Pro Engineer Plug in

[unkis17]

Does anyone know of a Preview Plugin for Pro E? I've seen similar ones for Solid Works and AutoDesk at Totalcmd.net. Anyone know if you can manipulate one of these to work with Pro E files?

Thanks

[tbeu]

Sorry, I have no Pro/E sample file and no idea how to extract the embedded bitmap from it.

[unkis17]

I can provide you with Pro E files if you are interested in trying to conqueor this quest, as I have no idea how to go about it. One thought though off the top of my head is that their are multiple types of files the the Pro E CAD system. There are ***.PRT.rev# for Part files, ***.ASm.rev for Assembly files (these are files that contain data on how parts are assembled together) and ***.pic.rev which are picture files associated with ***.drw.rev (drawing files, an option needs to be turned on in order to create the .pic file for the user to use a "preview" window for drw files, if it is not turned on, then the preview window will just say "no preview available" when the user selects a drw file)

As far as the .rev, this is a secussive number Pro E apoints to the file each time it is saved. IE, first save = XYZ.prt.1, second save = XYZ.prt.2 and so on. This way the model can be "rolled back" if you want.

Is this a fessable task? I would say most users would be happy with PRT and ASM support more than anything, the DRW support may be too much work.

[tbeu]

Is there something like a ProE API? This would be a required starting point.

[unkis17]

There were many API hits when I did a search in the Wildfire directory for *api* here is what I got:

C:\ptc\Wildfire2\jlink\jlinkdoc\api\
C:\ptc\Wildfire2\jlink\jlinkdoc\gnu.regexp-1.0.8\docs\api\
C:\ptc\Wildfire2\jlink\jlinkdoc\images\API\
C:\ptc\Wildfire2\weblink\weblinkdoc\api\
C:\ptc\Wildfire2\weblink\weblinkdoc\gnu.regexp-1.0.8\docs\api\
C:\ptc\Wildfire2\weblink\weblinkdoc\images\API\
C:\ptc\Wildfire2\i486_nt\obj\J2RE14\lib\zi\Pacific\Apia
C:\ptc\Wildfire2\i486_nt\lib\libmxapi.dll
C:\ptc\Wildfire2\i486_nt\lib\psapi.dll
C:\ptc\Wildfire2\i486_nt\lib\RgiWrapIsoLib.dll
C:\ptc\Wildfire2\i486_nt\gpost\ncjlibs\com\austinnc\help\OptFile\Mill_..._Rapid.htm
C:\ptc\Wildfire2\jlink\jlinkdoc\api\c-pfcWindow-BitmapImageExportInstructions.html
C:\ptc\Wildfire2\weblink\weblinkdoc\api\t-pfcWindow-BitmapImageExportInstructions.html
C:\ptc\Wildfire2\jlink\jlinkdoc\api.IDX
C:\ptc\Wildfire2\weblink\weblinkdoc\api.IDX
C:\ptc\Wildfire2\jlink\jlinkdoc\APIWizardStartup.jar
C:\ptc\Wildfire2\jlink\jlinkdoc\APIWizardUI.jar
C:\ptc\Wildfire2\weblink\weblinkdoc\APIWizardStartup.jar
C:\ptc\Wildfire2\weblink\weblinkdoc\APIWizardUI.jar
C:\ptc\Wildfire2\jlink\jlinkdoc\manual0\images\apiwiz-a.jpg
C:\ptc\Wildfire2\jlink\jlinkdoc\manual0\images\apiwiz-j.jpg
C:\ptc\Wildfire2\jlink\jlinkdoc\manual0\images\apiwiz-t.jpg
C:\ptc\Wildfire2\text\usascii\menus\ui_api_menu.mnu
C:\ptc\Wildfire2\jlink\jlinkdoc\api.TREE
C:\ptc\Wildfire2\weblink\weblinkdoc\api.TREE

Does any of this help?

[tbeu]

This is what I got from the PTC forum:

I think since intralink is involved in providing that kind of "preview" that what youre asking for is a ptc inside-secret-to-be-kept-from-its-users-thing... but that of course is only a half idea and founded upon nothing.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

There are some settings in the proconfig file that allow you to save sketch previews and .pic's but it means a separate file with an extension and revision number ...(ie not very neat and tidy).

perhaps someone who knows java well may be able to shed some light on this... the product view browser can show 3D previews of most parts and assemblies but only on locally saved or drives.
The intralink browser path "path=ilws://" will not display the model preview upon model selection whereas if you simply browse to a locally copied/backed-up folder the product viewer activates and displays a selected model preview.

You have it, you have it not ... its abviously a (marketing)bug and not a feature :-/.

[unkis17]

Intralink is NOT needed to run Pro, Intra Link is a data management system, though many companies run these two programs together due to large amounts of data...

Product View Express is free to download from PTC, but it doesn't work that great for me. In order to use it, I need to R-click a file in TC and select "View with Productview Express," which then opens an IE window and displays the file. I was hoping to get to a point that I could use F3 or Ctrl-Q as there are so many files to go through. This way I don't have to R-click individual files.

As far as the .pic file, this is only associated with drawing files and by default is turned off. I was hoping to get PRT and ASM files working first. Then try the complicated stuff later, if there is even a demand for it.

[tbeu]

OK, Product View Express was the key to view the ProE files in TC. I managed to find a suitable workaround using Product View Express and existing IEView plugin.

Screen shot
* Image: http://tbeu.de/forum/ProEView.png

Installation
* Download and install Product View Express
* Download and install IEView plugin
* Modify Ieview.ini to make IEView recognize the ProE assembly, drawings and parts files. These are my settings.

Code: Select all

; Attention! If you do not understand meaning of the option, leave it by default.

[options]
;
; Lister WindowText template
; Possible specifiers: %TITLE, %DRIVE, %DIR, %NAME, %EXT.
ListerTitle=Lister (ieview) - %TITLE - %DRIVE%DIR%NAME%EXT
;
; When set to 1, signatures are case-insesitive
CaseInsensitiveSignatures=1
;
; enables/disables displaying directories in the IE format (works in Quick View mode)
ShowDirs=0
; List of directories that IEView will not display
;IgnoreDirs=..;
; Set this to 0 to prevent any Lister hotkeys from working
TranslateHotkeys=1
; When displaying files from these groups, do not set focus to the IE window forcedly
;
; Set to 1 to disable showing IE messages
Silent=1
; Set to 1 to allow scripts execution
AllowScripting=1
; Set to 0 to disable images
ShowImages=1
; Set to 0 to disable videos
ShowVideos=1
; Set to 0 to disable sounds
PlaySounds=0
; Set to 1 to allow Java applets to execute
AllowJava=1
; Set to 1 to allow ActiveX controls to execute. NOTE: Viewing PDF files requires this to be sent to 1
AllowActiveX=1
; Prevents IEView from following hyperlinks on the Net.
; (This does not work on IE before v6.0, and I am not sure about v6.0. This is a MS bug.)
ForceOffline=0
; Set to 1 to check [DefaultSignatures] section when file does not match for extensions
; from [Extensions].
CheckDefaultSignatures=1
; Set to 1 to allow popUps to appear
AllowPopups=0
; Set to 1 to show status bar in quick view mode
StatusBarInQuickView=0
; Set to 1 to save position when closing html document
SavePositionOnExit=1

[Extensions]
; Files listed here will be converted from MS Word to HTML format (slow, without images).
;WordToHTML=.doc;
; Files listed here will be saved in the temporary MHT file and than showed. Very slow!
;WordToMHT=.doc;
; Compiled Help files must be in the group named 'CHM'.
CHM=.chm;
; All other keys in this sections are arbitrary, and serve just for grouping purposes.
; IEView takes just values, and ignores keys. If you have no QVP installed, for example,
; you can just comment out the corresponding line, so the IEView will not use those extensions.
; You can create your own groups at your convenience.
explorer=.htm;.html;.shtml;.plg;.mht;.xml;.xsl;.php;.php2;.php3;.xhtml;.pl;.asp;.htt;
word=.doc;.dot;.wbk;.wps;
excel=.xls;.csv;
powerpoint=.ppt;
;other=.;
;
; (All are other expansions will be opened, only if AllowActiveX=1)
;
acrobat=.pdf;.ai;
djvu=.djvu;.djv;
zip=.zip;
;flash=.swf;
; Quick View Plus extensions. Uncomment this line if QVP is installed.
; some extensions in this list are not automatically supported by QVP when called from IE, so some
; configuring may be required. Or just remove those that you do not want to view.
;qvp=.vsd;.ppt;.asp;.drw;.lwp;.prz;.wpd;.qpw;.uue;.zip;.123;.gz;.tar;
; uncomment this line if you have VoloView or similar AutoCAD viewer that is integrated with the IE
;autocad=.dwg;.dxf;.dwf;.rml;.ipt;.iam;.idw;
proe=.asm;.drw;.prt;

[Signatures]
; This section contains signatures that IEView uses to verify file formats before passing to IE.
; This is a protective measure against some undesired behavior or even crashes that may occur
; if file extension does not correspond to file format. All signatures are optional; if there is
; a signature for file extension, and first bytes of a file do not match the signature, IEView
; ignores the file. Signatures here are in form of hex byte sequence, or a quoted string. There may
; be more than one signature for an extension. In this case, file is viewed if first bytes of the
; file match at least one of them.
;
.doc=D0CF11E0A1B11AE1,DBA52D00,FF575043
.dot=D0CF11E0A1B11AE1
.xls=D0CF11E0A1B11AE1,0904060000001000,0902060000001000
.pdf=""%PDF-""
.ai=""%PDF-""
.swf=""FWS","CWS""
.asm=""#UGC:2 ASSEMBLY ""
.drw=""#UGC:2 DRAWING ""
.prt=""#UGC:2 PART ""

[DefaultSignatures]
; This signatures are used when file does not match for extensions from [Extensions].
; Affects only if CheckDefaultSignatures is set to 1.
;
html=""<HTML>",0D0A3C48544D4C3E,"<?xml","<!DOCUMENT","<!DOCTYPE HTML"," <!DOCTYPE HTML""
doc=D0CF11E0A1B11AE1,DBA52D00,FF575043

[TranslationHotkeys]
; This section contains hotkeys that, when received by the IE window, will be sent to
; the Lister window. Lister hotkeys that are not in these lists will not work.
;
File=N;P;Ctrl+P;Esc;Tab;
Edit=Ctrl+C;Ctrl+A;
Options=1;2;3;4;5;6;7;
Other=Ctrl+Insert;Ctrl+Q;
Search=F3;F7;

[IEViewHotkeys]
; Own hotkeys of IEView.
; Browser commands: Back, Forward, Stop, Refresh, CmdFind, RemoveImages
; GetFocus - Save class of focused window to the [FocusLog] section of Log.ini file.
;
Z=Back
Backspace=Back
Alt+Left=Back
Alt+Right=Forward
X=Forward
Alt+L=GetFocus
Alt+S=Stop
F5=Refresh
Ctrl+R=Refresh
F2=RemoveImages
Ctrl+F=CmdFind
Alt+S=SavePosition

[ChildWindowClasses]
; If FocusByWindowClass is set to 1, windows specified here receive focus.
areader=Amber External Window
DjVu=DjVuImageWindow

[WindowClasses]
; Then, if there is no widows having class from [ChildWindowClasses],
; windows specified here receive focus.
Html=Internet Explorer_Server
Word=_WwG
Excel=EXCEL7
Folders=SysListView32

[BlockFocus]
; Set value of group to '1' if focus "flees" from panel, when opening file
; from this group.
acrobat=1
djvu=1
word=1
excel=1
powerpoint=1
proe=1

[Debug]
; Don't change this values if you don't have any problems.
;
; Set to 1 to disable WH_GETMESSAGE hook
NoGetMsgHook=0
;
; Set to 1 to disable WH_CALLWNDPROC hook
NoCallHook=0
;
; Set to 1 to disable calling CallNextHookEx function
DontCallNext=0
;
; Set to 1 to disable executing hook actions
DontExecHook=0
;
; When set to 1, window, which must be focused, is detected by
; WINDOW CLASS. Otherwise, it is detected by point on the screen.
FocusByWindowClass=1
;
; When set to 1, window, which must be focused, is detected by
; its middle point. Otherwise, it is detected by upper left point.
; Affects if FocusByWindowClass is set to 0.
UseMiddleWhenFocusByPoint=1

* Get ProE sample models
* IEView plugin should have a higher priority than SolidWorks preview plugin.

Limitations / Bugs
* The internal command cm_UnloadPlugins does no longer work as TC7PB2 freezes.
* Closing TC7PB2 does no longer work as there is still a zombie TC process in memory.

[abecdd]

Hi,

sorry for bringing up this thread.
My question is, if it would also be possible to do a similiar thing to view SolidWorks files using eDrawings?

I know there's a lister plugin to view the SolidWorks preview Bitmap. I also tried IEView like it is described here, but this brings up a complete SolidWorks session within Lister, which takes verry long to load. eDrawing is much faster. I just don't know how to tell IEView to use eDrawing for SolidWorks files to view instead of SolidWorks.

Any hints?

Thanks
Axel