CATIA V5 > Creo View

CATIA V5 to Creo View – SpinFire Convert

The CATIA V5 to Creo View Adapter

The CATIA V5 to Creo View product also known as The CATIA V5 Adapter for Creo View, is a direct data converter from CATIA V5 to Creo View, PTC’s visual collaboration product. The Adapter rapidly and accurately publishes 3D mechanical design geometry parts, assemblies and 2D drawings, together with attribute information to the compact formats used by the Creo View application.

Designed to be compatible with other PTC Creo View Adapters, the Adapter can be integrated into Windchill, DIVISION Graphics Server or other PDM environments.

The Adapter directly accesses native CATIA V5 parts, assemblies and drawing files using the Dassault Systemes supported programming interface. Assembly structure details and geometry colour information is retained during translation. Output file characteristics are configured using the standard PTC Recipe File Editor.

The Adapter may be installed on a number of machines each accessing a central network-floating license.

Primary Product Features

  • Converts CATPart geometry including analytic data, solid models, and surfaces to the Creo View “.ol” file format

  • Converts CATProduct assembly structure and part orientations to the Creo View “.pvs” file format

  • Converts attribute data such as meta-data, colour and layer information and CATIA V5 properties

  • Retains accuracy of data in Creo View allowing accurate measurements, sections etc.

  • Converts CATDrawings to various 2D formats e.g. DXF & TIF for viewing within Creo View

  • Configuration compatible with other PTC Creo View Adapters

  • Optional integration with Windchill, DIVISION Graphics Server as a standard “Worker” application. Also able to be integrated with other PDM environments

  • Operates in both command-line and batch modes

  • Configurable to output earlier versions of Creo View data

  • Can be initiated from within CATIA V5 menu system

  • The Creo View data created using this Adapter can be imported into the Arbortext IsoDraw CADprocess

Primary Product benefits?

  • Direct conversion from CATIA V5 to Creo View reduces processing time, simplifies integration and retains accuracy of the model

  • Improved communication and collaboration by visualizing CATIA V5 data in Creo View across the enterprise

  • Reduce costs and risks associated to accessing the wrong version of data by integrating the publishing process into all related business processes

CATIA V5 to Creo View Adapter Product Modules

The following product modules are available for the Creo View Adapter:

  • Standard Product – The standard product functionality is detailed in this user guide and is available for use in a batch environment.

  • Standard Product for Windchill – The standard product for Windchill functionality is detailed in this user guide and is available for use in a batch and Windchill environments. The following Service Modules require a prerequisite ‘Standard Product for Windchill’ product baseline:

  • CATIA V5 to Creo View PMI Service Module – The PMI module allows PMI, Captures and View states to be read from CATIA V5 and written into Creo View.

  • CATIA V5 to Creo View Post Processing Module – The Post Processing module allows alternative formats (“Additional File Types”) to be output alongside the standard Creo View output, via a single invocation. In addition, bespoke post processing activities can be launched using this method.

  • CATIA V5 to Creo View JT Add On Service Module – The JT Add On module works independently of the Post Process module and allows a JT file to be created alongside assemblies and parts processed into Creo View.

  • CATIA V5 to Creo View 3D PDF Add On Service Module – The 3D PDF Add On module works independently of the Post Process module and allows a 3D PDF file to be created alongside assemblies and parts processed into Creo View.

  • CATIA V5 to Creo View Composites Add On Service Module – The Composites Add On module allows composites data from the specification tree to be created alongside assemblies and parts processed into Creo View. This requires a supporting CATIA composites license.

Getting Started

Installation

The installation is run from the .msi file download provided at the Product Release Notes.

License Configuration

To run any product a valid license file and a Flex License Manager installation will be required. The Flex License Manager is run from the .msi file download provided. This can be accessed from the Product Release Notes.

Using the Product

To use the product, follow the documented steps found in the User Guide or follow the online video tutorials which can be found on this page.

Running the Product

Once configured and licensed, the product is ready to be run. There are 3 distinct ways of running the translator:

  • Interactively from within CATIA V5

    • The Interactive Interface provides a direct method of translating CATIA V5 data to Creo View from within CATIA V5 itself.

  • Using the SpinFire Convert UI

    • The product can be run independently in the SpinFire Convert Unified Interface. This allows the user/administrator to create specific, named configurations for translating different types of data to achieve the best results.

  • On the Command Line

    • A command line method of Invoking the translator is possible. It can be used directly on the command line or called via a third-party application as part of a wider process requirement. Full compatibility with PTC’s Windchill Visualization Service (WVS) is supported and is detailed in PTC’s Windchill Installation and Configuration Guide Catia5_CreoView.