. This will
bring up a Menu Manager with a
number of options.

The top part of the box allows a choice

of options about what to modify and the
bottom part where to modify.

Changes can be made to the spacing,

the angle, the offset or the line style.
Since this is an assembly there are
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more than one section that is hatched.

Changes can be made to all the
hatchings (Overall) or each one
separately (Individual). You can
choose which one on which operate
either in sequence (Next Xsec;
Previous Xsec) or by selection (Pick
Xsec).

1. Select the Xsec to modify

2. Select the value e.g. Spacing
3. Select Half or Double or Value
(Note: to remove a hatching select
Value and state an absurdly large
value e.g. 2000mm in the
dashboard)
4. Select another value to modify or
move on.
5. Choose Next Xsec to move to the
next in sequence to modify.
6. When all modifications are
complete choose Done and the
view will reflect those changes.

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Exploded Views
The exploded view has to be created via the View Manager within the assembly file.
The details of how this done is the subject of another tutorial. Once the exploded view
is created it can be placed in the same way as described for pictorial views.

An example of an exploded view with a BOM table and balloons.

Other Views
It is possible to create other views:

Offset Sections (Stepped Section)

Revolved Sections

Breakouts

Broken Views

Auxiliary Views

To cover these other aspects of detail drawing visit the COACH Training site at:http://schools.ptculms.com/cadtrain/coachlms/client/login?eventType=logout

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To create a customised exploded view

There a several ways to create a new exploded view but all are associated with the
View Manager. This multi functional tool allows you to create Xsec (Cross-sectional),
Styles, Orientations and simplified representations (SimpRep).

To create a new exploded view you are going to do three things.

Select whether to move one part at a time or multiple parts

Select the direction in which they are to move
Drag the parts to their required position

1. To start open the View Manager and Left-Click on the Explode tab.
2. Right-Click on the Default Explode and select Copy, accept the name given
(Exp001) or change it to something you want. Left-Click OK.
3. Right-Click on the new name and select Set Active, the red arrow will appear
on the left and the model will explode in the same way as the default. You are
now going to edit this to create a custom exploded view
4. Left-Click the down arrow to the right of Edit. (as
opposite)
5. Left-Click Edit Position.
6. Now Left-Click in the graphics
window on the part you want to
move. A coordinate axis appears.
If
you float the mouse over it the
three coordinates highlight in turn. Select the one required for
the drag direction .
7. Left-Click-Drag to move the part in the direction required.

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8. Position all of the parts as required then Left-Click the Green Tick in the
dashboard

Take your time creating the exploded view as it will be used in the detail drawing.
Tip: Create several different Exploded Views to cove all the options; dont try to do
too much with each one.
9. You will notice the + sign next to name of the view in the view manager. This is
an indication that to continue you need to save the view. Left-Click Edit and
select Save from the drop down menu.

10. Make sure the name is correct and Left-Click OK.

The exploded view is now saved and can be called at any time in the graphics window
and in any drawing created from the assembly.

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To call the view open the View Manager and Double Left-Click the view you want to
select. Go to View<Explode and select Explode View from the slide out menu.
Reverse the procedure to un-explode the view.
You can select a number of ways to edit the position to explode the parts, experiment to
find the one that suits your requirement.

Example of a custom exploded view.

More with Annotation.

The Annotation Tab allows a wide range of actions with selected views. Especially the
Show Model Annotations Icon

On a sheet like that left you must first Set the Model in the Layout tab. As can be seen
here the OIL_BOX.prt is the selected
model as its model tree is visible.

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To change to another model

1. Left-Click File<Drawing Models.
2. Select Set Model and from the list presented choose the model you wish to
annotate.
3. To annotate that model Left-Click
Follow the instructions in the box that
appears. Left-Click the part name in the Model Tree.

The first tab is dimensions and they appear with the views associated with this part.
4. Place a tick in the box next to the dimension required, it will not be fixed until you
exit the process. Selected dimensions change colour.
5. Left-Click any of the other tabs to add those elements if they are present in the
model.
6. Left-Click OK to complete the process.

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To Change the Format Sheet

If you have created a drawing on a
generic format and want to change it
onto a new format it is quite simple.
1.

Left-Click File<Sheet Setup

The Sheet setup dialogue opens

2.

Left-Click on the down arrow to the

right of format and either select the

new one from the list supplied or
select browse and find the one you
want. Left-Click
3.

Follow the instructions supplied at

the top of the screen, if they
appear. These will usually be to
keep or remove tables on the
existing format. A blank <CR> will
retain them.

4.

Left-Click the green tick in each

case. The new format will appear

with all your views in place. There
is no need to alter anything unless
you want to or, in the case of a
sheet size change, larger or
smaller, then some view
movement will be required.

Old Format

New Format

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To Create your own Format

The first thing you need to do if you want your own customised Format is to decide what
it is going to look like. The best way the do that is to draw one out roughly on the
relevant sized sheet of paper. As an example we are going to create an A4 sized
Landscape format. Here is the rough sketch.

This is the guide to help you. You now have to determine how each element will be
made. You can start with an existing format and make alterations or you can start with
a clean slate. In this case we are going to use a PTC format and modify it.
Lets look at the elements we intend to add.

A school or class logo; this needs to be a bitmap file and you need to know where it
is so that you can retrieve it.

A border; this can be drawn using the sketching tools or modified from the existing
format.

A title or Project name; this will be text and can be added as a note and formatted
with the tools available.

A Table; this is a block of cells that contain written or symbolic information. A Table
in Pro|ENGINEER Wildfire5 is a powerful entity, not just a series of boxes. The
boxes can be programmed so that specific information can appear automatically or
the user can be prompted to input specific information. (see Appendix 2)

A Symbol; this is the universal symbol for 3rd Angle projection and exists as a
Pro|ENGINEER Wildfire5 symbol.

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Let us start with the basic format that

we are going to change.

1.

Left-Click File<Open

2.

Navigate to the Templates folder.

3.

Click on the down arrow at the top

and Left-Click Templates

4.

Set file type to Formats

5.

Select the one you

want and Left-Click

Let us take a good look at this Format to see what we can keep and what we need to
change or delete to create our own format.
First of all notice the parts outlined in green. These are Tables and contain text that is
interpreted by the program and will return specific parameters to the drawing. All of
these parameters are in the Help files and can be found by going to Detailed Drawings
in the Help Centre and typing Parameters in the Index Tab. (see Appendix 2) We are
going to use some of these later. These parameters MUST be in a Table to be
interpreted.
The other aspects such as Border, other lines, fold tabs and reference characters are all
able to be deleted or left as you see fit. Save a copy of this Format and then retrieve it

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to become the new format.

We will start to make the format as we want by removing the redundant items.
6.

Select the items to delete by LEFT-CLICK. Hold down the Ctrl key to multiple
select.

7.

Hit the Delete Key

There will be elements you select which will not delete in this way. These are Tables
and must be treated slightly differently.
To delete a table
1.

Select the cell first with a Left-Click

2.

Right-Click and Select Delete Contents.

Some text will remain; this is just a note to tell you what is in the cell. You can remove it
later.
3.

Select the Table(s) with a Left-Click using Ctrl if necessary.

4.

Left-Click Table<Select<Table

5.

Right-Click Select Delete

The table will disappear.

You can now select any text or other odd lines you do not want and delete them
If there are tables you want to keep and use they can be saved and brought back when
required. To do this:6.

Select the Table

7.

Left-Click Table<Save Table<As Table File

8.

Give it an easily remembered name such as title_block

Once saved, they can be deleted as outlined before.

To retrieve the Table.
1.

Left-Click Table<Insert<Table from File

2.

Select the table you require and position using options from the GET POINTS
Menu

Now we can start building up the Format. These are the steps.
1.

Draw any lines you require, you can use the drawing tools to the right of the
Graphics screen in much the same way as in the Sketcher.
A useful tip is to set a draft grid.
a.View -> Draft Grid -> Grid Params.
b. Set H/V & grid snap Sketch -> Sketcher Preferences.

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2.

Create any text as notes and place them

3.

Create any Tables and populate them with parameters

4.

Place any Logos

To start with we are going to create a box

at the bottom of the sheet using the line
drawing tool.
5.

First Select the Line Tool

6.

A snapping reference box opens.

Left-Click the arrow button

Select the two vertical lines of the border as Snapping References.

7.

Draw a horizontal line between the two. Middle-Click to finish.

8.

Drag the Line into the correct vertical position.

9.

Repeat the actions to create a vertical line to enclose the units note.

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The sheet now looks like this.

10. Left-Click Insert<Note
11. A menu manager opens.
12. Left-Click Make Note to accept the default or make choices as required.
13. Left-Click where you want the note. Approximate position is all that is required
since it can be Left-Click-Drag to exact position later.
14. In the box at the bottom of the screen type in the note. If it is only one line you will
need to Left-Click the green tick on a blank line. In this example type All
Dimensions in mm
15. Left-Click

in the Menu Manager

16. The note will now appear in the default size text set in the drawing set up file, to
change this (see Appendix 1).
17. Double-Left-Click on the Text and the Note Properties box opens. Here we can
change and edit the note to be exactly what we want. Note: spelling correction
needed.

1.

Left-Click the Text style Tab, here we can set the size of Text, font used and
colour of the type.

2.

Make changes and use the Preview button to see what you get.

3.

Left-Click OK when all is done.

Notice that there is no formatting of the text in a plain note. If you want the text to have
a box round it prefix the text with @[.
Continue to add text as required.

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To add a Table
1.

Left-Click Table<Insert<Table (or Table from file to retrieve a saved version,

useful if you are creating a range of formats with similar tables).

A Menu Manager opens so that you can set out how you like you
table to look. In this case we are going to create an ascending
table Leftward, By Length. We are going to lock it to the right
border and the horizontal Line we created earlier by using their
Vertex, i.e. the corner. This will create a table starting at the
bottom right hand corner of the sheet. Looking back at the rough
sketch we need a table of 2 columns and 4 rows. We will be
using drawing units to give the size; it is easier than working out
how many characters you will put in the cell.
1.. Select the Vertex. You will be prompted to enter the width of
the first column.
2. Type in the width in drawing units e.g. mm and either Left-Click
the green tick or hit the Enter key.
3. The next column width is the entered and so on until you have
defined all of the columns you need. In this case stop after two
columns are defined.
4. To stop setting columns; <CR> Enter on a blank prompt.
5. You will now be asked to define the row heights in the same
way, finishing with a <CR> (Enter) after the last one. Your Table
will then appear.

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You can create other tables in the same way; instead of drawing a box to put the
symbol in we will use a 1 X 1 table.
2.

Add text to the left hand column using the table function.

3.

Left-Click in the cell, the Note Properties box opens.

4.

Enter here the text, if you want to use any special symbols open the Text
Symbols box.

5.

Open the Text style tab.

Here you can add font, size, colour and position in the
cell, etc.,

Use the Preview button to see the affect of any

changes before you commit.

6.

Now it looks like this, you can edit any cell by

selecting it and Double-Left-Click to return to the
Note Properties.

You can now add parameters to the other cells that will be interpreted by the program to
enter the Date, Scale and Drawing number. These are of two types, those
automatically placed by Pro|ENGINEER Wildfire5 and those requiring action on the
part of the user. We will deal with the automatic ones first.
The ones needed in this example are for Scale which is &scale; Date which is
&todays_date; Sheet number which is &current_sheet of &total_sheets. These
you will note have an ampersand preceding the text and no spaces; an underscore is
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used as in the case of a file name. (For other parameters see Appendix 2). These are
placed and formatted in exactly the same way as the earlier notes. Enter everything
between the quotes. See Appendix 2 for other parameters you may need.
You can enter a user parameter in the same way but this will elicit a user response. In
this case the Pupils name in the Drawn By cell. We are going to use the parameter
&pupils_name. Whatever word or words you use here will be the user prompt when
the format is employed.
Your Table will now look like this:-

(Note: On the format they will appear as typed; when the format is used the relevant
information will appear. Dont worry if they overlap the cell, as the value returned will
not.)

To Add a Logo
The School badge, Team or Project Logo can be added to the format or drawing, either
in a cell or not. In this example the logo will go into the top left hand corner of the sheet.
It must be a Windows bitmap file (*.bmp)

1.

Left-Click Insert<Object

2.

It is better to have it
already created so select
Create from File.

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3.

Browse to the file and

Left-Click

4.

Left-Click on the
Graphics Window to place
the bitmap image. Size
the image using the drag
corners and reposition as
required.

To Place a Symbol
All that remains now is to place the symbol that
shows it is a 3rd Angle Drawing.

1.

Left-Click Insert<Drawing
Symbol<Custom

2.

Browse to the Folder containing the

symbol and select it. This box appears.

A ghost image of the symbol

now appears at the mouse
cursor.
3.

Position the symbol and

Left-Click to place.

4.

Left-Click

The Format is now complete.

Save the file in the Templates
Folder or a Templates Folder
in your user area. You can of
course retrieve it at any
anytime and modify it.

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This format can now be used to create your own unique set of drawings. Here is what
it looks like when a model is shown.

These views have been manually placed, now you can use this format to create a
Template onto which the views will be placed automatically.

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To Create a Template.
The template is the file that sets the desired views and their display state; create snap
lines; and shows model dimensions based on the way the template is created.
As an example we will create a Template based on an A4 format that will show three
views in 3rd Angle projection, two of which will have hidden detail showing and none will
show tangent edges. You can draw a rough sketch to determine how you want the
views to look.
1.

Left-Click New Drawing

2.

Give the template a name

e.g. DTE_A4_TEMPLATE.

The name should tell as much as

possible about the template.
3.

Select the radio button

Empty with Format

4.

Browse to find the format you

want to use. In this case we
will use the one created
earlier.

5.

Left-Click

6.

Left-Click Applications<
Template

We now have to place the views

on the sheet. In this case the first
one is the ELEVATION which will
be a General view; Orientated
LEFT (see View Manager);
Hidden; No Tangent Edges.
7.

Left-Click Insert<Template
View The Template View
Instructions box appears. In
this we can first of all set the
View Name --ELEVATION

Now set the Orientation LEFT (Note there are many options here, what you use
depends on the template you are creating. The Views are those available in the View
Manager)
Notice, under View Options there are some boxes ticked and others not. View states
MUST be ticked the others are optional depending on your template. In this simple
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example we will only use those options checked.

8.

Left-Click Model Display select Hidden to show hidden detail

9.

Left-Click Tan Edge Display select No Disp Tan to not show tangent edges

10. Left-Click Place View, Left-Click on the Graphics Window to place the view. It
can be reselected to reposition it if required.
11. Left-Click New to set up the next view; this will be a projection from the
ELEVATION. Left-Click the down arrow to the right of the View Type box and
select Projection. Ensure that ELEVATION is shown in the Parent View Name
box. Set Model Display and Tan Edge Display as before and name the view
PLAN. Place the view.
12. Left-Click New to set up the last view, a Side Elevation Projected from the
ELEVATION. No Hidden this time.
13. You can reposition the views if you wish and by Double-Left-Click on the symbol
you can edit the view display.

The views and the view names appear in this view but will be replaced by the views of
whatever model you use when creating your drawings.
The last thing you need to do is to re-allocate the two parameters &scale and
&model_name .
14. Left-Click to select the cell Double-Left-Click and change what is there to the
Pro|ENGINEER Wildfire5 parameters namely &scale and &model_name.

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They will appear in the template as DRAWING SCALE and MODEL NAME this will
appear as the correct scale and model name when the Template is used.
15. Setup the drawing option file as described in Appendix 1.
Before saving the Template file you will need to make sure that no models are
associated with it.
16. Left-Click File<Properties<Drawing Models
17. Refer to the dashboard area. If a model is associated it will be noted with the
option to retain or delete. Left-Click Yes to delete
18. Save the template file.

To Add a Bill of Materials (BOM) Table.

A Bill of Materials Table is a special case of the use of a Table in drawings. The table
is created to show each of the components within the assembly plus other information
that may be required. Each cell in the table has a parameter and each cell can be
made to duplicate itself as many times as is required to cover any size assembly. Cells
can also be set to create Numbered Balloons attached to the parts.
The easiest way to add a BOM table to your format is to copy one from an existing PTC
format found in the Templates folder. This one is a simple example but adequate; if
you want to create a more complex one, see the Help Centre files.
1.

Set Templates Folder as the Working directory

2.

Open the format file with the BOM table

Here is an example of such a file with

the BOM table showing.

3.

Left-Click to select the Table

4.

Left-Click Table<Save Table<as Table File

5.

Give it a name e.g. bom.tbl

This will save the table in the Templates Folder

6.

Close the file and File> Erase<Not Displayed to clear the memory

7.

Open your format file.

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8.

Left-Click Table<Insert<Table from File

9.

Place the Table using a Left-Click-Drag

10. Left-Click to finalise.

11. Save the format file
To set the table to create balloons
1.

With the format open

2.

Left-Click Table<BOM Balloons, BOM BALLOONS Menu Manager opens.

3.

Left-Click the Cell ITEMS This is where the part no. is stored

4.

Left-Click Simple to provide a balloon with just the number.

5.

Left-Click

6.

Save the format

To Show Balloons in an assembly View

1.

Left-Click Table<BOM Balloons

2.

Left-Click Create Balloons BOM VIEW Menu appears

3.

Left-Click Show All

4.

Left-Click

5.

Drag-Left-Click Balloons into place

You will notice that the table only has one row and is populated with parameters that
start &asm_ which collects the data required from the part file. The table, when used,
will display all of the components that comprise the assembly. The table is designed to
extend to the size required.

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Format with BOM table used

If you wish to place a BOM table into an existing drawing or on format without a bom
table in place then follow the procedure in the next section.

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Creating a Bill of Materials for a blank format.

Creating a BOM in a drawing is a three step process starting with an assembly open in
Pro|ENGINEER.
In the assembly create the bill of materials
In the drawing of the assembly insert a BOM table
Create BOM balloons for components

Creating the BOM for an assembly

1. Your assembly should be open in Pro|ENGINEER.

2. In standard modethe BOM will display in the

browser.
3. In the main toolbar across the top of the screen
open the Info menu and select Bill of Materials
4. The BOM dialog opens

5. Click OK

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6. The Browser in Pro|ENGINEER will

open displaying the Bill of Materials
for the assembly.
The BOM lists all the components, the
quantity where there are multiples.
The columns give access to information
about components and by clicking on a
part it highlights in the graphics window.

BOM tables
BOM tables are created from assemblies in HTML format and before they can be
inserted into drawings you will need a template table file. You can download one called
bom.tbl from the PTC Education Windchill Project Link site.
https://pds.ptc.com/Windchill/netmarkets/jsp/project/view.jsp?oid=project%7Ewt.projmg
mt.admin.Project2%3A183631245&u8=1
Note: It is possible to create your own BOM table template with the necessary
intelligence to pull information from the models. (see next section)

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Inserting a BOM table

1.

With your drawing open

on screen,

2.

In the Table Tab select

Table from
file.

3.

Browse for the bom.tbl

and place it in the
drawing somewhere.

You will see that it already

has rows for each item.
4.

Drag the table into

position on the drawing.

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Adding BOM balloons

1.

With the drawing open in

Pro|ENGINEER.

2.

In the graphics window select the

view you want to display BOM
balloons.

3.

In the Table Tab Left Click to

select BOM Balloons

4.

Select Set Region and select the

whole table.

5. Select Create Balloon. By view is

the default. Left-Click to select the
view you want the balloons to
attach. In this case the Isometric

The Isometric view will now have

BOM balloons with leader arrows
showing each of the components.
6.

Click Done/Return to close the

BOM Menu.

You have placed a table and all the

balloons.
The balloons can be selected by LeftClick and dragged to reposition.

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To ensure the arrow points correctly:1. Left-Click to select the arrow

leader.
2. Left-Click-Drag the arrow
head to position it on the part.

Note: You can only position the balloon on

the relevant part.

To create a new Repeat Regions Table

There are two reasons to create a table that can pick up information from the model or
assembly file. The first we have covered already which is the Bill of Materials or BOM
table. The second is a more complex table that can refer to instances of a part
contained within a Family Table. The way this works is based on the principle of smart
table cells called repeat regions. These are user defined sections of a table that expand
or contract to accommodate the amount of data that the associated model or assembly
currently possesses.
1. The Extended Bill of Materials Table
The simple one we have shown so far is adequate for most projects however you may
wish to add other columns, material used for example.
Shown below is the simple BOM table taken from our format.

The top row is normal text and will appear in the drawings as just that. The bottom row
contains symbols, entered as text but will appear in the drawing as the information that
the symbol extracts from the model or assembly in the same way as explained in the
format creating section.
When the table is updated in the drawing, this is what appears.

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To create a repeated region table.

There are three parts to the procedure; the first is to create the blank table with the
requisite number of columns and rows. The second part is to define the repeat regions
of the table. The third is to populate the table with the plain text headings and the
parameters that call up the data.
1. Create a table with 2 rows and X columns. (Where X is the number you require.
You do not need any more than two rows since they will repeat as many times as is
required.) See the section To add a Table* for help on creating a table.
2.

Populate the top row of cells with the headings required. *

3. To define the repeat region of the table.

a. Left-Click cell in the second
row of the table.
b. Left-Click Table
c. Left-Click<Select< Row The
row is now highlighted
d. With the row still highlighted
Right-Click and select Add
Repeat Region from the
floating menu.
e. The row is now a set of repeat
region cells

Note: A repeat region doesnt have to

be a row it can be anything from a
single cell to a block of several cells
depending on your need.

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To enter the report parameters into the repeat region

1. Right-Click in the target cell.
2. Left-Click Properties from the
floating menu.

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3. Left-Click

4. We are now presented with a

set of parameters from which
to choose; depending on
choice the next menu will
appear. Here we have
chosen asm.. then mbr..
then param.. then unit...
The UP.. parameter allows us
to return to the previous menu.
Once all the parameters are
defined the complete string will
appear in the Note
Properties. Once the whole
table is complete a Double
Left-Click on any parameter
will bring up the symbols
again. A Right-Click on a
selected cell will bring up the
Note Properties for editing.

5. It is possible to type in the data

direct to the cell using the
parameters in Appendix 2.
The &rpt must precede any
parameter used. If a User
Defined parameter is inserted
this will need to be added
when the format is used in
much the same way as the
&pupil_name

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4.

The table will now look like this once complete.

The parameters will be replaced by the data drawn from the part and assembly files, or
from family tables.

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Appendix 1. Setting up and editing a Drawing Options

File.
The drawing options file, (*.dtl) where * may be bs8888, iso or ansi , exists to set the
default values for many options that appear in drawing. Unless it it changed for a
particular drawing the one set in the config pro file will contain all of this information.
Great care should be taken if these default files are edited. However it is possible to
copy this file and attach it to the active drawing or template.
1.

Have the Template open on the screen

2.

Left-Click File<Properties

3.

Select Drawing Options from the Menu Manager

The file opens and can be edited. Select the option to edit and change its value in the
right hand box. Information on the parameter can be read on the Right. Some options
require a numerical value others have a range of options that can be selected using the
drop down menu.
1. Left-Click Add/Change<Apply; then move on to the next parameter to alter.
2. Left-Click

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The only parameters you will need to change to comply with BS8888 are as follows:drawing_units

this is set mm other values are affected by this.

drawing_text_height

Set as a multiple of the drawing units; e.g. 5 for 5mm high

text.

decimal_marker

the default in COMMA change to PERIOD

view_scale_format

the default is decimal, change to ratio_colon e.g. 1:2

view_scale_denominator the default is 0 change a denominator that is suitable for the

drawing or a large number if many different scales are
required. A good general no. is 300
You may change some of the others but I would advise caution and test as you go.
To edit the global *dtl file you can open it in a Text Editor and change the parameters
manually. CAUTION: This could destabilise your installation

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Appendix 2 System Parameters for Drawings

(Taken from the Pro|ENGINEER - Help Centre)
PARAMETER NAME
&d#

DEFINITION
Displays a dimension in a drawing note, where # is
the dimension ID.

&ad#

Displays an associative dimension in a drawing

note, where # is the dimension ID.

&rd#

Displays a reference dimension in a drawing note,

where # is the dimension ID.

&p#

Displays an instance number of a pattern in a

drawing note, where # is the pattern ID.

&g#

Displays a gtol in a drawing note, where # is the gtol

ID.

&<param_name>

Displays a user-defined parameter value in a

drawing note.

&<param_name>:att_cmp

An object parameter that indicates the parameters

of the component to which a note is attached.

&<param_name>:att_edge

An object parameter that indicates the parameters

of the edge to which a note is attached.

&<param_name>:att_feat

An object parameter that indicates the parameters

of the feature to which a note is attached.

&<param_name>:att_mdl

An object parameter that indicates the parameters

of the model to which a note is attached.

&<param_name>:att_pipe_bend

An object parameter that indicates the parameters

of the pipe bend to which a note is attached.

&<param_name>:att_spool

An object parameter that indicates the parameters

of the spool to which a note is attached.

&<param_name>:EID_<edge_name>
&<param_name>:FID_<feat_ID>

An object parameter that references edges.

An object parameter that includes a feature
parameter in a note by ID.

&<param_name>:FID_<FEAT_NAME>

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An object parameter that includes a feature

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parameter in a note by name.

&<param_name>:SID_<surface_name>
&angular_tol_0_0

An object parameter that references surfaces.

Specifies the format of angular tolerance values in a
note from one to six decimal places.

&current_sheet

Displays a drawing label indicating the current sheet

number.

&det_scale

Displays a drawing label indicating the scale of a

detailed view. You cannot use this parameter in a
drawing

note.

Pro|ENGINEER

creates

this

parameter with a view and places it in notes

automatically. You can modify its value, but you
cannot call it out in another note.

&dtm_name

Displays datum names in a drawing note, where

name is the name of a datum plane. The datum
name in the note is read-only, so you cannot modify
it; unlike dimensions, a datum name does not
disappear from the model view if included in a note.
Pro|ENGINEER encloses its name in a rectangle,
as if it were a set datum.

&dwg_name

Displays a drawing label indicating the name of the

drawing.

&format

Displays a drawing label indicating the format size

(for example, A1, A0, A, B, and so forth).

&linear_tol_0_0

Specifies the format of dimensional tolerance values

in a note from one to six decimal places.

&model_name

Displays a drawing label indicating the name of the

model used for the drawing.

&parameter:d

Adds drawing parameters to a drawing note, where

parameter is the parameter name and :d refers to
the drawing. .

&pdmdb
&pdmrev
&pdmrev:d
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Displays the database of origin of the model.

Displays the model revision.
Displays the revision number of the model (where :d

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refers to the drawing).

&pdmrl

Displays the release level of the model.

&scale

Displays a drawing label indicating the scale of the

drawing.

&scale_of_view_detailed_bar
&sym(<symbolname>)

Includes a drawing symbol in a note, where

symbolname is the name of the symbol.

&todays_date

Displays a drawing label indicating the date on

which the note was created in the form dd-mm-yy
(for example, 2-Jan-92). You can edit it as any other
nonparametric note, using Text Line or Full Note.

If you include this symbol in a format table,

Pro|ENGINEER evaluates it when it copies the
format into the drawing.
To specify the initial display of the date in a drawing,
use

the

configuration

file

option

"todays_date_note_format."

&total_sheets

Displays a drawing label indicating the total number

of sheets in the drawing.

&type

Displays a drawing label indicating the drawing

model type (for example, part, assembly, etc.).

&view_name

Displays a drawing label indicating the name of the

view. You cannot use this parameter in a drawing
note. Pro|ENGINEER creates it with a view and
places it in notes automatically. You can modify its
value, but you cannot call it out in another note.

&view_scale

Displays a drawing label indicating the name of a

general scaled view. You cannot use this parameter
in a drawing note. Pro|ENGINEER creates it with a
view and places it in notes automatically. You can
modify its value, but you cannot call it out in another
note.

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Appendix 3: To Control the Format of the Date

The configuration file option todays_date_note_format controls the initial format of the
date displayed in a drawing. The format for the setting is a string consisting of three
portions: the year, the month, and the date. You can enter the portions in any order. The
default value is %dd-%Mmm-%yy.

Year

%yy, for 97

%yyyy, for 1997

Month (if the month contains two digits (for example, 10),% mm, % m, or % m all
produce the same result)

%Mmm, for Jan

%MMM, for JAN

%Month, for January

%MONTH, for JANUARY

%mm, for 01

%m, for 1

% m, for <space>1

Date (if 2 digits are needed to represent the date, all three are the same. Therefore,
"%dd %mm %yy" produces "01 01 97," and "%MMM %d %yyyy" produces "JAN 1
1997")

%dd, for 01

%d, for 1

% d, for <space>1.

The following formats are also valid:

%dd-%Mmm-%yy (= 01-Jan-97)

%mm/%dd/%yy (= 01/01/97)

%Mmm %dd,%yyyy (= Jan 01, 1997)

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Appendix 4. To create a multiple parts drawing

There will be times when an assembly drawing is not enough; you may need to create a
sheet that contains detail drawings of several parts of the assembly. Of course you
could create a sheet for each part but occasionally you may want to put several parts on
the same drawing sheet.

1. Open the new sheet or a blank

format Right-Click and select
Drawing Models.
Ensure the Layout tab is
selected in the Ribbon Interface
2. Select Drawing models
3. Select Add Model
4. The Open dialogue box open.
5. Open the part you want to add
to the drawing.
6. Right-Click on the sheet and
select Insert General view.
7. Proceed as for any other type
of view.
8. Repeat to add further parts to
the sheet.
9. Note: Each part will be placed
with a scale selected to fit the
sheet. To ensure that the scale
is known for each, check the
Custom Scale button under the
scale tab of the Drawing View
dialogue box. This will put a scale
against each part. Notes can be
added as required.
See right for an example.

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1. To set the model for use,

Right-Click and select
Drawing Models.

2. Left-Click Set Model and a

list of the models associated
with the drawing appear
3. Left-Click the model name to
set.
4. Left-Click Done/Return

1. To Add a New Sheet, LeftClick New sheet on the

Layout Tab.
To Move to a sheet Left-Click on
the particular tab as opposite

John Forth June 2010

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