Layer Rules in Wildfire 2....Help please.

David Janes

I can't find a find button. I've tried everything that's obvious - but then this is Wildfire.

First, you'll probably want to do this work in your start parts, unless you want to do it in every individual part/assembly you create. Second, with Layer Properties, go through every layer that exists and make sure, on the Rules page, that the Automatic update box is checked; if you don't check this, new stuff won't be added automatically to layers.

When you click on Edit rules, it opens a box called Search Tool which has several pages for setting up the search. The rules for picking features to add to layers are essentially search rules. For anyone just getting used to how the rules are set up, it might help to edit an existing layer. In the rule description for

01_PRT_ALL_DTM_PLN, you'll see Type == Datum Plane with the operator 'and' then a second line Id > 38. If you click highlight each of these, it will jump to the page where these criteria were set up, i.e. the Attributes page for Type and the History page for Id. On mine, the boxes below the Rule description include Add New and Remove, plus arrows to move the search criteria up and down. At the bottom, I have Find Now (you apparently have Preview), New search and Options. At the very bottom, for when the search criteria are all set up and you've done the find, you click Apply and/or OK. Then you go back to the Contents page and it should have added the found features to the list. Make sure the new one has a plus sign next to it. If it doesn't have a green plus, click the name and it will add the plus. Go through the list and click any that don't have the plus. To deactivate, click Remove.

I haven't checked Help but there may be a description of this process there that is more in keeping with your interface.

David Janes

Dear David,

Thanks for your help but I think you're using Wildfire 1 not Wildfire

1. The rules method appeared to work OK in Wildfire 1 (and I seem to remember it had an APPLY button) but there's no apply button in Widfire 2. Unfortunately we've updated all our PC's and there's no Widfire 1 seats for me to check.

There is a preview button but the selected features don't show up in the contents page. I've found a workaround but I'm interested to know whether there is a problem with the rules functionality or whether I'm doing something wrong.

I think I may have to brush up on my foreign language skills and phone PTC support.

Rich.

"Rich Lewis" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@posting.google.com... : Dear David, : : Thanks for your help but I think you're using Wildfire 1 not Wildfire : 2. Yes, I am. Haven't been able to get my hands on WF2 yet. Since I couldn't confirm any change to layers functionality, I had to assume it worked about the same. Apparently it doesn't. Sorry for the confusion.

: The rules method appeared to work OK in Wildfire 1 (and I seem to : remember it had an APPLY button) but there's no apply button in : Widfire 2. Unfortunately we've updated all our PC's and there's no : Widfire 1 seats for me to check. : : There is a preview button but the selected features don't show up in : the contents page. I've found a workaround but I'm interested to know : whether there is a problem with the rules functionality or whether I'm : doing something wrong. : BTW, axes have always been a funny thing, there being discimination based on whether they were directly created as datam features or whether as the result of creating a circular feature or revolved feature. IIRC, holes, for example, have never would go on a layer for axes using the 2001 by picking 'Feature > All of type > Datum Axes'. So, maybe there has to be another kind of rule to get this type of feature onto an axis layer. Anyway, I guess I'd go over the 'Help' stuff thoroughly before venturing into Support territory.

David Janes

I think you've hijacked my thread and gone a bit 'off-topic' but, generally I agree with your sentiments. I don't claim to be an expert but I was reasonably good on 2001 and I really didn't want to waste hour upon hour trying to come back up to speed on Wildfire.

I'm surprised there's nobody out there who can shed any light on this layers problem - perhaps there's lots of other dissatisfied users who don't want to upgrade to Wildfire 2.

Obviously I am not talkin about the Model tree, r u kidding? I have the model tree floating in its own window. Whats this a file tree?

The file tree in Wildfire doubles as a model tree, a layer tree, and can be used for some other useful things. I don't know your setup but if I am not mistaken, you can't even configure the model tree to float separately in Wildfire. I vaguely remember seeing something like this when I loaded my old

2001 config.win with Wildfire when I first installed it, but I have long since changed that to the tree embedded into the graphic screen and now can't even find the way to go back to a separate model tree window. If I am not mistaken that was the only time I saw the model tree in a separate window AND another tree to the left of the graphic screen.

In a normal configuration Wildfire will show you a file tree when you start it and when there is no model or drawing open. This tree allows you to comfortably navigate to the folder you want to work in and set it as a 'Working Directory' using the right mouse button menu. Once you open a file, the tree becomes a model tree. You can always switch to the file tree or to the tree showing your favorites (like your library folders), or to the layer tree, by clicking on the tabs and two pulldown menus, 'Show' and 'Settings', on top of the tree. I find it a very flexible and useful tool, much better than separate 'Change Working Directory' 'File Open', 'Layer Properties' dialogs and a separate model tree that 2001 and prior releases used to have.

If there are things I dislike about Wildfire, they are mostly carryovers from the previous Pro/E UI that still pop up once in a while. Like, for instance, the 'Edit'->'Setup' that brings up a fragment of the old text menu (the Units, Accuracy, etc. part), or the cosmetic thread command that calls up an old dialog box that has not yet been reworked into a dashboard, or the 'Edit'->'Feature Operations' that again brings up the old text menus for copying and mirroring. It's not that the text menus were bad. They were actually ok, but the new interface works so much faster and is so much more flexible when you take a little time to learn how to use it that every such throwback to the old interface becomes rather annoying very fast.

So I really have to disagree with your earlier assessment of Wildfire. I've worked with Pro/E since Release 18 and IMO Wildfire is by far the best Pro/E release ever. Can't yet switch to WF2, because one of our major accounts is dragging their feet and holding on to Wildfire, but so far what I hear sounds like it's even better.

Thanks Alex, I have split it, and I can hide the layer, folder tree. which is fine but evertime i switch to a different window the tree comes back. Personally I get a "homie" feeling when the old menus come up. As for the guy who posted about my skill level. Should check out my model and tool paths. Me and Pro are joined at the hip. I use it to model my part, my dies, machine code for dies, tooling and fixtures for machining, I then import the original model in PCDIMS and run our CMM. PROE is great I am just sick of people talking about how fewer clicks solidworks work out on the shop floor for a little while, after that clicking on your computer will be easy!

OK, thanks to the Dutch PTC Tech Support I've resolved this issue. The solution is rather bizarre but, there you go, that's Wildfire!

Anyway, it goes like this: (assuming your model has some solid geometry)

1) Make a layer. 2) Right click and bring up the Layer Properties Dialog box. 3) Hover over your solid geometry with the mouse pointer, right click and choose pick from list. Select 'SolidGeom' from the 'Pick from list' dialogue box. 4) Click OK, OK and hide the layer.

BEWARE, you can't right click and see 'Solidgeom' in the pick from list box UNLESS you've got the Layer Properties dialogue box open.

That's the one big thing I've learnt about converting from 2001 to Wildfire, "it's there somewhere... but can you find it?".

: "Rich Lewis" wrote : OK, thanks to the Dutch PTC Tech Support I've resolved this issue. : The solution is rather bizarre but, there you go, that's Wildfire! : : Anyway, it goes like this: : (assuming your model has some solid geometry) : : 1) Make a layer. : 2) Right click and bring up the Layer Properties Dialog box. : 3) Hover over your solid geometry with the mouse pointer, right click : and choose pick from list. Select 'SolidGeom' from the 'Pick from : list' dialogue box. : 4) Click OK, OK and hide the layer. : I see that this would accomplish adding some geometry to a layer. The business of rules, which was the original question, is to define the layer so that stuff will go on the layer automatically, basically, as soon as you create it. It's supposed to eliminate this hand selection process, much as DEF_LAYER did but with much more control. So, I guess what I'm saying is that I don't see what rules we get out of this. Is this, in fact, a way to set up a rule?

David Janes

I see that this would accomplish adding some geometry to a layer. The business of

Well spotted David! I'd gotten ahead of myself because I had two support issues raised with PTC and for a while it seemed that the rules method may have been the helpful to add solid geometry to a layer. This fix will only add solid geom to a layer, the original question is still unanswered.

: "Rich Lewis" wrote : > "David Janes" wrote : I see that this would accomplish adding some geometry to a layer. The : business of : > rules, which was the original question, is to define the layer so that stuff will : > go on the layer automatically, basically, as soon as you create it. It's supposed : > to eliminate this hand selection process, much as DEF_LAYER did but with much more : > control. So, I guess what I'm saying is that I don't see what rules we get out of : > this. Is this, in fact, a way to set up a rule? : >

: > David Janes : : : : Well spotted David! I'd gotten ahead of myself because I had two : support issues raised with PTC and for a while it seemed that the : rules method may have been the helpful to add solid geometry to a : layer. This fix will only add solid geom to a layer, the original : question is still unanswered.

I think the people who write this software play a lot of 'Dungeons 'n Dragons' and it carries over into the program. Well, I can't wait to get hold of a copy of WF2, see if I can figure out the puzzle, avoid the traps, get the goods and beat the Dungeon Master.

DJ