PTC Technical Specialists E-Newsletter Date: April 1, 2008

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1 PTC Technical Specialists E-Newsletter Date: April 1, 2008 PTC Product Focus: A) Tolerance Analysis in Wildfire 4.0 Tips of the Month: B) Windchill Export Utility : Exporting Data to Excel A) Quick Start Tips for Pro/NC Announcements: Most Recent Announcements B) Using the Import From Spreadsheet Action in PDMLink Upcoming Events & Training Schedule: Events & Training Schedule Tolerance Analysis in Wildfire 4.0 PTC Product Focus Click Here To View Back To Top PTC Product Focus Windchill Export Utility : Exporting Data to Excel There is just no denying that many Windchill users make use of standard desktop tools to assist in our daily work. This article discusses a couple techniques that let you work with Windchill product data by easily exporting data to other desktop formats including Microsoft Excel. 1. Exporting results of a simple Search 2. Exporting results of an Advanced Search 3. Exporting results of an Advanced Part Search 4. Exporting a BOM to Excel Customer PTC E-Newsletter 4/1/2008 Page 1 of 28

2 Exporting E Results of a Basic Search Let's begin with search results. It's often the case that you would like to work with a copy of the results returned from a search query. The figure below shows that we ve navigated to a standard search page. Our current search configuration shows that we are searching for Documents and Change Requests. Basic Search Common link to the search pages. Search criteria limited to CR s and Documents. The basic search page allows you to find any number of object types (Parts, Docs, etc.) in a single query. In our next figure we add an additional constraint where the text 800 is found in any Document and Change Request Name. Upon executing the search we are presented with a variety of objects returned in the search results. Customer PTC E-Newsletter 4/1/2008 Page 2 of 28

3 Export to File option. Search results containing Documents & Change Requests With any populated search results table several actions are available above the header row. The Export to File icon ( ) allows you to export the search results to any of 4 file formats;.csv,.xml,.html, and an xls report format. Customer PTC E-Newsletter 4/1/2008 Page 3 of 28

4 Notice that the file name is constructed automatically using the current username and uniqueness code with appropriate file extension. The filename can be overwritten as needed. Upon selecting the format and clicking on OK, the system prompts you with the option to save the file or open in the application associated with the file format type. The Save action allows you to rename if needed. The next few pages show the results of the various formats being selected. In the figure below, the results of the.csv format selection is shown. Customer PTC E-Newsletter 4/1/2008 Page 4 of 28

5 The figure below shows the results of the.xml format export: Customer PTC E-Newsletter 4/1/2008 Page 5 of 28

6 The figure below shows the results of the.html format export: And finally, the figure below shows the results of the xls report format selection: At this point, any of these export formats may be used for ad-hoc analysis and reporting. Note: This export technique provides no real-time link between Windchill and the contents of the export. For this reason, any exported search results should be immediately considered stale and Windchill should be referenced as the master source of such data. Customer PTC E-Newsletter 4/1/2008 Page 6 of 28

7 Exporting E Results of an Advanced Search Now let s turn our attention to the Advanced Search features. The Advanced Search focuses on specific object types and subtypes. In our first example, we will continue our search on documents with the text 800 in the Document Name. Advanced Search Common link to the search page. Searching for all Documents with Name containing 800. Since this search is specific to Document types, you may be interested in exporting results data including the attributes that are unique to documents and document subtypes. To do this, we must select or create a Custom Document View to display the attributes of interest. In the Current View: drop down, select Customize. Customer PTC E-Newsletter 4/1/2008 Page 7 of 28

8 Then select the Save As icon from the Default Document View Save As from the Default Document View Give the new view a unique name. Continue with Next Unique View name Select the desired attributes from the Available Columns list to add. Remove and existing columns as needed: Customer PTC E-Newsletter 4/1/2008 Page 8 of 28

9 Desired display columns The available columns are more numerous in this view because our Advanced Search is specific to an object type. This is an advantage over the views available in the basic search. Change the display order as needed. After saving the new view you ve defined and running the search, the results table display some different document types. Note the values in some columns are not shown. This is because some documents in the result are regular document types and others are a subtype called Regulatory Doc. The search allows us to display all the attributes of interest regardless of the document type. Customer PTC E-Newsletter 4/1/2008 Page 9 of 28

10 Custom View Regulatory Document - specific attributes With the desired document values displayed, the Export to File action ( ) can be repeated. This time, the export reflects the desired attribute values per the view being used. The figure below illustrates the result of exporting the search results to an XLS Report. Customer PTC E-Newsletter 4/1/2008 Page 10 of 28

11 Note: This export technique provides no real-time link between Windchill and the contents of the export. For this reason, any exported search results should be immediately considered stale and Windchill should be referenced as the master source of such data. Exporting results of an Advanced Part Search Now that we have exported simple search results and advanced search results for Documents and Change Notices, let s look at the options available when exporting Part information. Let s revisit our Advanced Search page. Here we see that we have search results for all Windchill Parts with the text 800 in the Part Name. Customer PTC E-Newsletter 4/1/2008 Page 11 of 28

12 Advanced Search of Parts containing 800 in the Part Name. After creating a Custom Part View for the search results, we can use the Export to File action in the same manner as before to get the desired Part attributes in our exported files. Customer PTC E-Newsletter 4/1/2008 Page 12 of 28

13 If Parts and Part Subtypes are included in the search criteria, a 5 th format is available on the list shown simply as xls. This Excel export format is unique to handling only Part data. Upon exporting the part results using the xls format, the resulting Excel file consists of several worksheets. Notice that each worksheet has a key in the first cell as follows: ImportSheetType=PART This key allows this same worksheet to be imported into Windchill at a later time using the Import from Spreadsheet action available on the Product or Library Details page. A separate worksheet will be created for each combination of Part Type and Classification found in the search results. Each such combination may have a different set of attributes garnered from 1) Part Type template definitions and 2) Classification definitions. (For more information regarding Part Classification, see the PartsLink article in the newsletter archives.) The first worksheet in our export lists only unclassified standard WTParts. Note the worksheet tabs in the lower portion of the figure. You will also notice that each column has a header definition beginning on the 6 th row. This allows the user to add comments and descriptive text on rows 2-5. The second worksheet lists only standard WTParts classified as Latches. You will notice that the columns highlited in this figure are attributes unique to the Latch class of parts. Customer PTC E-Newsletter 4/1/2008 Page 13 of 28

14 The third worksheet lists only unclassified Software Parts (a Subtype of WTPart). Users may modify some of the values in these worksheets and re-import them at a later time. This may be very convenient for users who need to create or update many parts at one time. For instance, Users who manage Supplier Part information may need to update many Supplier Parts on a frequent basis. A PART Import worksheet such as those found in this export may be authored and used to maintain supplier parts as needed. For more information on Importing from Spreadsheet, see the Product Tips page in this same newsletter. Note: This adhoc import/export technique provides no real-time link between Windchill and the contents of the export. For this reason, any exported search results should be immediately considered stale. If exporting Part and BOM information with intent to modify and re-import, it is strongly suggested that you first check-out the data objects export Exporting a BOM to Excel You can export an entire product structure to a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet using the Export action. Data exported with this method can be reimported back in Windchill. The Export utility has many uses that will not be addressed here. We ll be highliting the Excel export option. Note: If you plan to import a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet in Windchill, the input spreadsheet must conform to a predefined format. For more information on importing and exporting using Microsoft Excel file, refer to the Importing and Exporting Data Using a Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet chapter of the Windchill Supplier Management Administrator's and User's Guide. To export a product structure to Excel: 1) Go to the product structure page for a product or part. Customer PTC E-Newsletter 4/1/2008 Page 14 of 28

15 2) Select a part or product 3) Select Export from the Actions list. Customer PTC E-Newsletter 4/1/2008 Page 15 of 28

16 Export Utility In the Export window, select Product Structure to Excel (built with active configuration specification) Customer PTC E-Newsletter 4/1/2008 Page 16 of 28

17 Enter a filename with.xls extension. Export to Excel option Submit the export job. Specify export options and click Submit. Note that you must ensure that you specify a file extension of.xls prior to submitting. The resulting Excel spreadsheet will look similar to the figure below. Notice that the entire product structure is exported with a level indication for the branching and relative parent/child relationship between the components. Also notice that the Excel sheet contains a key in the first cell: to accommodate reimport at a later time. ImportSheetType=BOM Customer PTC E-Newsletter 4/1/2008 Page 17 of 28

18 BOM Level indication Quantity Add or Update action Users can now use this BOM export for analysis and the source of modifications for reimporting at a later time. The BOM worksheet can be combined with other Excel Import Sheet Types to help manage data For more information regarding the Export Utility, see the Windchill System Administrators Guide. Back To Top Customer PTC E-Newsletter 4/1/2008 Page 18 of 28

19 Quick Start Tips for Pro/NC Tips of the Month Click Here To View Back To Top Tips of the Month Using the Import From Spreadsheet Action in PDMLink One way to create many Parts and associated BOM structures in Windchill PDMLink is to define them as needed in Excel spreadsheets using an importable format as discussed in this months product highlight. Once importable spreadsheets have been created, they can be imported using the Import from Spreadsheet action available on the Action menu of the desired Product or Library. You can import part and product structure data from a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet into a library or product. Importing allows you to build product structures from existing parts, create new parts, or update existing parts using data in the import spreadsheet. You can import the following types of data: New parts or modifications to existing parts. For example, a component engineer receives a spreadsheet from a vendor with updated part data for a particular manufacturer. The spreadsheet contains both new parts (replacement for obsolete) as well as modifications to existing parts (for example, changes to the life cycle status or environmental regulatory compliance data). When the component engineer imports the spreadsheet, new parts are created in the target library or product, and modified parts are iterated. A new bill of materials (BOM) or modifications to an existing BOM. For example, a Design Engineer may need to send a completed design to an external manufacturing partner for review. The Design Engineer exports a product structure to a spreadsheet and sends it to the Manufacturing Engineer. The Manufacturing Engineer reviews the spreadsheet, makes changes, and sends it back to the Design Engineer who can then import the modified spreadsheet back in Windchill PDMLink to create a new Manufacturing view of the BOM. Customer PTC E-Newsletter 4/1/2008 Page 19 of 28

20 When you export parts or product structures from Microsoft Excel to Windchill PDMLink, consider the following: You can import a spreadsheet with multiple worksheets. In Row 1, the first cell contains a string that defines the type of data to be imported: o For parts: ImportSheetType=PART o For a BOM: ImportSheetType=BOM Rows 2 through 5 of each worksheet are reserved for comments. If you previously exported the spreadsheet from Windchill PDMlink, row 5 may contain logical IDs for the attributes included in the spreadsheet. Row 6 contains column headers. Rows greater than or equal to 7 contain the data to be imported. The order of columns in the spreadsheet is not fixed. If you want to exclude one or more worksheets from import, leave the first cell of the worksheet empty or change the value for ImportSheetType, for example, set it to ImportSheetType=NONE. A worksheet that does not list the correct value (PART, AXL, or BOM) will be excluded on import. Customer PTC E-Newsletter 4/1/2008 Page 20 of 28

21 Import from Spreadsheet action. Importing Parts and Product Structure When you import parts from Microsoft Excel to Windchill PDMLink, consider the following: If you are unsure of the format to use for your import spreadsheet, export a part that has the required attributes and use the format of the exported spreadsheet. When you import, you can import new parts and modify attribute values of existing parts. If you modify existing parts, the parts are iterated. If you modify the soft attributes of a part, the soft attribute definitions must exist in Windchill PDMLink or the import will fail. If any related parts are checked out, the import will fail. If the column names do not match the Windchill PDMLink attribute names that you want to specify, the import fails. If you do not specify attributes in the import spreadsheet, object initialization rules are used to assign any attributes to the parts. You must include the organization ID of the supplier organization for manufacturer and vendor parts (for example, a name, DUNS number). Customer PTC E-Newsletter 4/1/2008 Page 21 of 28

22 If you want to import part classification attributes, each worksheet must contain only parts that belong to the same part type (for example, only manufacturer parts) and classification node. To import classification attributes, the classification structure used in the spreadsheet must exist in Windchill. When you import parts, you choose one of the following import actions: Action Add and Update Update Only Add Only Description If a part exists, it is iterated and updated to the attribute values in the spreadsheet. If a part does not exist, a new part is created. If a part exists, it is iterated and updated to the attribute values in the spreadsheet. If a part does not exist, no action is taken. If a part exists, no action is taken. If a part does not exist, a new part is created. Customer PTC E-Newsletter 4/1/2008 Page 22 of 28

23 Baseline is created automatically. (Optional Naming) Selected Action Importing Bills of Materials (BOMs) When you import BOMs from Microsoft Excel to Windchill PDMLink, consider the following: When you import a BOM, a new baseline is created for each worksheet. If you specified the name for the baseline, it is prefixed with the worksheet number. If you do not specify a name, the baseline is assigned a name using the following syntax: <name>-<year><month><date><hour><minute><seconds> where <name> is the file name of the import spreadsheet without the extension. Imported BOMs must reference parts that already exist in Windchill PDMLink. If a part referenced in the BOM does not exist, import fails. Customer PTC E-Newsletter 4/1/2008 Page 23 of 28

24 However, if you need to import a BOM with parts that do not exist in Windchill PDMLink, you can import one spreadsheet with both the new parts and the BOM. To ensure the import does not fail, make sure the worksheet with new parts precedes the worksheet with the BOM information. If an import spreadsheet contains both new parts and BOM information, do not select to validate the spreadsheet or validation will fail. You can skip the validation step and import the spreadsheet successfully. If you import a modified BOM, existing product structure links that are not included in the import spreadsheet do not change. If you create a new BOM, each row in the worksheet describes the Add action. If you modify an existing BOM, each row in the worksheet describes either the Add or Delete action. To import subtypes (modeled or soft) of a part, you must specify the subtype in the Part Type column of the input spreadsheet. You can use additional columns to specify attributes of each subtype. When importing a BOM, you can include reference designators in the input spreadsheet under the Reference Designators column. An import error occurs if the values in the Reference Designators column do not match the numbers in the Quantity column. Performing a Validation prior to the Import provides a Validation Message (Succeed or Fail) and a validation log to aid For more information, look in your PDMLink Users Guide. Back To Top Customer PTC E-Newsletter 4/1/2008 Page 24 of 28

25 Announcements Educational Resource Library Learn things you always wanted to do - but didn't know you could. This one stop educational resource library will help you learn more about PTC Solutions and provide you with technical materials developed by the product experts to help you become more productive. Get tutorials, how-to videos and expert advice for: Pro/ENGINEER Conceptual and Industrial Design Detailed Design Simulation/Analysis Production Design Collaboration Windchill PDMLink Windchill ProjectLink Pro/INTRALINK PTC Online Tools Check out the Educational Resource Library today. PTC Tips & Techniques Newsletter Archives Miss an issue! Can t find that awesome technique you read about? Fear not, you can click on the link below and go through our Customer PTC E-Newsletter archives. It s better than finding the Ark of the Covenant! Click Here To Access PTC Tips & Techniques Webcasts: Work Smarter. Not Harder. Click below to see regularly scheduled Tips & Techniques technical Webcasts that are designed to provide you with the most popular time-saving tricks that Pro/ENGINEER users of all skill levels will find useful. Get more out of your maintenance dollars! Tips & Techniques: Work Smarter Not Harder! E-PROFILES IS HERE!! We have been eagerly anticipating the debut of the new electronic version of Profiles Magazine and now it is here! This new web site will supplement the print edition of the magazine and will Customer PTC E-Newsletter 4/1/2008 Page 25 of 28

26 provide new useful features not feasible with paper media. e-profiles will provide you with 24x7, worldwide access to key information previously available exclusively in the print version. "Tips & Tricks," a popular feature pioneered by Pro/USER, has also moved to the web and will be expanded as the site matures. Please take a few minutes to check out this new web site. We don't think you will be disappointed. Back To Top Customer PTC E-Newsletter 4/1/2008 Page 26 of 28

27 Upcoming Events & Training Class Schedules Upcoming, 2008 June 1 4, 2008 Your local Pro/Engineer User Groups Long Beach, CA USA PTC/USER World Event Events Our seminars and conferences seek to provide you with relevant information regarding product development trends in your industry as well as innovative software learning experiences. Think of them as a constructive day off where you can share experiences and swap ideas with your peers. If you can't manage to get away, we'll bring it to you. Check back often for regularly scheduled live webcast events. You re Invited to Attend Please visit the PTC Education Services website for the latest training information including course descriptions, schedules, locations, and pricing. Attend a course at any PTC Center and receive a free copy of Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire Student Edition! Live Instructor-Lead Virtual PTC Training Courses Virtual Classrooms provide interactive learning with a trained PTC instructor in convenient and manageable sessions that last approximately 4 hours over a series of days. It's easy to join a class right from your desk using a phone or voice-over IP technology. Sessions are performed just like a traditional ILT (including interactive exercises where you and the instructor can work on lab exercises together) and feature some of our most popular ILT courses. These sessions cover the exact same material as the traditional ILT in-center courses. Also look for some of our most frequently requested mini-topics delivered in the same format that are only an hour - two hours in duration. If you have any questions about these sessions or would like to see getting other courses, not on this list, on the schedule please feel free to contact me for more details. They are a great way to bring training to you without you having to worry about location or being out from work for long stretches. Customer PTC E-Newsletter 4/1/2008 Page 27 of 28

28 You can register for these sessions just as you would for any normal ILT class either by: 1. calling order admin at or 2. you can go to PTC University directly at and submit a registration request directly. All you have to do is search the catalog by typing in virtual in the search field and you will see a listing. PTC Note: This PTC E-Newsletter will continue to be used for the following: 1) Inform you on events related to PTC products (user groups, conferences, training schedules, etc.) 2) Educate you on solutions that are available at PTC 3) Tips & Techniques using PTC Products Note: These messages are compiled in the local PTC office and will be distributed via . Back To Top Customer PTC E-Newsletter 4/1/2008 Page 28 of 28