STP files 1

[SrGilberto]

I had someone ask me yesterday if you can export (and then ultimately import) step files and cause them to retain their colors.

Everytime I delt with step files they would come in with the default white color.

She said that she had heard you could, so I told her I'd try to find out from this forum.

Question:
Can you get the colors to stay on STP files?

Regards,
SrG

 

[Heckler]

SrG,

Below is an article I found on the web. They mention the config option [purple]step_appearance_layers_groups [/purple] but that's a hidden option. The "unhidden" option would be [blue]step_appearance_layer_groups [/blue]

http://www.formz.com/web_site_2000/content_pages/forum01/discus/messages/16/9320.html?1107313511

Hi Folks
Recall our discussions from November 04. I had talked to a friend in our company who is a ProE systems manager. He had some ideas that may be helpful and decided to post them here for others more informed than I to read and comment:

"Mike showed me some [documentation] which
aren't quite right for Pro/E exporting STEP. If it's what you tell other Pro/E users too, it could spread some confusion, and there's probably enough confusion already about STEP output.

In the notes, the file structure choices (single/separate parts only/separate all parts) are shown as part of a Pro/E STEP export window. But actually, they don't appear in the window, they are among over 1000 other possible Pro/E config options specified in a file
called 'config.pro'.

And the notes show user getting a prompt, "Enter Configuration file name", and entering 'AP214' or 'AP203' in response. But actually those inputs don't work for that prompt, because the prompt is asking for name of another Pro/E config file of the user's choice (like, 'myconfig.pro'). So entering 'AP214' or 'AP203' doesn't work there.

For Pro/E Wildfire 2.0, exporting solid models and shells (I know you prefer those), here are the config file choices for STEP. Users can enter these choices either in a config.pro file, or else in another file of their choice ('myconfig.pro', for example) if they want to separate those config options into some separate files. Like a config file for their form-Z STEP output options, for example. Just a simple text file in any case, nothing special, any text editor will do.

So here's the list of Pro/E STEP config file choices:


step_appearance_layers_groups
no
yes (STEP 203 output has same colors and layers behaviour as STEP 214)

step_export_ap214_asm_def_mode
single_file
separate_parts_only
separate_all_objects

step_export_dwg_views
no
as_3d_views
as_3dviews_assoc_draft

step_export_format
ap202_is
ap203_is
ap203_is_ext
ap209_dis
ap214_cd
ap214_dis
ap214_is


So your customers generating output from Pro/E have just those choices. But they need to put those choices into their individual config.pro file, or else into a config file of their own name (like, 'myconfig.pro'), that they can then specify at the "Enter Configuration file name" prompt.

And you probably see, when you casually tell your customers to select AP203 output from Pro/E, or AP214, you're not doing them much of a favor, since they have 2 choices for AP203 output and 3 choices for AP214 output. And that's typical of STEP as an international standard,
different releases of the same version can be in use at the same time.

Seems to me the best way you could help your customers generate the right output from Pro/E would be to email them a 'formz.pro' file, containing the config options you want them to use exporting from Pro/E. It'd only be 4 lines long, no big deal for anyone, but could
help your customers a lot. And ease the load on your support staff, you wouldn't have to talk people through the right selections, they'd get those through that config file, 'formz.pro' (or whatever you want to call it).

The option "intf3d_out_datums_by_default" allows control over datum curves included in the exported STEP data. A value of "No" (default) produces a STEP file which does not include datum curve information, whereas a value of "Yes" allows the datum curve information to be
included in the exported STEP file. This is not available for export of solids and shells.

To get the ball rolling, here's what I think you'd probably want in a formz.pro file:

step_appearance_layers_groups no
step_export_ap214_asm_def_mode single_file
step_export_dwg_views no
step_export_format ap214_is

But that's just my guess. Whether or not you distribute a formz.pro file to your customers to make generating STEP from Pro/E more reliable, we'd still like to know if these are the choices you want to use from Pro/E to form-Z, thanks.


Best Regards,

Heckler
Sr. Mechanical Engineer
SW2005 SP 4.0 & Pro/E 2001
Dell Precision 370
P4 3.6 GHz, 1GB RAM
XP Pro SP2.0
NIVIDA Quadro FX 1400
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_`\(,_
(_)/ (_)

"There is no trouble so great or grave that cannot be much diminished by a nice cup of tea" Bernard-Paul Heroux

 

[SrGilberto]

Heckler,

That was the very option that does the trick.
Thanks a bunch,
SrG

 

[Tunalover]

Folks-
Where can one find the "hidden" config options? Is there a complete list somewhere? I have a need for both 2001 and WF 2.



Tunalover

 

[RocketRonnie]

http://www.proesite.com/newframe.htm?/UTIL/