This month we were swamped improving the Creo GUIs and simplifying the architecture of RsysConfig, along with adding functionality to handle custom interfaces for AutoAssemble. We are excited to delve into each improvement and how it’ll help our users!
Creo Application
RsysConfig
Before we dive into the details of all the cool features we made this release, we want to reiterate why this will lead to a better Creo user experience. Spec-Driven Piping is a free extension of the Piping module that enables organizations to create pipe assemblies up to ten times faster than with standard Piping. There are three segments to a Spec-Driven Piping library, shown below. In the past before RsysConfig, the significant hurdles for adoption were setup complications and costs – all three segments had to be configured manually, with any associated metadata completely in sync.
Now, RsysConfig automatically writes the Master Catalog and Spec resource text files – organizations only need to maintain their Spec-Driven Piping data in a user-friendly web application, not cumbersome text files. RsysConfig’s Creo GUIs enable users to quickly add the required parameters to fitting CAD models (Set Fitting Data) and upload the needed fitting metadata to the web application (Upload Fitting Data). As we continue to improve RsysConfig, our users will see their Spec-Driven Piping setup workflows further streamlined, and costs lowered.
Upload Fitting Data
We built on our momentum from the last release, completely restructuring our Upload Fitting Data GUI. Before this release, we had to upload a Creo family table to our web application in an all-or-nothing capacity – all the instances had to be grouped and have the same Fitting Category, Material, and Schedule (shown below).
Now, the Creo GUI is a lot more intuitive, adding high power and control to the user. Users can now pick specific family table instances and assign them a particular group, fitting category, material, and description (shown below). Additionally, there is direct visibility in Creo on what fitting groups exist in the web application.
Set Fitting Data
This release, we added more functionality to this GUI, including the ability for fitting family tables to have more than one Fitting Code applied to different instances. In the below example, we have a fitting family; we can apply BRANCH, BRANCH_LET, and BRANCH_REDUCING fitting codes to if we so desire.
AutoAssemble
In addition to all the changes in RsysConfig, we made some equally exciting improvements to AutoAssemble!
Before this release, users could only harness the power of AutoAssemble by assembling a component to an assembly interface at a single location. This release, we’ve added the capability for elements to have two interface locations – a placement and receiving interface. So what does this mean in simpler terms? Let’s use the below LEGO example to illustrate this better!
Before this release, we only would have been able to mate the yellow block to an interface in space. Now that we’ve added placement AND receiving interfaces to be defined by a user (in this example, the top and bottom of the LEGO blocks, respectively), we can mate the blue block to the yellow block and the red block to the blue block in a stack-able way. We’re excited about how much more functionality this will give our users and the potential for further assembly automation this opens the door for!
Web Application UI/UX
The re-architecture of RsysConfig kept us quite busy on the web application this month – this affects the Core Elements of Sizes and Pipe Dimensions and the Master Catalog Pipes primarily.
Before this release, a Size would have a size name, size code, outside diameter, and description. Pipe Dimensions would have a defined Size, Schedule, thickness, and description. Pipes would pull a Pipe Dimension and associated end types. Due to this architecture, only one Size could be associated with one dimension (diameter and thickness); however, we realize that some of our users want to associate multiple diameters to a single Size name and code.
RsysConfig users will notice a simpler web application, with Pipe Dimensions no longer existing in the sidebar. In addition, they can now configure pipes with the same Size to have different dimensions.
Release Notes/Contact Us
To read more specifics, visit our full release notes here.
We’re always looking to improve our applications, so if you have any comments, thoughts, or ideas that you would like to see in the applications, please reach out! We’d love to hear your feedback.
Stay tuned next month for more exciting changes!