ProE Electrical Jumpstart

Electrical Jumpstart Kit
For Pro/ENGINEER
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DELIVERABLES ANALYSIS.................................................................................................................... 4
DELIVERABLES FAMILIARIZATION .............................................................................................................. 5
PRO/DIAGRAM OBJECTS .......................................................................................................................... 5
PRO/CABLING OBJECTS ............................................................................................................................ 7
LABORATORY PRACTICAL.................................................................................................................. 8
EXERCISE 1-1: Deliverables Analysis .................................................................................................. 8
TEMPLATES ............................................................................................................................................. 12
SETUP FILES .............................................................................................................................................. 13
Drawing Setup Files ............................................................................................................................. 13
Diagram Setup File .............................................................................................................................. 14
Configuration file (Config.pro) ............................................................................................................ 16
Mapkeys................................................................................................................................................ 17
Windows Environment Configuration (Config.win) ............................................................................. 19
Color setting (Color.map) .................................................................................................................... 20
Start models.......................................................................................................................................... 23
3D Connector parts .............................................................................................................................. 23
LABORATORY PRACTICAL ................................................................................................................. 24
EXERCISE 2-1: Defining a connector part from a template................................................................ 24
Inpart Libraries .................................................................................................................................... 30
Cabling Assemblies .............................................................................................................................. 30
EXERCISE 2-2: Defining a cabling assembly structure....................................................................... 31
Start Diagram....................................................................................................................................... 36
EXERCISE 2-3: Defining a start diagram............................................................................................ 37
Spools ................................................................................................................................................... 39
2D Symbol Parameter files................................................................................................................... 42
SYMBOLS............................................................................................................................................. 44
Controlling Symbols ............................................................................................................................. 48
PLACING SYMBOLS ON A DRAWING............................................................................................... 50
CONNECTOR & COMPONENT SYMBOLS ....................................................................................... 53
EXERCISE 2-4: Creating a Symbol with Variable Text....................................................................... 59
Exercise 2-5: Creating Symbol Groups ................................................................................................ 65
Exercise 2-6 Legacy Symbols ............................................................................................................... 68
EXERCISE 2-7: Create a Multi-view Component................................................................................ 74
EXERCISE 2-8: Creating Symbols for a Diagram ............................................................................... 77
PRO/REPORT........................................................................................................................................... 87
CREATING A BOM USING PRO/REPORT......................................................................................... 88
Generating a BOM Report ................................................................................................................... 88
Manipulating a BOM Report................................................................................................................ 90
Showing the Correct Quantity .............................................................................................................. 94
Calculating a Total Cost....................................................................................................................... 94
Continuing the Table on the Next Page................................................................................................ 96
Showing BOM Balloons........................................................................................................................ 96
EXERCISE 2-9: Creating an Automatic BOM ..................................................................................... 99
Start Harness Drawing....................................................................................................................... 107
LABORATORY PRACTICAL ............................................................................................................... 110
EXERCISE 2-10: Pro/REPORT ......................................................................................................... 110
Terminator Tables .............................................................................................................................. 117
LABORATORY PRACTICAL ............................................................................................................... 119
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Exercise-2-11 – Creating a terminator table...................................................................................... 119
Strip Length Tables............................................................................................................................. 125
DIRECTORY STRUCTURE .................................................................................................................. 127
Directory Structure............................................................................................................................. 128
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Lesson
Deliverables Analysis
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This quickstart kit is a valuable tool for new and experience users to learn more about proper setup when
using the Pro/DIAGRAM, Pro/CABLING, and Pro/HARNESS MFG. This document and
exercises are not meant to replace the normal instructional training provided by the PTC Educational
Services. Also, PTC has a group of expert Global Service Consultants who can assist you in implementing
the software correctly to automate your current electro-mechanical processes
(http://www.ptc.com/services/index.htm). Please contact your Sales Representative for further details.
An excellent deliverables analysis is an essential prerequisite to a proper electromechanical

foundation. With the electromechanical setup, it is critical to “begin with the end” in mind.
In this lesson, you become familiar with the types of deliverables that can be produced by the
Pro/ENGINEER electromechanical modules.
Deliverables Familiarization
Customer wiring diagrams and harness drawings can be very complex. It is vital to be able to
properly read these diagrams in order to:
• Identify all of the elements required for the foundation
Pro/DIAGRAM Objects
Before you begin using the Pro/DIAGRAM module, you should become familiar with the
following terms:
Spool – A spool is a defined set of parameters describing a type of wire or cable. When
you add wires to a diagram, you must specify a spool to define them.
Wire and Cable – Wires and cables connect nodes of components and connectors.
Wires must start and end on nodes or rails. Wires have single conductors, whereas
cables have one or more conductors.
• Connector – A Pro/DIAGRAM connector is a schematic representation of a

physical connector. You can create two types of connectors: fixed and parametric.
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¾ A fixed connector is similar to a component in that it is represented by a symbol
and has node points. You can define your own fixed connectors or use the
Pro/LIBRARY ACCESS library.
¾ A parametric connector allows you to enter values for certain parameters, and
the system creates a default shape representing the connector. You can create
inline connectors, which have male and female connectors joined together
automatically.
• Component – A component is a schematic representation of electromechanical

parts or subassemblies. Pro/DIAGRAM represents each one graphically as a
symbol with node points representing wire terminators or pins and parameters. You
can define your own components or, if you have Pro/LIBRARY ACCESS, use its
library of components.
• Pin (Node) – A pin (node) is a valid attachment point for wires on connectors and
components. You define pins as part of a connector or a component to specify
which wire is connected to it in the schematic. Each node represents a single pin.
After adding a node to a symbol definition, you can modify the node name easily.
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Figure 1: Pro/DIAGRAM Objects
Pro/CABLING Objects
A cable is an individually routed cord, which can contain a single conductor (wire) or multiple
conductors (cable). A bundle collects several cables together so that you can route them along
the same path. Bundles may have sheathing. Before you can route cables, you must create a
harness. A harness is a special part created in Assembly mode that contains all of the cabling
information such as parameters, cosmetic features, cables, and bundles. Although you cannot
retrieve a harness in Part mode, you can use it to create a drawing or report, or as a
manufacturing reference.
Before you begin using the Pro/CABLING module, you should become familiar with the
following terms:
Spool – A spool is an assembly feature representing a certain type of wire or cable. In

Pro/CABLING, you can create three types of spools: the wire spool, which is a
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single conductor; the cable spool, which has multiple conductors; and the sheath
spool.
Channel – A channel is an assembly feature that serves two purposes: defining direction
for the routing of cables, and defining a part of the electric circuit—either ground or
conductor.
Connector and Component – Connectors and components define the termination
point of a cable as a single part or an assembly of parts. Each connector (or
component) must be designated as a connector (or component), and each has a set
of parameters associated with it. Splices are connectors that you can insert directly
into the harness mid-wire.
Network – A network is a skeleton path that you use to autoroute wires and cables in
your assembly. By creating a network, you can specify possible paths for the wires to
take, and the system determines the shortest path from Connector A to Connector B
along that network.
LABORATORY PRACTICAL
EXERCISE 1-1: Deliverables Analysis

In this exercise, you should review all deliverable types: diagrams, component catalog pages,
harness drawings, parts lists, harness installation drawings to locate important information.
Use different color highlighters and pens to mark the objects. Spend the time necessary to
familiarize yourself with these deliverables – they are representative pieces to manufacturing
the actual product.
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Print out the samples of diagrams, component catalog pages, harness drawings, parts
list, harness installation drawings.
Review the component catalog sheets

1. Study the catalog sheets – they contain common classes of electrical
connectors and components. Review the associated symbols for each of the
components.
Review the diagrams.

1. Select several diagram sheets to work with. Do the following tasks for
each sheet. Do as many sheets as you have time for.
Locate the diagram components (single view)

1. Highlight each of the reference designators of the components. Do not
mark the connectors right now, or components that have multiple views.
2. Create a list of the components used. Include reference designator, component name
and description (where available).
Locate the diagram components (multi-view)

1. Highlight the multi-view components. These will have the same reference
designators, but appear in different areas (or sheets) of the diagram.
2. Create a list of the components used. Include reference designator, component name
Locate the diagram connectors

1. Highlight each of the reference designators of the connectors.
2. Create a list of the connectors used. Include reference designator, component name
Locate all of the splices

1. Highlight each splice. Note whether the splice is a butt splice or a through
splice.
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Locate all of the tables
1. Mark all of the tables on the diagram and harness drawings.
2. List the information sources in the table. Where would this information
be stored in Pro/ENGINEER?
Locate all of the in-line connectors

1. Locate and mark each in-line connector. Note that an in-line connector
marks the boundary of a harness.
2. Highlight all of the wires that belong to a harness in the diagram. Select one of the
more complex ones.
Locate the wire breaks

1. Circle all of the wire breaks in the diagram.
Construct a “from-to” table

1. On a piece of paper, construct a “from-to” table for the harness you
selected. List the following
¾ Name of the wire

¾ Wire gage and color
¾ “From” reference designator and pin
¾ “To” reference designator and pin
Review the harness drawing
1. Make notes of all type of harness symbols
2. Are the terminal lugs showing graphically or in a table?
3. Are the connector reference designators shown on the drawing?
4. What information is contained in the pin-out tables for each connector?
5. What type of sheathing/braiding is used in harness?
6. What types of markers/labels are used?
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7. Is there a loom/bundle list shown containing information about OD, length, type, name, etc.
8. Is there a wirelist? What information is contained in the wirelist, (i.e. wirename, from/to, pin,
terminals, signal, strip length, etc.)
9. Is there a part list containing the amount of wire/cable/bundle used, connectors, and terminals? Also,
what information for each column is needed, description, catalog number, mfg. part number, etc.
10. How is the drawing dimensioned? Are their dimensions?
Review the parts list
1. How many columns/rows to part list?
2. What parameters are lists, are these parameters that you will want designated for PDM search and
retrieval
3. What are the units of measure (UM)?
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Lesson
Templates
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The configuration for your electromechanical design is critical to the success of implementing
the software. Each company has different requirements; however, the use of standard
configuration and templates benefits all setups. This document is merely an introduction to
the setup involved. The files included are merely starting points for you to familiarize yourself
with the information and to get started on setting up your own design environment.
Setup files
Setup files for electromechanical design include setup options for your diagram, drawings,
mapkeys, user-defined icons, user-defined menu buttons. I will describe what each file is used
for, explain settings for each, and give examples templates for to begin your designs.
Drawing Setup Files
Pro/ENGINEER saves drawing setup file options with each individual drawing and drawing
format. These setup file options determine such characteristics as the height of dimension and
note text, text orientation, geometric tolerance standards, font properties, drafting standards,
and arrow lengths.
The system gives default values to these setup file options, but you can modify the values to
customize a drawing, and save them to use in other drawings. The system saves (and retrieves)
the values in a drawing setup file named “filename.dtl.” The file that you specify in the
configuration file option “drawing_setup_file” establishes the default drawing setup file option
values for any drawing that you create during a Pro/ENGINEER session. If you do not set
this option, the system uses the default drawing setup file option values. If you have a license
for Pro/DETAIL, you can install sample drawing setup files for DIN, ISO, and JIS from the
loadpoint/text directory with the following names:
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· “din.dtl”
· “iso.dtl”
· “jis.dtl”
Retrieve these setup files to set the desired environment in your drawing.
For harness drawing, specifically, there are several setup options that need to be considered in
addition to the normal drawing setup option:
Ref_des_display yes/ Controls the display of reference

no designators in the cabling assembly. If
set to “DEFAULT”, select reference
designator checkbox in Environment
Dialog box.
show_cbl_term_in_region yes/ Allows the use of report symbols

no &asm.mbr.name and &asm.mbr.type to
show terminators in Pro/REPORT
tables for cabling assemblies having
connectors with terminator parameters.
If set to “yes” and Cable Info is set for
repeat region, shows terminators
harn_tang_line_display yes/ Specify whether on not to turn on the

no display of all the internal segments of
cables when displaying “thick cables”.
Diagram Setup File

The diagram setup file is similar to the drawing setup file, in that, it controls the display
characteristics of the diagram. It has the same file extension (*.dtl) and is loaded, modified,
stored, the same way as the drawing setup file. It contains some of the same settings like
drawing_text_height, default_font, draw_arrow_length, etc. However, it also has the unique
options that only apply to Pro/DIAGRAM. An example diagram setup template file is
include that can be used for a D sized diagrams printed on B-size printer with 0.5 in grid
spacing.
Here is a list of options that are different for the diagram setup template file compared to the
default settings:
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def_wire_label &wire_name&spool Sets the default information
_color to show in the wire label
&spool_wire_gauge
def_wire_break_label SH.&wire_opp_she Sets the default wire break

et label name
&wire_opp_sym/&
wire_opp_node
wire_note_above NO Sets the offset of wire notes

for wires
rail_note_above NO Sets the offset of rail_notes

from the rails.
default_para_conn_text_ 0.05625 Sets the default parametric

height connector text height.
Break_point_size 0.01 Sets the size of wire break

symbols
Wire_default_prefix W Defines the prefix of the

default wire name
Wire_default_suffix 001 Defines the start number or

letter of the default wire
name
Cable_default_prefix C Defines the prefix for cable

names
Cable_default_suffix 001 Defines the start number or

letter of the default cable
name
Pc_node_label &label Sets the content of node

label for parametric
connectors. This label is a
user-defined pin parameter
of the parametric connector
Node_radius .01 Sets the size of the nodes

displayed in symbols
Rail_node_radius .01 Sets the size of nodes

displayed at attachments
points between two rails or
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between a wire and a rail
Drawing_text_height .15 Sets the default text height

for all text in the drawing
using values set for
“drawing_units”.
Configuration file (Config.pro)

A configuration file is used to preset environment options and other global settings. For
instance, every time the assembly is retrieved, you want your cables to show as “thick cables”.
This can be set in your configuration file.
The best way to learn Pro/ENGINEER is to run the product using the default settings
installed on your system. Once you are familiar with the ways these defaults operate, you can
easily change them according to your needs.
You can customize the way Pro/ENGINEER handles many of its operations and global
settings by defining values for configuration options in a configuration file. After
Pro/ENGINEER loads all of its executable files, it reads a text file containing one or more
lines defining options. You can add, delete, or modify lines in this file to change the way
Pro/ENGINEER runs from session to session.
General Rules for Configuration File Options:
Configuration file options generally use the format
config_option_name value
where config_option_name defines the option that you want to set, and value determines the
setting for that option.
For each configuration file option, Pro/ENGINEER has a default value. If you do not add
the option to your configuration file, Pro/ENGINEER uses this default value.
For example, the configuration file option prompt_on_exit tells Pro/ENGINEER whether it
should prompt you to save your working files when you choose File > Exit. By default,
Pro/ENGINEER exits without prompting you to save modified files. If you want to change
this default behavior, you can add the following line to your configuration file:
prompt_on_exit yes
Pro/ENGINEER reads this configuration file option when it runs and will subsequently
prompt you to save modified files before exiting.
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The configuration file can also include settings for tolerance display formats, calculation
accuracy, and the number of digits used in sketcher
dimensions. Again, Pro/ENGINEER assumes default values for variables that can be
specified in the configuration file but are not. You can add
comments to the configuration file by entering [!] at the beginning of a line. The default
configuration file name is config.pro.
Storing Configuration Files
Pro/ENGINEER can read configuration files from several areas. If a particular option is
present in more than one configuration file, the latest value is the one used by the system.
At startup, Pro/ENGINEER first reads in a protected system configuration file called

config.sup. It then reads in configuration files from the following directories, in the following
order:
1. loadpoint/text (loadpoint is the directory in which Pro/ENGINEER is installed)-Your

system administrator may have put a configuration file in this location to support company
standards for formats and libraries. Any user starting Pro/ENGINEER from this loadpoint
uses the values in this file.
2. Login directory-This is the home directory for your login ID. Placing your configuration file
here lets you start Pro/ENGINEER from any directory without having a copy of the file in
each directory.
3. Startup directory-This is your current or working directory when you start

Pro/ENGINEER.
Notes: The local config.pro file (in your startup directory) is the last to be read; therefore, it
overrides any conflicting configuration file option entries. It does not, however, override any
config.sup entries.
For detailed information about specific configuration file options, see Configuration File
Options in Pro/HELP.
Check out the config_template.pro settings for everything from DIAGRAM, CABLING,
HARNESS-MFG, DRAWING, and more.
Mapkeys
Mapkey allows the user to create keyboard macros, which map frequently used command
sequences to certain keyboard keys or sets of keys.
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By adding custom mapkeys to your toolbar, you can automate your workflow in a visible way.
You can use Mapkeys with a single menu command. If you are a newer user, you can borrow
mapkeys from co-workers without having to remember cryptic abbreviations.
Several mapkeys have been added to the end of the config_template.pro file. These mapkeys
are listed below with the functionality:
cl Centerline Displays 3D harness in centerline

mode
dim Create Dim Create drawing dimension
dr Drag Loc Drag Location dynamically
fd Del Feature Delete Feature
gf Grid off Turns grid display off
go Grid on Turns grid display on
gs Grid Snap Toggles grid snap on/off
gt Get Table Retrieve table for diagram/drawing
ip Int portions Toggles display of internal portions
len Len Info Find length of wire/cable
mt Marker Toggles marker/tie wrap display

Display
no Create note Create a text note
pt Path Info Find path of cable/wire
rd Ref Des Toggles display of reference

designator
tc Thick Cable Displays 3D harness in thick cable

mode
up Update Log Update all logical references
ut Update Update all repeat region tables

Table
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Windows Environment Configuration (Config.win)
The config.win file controls the configuration of the window environment. This file controls
what icons show up on the toolbars, where the icons are located around the screen, is the
model tree inside/outside the window, etc. Also, the user can also take mapkeys and create
user-defined icons for placement on your toolbar.. To create other icons, follow these
directions:
With the Commands page in the Customize dialog box, you can create a toolbar that is specific
for your needs. You can click, drag, and drop the buttons where you want them in the
Pro/ENGINEER toolbar.
The Commands Categories consist of commands that are most helpful in the core modules,
for example, Drawing, Sketcher, and Manufacturing. You can also move buttons that you have
defined for mapkeys to the toolbar.
To customize screen commands:
1. From the menu bar, choose Utilities > Customize Screen. The system displays the
Customize dialog box.
2. Click the Commands tab.
3. Select a Pro/ENGINEER category in the Categories list.
4. The system displays the buttons available for this category under Commands.
5. Click a button and then click Description to see the current image and text for the selected
button. Click the image display to return to the dialog box.
6. Under Categories, select Mapkeys; under Mapkeys, select a specific button and click Modify
Selection to choose from the following options.
Delete—Delete the selected button.
Copy Button Image—Copy the selected button's image to the clipboard.
Paste Button Image—Paste a copied button image on the selected button.
Reset Button Image—Reset the selected button to its original image.
Choose Button Image—Display the Pick Mapkey Icon dialog box to choose from a set of
created images.
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Edit Button Image—Display the Button Editor dialog box to edit the pixels that make up the
image on the selected button.
Text Only—Display text only on the selected button.
Image and Text—Display image and text on the selected button.
Image Only—Display the image only on the selected button (the default).
You can also select a system-supplied command and click Modify Select; in this case, the only
available option is Copy Button Image.
7. Drag the button to any toolbar in the current window.
8. To remove a button from the toolbar, drag it off the toolbar while the Customize dialog box
is open.
Color setting (Color.map)

You can specify the color for any part or assembly. If you do not modify the appearance,
Pro/ENGINEER assigns a default color. A color can be defined through levels of HSV
(hue,saturation, and value) or RGB (red, green, and blue). Additionally, an appearance can also
contain information such as:
· Reflection
· Highlights
· Transparency
· Textures
You can define an appearance by color alone, texture alone, or a combination of both color
and texture. For example, you can define an appearance with a color that is covered by a
decal3/4part of the decal being transparent so that the color is seen underneath it. You can
display an appearance in the Appearances Palette by color swatch (fastest) or by rendered
sphere (slower) by clicking the option underneath the palette. Click the middle mouse button
over the rendered sample spheres in the Appearance palette to update any unrendered entries
in the palette.
Appearances are saved with the model, but when the model is loaded the appearances are not
loaded into the palette. You can load a saved appearance file, use Modify from Model to add
the model appearances to the palette, or enter an appearance file as pro_colormap_path in
config.pro to load the appearance file for each Pro/ENGINEER session
Appearances are saved with the model, but when the model is loaded the appearances are not
loaded into the palette. You can load a saved appearance file, use Modify from Model to add
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the model appearances to the palette, or enter an appearance file as pro_colormap_path in
config.pro to load the appearance file for each Pro/ENGINEER session.
1. Click the Appearance button or click View > Model Settings > Color & Appearances.
2. Create the desired appearances.
3. Click File > Save.
4. Use the File browser to name the appearance file. If you save a color.map file in the
directory where you start Pro/ENGINEER, it is opened each time you start a new session.
You can set a wire,cable, and sheath default color within the cable's spool file. If the value of
the spool COLOR parameter for the cable is the name of a color present in the View > Model
Setup > Color & Appearances dialog box, cables created from the spool use that color. If
there is no COLOR value for the spool, or if you want to override the spool default value, you
can use the View > Model Setup > Color & Appearances dialog box to update the color of a
selected cable. If you edit a cable's color this way, all cable segments created from its spool are
also updated to the new color. Any cables created from the spool after editing use the new
color. However, the new color is local to the design file, the spool COLOR value is not
updated in the spool file.
You can also use the Utilities > Colors > Entity dialog box Geometry tab to set a default color
for cables that have no spool COLOR value, or that have not been edited using the View >
Model Setup > Color & Appearances dialog box as described above.
Model Tree
The Model Tree window lists every object in the design in an hierarchically-ordered tree
format. The window can be set to "float" or to be embedded in the work area. If you have
multiple windows open, the Model Tree is active for the active window. You can filter the
Model Tree display by item type or status, for example, showing or hiding datum objects, or
suppressed objects. You can use an icon on the main toolbar to show or hide the Model Tree.
You can also save and reuse the configuration settings for the model tree in a .cfg file
The icon next to each item in the tree reflects its object type, for example, assembly, part,
feature, or datum. The icon can also show the display or completion status, for example,
suppressed or unregenerated.
Selecting in the Model Tree

You can use the model tree to select features or parts for editing when they are not visible in
the graphics window. When an item is selected, you can click the right mouse button to select
object-specific commands from a pop-up menu.
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Adding Columns
You can add informational columns to the model tree window, containing, for example,
parameters and values, assigned layers, or feature name for each item. You can use the cells in
the columns to perform context-sensitive edits and deletions.
Reordering Items
You can reorder objects in the design by dragging them up or down in the model tree. If you
move a child object to a level above its parent, the parent is moved also to retain the parent
child context.
To Show Cabling Parameters
1. Tree > Columns Display
2. Type> Cabling Info or Cabling Parameter
Add parameters to the list with the right arrow key.
To Reuse Model Tree Configurations

1. Click Utilities > Model Tree Settings > Save.
2. Accept the default name tree.cfg or assign a new one.
3. Click OK.
You can use the configuration file option mdl_tree_cfg_file to specify a tree configuration file
to be loaded when Pro/ENGINEER is started.
Note: Click Utilities > Model Tree Settings > Load to retrieve a configuration file.
Search and Filter
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The simplest search uses only one parameter to qualify items in the Model Tree.
This type of search provides the most general results.
1. Click Tree > Search to display the Search dialog box for the Model Tree.
2. Click an information type from the Type list and corresponding values from the Value list.
For predefined information types, predetermined items appear in the Value list on the right.
Refine your criteria by selecting = (equals) or != (does not equal). Note: All but one of these
parameters directly refers to a column type available in the Model Tree. The parameter Model
Expression refers to an expression that will be searched for in the Model parameter list.
3. If you Click the Model Parameter type, enter the name of the parameter in the text box
below the Value list.
4. Click Add/Change to add the current definition of the criteria to the list of search criteria
at the bottom of the dialog box.
5. Click Find to carry out a search in the Model Tree. Beginning from the top of the Model
Tree (or the current cell if one is selected), the search engine moves to the next item that meets
the search criteria.
6. Click Close when finished searching.
Notes:
· To remove a search condition and use a different one, select the condition in the list
of search criteria and click Remove. The condition clears and a new condition can be used. To
alter a condition, select a condition and click Add/Change. You will then be able to redefine
Start models
Start models are very useful for getting a quick head start on designs of connectors, diagrams,
harness drawings, etc. and have everyone in your organization adhere to company standards.
3D Connector parts
Connector parts consist of Pro/ENGINEER models with associated model parameters that
have been designated. Each connector is required to have at least one coordinate system to
represent the contact for the wire. The user can have more than one coordinate system to
model how the wires fan out at the end of connectors. The model parameters are used for
manufacturing purposes. For instance, the part parameters my include user defined
parameters like mfg_catalog_num, description, vendor, etc. These parameters will show up in
the Bill of Materials for the assembly drawing.
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EXERCISE 2-1: Defining a connector part from a template
In this exercise, you will learn how to create a connector part for your designs.
This model has many inherent features that make it easy to route to, assemble, get
information, etc.
Pull up an example connector and become familiar with the features, views, layers,
parameters, etc. These methods will be beneficial for the development of your own 3D library of
connectors.
The connector part should be start by using one of your standard parts that contains the
correct named views and three orthogonal planes. See figure 1.
Retrieve part “step-1.prt.
/OPEN/”STEP-1.PRT”
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Figure 1: Start template
Let’s look at a few things. First, the views. Noticed that name views are set up for FRONT,
TOP, SIDE, etc.
/VIEW/SAVED VIEWS
Next, the standard parameters that are setup. These parameters are useful for display in the
bills of material table, designation for INTRALINK/PDM, and can be used in relations as
well.
/SETUP/PARAMETERS/INFO
Notice there are many parameters in this one model that can have different attribute values
for each instance.
Next, let look at the layering scheme. An intelligent layering scheme allows the user to select
items by layer and only display/blank items by layers.
/VIEW/LAYERS
1) 01 layers are for the planes in the model
2) 02 layers are for the coordinate systems, notice that there are coordinate systems for just
one entry for the model (02_ENTRY_PRT) and a layer for all the pins (02_PIN_PRT).
Also, there are coordinate system layers for how the connector gets mated in the
assembly (02_MATE_CSYS)
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3) 03 layers are for the axes. The axes are either for the mounting locations or for the cable
locations.
4) 04 layers are for curves. The curves are either for extend out of the connector for
assembly or for showing where to cut out geometry on the mating component.
5) 05 layers are for points. The cable point is beneficial for routing wire/cables up to prior
to fanning out.
6) 06 through 10 are other various layers for geometry contained in the model.
Retrieve part “step-2.prt”
Now we create the geometry of the connector. This part is made up of several protrusions
and cuts for the mounting holes, mounting plate, and connector plug. See figure 2 below.
Figure 2: Connector geometry
Retrieve step-3.prt. The next step is to create all the pinholes. This is done in 3 steps. First,
create a reference datum plane to measure all the pinholes off of.
/DATUM/PLANE
Second, create a linear hole and a coordinate system along the axis of the hole to represent
the end of the wire.
/FEATURE/CREATE/HOLE/use the appropriate references
26
/DATUM/COORDINATE SYSTEM/TWO AXES/Select the hole axis and create the
other axes from two planes for placement. See figure 3.
Figure 3: Pin holes
Now group the hole and coordinate system and create a group pattern.
/GROUP/LOCAL GROUP/Pick the hole and coordinate system
/PATTERN/Select the new group/define the number and increment
Retrieve “part-5.prt”
Once the geometry is there, we can add relevant datum features to help with assembly,
routing, etc.
Create a single coordinate system in the center of the connector to represent the location for
all wires/cables to be routed. This is beneficial when the user wants only one coordinate
system for routing.
/DATUM/COORDINATE SYSTEM/
Create a datum curve extend out from the entry coordinate system just created. This will
represent the straight length of wire(s) coming out of the connector.
/DATUM/CURVE/SKETCH
27
Create a datum point along the curve. This will represent the end location for networks.
/DATUM/POINT/ON CURVE/
See figure 4 below.
Figure 4: Entry and cable curve
Also, create two coordinate systems on the opposite side of the entry coordinate system to
represent mate in/mate out conditions. This coordinate system can be used to assemble the
connector to other coordinate systems in your assemblies. See figure 5.
/DATUM/COORDINATE SYS
28
Figure 5:Mate in/mate out coordinate systems
Retrieve step-5ste.prt. The last major step to the creation of connector models is to create
family tables and add relation to have various configurations. Let’s look at the relations for
this model. Notice how nicely commented the relations are, this helps explain how the
model is setup.
/RELATIONS/EDIT
Also, family tables are very useful because with one model file, the user can create many
different instances. These instances can easily be interchange in your assemblies. Look at
the table for this model. It contains parameters for number of pins, description, part_no,
and weight; all values that can be displayed in a BOM repeat region table.
/FAMILY TABLE
Pro/E Family Table
STEP-5
INST NAME NUM_PINS DESCRIPTION_LINE_1 VENDOR_PART_NO WEIGHT

!GENERIC 50 FAMILY TABLE FAMILY TABLE 0.081473
681-0126-013 9 CONN,DPLG,HDP20,HS 205204-4 0.081473
G,9POS,TIN
681-0126-014 15 CONN,DPLG,HDP20,HS 205206-3 0.081473
G,15POS,TIN
681-0126-001 25 CONN,DPLG,HDP20,HS 207464-2 0.081473
G,25POS,TIN
681-0126-002 37 CONN,DPLG,HDP20,HS 205210-3 0.081473
G,37POS,TIN
681-0126-015 50 CONN,DPLG,HDP20,HS 205212-3 0.081473
G,50POS,TIN
29
Hopefully this exercise introduced you to the concept of intelligent, connector models built
from a template part. Utilize these concept with your own library components
Inpart Libraries
InPart Mechanical uses the Internet to help increase design engineers’ productivity. It provides
access to an Internet based portal of over 1,000,000 mechanical and electro-mechanical CAD
models and over 20 million technical specifications, created in partnership with leading
component manufacturers.
Customers subscribe to InPart Mechanical on an annual basis to gain access to the world's
largest 3D CAD library of standard components through their existing Internet connection.
Through InPart Mechanical, engineering organizations can connect with suppliers and quickly
find existing components that meet their design needs. These components can then be
downloaded right into their CAD system, eliminating the time spent modeling the component
and locating the supplier. CAD models are available in the following formats:
Pro/ENGINEER, CADDS 5i, Pro/DESKTOP, IGES customized for 22 different CAD
packages, 3D STEP and 2D DXF.
The models are Pro/ENGINEER models built to spec and contain a lot of intelligent
information. When a user downloads the model, it contains the parametric geometry built to
spec, a selective list of intelligent parameters, a matching of layering schemes, and the ability to
route harness to a single or multiple entry coordinate systems depending on the users needs.
Check out several example InPart models that have been included in the
pro_stds_elec\library_dir\Inpart. To learn more about the InPart, refer to the URL at
http://www.ptc.com/products/inpart/index.htm
Cabling Assemblies
Cabling is an assembly application. If you think about it, a harness is used to electrically
connect up various connectors and components in a design. The assembly structure in
Pro/E becomes vary important to manage the references and to obtain the appropriate
deliverables desired.
The electrical skeleton part plays a key role in the cabling assembly structure. It is used to
assemble connectors, represent solid geometry, and reference for routing.
30
EXERCISE 2-2: Defining a cabling assembly structure

In this exercise, you will learn how to setup a cabling assembly structure. A good knowledge
of top-down design techniques is helpful.
Let walk through the exercise of creating an electrical assembly structure:

subassembly (Case # 2).
Create assembly start template.
/FILE/New/Use default template/elec_asm_template.asm
Notice, the views and three-default datum and coordinate system are created.
Next, create the common parameters for this assembly. Any parameter that you want to
show up in tables, search on in Intralink, need to be added to the assembly.
/SETUP/PARAMETERS/CREATE/DESCRIPTION/TBD/DESIGNATE/Check the
parameter box.
Add any other additional parameters that you want for your electrical assembly template.
Next, you will set up the layering scheme for the assembly template.
/VIEW/LAYERS
/FILE/OPEN STATUS FILE/”asm_conn_layers.pro”
This will read in additional layers to allow for blanking connector layers from the assembly
level.
Place template file in the directory with all your other start files and set the configuration file
for default assembly templates to the new created template.
/UTILITIES/PREFERENCES/designasm_template/give full path to template file just

created.
Now every time you create an assembly, it will let you use this template as a starting design.
Next, let create the mechanical assembly.
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/FILE/NEW/Use template for cabling which has layers, views, parameters,
etc./”MECHANICAL”
In that new assembly, assemble the mechanical component(s) the BOX.
/COMPONENT/ASSEMBLE/”box.prt”/CONSTRAINT TYPE/DEFAULT
In the assembly MECHANICAL, create a new subassembly called ELECTRICAL.
/COMPONENT/CREATE/”ELECTRICAL”/ You can also select the model tree and

select the mechanical assembly. Now hold down the right mouse button and select “Create
Component”.
/COPY FROM EXISTING/COPY FROM/Browse to elec_asm_template/OK
PLACE using DEFAULT constraints
Create a skeleton in the ELECTRICAL assembly.
/MODIFY/MODIFY SUBASSEM/Pick Electrical.asm
/COMPONENT/CREATE/SKELETON MODEL
Accept default name “ELECTRICAL_SKEL”
COPY FROM/Browse and select “startpart.prt”/DONE/DONE
Copy Geometry using associative shrink-wrap from the mechanical components to help with
assembling connectors, for routing, and for interference.
/MODIFY/MODIFY SKEL
/FEATURE/CREATE/DATA SHARING/SHRINKWRAP
32
In SHRINKWRAP dialog, Select INCLUDE DATUMS/pick on the axis of the
box./OK/DONE
The system creates an associative lightweight representation of the mechanical components

in the skeleton part. The skeleton model now is the only component references for routing
to organize referencing and reduce part/assembly retrieval for routing. You can check out
the references for this model using the global reference viewer. /INFO/GLOBAL REF
VIEWER
See figure below of skeleton shrink-wrap.
Create a coordinate system in the skeleton for connector placement.
/DATUM/CSYS/THREE PLANES/Select the wall/MAKE DATUM for the other two

and offset from the bottom and side. Have Z direction of coordinate system point normal
into the wall and x along the longitudinal direction. See figure below.
33
Assemble connectors in the electrical subassembly using only skeleton for reference.
//CLOSE WINDOW
OPEN/ELECTRICAL.ASM/
/REF CONTROL/SKELETON MODEL/OK
ASSEMBLE/COMPONENT/conn_fixed.prt/
/CONSTRAINT TYPE/COORDINATE SYS/Pick coordinate system in skeleton/pick

“MATE” CSYS in connector See figure below
34
You also can assemble connectors by mate/align/orient to the skeleton geometry and
datums.
You can add additional connector to the assembly or move to the next step.
Create network.
A network is used to define the major pathways that a harness will route in the assembly.
The benefit of routing to the electrical assembly is the references are just to the connectors
and the electrical skeleton model. This assembly is self-contained and very lightweight for
performance. Let create some network locations in our assembly.
/APPLICATIONS/CABLING/HARNESS/”H1”
/NETWORK OPTIONS/ROUTE
/PNT/VRT/CSYS/pick pt on the connector
/FREE/FREE, select two free locations on the skeleton model
/ALONG AXIS/pick the axis of the hole which is part of the skeleton model
/FREE/FREE select two more free locations on the skeleton model
See figure below:
35
AutoRoute harness.
Now let go back and make a change to the size of the box and the location of the hole.
/MODIFY/MODIFY PART/Select the hole and change it from 6 to 3/Select the initial
protrusion and change it from 12 to 15./DONE/DONE
/REGENERATE AUTOMATIC
The shrink-wrap skeleton and the routing for the harness and the connector location all
update to the change. See figure below.
This example was for a very simple model. These concepts of top-down design are very
useful and important for even the most complex design. A little thought at developing a
good assembly structure can help tremendously. Some key benefits include better reference
control, collaborative design among electrical and mechanical disciplines, organization of
assembly structure, and to maximize performance of the system.
Start Diagram
Pro/DIAGRAM captures logical connection information and represents it graphically as

wires, cables, components and pins. You can use Pro/Diagram to output component lists and
wire lists, either as schematic reports or as formatted ASCII text files.
Diagram-specific tools let you-
· Use symbol libraries of electrical and mechanical components.
· Perform quick and easy routing of connections between components with automatic
generation of wire lists.
· Compare the diagram to its corresponding cabling assembly or wirelist information from
an ASCII file.
· Organize the diagram by layers. You can place wires, connectors, and cables on a layer,
even if they are on different sheets.
Start diagrams can help the user have the many of the common items already included when
he starts a diagram.
36
EXERCISE 2-3: Defining a start diagram

In this exercise, you will learn how to setup a diagram template. This will involve create a
diagram with an intelligent format, reading in the appropriate diagram setup file and adding
some Pro/REPORT tables.
1) Create a C-size diagram
/NEW/DIAGRAM/”template”
/EMPTY/C/OK
2) Setup the grid spacing to be ½ inch. This will set how the connectors and wires will be
spaced. Turn grid off.
/MODIFY/GRID/GRID PARAMS/X&Y SPACING/0.5
/GRID OFF
3) Read in the standard diagram setup file for a C-size drawing. Note the changes from the
default setting are highlighted with a green light. You will also set the format for position
location labels.
/ADVANCED/DRAWING SETUP/RETRIEVE (OPEN

ICON)/”diagram_template.dtl”/Scroll through options/Set the pos_loc_format to “SH %s,
%x%y, %r”/ADD/CHANGE/
APPLY
4) Select format to place on drawing and add location grid.
/OPEN/FORMAT/”c_diagram.dgm”
/ADVANCE/LOCATION GRID/DELETE/OK
You are going to create the grid from scratch.
/DEFINE/GRID OUTLINE/PICK BOX/VERTEX/pick the upper left-hand corner and

the lower-right-hand corner.
/GRID ORIGIN/pick the upper left hand corner
37
/COLUMNS/BY PICK POINTS/NUMBERS/ON ENTITY/Pick the tick marks starting
from the first tick mark separating 1 and 2/repeat until all columns are set/DONE. See
figure below.
/ROWS/BY PICK POINT/LETTER/ENTITY/Select the tick marks separating the

letters start with A & B. Repeat until all the rows are set.
/DONE/DONE/DONE
The location grid in the format can now be used to locate any 2D item, i.e. connectors, wire
terminations, etc. in a Pro/REPORT table and/or parametric note. For instance, the
location for J1 connector may list as SH1, A7. The format for how this is displayed is
controlled by the drawing setup option, pos_loc_format
Add the new format to the diagram template.
/OPEN/”template.dgm”
/SHEETS/FORMAT/ADD/REPLACE/WORKING DIR/”c_diagram.dgm”
The next common things you will want to place on your template diagram are your tables for
the wirelist, connector/component locations, and a parts list of connectors and terminals.
These tables are Pro/REPORT tables with repeat regions already set up to fill in as you add
items to the diagram.
/SHEETS/ADD
TABLE/SAVE/RETRIEVE/RETRIEVE/”dgm_wirelist.tbl”place table in the upper left-

hand corner.
38
Repeat for the other two tables “dgm_conn_loc” and dgm_conn_term_bom”.
To use the template diagram for a new diagram design, use the SAVE AS command.
/OPEN/”template.dgm”/SAVE AS/”new_diagram.dgm”
/OPEN/”new_diagram.dgm. Begin your design. This operation of starting a new diagram

from the template can also be automated using a mapkey and icon as shown earlier in this
document.
Spools
Each wire and cable in the design must be created from a predefined spool. Each spool has a
unique name and a unique set of parameters and values that are passed to the wire or cable
when the wire or cable is created. The spool, when defined, is saved within the harness file. It
can be written out to a text file (.spl) which can be referenced in new diagram or cabling
designs.
Wire spools contain parameters for a single insulated conductor: name, type, color, gauge, etc.
Some parameters are for documentation only; others are used in calculations. Cable spools
contain parameters for a set number of conductors, and property descriptions for each
conductor in the cable.
Wire Spools
Wire spools require values for Name and Type. The name value is the unique identifier; the
type value is WIRE, to differentiate it from a cable spool. Other common but optional
parameters defined in the wire spool are color, wire_guage, and thickness. Some optional
parameters, for example min_bend_radius, provide integer values for calculations in
Pro/DIAGRAM. (Click See also for a link to a list of common wire spool parameters, and a
sample wire spool file.)
Cable Spools
Cable spools have the same required parameters as wire spools, plus the required parameter
num_conductors, which defines the number of insulated conductors included in the cables
that will be created from the spool. When you create a cable spool, you edit the new cable
spool file in Pro/TABLE to include an integer for the number of conductors and a define
conductor- enddef section for each conductor. (Note: Although you can legally create cable
spools without the define conductor sections, you should set the conductor definitions up if
you intend to use the diagram as a logical reference for autorouting in Pro/CABLING.
Active Spool
When you first start to route a wire or create a cable, you are prompted to select a spool to
create the wire or cable from. The selected spool becomes the active spool. The spool name is
39
displayed in the lower right corner of the design area. Any further wires or cables you add are
created from their respective active spool. You may change the active spool to a different
spool at any time.
Notes
The information defined in a spool is important for any Pro/REPORT tables and wire or
cable labels you create. You can write a spool file in ASCII format to be retrieved for use in
other drawings.
The configuration file option, pro_spool_dir, lets you specify the directory where spools are
stored. If this configuration file option is not set, the current working directory is used.
Example: Wire Spool File

Here is a sample wire spool definition.
NAME 16BR
TYPE WIRE
COLOR BROWN
MASS_UNITS POUND
MIN_BEND_RADIUS 0.15
THICKNESS 0.06
UNITS INCH
WIRE_GAUGE 16
WIRE_CONSTRUCTION STRANDED
Example: Cable Spool File
Here is an example of a simple 3-conductor cable spool. Required lines are in bold:
40
Here are some examples of a sheath spool:
Loom:
NAME SHEATH_LOOM_TEMPLATE
! Spool Type
TYPE SHEATH
! Type of sheath
SHEATH_TYPE TUBE
! Wall thickness
WALL_THICKNESS 0.05
! Minimal Bend Radius
MIN_BEND_RADIUS 1
! Units
UNITS INCH
! Outer diameter
OUTER_DIAMETER 1
DESCRIPTION LOOM,_
Tape:
NAME SHEATH_TAPE_TEMPLATE
! Spool Type
TYPE SHEATH
! Type of sheath
SHEATH_TYPE TAPE
! Wall thickness
WALL_THICKNESS 0.000438
MIN_BEND_RADIUS 0.008752
41
! Units
UNITS INCH
! Preshrink inner diameter
PRESHRINK_INNER_DIAMETER 0
DESCRIPTION TBD
! Width
WIDTH 1
Shrink-tubing:
NAME HEAT_SHRINK_TEMPLATE
! Spool Type
TYPE SHEATH
! Type of sheath
SHEATH_TYPE SHRINK
! Wall thickness
WALL_THICKNESS 0.1
MIN_BEND_RADIUS 1
! Units
UNITS INCH
! Preshrink inner diameter
PRESHRINK_INNER_DIAMETER 0
DESCRIPTION HEAT_SHRINK,_
Note: Sheath spools can only be created in Pro/CABLING. The are no sheath spools in
Pro/DIAGRAM.
2D Symbol Parameter files

Components and "fixed" (non-parametric) connectors in Pro/DIAGRAM are represented by
drawn symbols. Symbols can be defined and saved in both Drawing and in Diagram mode.
When you place a symbol in the drawing, you place an instance of the symbol based on a
definition that has already been created. There can be many symbol instances referencing the
same symbol definition, each with a different reference designator to distinguish between
them. For more information on creating symbols, see the Pro/ENGINEER drawing guide.
A symbol in Pro/DIAGRAM must have a certain set of parameters. Two parameter types can
be included:
· Symbol definition parameters to identify the symbol.
· Node parameters identifying nodes. (If nodes are necessary in the symbol)
Symbols may be assigned any component or connector parameters. You can only modify
symbolic representations of components and fixed connectors (such as the shape of the
symbol, nodes, and the location of notes) only by redefining the reference symbol definition.
42
If you redefine a symbol, all component/connector instances in the diagram that reference the
same symbol also change.
These parameters are useful for the logical referencing and are passed down to the 3D model
when the user designates his connectors in the 3D cabling assembly. These logical parameters
are either stored in the diagram or a Neutral Wirelist.
About Parameters in Pro/Diagram
Diagram reference objects (components and connectors) and connections (wires, cables, and
rails) all have parameters associated with them. For connections, some parameters are passed
from the spool that the wire or cable is added from, and other parameters are specified for the
individual wire or cable after it is added to the diagram. Every entity has the following
parameter types:
Required- the conductor or component must have values defined for these parameters.
Optional- These are not required to define the object, but are included as commonly used
informational fields, for example, COLOR_CODE (Wht, Blk, Rd, etc.). If the value is an
integer, the parameter may be used in manufacturing design calculations, for example,
MINIMUM_BEND_RADIUS for a cable.
Optional- user-defined You can define a new parameter and value for informational output as
required, for example, SUPPLIER_NAME.
The connector parameters for the models fall under three categories; required, optional, and
user-defined. The required parameters include reference designator, model name, object type,
gender and number of pins. The optional parameters include items like description. Some
user-defined parameter could be pin_plating and attached_to.
Components vs. Connectors
A component is a symbol with the parameter OBJ_TYPE = COMPONENT associated with

it. Components use reference designators as unique identifiers and include properties for pins.
Connectors are a subtype of component with the OBJECT_TYPE value of CONNECTOR.
A connector can use two additional parameters; GENDER (MALE or FEMALE) at the
component level and ENTRY_PORT at the pin level. These parameters are used specifically
to pass information to Pro/CABLING. The gender is a design reference for the intended solid
model, and is required for connectors. The entry port is the name of a coordinate system on
the solid model that specifies the beginning or end of a connection. (In Pro/CABLING, you
use the entry_port parameter to designate pin to pin wire and cable connections for manual
cabling or autorouting.)
43
The component and connector parameters can be saved to file. The user will want to create
a library of connector/component parameter files that can be used to read in the important
parameter information. This information is stored in a *.spm file.
Here is an example of a component parameter file:
DESCRIPTION <SHORT DESCRIPTION>

LOCATION TBD
FUNCTION_1 TBD
FUNCTION_2 TBD
AMPS TBD
VOLTS_PRI TBD
VOLTS_SEC TBD
FRAME_SIZE TBD
HERTZ TBD
PWR TBD
RPM TBD
OHMS TBD
PSI TBD
OBJ_TYPE COMPONENT
MODEL_NAME <3D MODEL FILE NAME, NOT THE PART_NO>
REF_DES
Here is an example of a connector parameter file:
DESCRIPTION
OBJ_TYPE CONNECTOR
REF_DES
MODEL_NAME TBD
NUM_OF_PINS 1
GENDER FEMALE
DEFINE PIN 1
SIGNAL_NAME
SIGNAL_VALUE
ENTRY_PORT ENTRY
TERM_NAME TBD
TERM_AUTO_ASSIGN TRUE
LABEL A
PIN_PLATING TIN
PIN_GENDER M
ENDDEF
SYMBOLS
44
A strong proficiency with symbols is essential to building a successful electromechanical
foundation. Much of the Pro/DIAGRAM portion of the foundation is the creation of the
connector symbols, component symbols and their respective parameter files.
Diagram symbols are the same as drawing symbols, but their parameters are more extensive
and the proper creation of nodes is important. For this reason, we present drawing symbols
first, and diagram symbols second in the exercises.
Creating Drawing Symbols
A drawing symbol is a collection of draft geometry and text. When you use a symbol in a
drawing, it becomes a single entity or instance. To place it in a drawing, you can either retrieve
it from a symbol library or create your own user-defined symbol. If the symbols that you need
are commonly used throughout industry, you may be able to purchase a symbol library such as
a welding symbol library. If you cannot acquire a library, or the available symbols do not meet
your company standard, you can use Pro/ENGINEER to create your own.
Creating Symbol Geometry

To place a symbol on a drawing, you must first create it and save it as a Pro/ENGINEER
symbol with a “.sym” extension in a specified directory. You can use these four basic
techniques to define a symbol:
• Create an original symbol by using the 2-D drafting functionality.
• Copy 2-D draft geometry from an existing drawing.
• Copy an existing symbol and alter its geometry.
• Import a symbol from another CAD system.
Creating an Original Symbol
Pro/ENGINEER allows you to define an original drawing symbol by drafting the geometry
using a combination of lines, arcs, circles, splines, points, and chamfers. With this technique,
you can define the shape of the symbol and also add notes or cross-sections to it.
Copying 2-D Draft Geometry from an Existing Drawing
In some cases, it may be easier and less time-consuming to copy a symbol from an existing
drawing that was not created in Pro/ENGINEER (that is, created using another CAD
45
package). Pro/ENGINEER allows you to import the drawing and then copy the symbol
geometry to create a Pro/ENGINEER symbol.
Copying an Existing Symbol
In those cases when you need a symbol that is nearly identical to one that you have already
created, you can copy the existing symbol and change it to create a new symbol. This
technique saves you time by preventing duplication of effort.
Importing a Symbol
You can use an IGES, DXF, SET, and CGM symbol that was created in another CAD
package by importing it into Pro/ENGINEER. Once you have imported it into the system,
you can change it by adding or removing geometry or notes.
Adding Text to a Symbol
You can place text on a symbol as a free note. The system places invariable text on a symbol
by default, which means that you cannot change the text and it remains the same every time
you use the symbol. To create text that varies depending on the placement of the symbol, you
can add variable text to the symbol.
Using Variable Text
If the text in your symbol must differ depending upon where you use the symbol in your
drawing, you can create the text as variable using the Var Text page of the Symbol Definition
Attributes dialog box (Figure 2). To create variable text, enclose the text within two back
slashes (for example, \note\). This allows you to change the value of the text when you place
the symbol on a drawing. You can specify the type of text to show in the note as text, integers,
or floating points.
46
Figure 2: Creating Variable Text
You can also show parameter values in the variable symbol text so that the symbol text
updates when the parameter changes. To display the dimension value in the symbol, enter
[&dim] as the only preset value for the variable text. When you place the symbol on a drawing
and pick a dimension, the system shows its value in the symbol. You can use this technique
with any user-defined parameters, as well as Pro/REPORT parameters.
Grouping Symbols
When you need to create several symbols that have similar geometry, you can create a family
of symbols, referred to as a group. A single generic symbol contains all entities pertaining to a
particular symbol family. You can arrange geometry and text from the generic symbol into
groups and subgroups, as shown in Figure 3.
47
Figure 3: Symbol Groups
For this example, you would create a generic symbol containing a horizontal line and two
triangles. From that generic symbol, you would then create two groups—Group A and Group
B—defining them as exclusive. By doing so, you cannot combine Group A and Group B to
create an instance; you can only use them separately. With these groups, you can create two
instances of the symbol: Instance 1 contains Group A and the horizontal line, whereas
Instance 2 contains Group B and the horizontal line. The horizontal line appears in both
instances because you did not include it in a group. Any entity not in a group appears in all
instances.
For the second portion of the example, you would create the same groups, but define them as
independent. By doing so, you can use them separately or together to create an instance. This
creates three instances in this family.
Controlling Symbols
48
You can control the display of symbols in your drawings by defining their placement and
setting their height.
Symbol Placement
When you originally create a symbol, you must define the allowed placement types to limit the
ways in which other users can place the symbol. If you assign the placement type as “free,” for
example, other users could only place the symbol on the drawing as free without using a
leader. You should set the placement type according to the standard for the symbol you are
creating. You should allow other users some flexibility, but prevent them from placing it
incorrectly.
Symbol Height
You can control the size of a symbol when you create it by setting the height to a fixed size or
as variable. If the symbol height is fixed, the size of the symbol always remains the same. To
specify the height as variable, you can use three different methods by selecting the appropriate
options from the Symbol Instance Height area of the Symbol Definition Attributes dialog
box (Figure 4):
Base it on the units of the drawing. To use this method, you must change the
drawing setup file.
Base it on the units of the model. The system automatically adjusts the symbol’s size
to stay proportional to the model if you change the view scale.
Relate it to the height of specific text in the symbol. The system changes the size
of the symbol if you change the height of the specified text.
Figure 4: Symbol Attributes
49
Storing Symbols
Since you use drawing symbols frequently to detail your drawings, you could save time by
establishing a symbol library of user-defined symbols. To specify the directory in which
Pro/ENGINEER should store each symbol, set the configuration file option
“pro_symbol_dir.” If you do not specify a path in the configuration file, the system stores
symbols in the working directory. You can enter an offset path that branches off of
“pro_symbol_dir.” For example, for a UNIX-based system, if you have specified
“pro_symbol_dir” as /usr/proe/symbols, then:
If you press <Enter>, the system places the symbol in /usr/proe/symbols.

If you enter [down_one_dir], it stores the symbol in
/usr/proe/symbols/down_one_dir.
You cannot go up the directory tree by entering [..].
If you want to store the symbol in a directory that you cannot access as an offset of the
current “pro_symbol_dir,” change “pro_symbol_dir” before you begin.
You do not have to store the symbol to use it in a drawing. However, if you do not write
it to disk, the system only stores it locally in the drawing and does not make it
available for use in other drawings or by other users.
PLACING SYMBOLS ON A DRAWING
When placing symbols on a drawing, Pro/ENGINEER allows you to retrieve a system

symbol or a user symbol. You can obtain system symbols by purchasing a library of welding
symbols, electronic symbols, etc. User symbols are available only if you or another user has
already created them and stored them in an accessible directory. Once you retrieve the
appropriate symbol, you must specify the following using the Symbol Instance dialog box:
• Relationship between the symbol being placed and the original symbol
• Values for the variable text in the symbol
• Groups that the system should include in this instance
Defining the Relationship between the Symbol Instance and

Original Symbol
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When you place a symbol on a drawing, you should specify if you want the system to change
the symbol instance when the original symbol changes (Figure 5). Using this method, you can
avoid having to manually update existing drawings every time the symbol definition changes
(for example, because of a new standard).
If you do not need to reflect those changes in the symbol instance, you can simply place it
independently of the original symbol. Pro/ENGINEER then creates a copy of the instance
locally in the drawing.
Figure 5: Symbol Placement
Changing Variable Text Values in a Symbol Instance
When you place a symbol with variable text on a drawing, you can use the Var Text page of
the Symbol Instance dialog box to change the content of the note included in the symbol
instance (Figure 6). To modify the text, you can select any values that you specified when you
defined the symbol, but the system limits you to one value for each instance of variable text.
Figure 6: Variable Text
Selecting Groups to Include in the Instance
After you create a family of symbols by defining a group, you can use the Symbol Instance
dialog box to place one of the instances of this family on a drawing. When you select the
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Grouping tab at the top of the dialog box, Pro/ENGINEER displays the tree representation
of the grouping hierarchy of the symbol (Figure 7).
Figure 7: Symbol Groups
If the groups are independent, you can select any number of groups to build the instance;
whereas if the groups are exclusive, you can only select one group to include in the instance.
As you select these groups to include, you can view the symbol as it changes in the Preview
box on the right side of the dialog box. When the symbol appears to be correct, you can then
place it on the drawing by returning to the Placement page of the dialog box.
REDEFINING EXISTING SYMBOLS
Once you have placed a symbol on a drawing, you can redefine it at any time using the same
method that you used to create it originally. You can change variable text values, grouping
information, allowed placement types, and text or lines styles, as well as add or remove
geometry or notes.
Note:
Redefining a symbol affects the display of all subsequent instances and all
symbol instances that you have added to the drawing using the By
Reference option.
Updating a Redefined Symbol in a Drawing
When you place a symbol in a drawing after redefining it, the system does not require you to
update it in the drawing to reflect the most recent definition. It only asks you to update it if the
version of the retrieved symbol is later than the version of a symbol on the drawing that has the
same name. Updating the drawing symbol changes every symbol in the drawing with that name.
If you do not update it in the current drawing, any additional instances that you create are of
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that version, not the most recent one. To update an existing symbol, retrieve it into the
drawing and enter [Y] when Pro/ENGINEER asks you if you want to update all instances of
the symbol in the current drawing to the most recent version.
CONFIGURATION FILE OPTIONS
Table 1 lists the available configuration file options that control drawing symbols.
Table 1: Configuration File Options Affecting Drawing Symbols
Option Value Definition

pro_surface_finish_dir directory path Sets the default directory
to which the system saves
surface finish symbols and
later retrieves them.
pro_symbol_dir directory path Sets the default directory
from which the system
saves symbols and later
retrieves them.
sym_leader_orient_move_ no Automatically regroups a
text yes symbol after moving text.
DRAWING SETUP FILE OPTIONS
Table 2 lists the available drawing setup file options that control drawing symbols.
Table 2: Drawing Setup File Options Affecting Drawing Symbols

node_radius default Controls the display of
value nodes in symbols.
sym_flip_rotated_text no Flips any text in a Rotate
yes Text symbol that is upside
down. If set to “yes,” and
the symbol orientation is
+/-90°, the system flips the
text, rotating along with the
symbol.
CONNECTOR & COMPONENT SYMBOLS

Diagram connectors are represented by symbols with parameters. This section describes how
to create fixed connector with one view (single view) or multiple view connectors (MVC).
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You can create two types of fixed connectors: single view and multiple view. With a single view
connector, only one symbol represents the connector. With a multiple view connector—
referred to as an “MVC”—many symbols represent the same physical component or
connector (with only one reference designator). A multiple view connector or component
appears as a single object in the Bill of Materials and has, collectively, only one reference
designator and one set of parameters that apply to all views.
Fixed Connectors
While the shape of a parametric connector is fairly consistent and system-defined, the shape of
a fixed connector is actually “fixed,” represented by a user-defined symbol composed of a set
number of nodes and parameters. You place a fixed connector the same way that you would
place a parametric connector, but you must retrieve the symbol (Figure 8).
Figure 8: Fixed Connector Example
Multiple View Components
You can create multiple view components in Pro/DIAGRAM. A multiple view component
uses instances of existing symbols to represent portions of a complex component in multiple
views. Each view can be moved, translated, and placed on various sheets individually. A
multiple view component appears as a single object in the Bill of Materials and has,
collectively, only one reference designator and one set of parameters that apply to all views.
You create a multiple view component by including the symbols that represent the various
views of the multiple view components.
The symbols that are used to define a multiple view component can also be used individually
as regular components that are not associated with a multiple view component.
If a symbol is used both individually and in a multiple view component, any parameters that
are set for the individual symbol do not affect the multiple view component. A symbol can be
used more than once in a multiple view component definition as different views of the
multiple view components.
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Note:
You must first create individual symbols and then define a multiple view
component by including the individual symbols.
For example, if a multiple view component consists of a contact and a coil,

both the contact and the coil must first be created individually before they
can be brought together to define a multiple view component.
The reason that MVCs are used is to make the diagram more readable. If a connector has 120
pins, say, showing all of those pins and connecting wires in a single view would be a mess.
Multiple views allow fixed connectors and components similar flexibility to parametric
connectors.
To create a multiple view connector or component, you use instances of existing symbols to
represent portions of a complex connector or component in multiple views. You can then
move or translate the views, and place them on various sheets individually. Once you have
defined a multiple view connector, you can add an instance of it to a Pro/DIAGRAM drawing
using the Instance option in the REF OBJ TYPE menu.
Note:
Since you use existing symbols to create an MVC, you must create the
symbols in Drawing or Diagram mode before defining the MVC.
If you use the symbols to create an MVC and also use them individually as
regular components (or connectors), any parameters that are set for the
individual symbols do not affect the MVC and vice-versa. You can use a
symbol more than once in an MVC definition as different views.
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MVC symbol used
for small Node symbol
connectors used more than
once
MVC symbol
used for larger
connectors
This multiple view connector

allows you to customize pin
locations. It consists of at least one
of the small and large connector
outline symbols. You add the node
symbol many times. To use it,
Figure 9: Example of a Multiple View Connector
Creating Components
A component is a symbol composed of a set of defining parameters and node points for
connecting wires, which represents an electromechanical device. It is very similar to a fixed
connector except that it does not have a parameter “GENDER,” and the default value for
“OBJ_TYPE” is “COMPONENT” rather than “CONNECTOR.” To create a component,
you use the same procedure that you would use to create a fixed connector.
• To create a single view component, you place predefined symbols on the diagram.
• To create a multiple view component, you use a collection of predefined symbols to

represent one electromechanical device or assembly. As with multiple view
connectors, you must create these symbols before you can create the component.
Entering Parameters for a Connector or Component
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To specify parameters for the connector or component description, you can use the
Parameters for a Component Instance dialog box or embed the parameters in the connectors
by reading in existing files. When you create a new connector or component, the Parameters
for a Component Instance dialog box appears with some information provided (Figure 10).
You can then add the required and optional parameters.
Figure 10: Parameters for a Component Instance Dialog Box
• To add pin information, select Pins from Radio button and view expand and
modify the pin values. To embed the parameters in connectors, you can read in
existing files using the File/Read option.
• To write the connector parameters to a file (with a .spm extension) for later use, you
can use the File/Write… option.
Note:
You can use any text editor outside of Pro/ENGINEER to manipulate the
files, as long as you retain the appropriate format and values.
Using Legacy Data
Customers often have a library of diagram symbols already developed in another system (e.g.
AutoCAD). These symbols can be used as the basis of the Pro/DIAGRAM symbol library.
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The best way to do this is to output the existing symbols in DXF format. Many times, the
symbols will be stored together in a collection of drawing sheets. Create a new drawing in
Pro/ENGINEER and import the DXF symbol data.
The “Copy from Drawing” functionality can be used during symbol definition to capture
much of the geometry of the legacy symbols. Note that the nodes and REFDES note must be
added. Be sure to put the nodes on the standard grid points.
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EXERCISE 2-4: Creating a Symbol with Variable Text

In this exercise, you create a symbol using variable text and then place it on a drawing.
Retrieve the plunger body drawing and draft the geometry of a symbol. Add a note to
the symbol with variable text.
1. Retrieve PLUNGER_BODY_SYMBOLS.DRW.
2. Create the symbol shown in Figure 11. Choose Create from the DETAIL menu;
then choose Symbol. From the SYMBOL TYPE menu, choose Definition and
then Define. Enter [delta] as the name of the symbol. Increase the size of the
subwindow by dragging the corner of the window to a new location.
Figure 11: Delta Symbol
3. Set up the draft grid by turning it on, changing the grid size, and turning on the grid
snap. Choose Modify from the DETAIL menu; then choose Grid, Draft Grid, and
Grid On. Choose Grid Params and X&Y Spacing; then enter [0.4]. Turn on the
grid snap by choosing Environment from the Utilities pull-down menu; then select
Snap to Grid. Select OK to finish.
4. Zoom in to approximately 4 grid squares. Press <Ctrl> and the left mouse button.
Drag the mouse towards the bottom of the screen to zoom in.
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5. Using the 2-D drafting functionality, sketch a triangle. Use two grid squares for the
horizontal length and the height of the triangle. Choose Sketch from the DETAIL
menu; then choose Line, 2Points, and Pick Pnt. Sketch the three sides of the
triangle. Since you are not using a chain, pick a starting point and ending point for
each line.
6. Round off the corners of the triangle with three fillet arcs. Choose Arc and Fillet;
then pick the two lines that compose the corner of the triangle. Enter [0.1] as the
radius of the arc. Repeat this procedure for each corner. Return to the DETAIL
menu by selecting Return from the DRAFT GEOM menu.
7. Turn off the grid snap. Choose Environment from the Utilities pull-down menu;
then unselect Snap to Grid. Select OK.
8. Create a note in the center of the triangle. Choose Create from the DETAIL menu;
then choose Note. From the NOTE TYPES menu, choose No Leader, Enter,
Horizontal, Standard, Center, and Make Note. Locate the note in the center of
the triangle.
9. Create the note so that so that you can easily change the text when you place it.
Enter [\num\] as the note text and press <Enter> to finish.
Define the attributes of the symbol. Allow any user to place the symbol using free placement, a
left leader, or a right leader. Define the height of the symbol based on the text height. Specify the
preset values of the variable text as the numbers one through five.
1. Define the attributes of the symbol. Choose Attributes from the SYMBOL EDIT
menu.
2. Using the Symbol Attributes dialog box (Figure 12), define the attributes so that the
person that places the symbol can use a free placement, a leader attached to the left
side, or a leader attached to the right side. Select Free. Specify the symbol origin by
picking the arc at the top of the triangle. Select Left Leader and pick the arc on the
left side of the triangle. Select Right Leader and pick the arc on the right side of the
triangle.
Figure 12: Symbol Attributes
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3. Define the height of the symbol based on the height of the variable text in the
symbol. Select Variable – Text Related and pick the variable note as the reference
text.
4. Specify the preset values of the variable text as the numbers one through five. Select
the Var Text tab. Select Num on the left side of the dialog box and enter the
numbers 1 through 5 in the Preset Values for area (Figure 13). Select Integer so
that the system only uses integers in this symbol. Select OK to finish defining the
symbol attributes.
Figure 13: Variable Text
5. Save the symbol for use in future drawings. Choose Done from the SYMBOL EDIT
menu and Write from the DWG SYMBOL menu. When the system prompts you to
specify the directory in which to save the symbol, press <Enter>. Choose
Done/Return from the SYMBOL TYPE menu to return to the DETAIL menu.
Place the symbol “delta” on the plunger drawing with a leader.

1. Place the symbol “delta” on the plunger drawing. Choose Create from the DETAIL
menu; then choose Symbol and Instance. Choose Delta from the Symbol
Definition drop-down list (Figure 14) in the Symbol Instance dialog box.
Figure 14: Symbol Placement
2. Attach the symbol to the lower left view with a leader, as shown in Figure 15. In the
Placement area of the dialog box, select With Leaders from the Type drop-down
list. Accept the defaults On Entity and Arrow Head, and pick the right side edge of
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the lower left view. Choose Done Sel and Done to place the symbol with one
leader. Locate the symbol to the right of the view.
Figure 15: Symbol Location
3. Change the variable text to display the number 3 on the symbol. Select the Var Text
tab; then select 3 from the drop-down list for the “num” variable text. Select OK
from the dialog box to finish placing the symbol.
Note:
After you place the symbol, you can use Move and Mod Attach to change
its position, Modify to change the number for the variable text, and Modify,
Symbol to reopen the Symbol Instance dialog box.
Place a surface finish symbol on the plunger body drawing. Machine the symbol with a roughness
height of 32.
1. Create a surface finish symbol on the plunger body drawing. Choose Create, Surf
Finish, Retrieve, Machined, Standard1.sym, and Open.
2. Attach the symbol to a surface with a leader. Choose Leader from the INST
ATTACH menu and pick the surface shown in Figure 16. Choose Done Sel and
Done. Pick a position for the symbol and enter [32] as the roughness height. Use
the Move and Mod Attach options to reposition the symbol.
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Figure 16: Surface Finish Symbol
Create a new symbol to use as a BOM balloon. Copy the symbol created earlier and add two
notes to use for the item number and the quantity. Create the values as variable text notes so that
they will change when you use them in a drawing.
1. Create a new drawing symbol called “DELTA_BOM.” Choose Create, Symbol,
Definition, and Define. Enter [DELTA_BOM] as the symbol name.
2. Copy the symbol “delta” that you created earlier in the exercise. Choose Copy
Symbol; then select DELTA.SYM from the dialog box. Select OK to finish. Locate
the symbol in the middle of the new window and choose Done from the ADJUST
INST menu. Press <Ctrl> and the mouse buttons to zoom in on the symbol.
3. Change the variable text in the symbol to use the item number in a BOM. Choose
Mod Text and Text Line; then pick the note. In the message area, backspace over
“\num\” and enter [\item_num\]. Choose Done/Return from the MODIFY
TEXT menu.
4. Create a note and locate it to the right of the triangle. Choose Create from the
DETAIL menu; then choose Note. From the NOTE TYPES menu, choose No
Leader, Enter, Horizontal, Standard, Left, and Make Note. Locate the note to
the right of the triangle.
5. Create the note so that it displays the quantity for a component in an assembly.
Specify the note text by entering [x \comp_qty\]. Press <Enter> to finish. Use
Move in the DETAIL menu to align the notes vertically.
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Define the attributes of the symbol to use whenever you place this custom balloon on a drawing.
1. Define the attributes of the symbol with a left and right leader placement. Choose
Attributes from the SYMBOL EDIT menu. Select Free from the Symbol
Attributes dialog box. Specify the symbol origin by picking the arc at the top of the
triangle. Select Left Leader and pick the arc on the left side of the triangle. Select
Right Leader and pick the arc on the right side of the triangle.
2. Define the height of the symbol based on the height of the variable text in the
symbol. Select Variable – Text Related and pick the variable note as the reference
text.
3. Define the default values for the variable text as the index number and quantity for
the BOM. Select the Var Text tab. Select item_num on the left side of the dialog
box and enter [index] in the Preset Values for: area. Select comp_qty on the
left side of the dialog box and enter [qty] in the Preset Values for: area. Select
Text and OK to finish defining the symbol attributes.
4. Save the symbol for use in future drawings.
5. Save and quit the drawing. Choose Save from the File pull-down menu; then select
Close from the Window pull-down menu.
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Exercise 2-5: Creating Symbol Groups
In this exercise, you create a group of symbols.
Create a new drawing and draft the geometry of the symbol by copying the draft geometry from
the drawing. The geometry should consist of a circle, a square, and some arrows.
1. Change directory to the exercise_2-5 directory. Create a new A-size drawing called
“groups.” Choose New from the File pull-down menu. In the New dialog box,
select Drawing from the Type pull-down menu. Enter [groups] as the name and
select OK to finish. For the default model, enter [none] and accept the defaults Set
Size and Landscape. Choose A from the Standard Size drop-down list and select
OK to finish.
2. Turn on the display of the draft grid and change the grid spacing. Choose Modify,
Grid, Draft Grid, and Grid On. Choose Grid Params and X&Y Spacing; then
enter [0.1]. Zoom in so that you can see approximately 20 grid squares across the
screen.
3. Turn on grid snap. Choose Environment from the Utilities pull-down menu. In the
Environment dialog box, select Snap to Grid and OK.
4. Create the sketch shown in Figure 17 using the 2-D drafting functionality. Create a
square that is 10 grid squares by 10 grid squares. Choose Sketch from the DETAIL
menu; then choose Line and 2Points. Sketch the geometry of the square.
Figure 17: Generic Symbol
5. Create a circle centered inside the square and with a diameter of 1.00. Choose Circle
and Center/Dia. Pick the center of the square for the center of the circle; then enter
[1] as the diameter.
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6. Create the arrows to the left and the right of the square. Choose Line and 2Points;
then sketch the geometry of each arrow. Choose Return from the DRAFT GEOM
menu to finish.
7. Create a note with variable text centered in the circle. Choose Create from the
DETAIL menu; then choose Note. From the NOTE TYPES menu, choose No
Leader, Enter, Horizontal, Standard, Center, and Make Note. Locate the note in
the center of the circle. Enter [\no\] as the note text and press <Enter> to finish.
8. Change the text height to 0.25. Choose Modify from the DETAIL menu; then
choose Text and Text Height. Pick the note and choose Done Sel. Enter [0.25].
9. Create a symbol called “GEN_SYM.” Choose Create from the DETAIL menu;
then choose Symbol, Definition, and Define. Enter [GEN_SYM] as the name.
10. Copy the geometry from the drawing to create the symbol. Choose Copy Drawing
and Pick Many. Pick all of the entities on the drawing and choose Done Sel.
Pro/ENGINEER copies the entities into the subwindow.
Create some symbol groups for instances that have the square and one or two arrow s and for
instances that have the circle and one or two arrows.
1. Create a group called “square” and pick all of the entities except for the circle.
Choose Groups and Create; then enter [SQUARE] as the name. Choose Pick
Many and draw a pick box surrounding the entire symbol. Choose Unsel Item and
pick the circle. Choose Done Sel to finish.
2. Create a group called “circle” and pick all of the entities except for the square.
Choose Create and enter [CIRCLE] as the name. Choose Pick Many and draw a
pick box surrounding the entire symbol. Choose Unsel Item and pick one of the
lines that compose the square. Choose Unsel Item again and pick another line of the
square. Continue with this process until you have unselected the entire square.
Choose Done Sel to finish.
3. Define the group attributes to be exclusive at this level so that when you use the
symbol, you can only place one of the instances (square or circle) at one time.
Choose Group Attr and Exclusive.
4. Change to the square level so you can create some variations of the square symbol.
Choose Change Level, Square, and This Level.
5. Create two variations within the square group: one with the left arrow and the other
with the right arrow. Choose Create and enter [LEFT_ARROW] as the name. Pick
the square box, the note, and the arrow on the left side of the symbol; then choose
Done Sel. Choose Create and enter [RIGHT_ARROW] as the name. Pick the square
box, the note, and the arrow on the right side of the symbol; then choose Done Sel.
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6. Define the attributes at the square level as exclusive so that you can display the
square on the screen as a symbol with a left arrow or a right arrow, but not both.
Choose Group Attr and Exclusive.
7. Change to the circle level so that you can create some variations of the circle symbol.
Choose Change Level, Up, Circle, and This Level.
8. Create two variations within the circle group: one with the left arrow and the other
with the right arrow. Choose Create and enter [LEFT_ARROW] as the name. Pick
the circle, the note, and the arrow on the left side of the symbol; then choose Done
Sel. Choose Create and enter [RIGHT_ARROW] as the name. Pick the circle, the
note, and the arrow on the right side of the symbol; then choose Done Sel.
9. Define the attributes at the circle level as independent so that you can display the
circle on the screen as a symbol with a left arrow, a right arrow, or both. Choose
Group Attr and Independent. Choose Done/Return from the SYMBOL
GROUPS menu.
10. Define the attributes for this symbol using a free placement. Choose Attributes and
select Free. Pick the center of the circle as the origin. Select the Var Text tab and
enter [1] as the value for the variable text. Select Integer and OK to finish defining
the attributes. Choose Done and Write. Press <Enter> to take the default directory.
11. Close the current window. Choose Window from the Close pull-down menu.
Create a new drawing and place the different variations of the symbol on the drawing.
1. Create a new A-size drawing called “symbols” in a landscape orientation.
2. Place the square variations of the symbol on the drawing. Choose Create, Symbol,
and Instance. From the Symbol Instance dialog box, select Retrieve…,
GEN_SYM, and Open. Select Free Note from the Placement Type drop-down
list and pick a position on the drawing for the symbol. Select the Grouping tab and
pick the plus sign beside “square.” Select Square, LEFT_ARROW, and New Inst.
3. Select the Placement tab and Free Note from the Placement Type drop-down
list. Pick below the first symbol; then select the Grouping tab, Square, and
RIGHT_ARROW. When you select RIGHT_ARROW, the system automatically
unselects LEFT_ARROW because the attributes for the square level are set to
exclusive. Select New Inst.
4. Place the circle variations of the symbol on the drawing. Select the Placement tab
and Free Note from the Placement Type drop-down list; then pick to the right of
the first symbol. Select the Grouping tab and the plus sign next to “circle.” Select
Circle and LEFT_ARROW. When you select Circle, the system automatically
unselects Square because the attributes for the top level are set to exclusive. Select
New Inst.
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list; then pick a position similar to the one shown in Figure 18. Select the Grouping
tab, Circle, and RIGHT_ARROW. When you select RIGHT_ARROW, the system
does not automatically unselect LEFT_ARROW because the attributes for the circle
level are set to independent. Select Place Instance.
list; then pick a position similar to the one shown in Figure 18. Select the Grouping
tab, Circle, RIGHT_ARROW, LEFT_ARROW, and Place Instance. Select OK to
finish.
Figure 18: Symbol Instances
7. Save and quit the drawing.
Exercise 2-6 Legacy Symbols
Create a new diagram with appropriate settings (units, text size defaults, grid etc.
→ FILE / NEW / DIAGRAM / (LEGACY.DGM, A4, Landscape)
ADVANCED / DRAW SETUP / MODIFY VAL (make sure that drawing_units
is set to INCH)
UTILITIES / ENVIRONMENT (check Snap to Grid)
DETAIL / MODIFY / GRID / GRID PARAMS / X&Y SPACING (set to 0.2
INCH)
DONE/RETURN / GRID ON / DONE/RETURN
Import legacy data into diagram

FILE / IMPORT / APPEND TO MODEL / D0500A.DXF / NO /
NO
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Note: Conversion of Units (INCH to MM in this example) OPTIONAL
Reset diagram settings to desired units and appropriate defaults and grid.
ADVANCED / DRAW SETUP / MODIFY VAL (set drawing_units to MM and
drawing_text_heigh to 2.5)
DETAIL / MODIFY / GRID / GRID PARAMS / X&Y SPACING / (set to 5

MM)
Rescale the legacy symbol to new units/grid
INFO / DRAWING / MEASURE DRAFT ENTITIES (measure as shown in

Picture. This is only necessary if you don’t know the scale factor.)
DETAIL / TOOLS / RESCALE / PICK MANY / (select all symbol items) /
DON SEL / (pick any grid point) / (enter scale 70/71.12 as measured or 25/25.4 as
calculated which is 25mm/1 inch) / DONE/RETURN
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Aligning geometry of legacy symbol with Pro/Diagram Grid
DETAIL / TOOLS / TRANSLATE / PICK MANY / (select all symbol items)
DON SEL / VERTEX / (pick upper left corner of symbol for instance) / PICK
PNT / (pick some grid point in the middle of the diagram)
Creation of symbol instance. Create new symbol based on imported and rescaled geometry
DETAIL / CREATE / SYMBOL / DEFINITION / DEFINE / D0500A/

COPY DRAWING / PICK MANY / (select all symbol items)
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Create nodes (logical pins) for symbol
DETAIL / CREATE / NODE / MAKE NODE / (A1) / (pick on appropriate grid
point to indicate placement of node) / (B1) …. (M)
DELETE / PICK MANY / (select old pin label text A1,B1, ….,M) / DONE
MODIFY / TEXT / TEXT STYLE / PICK
MANY / (pick all node labels) / set angle to 90
and justify horiz to right) / OK /
DONE/RETURN / DONE/RETURN (at
DETAIL)
Assign default parameter set to symbol

PARAMETERS / READ / COMP
DEFAULT (This reads a set of parameters
which are required for a component. At this
point also default connector parameters
CONN DEFAULT or any set of user
defined parameters OTHER could be
71
applied. User defined parameter sets are stored in ASCII format files of type
*.SPM. Any set of user defined parameters must contain at least the required
parameters for that type of symbol, e.g. component or connector)
Modify and complete parameter set for symbol instance

MODIFY / (set values of Parameters DESCRIPTION to
AFT_TANK_PRESSURE_VALVE, REF_DES to D0500A_0001,
MODEL_NAME to press_valve_020 and ENTRY_PORT of each pin to
e_prot. The entry_port value of each pin could also be different, if the associated
Pro/E model has an entry port CSYS for each pin.)
Create intelligent symbol labels

DETAIL / CREATE / NOTE / MAKE NOTE / (type &ref_des <CR>
&description) / DONE/RETURN
MODIFY / TEXT / TEXT HEIGHT / (pick newly created text) / DONE SEL
(3.5) / DONE/RETURN / DONE/RETURN
DELETE / (pick old text to be replaced) / DONE/RETURN
MOVE MANY / (pick newly created text) / DONE/RETURN / (move to replace
deleted text)
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Clean up symbol instance
UTILITIES / ENVIRONMENT / (uncheck Snap to Grid)
MOVE MANY / (pick pin all label text) / DONE/RETURN / (move slightly
downward & right so that GRD label is vertically centered with box and all labels are
horizontally centered with its pins). / DONE/RETURN / DONE (at SYMBOL
EDIT)
Finish & Write symbol to library
(check Free in upcoming Window on General Tab) / VERTEX / (pick pin labeled
A1) / OK / DONE (at SYMBOL EDIT)
WRITE / NAME / (D0500A) / <CR> (If a default folder for storing symbols is
defined in config.pro via PRO_SYMBOL_DIR this path is automatically used.) /
DONE/RETURN (at SYMBOL TYPE)
Finish/Save Diagram
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EXERCISE 2-7: Create a Multi-view Component
In this exercise, you create a multiple view component of a catalog part. A multiple view
component can be a definition that consists of a contact and coil, for example. The numbers
indicates the pin names.
Figure 19: Multiple View Component
Create the definition of the MVC.

1. Change your working directory to EX_07_SYMBOL_MVC. Create a new A-size
diagram named “mvc.drw.” Enable the grid display and snap (0.25” in X & Y).
2. Choose Create from the DETAIL menu, Symbol from the DETAIL ITEM menu,
Definition from the SYMBOL TYPE menu, and Define from the DEFINITION
menu.
3. Create the contact and coil as symbols to define a multiple view component using
these symbols. Use [CONTACT] and [COIL] as the symbol names. Ensure that the
nodes lie on the grid points.
4. Choose Component from the DETAIL ITEM menu and then Multi View.
5. Choose Definition to create a multiple view component definition. To begin

definition of a multiple view component, choose Define from the MULTI VW DEF
menu and enter [J1] as a name.
6. Specify the symbols you want to use in this multiple view component.
7. Choose Add View and retrieve the contact symbol that you defined earlier.
8. Next, choose Add View again to add the coil. Then, choose Done to complete your
definition.
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Once a multiple view component has been defined, an instance of it can be added to a
Pro/DIAGRAM drawing. The instance is a representation of the multiple view component
and is added one view at a time. You will now create instances of the MVC on a diagram.
1. Choose Design from the DIAGRAM menu, then Create from the DETAIL
ITEM menu, and then Component from the DETAIL ITEM menu.
2. Choose Multi View from the REF OBJ TYPE menu and choose Instance from the
MULTI VIEW menu. The MULTI VW INS menu appears with the following
options:
¾ Create - Set up a view by first retrieving a multiple view component and then
selecting a view to display in your drawing.
¾ Add View - Create a view by choosing a view from an existing multiple view
component and then select a value from those remaining in the multiple view
component to display in the drawing.
¾ Info - Retrieve information about an existing multiple view component.
Note:
If no views of the multiple view component instances have been created yet,
choose Create and retrieve the multiple view component. If the multiple view
component you retrieve contains a symbol whose name already has been
used in your diagram, that existing symbol definition is used.
For example, if your diagram already contains a symbol called COIL, and you
retrieve a multiple view component containing a symbol called COIL, the
symbol definition COIL that already exists in your diagram drawing is used in
the multiple view component.
If views of the multiple view component instance already exist in the diagram,
choose Add View instead and select one of the existing views.
3. If you chose to create a new instance of a multiple view component, enter

appropriate parameter values for the new instance.
4. A menu appears that lists each view in the multiple view component that is unplaced.
Choose the symbol that you want to place:
¾ If the view you select contains only one or two pins, the DGM SYM PLACE
menu appears. The extra menu appears so that you can insert the pin symbol in
a wire.
¾ If the view contains no pins, you select a location to place the symbol in the
same way you place any symbol.
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5. Repeat this step until you have placed all the views you require. Choose
Done/Return from the REF OBJ TYPE menu when you are finished.
Note:
All views of a multiple view component must be placed on the same layer of
a drawing. However, views can be placed on different sheets. If views of the
multiple view component instance already exist in the diagram, choose Add
View instead and select one of the existing views. Views of a multiple view
component instance can be placed on different sheets.
6. To display the name of the multiple view component to which a symbol belongs,
choose Show Name from the MULTI VW DEF menu and then choose the symbol
in question.
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EXERCISE 2-8: Creating Symbols for a Diagram
In this exercise, you create a portion of a schematic diagram. Specifically, you set up the
diagram, define symbols for fixed connectors and components, and then create and locate the
connectors and components on the diagram.
Sheet 1
Sheet 2
Figure 20: Completed Diagram
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Create the diagram file in the appropriate directory.
1. Choose Working Directory from the File pull-down menu. Navigate through the
Select Working Directory dialog box. Select the EX_08_SYMBOL_DIAGRAM
folder and OK.
2. Choose New from the File pull-down menu. Select Diagram, enter
[METER_DIAG] as the name, and select OK.
3. Specify a C size and landscape orientation. Select OK from the New Diagram dialog
box.
Change the working environment to make it easier to place components and connectors on the
sheet.
1. Choose Modify from the DETAIL menu and Grid from the MODIFY DRAW
menu.
2. Turn on the grid. Choose Grid On from the GRID MODIFY menu.
3. Modify the spacing. Choose Grid Params from the GRID MODIFY menu and
X&Y Spacing. Enter [.25] as the value.
Turn on grid snap to place the components and connectors.

1. Choose Environment from the Utilities pull-down menu.
2. Select Snap to Grid and OK from the Environment dialog box.
Retrieve a diagram setup file into the diagram to define the default parameters such as text size,
line styles, etc.
1. Choose Setup from the DIAGRAM menu and Retrieve from the DTL SETUP
menu.
2. Select CABLE_STD.DTL from the current directory.
Tips & Techniques:

Using the diagram setup file, you can establish a standard diagram definition
to use as a company standard. Later, if you modify a diagram setup file for a
particular diagram, it will not affect your company standard diagram setup
file. The system saves the changes with the diagram that you changed.
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Beginning with connector J1, construct the parametric connectors. Place, position, and size each
of the parametric connectors shown in Figure 21.
Figure 21: Placing the Parametric Connectors
1. Choose Create from the DETAIL menu and Connector from the DETAIL ITEM
menu.
2. Specify the type of connector. Choose Parametric from the CONN TYPE menu
and Male (or Female) from the PARAM CONN menu.
3. Select an appropriate location for the connector on the diagram. Enter [3] as the
desired number of visible pins. When the dialog box (shown in Figure 22) appears,
enter the appropriate connector information.
Figure 22: Parameters for a Parametric Connector Dialog Box
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4. Enter [J1] in the Ref. Designator text box.
5. Enter [CONN_DIN96] in the Model Name text box.
6. Enter [6] in the No. of Pins text box (this is the total number of pins).
7. Select Apply to view the connector on the diagram, and OK to exit the dialog box.
8. Modify the connector’s presentation. Choose Relocate, Rotate 90, and Resize
from the CONN VIEW menu.
9. Repeat Steps 1 through 8 to construct the other connectors.
Ref Model Type Visible Total Gender

Des Name Pins Pins
J1 CONN_DIN96 Parametric 3 6 Male
J2 CONN_DIN96 Parametric 6 6 Male
J4 83723_E8 Parametric 2 2 Female
J6 83723_E8 Parametric 2 2 Female
J7 83723_E8 Parametric 2 2 Male
Define symbols for the J2, J4, J6, and J7 connectors.
Tips & Techniques:

Sketching symbols for connectors is not the same as using Sketcher mode in
Pro/ENGINEER to create parts. In Pro/DIAGRAM, you use 2-D Sketcher
mode to create simple draft entities. You cannot update these symbols later
by modifying a dimension and regenerating. To create symbols at the
appropriate size, you should use the grid squares as a reference, turn on the
grid, and enable grid snap.
1. Define the shape of the symbol by sketching it. Choose Create, Symbol,
Definition, and Define. Sketch the shape. You can create the sketch within
Pro/ENGINEER using the 2-D draft functionality or import geometry from other
programs if the symbols already exist.
2. Create nodes (or pins) to place the wires. Choose Detail, Create, and Node.
3. Create a parametric note to represent the reference designator. Specify the note text
as “&ref_des.”
4. Use the Symbol Definition Attributes dialog box to define symbol attributes of the
symbol, as you would in Pro/DETAIL:
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¾ Place the symbol unattached (without leaders) or attach it to an entity (such as a
model edge, draft geometry, or another symbol) without a leader.
¾ Specify a fixed height for the symbol (the height of the symbol at the time that
you created it), or a variable height.
¾ Relate the symbol’s dimensions to the text height contained in the symbol.
¾ Position the symbol text horizontally when rotating it with a symbol instance,
or rotate the text with the symbol instance at the specified angle.
Figure 23: Symbol Definition Attributes Dialog Box
5. Read in some parameters to inform the diagram that the symbol being defined is
actually a component or connector. Add the parameters to the connector and modify
them as required. Choose Parameters, Read, and Conn Default.
6. Write the symbol to disk to create a library for future use (the Pro/ENGINEER
library is available).
Define a symbol to use as a fixed connector.

1. Choose Create from the DETAIL menu, Symbol from the DETAIL ITEM menu,
Definition from the SYMBOL TYPE menu, and Define from the DEFINITION
menu.
2. Enter [LCONN] as the name. The system displays a subwindow for sketching.
3. If necessary, change the grid parameters of the symbol subwindow. Choose Detail
from the SYMBOL EDIT menu, Modify, Grid, and Grid Params. Enter [.25] as
the new spacing value.
4. Zoom in on a small portion of the window and sketch the symbol. Choose Detail
and Sketch to access the sketching commands. Refer to Figure 24 to determine the
shape.
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Add nodes to the symbol.
1. Choose Create from the DETAIL menu, Node from the DETAIL ITEM menu,
and Make Node.
2. Enter [1] as the node name.
3. Place the nodes as shown in Figure 24.
4. Repeat Steps 1 through 3 to add Node 2.
4 sq.
8 sq.
Figure 24: Adding Nodes
Create the parametric note below the symbol to identify the reference designator of the connector
in the diagram.
1. Choose Note from the DETAIL ITEM menu (or Detail, Create, and Note if you
are not in the correct menu).
2. Choose No Leader, Center, and Make Note from the NOTE TYPES menu.
3. Locate the note and enter [&REF_DES].
Set up the connector parameters for the symbol.

1. Choose Parameters from the SYMBOL EDIT menu and Read from the SYM
PARAMS menu.
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2. Choose Conn Default from the READ SYM PRM menu. This file contains the
connector parameters that you previously defined. It enables the system to recognize
the symbol as a connector.
Note:
If you do not read in the assigned parameters, the system cannot recognize
the symbol as a connector in the diagram.
Assign attributes to the symbol.

1. Choose Attributes from the SYMBOL EDIT menu. The Symbol Definition
Attributes dialog box appears (Figure 25).
Figure 25: Assigning Attributes
2. Specify the placement type. Select Free, and specify a location on the sketched
symbol to be the placement origin.
3. Specify the height of the symbol instance. Select Variable - Model Units, Fixed
Text Angle, and OK.
4. Choose Done from the SYMBOL EDIT menu.
Finish the symbol and write it to disk.

1. Write the symbol to the default directory. Choose Write from the DEFINITION
menu.
2. Choose Done/Return to return to the DETAIL menu.
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Add the symbol to the diagram as a fixed connector.
1. Begin the connector definition. Choose Connector from the DETAIL ITEM
menu.
2. Describe the connector. Choose Fixed and Single View.
3. Specify the connector. Choose Name and LCONN.
4. Locate the symbol on the diagram.
5. Specify a view to which you can relate the size of the instance. Select a view and
press the middle mouse button.
6. Enter [18] as the value for instance height. The Parameters for a Fixed Connector
Instance dialog box should appear.
Figure 26: Adding a Symbol as a Fixed Connector
7. Provide the information shown in Figure 26; then select Apply to view the
connector. Select OK to finish. Your diagram should look like the one shown in
Figure 27.
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Figure 27: Diagram with Fixed Connector
Add connectors J3 and B1 to the diagram.

1. Set up the single view, fixed connector. Choose Connector, Fixed, and Single
View.
2. Choose Retrieve from the GET SYMBOL menu; then select FIXED_CONN from
the current directory.
3. Enter [30] as the value for instance height; then locate the symbol.
4. When the dialog box appears, provide the following information.
Ref Des Model Total Pins Gender

Name
J3 LCONN 12 Female
B1 LCONN 12 Female
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Place the T1 component on the diagram.
Note:
Creating and positioning components in a diagram is very similar to creating
and positioning fixed connectors, but components also require the
“COMPONENT” parameter. It is this parameter alone that distinguishes a
connector from a component.
1. Begin the component creation and definition. Choose Design, Create,

Component, and Single View.
2. Choose Retrieve from the GET SYMBOL menu; then select titf04 from the
current directory.
3. Enter [2.5] as the value for instance height and specify the symbol’s location.
4. When the dialog box appears, enter the appropriate parameters. Enter [T1] as the
reference designator name, [Transformer] as the model name, and [4] as the
total number of pins. Do not specify a gender. When you have finished, your
diagram should resemble Figure 28.
5. Save the diagram.
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Component
Fixed connectors
Figure 28: Adding Connectors
Proper use of Pro/REPORT is essential to the creation of electromechanical deliverables.

Non-electromechanical users who desire to increase their proficiency in Pro/REPORT can
also use this section.
Pro/REPORT
Most of the deliverables from the electromechanical modules (about 80%) are the contained in
the following tables:
• From/To lists
• Wire lists
• Bills of Materials
All of these tables are created through the use of Pro/REPORT. A strong familiarity with
Pro/REPORT is essential to effective use of the electromechanical modules.
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CREATING A BOM USING PRO/REPORT
A Bill of Materials (BOM) is a listing of parts and part parameters that are contained within the
current assembly. When creating an assembly drawing, it is often necessary to include a table
showing the BOM. If you have a license for Pro/REPORT, you can use repeat regions to
automate changes to the BOM. When you create a repeat region in a table, the system
automatically reflects any assembly design changes in the BOM, which can save you time.
Note:
If you do not have a license for Pro/REPORT, refer to Appendix A to learn
how to create a BOM and place it on a drawing as a note using the Info pull-
down menu.
Generating a BOM Report

To create an automatic BOM in Pro/ENGINEER, follow these three steps:
Create a table.
Define a simple repeat region.
Specify the information to include.
Creating a Table
When creating a table to display an assembly drawing’s BOM, you should specify the
placement and origin carefully to accommodate its growth as the system adds information.
Specifically, you should specify the following:
• Proper direction of the table to prevent the table information from overlapping with
other information on the drawing as the table grows.
• Large enough cell width to accommodate long component names and prevents
them from overlapping with the table border.
• Proper cell justification cell to avoid having to adjust it later.
Defining a Simple Repeat Region

After creating a table, you can then set up a simple repeat region—an area (rows and/or
columns) of the table that duplicates itself to accommodate the amount of data that the model
currently possesses. A simple region grows in one direction, repeating a row over and over. To
create a simple repeat region, you must define the extent of the region, that is, the area of
information that you want the system to duplicate. For a BOM report, this area is the outside
cells of the row, as shown in Figure 2.
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INDEX NAME QTY
Select this cell. Select this
Figure 29: Simple Repeat Region
You can define as many repeat regions in a table as you need. Multiple regions offer the
following advantages:
They separate bulk items from other components, allowing you to always position
them at the top or the bottom of the table.
They create a nesting effect in the table so that all components appear under the
subassembly to which they belong.
Specifying the Information to Include

After setting up the repeat region, you should use report parameters to define the information
that you want the system to include in the table. You can define parameters by typing them
manually, or by making selections from a menu, which is easier and less time-consuming. If an
option has an ellipse (…) following it, you must specify additional options to fully define the
parameter. Table 3 lists some of the Pro/REPORT system parameters that you can use to
create a BOM. For a complete listing, see the Drawing User’s Guide:
Table 3: Pro/REPORT System Parameters
Parameter Name Definition

&asm.mbr.name Displays the name of an assembly member.
&asm.mbr.type Displays the type (part or assembly) of an assembly
member.
&asm.mbr.parametername Displays the value of “parametername” (a user-defined
parameter) for an assembly member. Ex: cost or vendor
&rpt.index Displays the index number assigned to each record in a
repeat region.
&rpt.level Displays the recursive depth of an item.
&rpt.qty Displays the quantity of an item.
To create a simple repeat region, you would specify the parameters, as shown in following
figure.
INDEX NAME QTY

&rpt.index &asm.mbr.name &rpt.qty
Figure 30: Entering Parameters for a Simple Repeat Region
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Tips & Techniques:
If you show the same type of information for every assembly BOM, set up
the table and repeat region on a format. Whenever you add the format to a
drawing, the system then fills the table automatically.
Manipulating a BOM Report

When you create a BOM using Pro/REPORT, Pro/ENGINEER uses default values for
many of the attributes to create the initial table, but you can change them later to manipulate
the format of the table. After creating the table, you can make the following modifications to
the listing to suit your needs:
Control the number of times a member appears.

Specify whether to include components in a subassembly.
Change the order in which the components appear.
Remove certain components.
Controlling Repeating Components

When you initially create the table, the system creates a row for every instance of a component.
For example, if you use a bolt eight times in the assembly, it appears on eight different rows
because the default attribute of a repeat region shows duplicate occurrences (Duplicates). To
prevent components from repeating, you can set the attributes of the region to either of the
following:
No Duplicates – Lists duplicate occurrences of a component only once. Therefore,

even if the assembly has eight bolts, that component only appears once in the
table.
No Duplicates/Level – Lists duplicate occurrences of a component once for each
subassembly in which you use it. Therefore, if you use a bolt in two different
subassemblies, that component appears twice in the table.
Figure 31 shows an assembly with a sample BOM.
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91
Components
duplicated
Quantities added
with No
Figure 31: Bill of Materials for Example Assembly
Controlling the Levels Searched for Components

When you initially create the table, only the top-level components appear because the default
attribute of a repeat region (Flat) prevents Pro/ENGINEER from searching through lower
levels (Figure 32). If you want the system to search all levels of the assembly, set the
Recursive attribute. You can also specify the Flat and Recursive attributes for individual
subassemblies.
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Figure 32: Region Attributes
Changing the Order of the List

Once the system has filled the table, you can change the order in which it displays the
components by sorting. You can sort the table by one or more parameters, moving forward or
backward in order. For example, you could display components by type and then sort
alphabetically by part name when the two components are of the same type.
Removing Components from the List

If you want to omit a particular component or type of component from the BOM, you can set
up a filter so that the system automatically removes those items from the listing. To remove
information using this method, you can either filter items one by one or set up a rule to
remove multiple entries. For example, to remove PART_A.PRT from the BOM, you can
simply select that record to remove; however, to remove all components composed of the
material steel, you could set up a rule to check for the material.
Using Operators to Set up a Rule

To set up a rule, you use the comparison operators <, >, <=, >=, ==, and! =to compare the
parameters of the filter. If a record in the table does not satisfy the filter equation, the system
removes it from the table. For example, if you added the filter “&asm.mbr.type==part, the
system would only show parts in the table. If you added the filter “&asm.mbr.material!=steel,”
the system would remove steel components from the table.
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You can also use multiple values in filters. For example, if you added the filter
“&asm.mbr.name==part_a, part_b, part_j”, only those three parts would appear in the table.
Showing the Correct Quantity

When you include the quantity of a component in a repeat region, Pro/ENGINEER counts
how many times a certain file is used in an assembly. For example, if BOLT.PRT were in an
assembly four times, the system would assign it a quantity of 4. This would be acceptable if
none of the components in the assembly are bulk items. Bulk items are components that are
created within an assembly to “fill out” the BOM (such as glue, paint, and sealant), but do not
actually appear in the assembly.
The system saves a bulk item to a file with a “.prt” extension and assembles it once, assigning it a
quantity of 1 in the BOM. However, many bulk items should have a quantity such as “AS
REQUIRED.” To show the correct quantity, you can specify a relation using the parameter
“&asm.mbr.qty,” as shown in
Figure 33. By incorporating this relation into the drawing, the system then assigns all bulk
items a quantity of “AS REQUIRED,” but assigns the appropriate quantity to each
component.
if asm_mbr_type = = ”bulk item”

Qty = ”AS REQUIRED”
Else
Qty = rpt_qty
Endif
Figure 33: Quantity Relation for a Bulk Item
Calculating a Total Cost

A BOM report may contain a cost and quantity for each component. In Pro/ENGINEER,
you can write a relation to calculate the total cost for each component (Figure 34).
if asm_mbr_type == ”bulk item”

tcost = 0.0
Else
Tcost = asm_mbr_cost * rpt_qty
Endif
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Figure 34: Cost Calculations
In the table, use “&asm.mbr.tcost” as the report parameter in the column for total cost of each
component. The total cost for a bulk item appears as zero; for a part or assembly, the system
calculates the cost times the quantity (Figure 35).
Figure 35: Relation Added to Define Cost
Creating a Summation
Finally, to calculate the total cost of the entire assembly, you could create a summation of the
total costs of each component by specifying the particular column to sum and a name for the
summation parameter. After creating the summation parameter, the system adds it to the table
as it would any other text. For example, you could create a summation parameter called “total”
to calculate the total cost, then enter [$ &total[.2]] to display the value as “$ 11.72” in
the appropriate table cell (Figure 36). The “.2” specifies two decimal places.
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Figure 36: Summing the Cost
Continuing the Table on the Next Page

If a table becomes too long to fit on one page, you can paginate it by breaking it at a particular
row and continuing it on the next page, or you can create a new segment on the same page. As
you add more information to the table, the system flows it into the next segment and adds
more sheets as necessary. You can also repeat the header information from the original table
on the next page.
Showing BOM Balloons

Once you have completed the table, you can show BOM balloons on the drawings that are
linked to a specific repeat region in the table (Figure 37). The balloons update if you change
the assembly, add components, or remove them. You can also alter the balloon information to
show any of the table columns.
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Figure 37: Examples of Simple and With Quantity Balloons
Creating Custom Balloons

The default shape for a BOM balloon is a circle. To specify a different shape, you can create a
custom balloon, which is simply a drawing symbol that contains variable text. To show the
quantity or index number of a component in a custom balloon, set the default value of the
variable text to “rpt_index“ or “rpt_qty,” respectively.
All BOM regions should use custom balloons, because customers often want to show multiple
balloons to the same part in different views and multiple occurrences of a part in the same
view. Simple balloons do not allow you to split and merge balloons, while custom balloons do.
DRAWING SETUP FILE OPTIONS

Table 4 lists the available drawing setup file options that control repeat regions and BOMs in
reports.
Table 4: Drawing Setup File Options Affecting Repeat Regions and BOMs

def_bom_balloon_leader_ arrowhead Sets the default arrow style
sym dot for BOM balloons in new
reports.
filled_dot
no_arrow
slash
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integral
box
filled_box
max_balloon_radius 0 Sets the maximum
non-zero value allowable balloon radius. If
set to “0,” balloon radius
depends only on text size.
min_balloon_radius 0 Sets the minimum
non-zero value allowable balloon radius. If
set to “0,” balloon radius
depends only on text size.
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EXERCISE 2-9: Creating an Automatic BOM

In this exercise, you create a simple repeat region to automate a Bill of Materials (BOM) so
that the system automatically reflects changes to the assembly information. You also change the
appearance of the BOM by modifying the repeat region attributes.
Create a table to display the Bill of Materials for the drawing. Include columns for the part name,
type, quantity, cost, and total cost. Use a repeat region so that the BOM updates automatically to
reflect changes in the design.
1. Retrieve BARREL_ASM.DRW.
2. Add C_MULTI_FORMAT.FRM to the drawing. Choose Format from the

SHEETS menu; then choose Add/Replace. Select C_MULTI_FORMAT.FRM and
Open. Specify which sheet to use. Enter [1] as the sheet number.
3. Create a table for the BOM on the drawing. Choose Table, Create, Ascending,
Leftward, and Num of Char. Pick the lower right corner of the table as shown in
Figure 38.
Locate lower
right corner of
the table here.
Figure 38: Table Location
4. Create six columns in this table. Using the mouse, pick immediately after the 6 for
the first column, immediately after the 5 for the second column, immediately after
the 4 for the third column, immediately after the second 2 (12) for the fourth
column, immediately after the third 5 (25) for the fifth column, and immediately after
the first 5 for the final column.
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5. Create three rows in this table. Pick immediately after the 2 for the first row, and
immediately after the 1 for the second and third rows.
6. Define the justification of the columns. Choose Mod Rows/Cols, Justify,

Column, Center, and Middle. Pick all six columns in the table.
7. Add text into the header of the table. Choose Enter Text, pick the lower left cell,
and enter [ITEM]. Pick the next cell and enter [NAME]. Continue entering the text as
shown in Figure 39.
Figure 39: Table Header
8. Justify the “NAME” column. Choose Mod Rows/Cols, Justify, Column, Left,
and Middle; then pick the “NAME” column. The system maintains the center
justification of the existing header, but left-justifies any new text.
9. Create a simple repeat region for the information in the BOM. Choose Repeat
Region, Add, and Simple; then pick the cell above “ITEM” and the cell above
“TOTAL COST.”
10. Define the information to include in the repeat region. Choose Enter Text and
Report Sym. Pick the cell above “ITEM” and choose rpt… and index. Pick the cell
above “NAME” and choose asm…, mbr…, and name. Pick the cell above
“TYPE” and choose asm…, mbr…, and type. Pick the cell above “QTY” and
choose rpt… and qty. Select the cell above “COST” and choose asm…, mbr…,
and User Defined; then enter [cost]. Pick the cell above “TOTAL COST” and
choose rpt…, rel…, and User Defined; then enter [total_cost].
11. Update the table with the information from the assembly. Choose Repeat Region
and Update Tables. The table should display as shown in Figure 40.
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Figure 40: Initial BOM
Change the attributes of the repeat region to modify the BOM display. Components should
appear only once in the table and all parts should be included in the BOM regardless of the level
at which they reside.
1. The piston assembly displays in the table five times. Change the attributes of the
repeat region so that a part appears only once for each assembly in which it is used.
Choose Attributes and pick the repeat region in the table. Choose No Duplicates
and Done/Return. Figure 41 shows the new table configuration.
Figure 41: No Duplicates
2. Change the attributes of the repeat region to include all levels of the assembly.
Choose Attributes and pick the repeat region in the table. Choose Recursive and
Done/Return. Figure 42 shows the new table format.
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Figure 42: Recursive
Change the information for the total cost column. Create a relation to calculate the total cost
based on the quantity and cost values. Change the format of the cost and total cost values so that
they only display two significant digits.
1. Display the total cost in the table. Write a relation to calculate the total cost based on
the quantity and the cost. Choose Relations and pick the repeat region. Choose
Add and enter [total_cost = asm_mbr_cost * rpt_qty].
2. Update the table with the new information for the cost. Choose Repeat Region
and Update Tables. The table should display as shown in Figure 43.
Figure 43: Total Cost
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3. The cost and the total cost columns show three significant digits. Change these two
columns so that they only show two significant digits. Choose Enter Text and
Keyboard; then pick the cell above “COST.” Enter [&asm.mbr.cost[.2]] to
cause the number to display two significant digits. Pick the cell above “TOTAL
COST” and enter [&rpt.rel.total_cost[.2]].
4. Define a cost value for the barrel part. Choose Modify from the DETAIL menu;
then pick the cell in the “COST” column for the barrel part. Enter [8.75] as the
value.
5. Update the table to change the format for the cost. Choose Table from the
DRAWING menu; then choose Repeat Region and Update Tables. The table
should display as shown in Figure 44.
Figure 44: Number of Digits for Cost
6. Create a summation for the number of components in the assembly. Choose

Summation and pick the repeat region. Choose Add and pick the first “QTY” cell
in the region. Enter [assy_qty] as the parameter name. Pick the cell at the top of
the “QTY” column to place the summation value.
7. Update the table to change the format for the cost. Choose Repeat Region and
Update Tables.
8. Remove the names of assembly components from the table (Figure 45). Choose
Filters and pick the repeat region. Choose By Rule and Add; then enter
[&asm.mbr.type != assembly]. Choose Done from the FILTER REG
menu and Done/Return from the FILTER TYPE menu.
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Figure 45: Assemblies Filtered Out
9. Create a summation for the total cost of the assembly. Choose Summation and pick
the repeat region. Choose Add and pick the 8.75 for the barrel in the “TOTAL
COST” column of the region. Enter [assy_cost] as the parameter name. Pick the
cell at the top of the “TOTAL_COST” column to place the summation value.
10. Update the table to change the format for the cost. Choose Repeat Region and
Update Tables.
11. The total cost of the assembly appears with three significant digits. The change that
you made earlier does not affect this parameter because the summation is not within
the repeat region. Change the number of decimal places for the total cost to two.
Choose Modify from the DETAIL menu; then choose Num Digits. Enter [2] as the
number of digits. Pick the assembly total cost value and choose Done Sel.
12. Combine the upper left cells and add a header for “TOTALS.” Choose Table from
the DRAWING menu; then choose Modify Table, Merge, and Rows & Cols. Pick
the upper left cell in the table and the cell directly to the left of the total quantity.
Choose Enter Text and pick the new cell. Enter [TOTALS] as the cell text. The table
should look as shown in Figure 46.
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Figure 46: Total Cost
Retrieve the barrel assembly and suppress the pump head part. Return to the drawing and notice
that the system updated the BOM automatically. Change the table so that the ITEM numbers
remain the same when you add or suppress components.
1. Retrieve BARREL.ASM.
2. Suppress the pump head part. Choose Component and Suppress; then pick the
pump head. Choose Done Sel and Done to finish.
3. Return to the drawing. Choose BARREL_ASM.DRW from the Window pull-down

menu. Notice that the pump head is no longer in the BOM and the numbers in the
ITEM column have changed. If you delete a component from the assembly, you may
not want the item numbers of components later in the table to change. Return to the
assembly by choosing BARREL_ASM from the Window pull-down menu.
4. Resume the pump head part. Choose Component, Resume, All, and Done. Return
to the drawing by choosing BARREL_ASM.DRW from the Window pull-down
menu.
5. Change the table so that the deletion or suppression of a component does not affect
the existing item numbers. Choose Table, Repeat Region, and Fix Index; then
pick the repeat region. Choose Fix, Region, Confirm and Done.
6. Return to the barrel assembly and suppress the pump head again. Choose
BARREL_ASM from the Window pull-down menu. Choose Component and
Suppress; then pick the pump head. Choose Done Sel and Done to finish.
7. Return to the drawing to see how the table reacts. Choose BARREL_ASM.DRW
from the Window pull-down menu. Notice that the item numbers did not change
this time. Unfix the region by choosing Table, Repeat Region, and Fix Index; then
pick the repeat region. Choose Unfix, Region, Confirm, and Done.
8. Return to the assembly and resume the pump head. Choose BARREL_ASM from
the Window pull-down menu. Choose Component, Resume, All, and Done.
Close the assembly window and return to the drawing by choosing Close and
BARREL_ASM.ASM from the Window pull-down menu.
Add BOM balloons to the drawing that include the quantity. Use an alternate symbol on
some of the balloons.
1. Show BOM balloons that include the quantity. Choose Table, BOM
Balloon, Set Region, and With Qty; then pick the region. Choose Show and By
View; then pick the 3-D view of the assembly.
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2. Reposition the balloons appropriately and change the attachment locations. Choose
Move from the DETAIL menu. Choose Mod Attach and pick a balloon. Choose
Change Ref to change the reference to which the balloon is attached or choose
Same Ref to move the arrow to a new position on the same reference.
3. Merge the balloons for the inner and outer races and the bearing spacer (Figure 47).
Choose Table, BOM Balloon, and Merge. Pick the balloon for the inner race and
then pick the balloon for the bearing spacer. Repeat this step to merge the balloon
for the outer race with the bearing spacer balloon.
Figure 47: Balloon Locations
4. Split the balloon for the pistons to create two balloons. Choose Split and pick the
balloon for the pistons. Enter [2] as the amount and attach the balloon to one of the
other pistons. Locate the balloon toward the right side of the view.
5. Change the amounts in the balloons for the pistons. Choose Redistribute and pick
the original balloon for the piston. Enter [1] as the amount to redistribute and pick
the new balloon.
6. Change the type of balloon for the barrel part and the head plate. Choose Alt
Symbol and pick the balloons for the barrel part and the head plate. Choose Done
Sel, Retrieve, and DELTA_BOM.SYM (Figure 48).
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Tips & Techniques:
To use a custom symbol on all balloons, use the Custom option when
setting the region.
Figure 48: Custom Symbol
Save the drawing and close the window. Choose Save from the File pull-down menu; then
choose Close from the Window pull-down menu.
Start Harness Drawing

A flattened harness assembly is the 3-D cabling harness after it has been laid out on a
“nailboard” in the manufacturing assembly. This flattened harness assembly is used to make
drawings of the flat harness. It can only be retrieved by either retrieving the manufacturing
model or a drawing that references the flattened harness assembly. The flattened harness
contains:
· Three assembly datum planes used for layout and orientation.
· An assembly coordinate system. The cables are laid out in the XY plane by default. You can
twist the cable out of this plane using the FLATTEN > Twist command.
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· Flattened harness features—These are assembly features created in the flattened harness
assembly as you lay out the cables of the 3-D harness. These features show the manufactured
dimensions; for example the cable length from one location to another, or the bend radius and
bend angle around a pin on the nail board.
· Components—The connectors at which cables terminate; and splices and components,

through which they pass, can be assembled to the flattened harness. Wires can be fanned out
to the correct entry port on connectors. You can also specify components to be attached to
the harness in the 3-D assembly, in which case they will appear in the flattened harness. When
you begin to manufacture a 3-D harness assembly, you are prompted for three object names:
· Manufacturing model (.mfg.—new file)
· Reference harness part (.prt—existing 3-D harness)
Note: If there are subharnesses, you can specify one.
· Flattened harness assembly name (.asm—new file)
The manufacturing model is the upper-level parent for the flattened data and consists of:
· The 3-D harness assembly as a reference (you cannot see the entire assembly on the screen,
but you do see a simplified representation of the 3-D harness)
· The flattened harness assembly
· Manufacturing information
The flattened harness is updated automatically whenever you make changes in the shape or
length of the 3-D harness. This lets you create the flat harness at the same time you route the
3-D harness.
This manufacturing model pulls in the entire 3-D assembly, not just the Simplified
Representation in which the 3-D harness was routed for reference.
During the layout, you can add bends and twists to pre-form the harness for difficult contours
during assembly.
You can use the View menu command, as well as the regular pan, zoom and spin commands
on the 3-D harness while you are laying out the cable.
Modifying Flat Harness Features and Components
The following dimensions can be modified on the flat harness:
· Bend and Twist angles
· Bend radii
· Length of breaks
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· Location of breaks
Notes:
Þ Flattened cable portion lengths cannot be modified in Manufacture mode.
Þ Drawing dimensions of cables do not include the lengths of any breaks added in the layout
of the harness
Start harness drawings are similar to start diagrams. They should have a standard setup file,
format, tables, symbols, and notes. This template can then be used for all future harness
drawings.
Some key points to think about when creating a harness drawing.
Use the appropriate harness drawing setup file.
Create scaled view(s) only
Create dimensions in the centerline environment
Retrieve production report tables
Select different Model/Reps for BOM repeat regions
Pin-out tables can replace front view of connectors
Use harness drawing symbols
Use parametric bundle label using the &name:att.
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EXERCISE 2-10: Pro/REPORT

In this exercise, you create a drawing of a flat harness that contains all of the required
tables, notes and balloons. This requires you to develop an expert knowledge of
Pro/REPORT.
Figure 49: Completed Harness Drawing
Review the completed harness drawing.

1. Open the “harn_report.tif” file and review the harness drawing. On
Windows NT, use the Imaging application from the Accessories menu.
2. Launch Pro/ENGINEER and change your working directory to the Exercise2-10

directory.
Create a new drawing for the flat harness
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1. Create a new B-size drawing named “harn_report” without a format.
2. Create a no-hidden view of the model “flat_rs_tail_light.asm” and ignore the

warnings about the manufacturing model and its associated external references. You
do not need the MFG file to create a drawing.
Create the bill of materials table. Note that this table contains spool information as well as a list of
components and terminators.
1. Create a new table for the BOM. The table should be ascending and contain 7
columns and 4 rows.
2. Enter the column heading text into the cells of the 1st (bottom) row.
3. Create 3 repeat regions: one for each of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th rows. The first 2 regions
contain all of the cells in the row. The 3rd region contains only the first 4 cells of the
row. This is important.
Set up the table to display the spool information in the BOM table.
1. The first repeat region (2nd row) will contain the spool information. Enter the
following report symbols into this repeat region in the appropriate places:
¾ rpt.index
¾ harn.spool.len
¾ “FT”
¾ harn.spool.part_no
¾ harn.spool.descr
¾ harn.spool.mfg_name
¾ harn.spool.mfg_cat_no
2. Enter the keyboard text “FT” in the unit of measure cell. Since this is a repeat
region, the text will propagate to all rows in the repeat region.
3. Update the repeat region and switch the symbols.
4. Note that the spool lengths seem to be too long. Pro/ENGINEER computes the se
lengths in the system of units used in the assembly (in this case inches.) However,
the customer wants to see the spool lengths in feet and automatically add a little
extra wire as a safety margin.
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5. Add a relation to the repeat region:
[bom_spool_len=harn_spool_len/12+0.5]
and overwrite the “harn.spool.len” symbol in the table with “rpt.rel.bom_spool_len.”
This will show the calculated value in the table.
6. The customer wants the spool length rounded to the nearest 1/10th of a foot and to
show a tick mark at the end of the number to indicate “feet.” To do this, modify the
text of the cell that contains the “bom_spool_len” parameter and add a “[.1]’ ” as
suffix. Note that you need to type in the square brackets. Update the table and view
the results.
7. Sort the repeat region by the part number.
Set up the table to display the component information in the BOM table.
1. The second repeat region will contain the component information. Enter the
following report symbols into this repeat region in the appropriate places:
¾ rpt.index
¾ rpt.qty
¾ “EA”
¾ asm.mbr.part_no
¾ asm.mbr.descr
¾ asm.mbr.mfg_name
¾ asm.mbr.mfg_cat_no
2. Enter the keyboard text [EA] in the unit of measure cell. Since this is a repeat
3. Update the repeat region.
4. Change the attributes of the region to No Duplicates to activate the Pro/REPORT

quality symbol.
5. Change the attributes of the region from Flat to Recursive to list the all of the parts
in the assembly.
6. Add filters to this region to hide certain parts. Rather than selecting them individually
“by item,” add the following filter relations:
¾ &asm.mbr.name != MAP_*
¾ &asm.mbr.name != *_SKEL
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¾ &asm.mbr.type != ASSEMBLY
¾ &asm.mbr.type != HARNESS
7. Sort the region by part number and update the table.
Set up the table to display the terminator information in the BOM table.
1. The third repeat region will contain the terminator information. Note that there
should only be 4 cells in the repeat region. Enter the following report symbols into
this repeat region in the appropriate places:
¾ rpt.index
¾ rpt.qty
¾ “EA”
¾ asm.mbr.name
2. Enter the keyboard text [EA] in the unit of measure cell. Since this is a repeat
3. Update the repeat region.
4. Add filters to this region to hide all of the components except the terminators:
¾ &asm.mbr.type == TERMINATOR
5. Update the table. Note that this region is now empty. This is because the terminator
information is not turned on yet. Go to Attributes and set to No Duplicates and
Cable Info.
6. The remainder of the cells must be entered manually into the table as keyboard text.
The reason for this is that Pro/ENGINEER R2000I does not support user-defined
terminator parameters.
7. Sort the region by part number.
Sequence the index numbers in the BOM table.

1. Note that the index numbers in the table are not continuous – you need to
take additional action to get your geese in row.
2. Modify the attributes of the second repeat region to use a Start Index and select the
first region to follow.
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3. Modify the attributes of the third repeat region to use a Start Index and select the
second region to follow. The index numbers should now run from 1-13
continuously.
Balloon the view using the BOM table.

1. Set the 2nd repeat region as a BOM Balloon region.
2. Show the balloons in the view.
3. Regrettably, there is no way currently to automatically balloon the terminators from

Pro/REPORT. The terminators can be listed in the pinout tables. This will be
shown later.
Create the “loom” table to show the bundle information.

1. Create an ascending table with 3 columns and 2 rows. Make the bottom row double
height.
2. Merge the first 2 cells in the column header. Enter the heading text.
3. Create a repeat region in the 2nd row that contains all 3 cells.
4. Enter the following report symbols in the appropriate cells:
¾ harn.run.name
¾ harn.run.spool.loom_od
¾ harn.run.len
5. Create a filter to show only the bundles:
¾ &harn.run.spool.sheath_type == TUBE
6. Create a repeat region in the 2nd row that contains all 3 cells.
7. Modify the length parameter to round to the nearest 1/10”.
Create the “pin-out” table for the J103 connector.

1. Create a descending table that has 2 columns and 3 rows.
2. Merge the first 2 cells in the column header row.
3. Add a repeat region in the first row.
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4. Enter the following report symbol in the repeat region:
• mbr.connprm.name
5. Add the rest of the heading text: [PIN] and [WIRE] to the appropriate cells.
6. Create a repeat region in the 3rd row that contains all of the cells of that row.
7. Enter the following report symbols into the repeat region:
• mbr.connprm.pin.signal.p_name
• mbr.connprm.pin.run.cond.name
8. Select Model/Rep to drive the two regions and pick the connector in the drawing.
9. Add parametric note with leader &ref_des:att and pick

the connector.
Create the “pin-out” table for the J104 and J105 connectors.
1. Create 3 copies of the J103 table.
2. Change the Model/Rep of 1st copy to J104.
3. Change the Model/Rep of 2nd copy to J105.
4. Query Select the Model/Rep of 3rd copy to P101.
5. Turn the display of the reference designators in the Environment menu

and regenerate the drawing. This will temporarily mark the connectors.
6. Reposition all of the pin-out tables near the appropriate connectors.
Create the “from-to” table for the harness.

1. Create a descending table that has 7 columns and 2 rows. The second row should be
double height.
2. Enter the column header text in the second row.
3. Create a repeat region in the 1st row that contains all of the cells in the row.
4. Enter the following report symbols in the appropriate cells:
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• harn.run.cond.name
• harn.run.len
• harn.run.cond.from.conn.name
• harn.run.cond.from.pin.sig.p_name
• harn.run.cond.to.conn.name
• harn.run.cond.to.pin.sig.p_name
• harn.run.spool.wire_gauge
¾ Note: p_name is used instead of the normal “pin.name” to allow for unique
alphanumeric pin naming.
5. Round the length to the nearest 1/10th of an inch.
6. This table should contain only the wires, not the sheaths or the network, so create
the following filters:
¾ &harn.run.name != NETWORK
¾ &harn.run.spool.type != SHEATH
7. Sort the table by wire number.
The “from-to” tables are often very large and need to be paginated. In this task, you will practice
paginating the table.
1. Pick Paginate from the Table menu and select the region in the from-to table.
2. Add the title row to the table by picking Add Title, Footer and selecting the region.
3. Next, select the row that contains the column headings. When the system prompts
you for a 2nd row in the footer, pick the same row again. The system should tell you
that the title has been successfully added.
4. Pick Set Extent to break the table. Select between the 3rd and 4th rows from the top.
The bottom rows should disappear, leaving the footer in place.
5. Pick Add Segment to show the rest of the table. Select a point somewhere on the
drawing. Select a second point 3 inches lower.
6. There may be extra rows now in the table. You can fix this by picking Set Extent
again and selecting higher in the second portion of the table. There should be 7 lines
of info (not counting the footers) as shown in Figure 50.
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Figure 50: Paginated From-To Table
8. Put the table back together by picking Clear Extent from the Pagination menu.
Identify the locations of the sheathing needed in the harness by creating parametric notes that
reference the spool information.
1. Create a note with a leader. Use the Attach, On Entity option and select the cable
segment with a bundle.
2. Enter the following text for the note:
¾ [Bundle &NAME:att]
This syntax reads the bundle parameter information from the cable segment and
shows it in the note.
3. Create the other 4 bundle notes.
Save the drawing and exit.
Terminator Tables
You can create terminator tables in Pro/DIAGRAM in the same way that you create them
in Pro/CABLING. Terminator information that you create in a Diagram can be referenced
logically by a cabling assembly. The opposite is also true. You can save a terminator table to
a file and read it in from either the Pro/CABLING or the Pro/DIAGRAM module
About Terminators and Terminator Tables
117
A terminator is a cabling connector parameter that can be defined for each pin of a
connector to represent contact, crimp, or terminator information. Cabling terminators can
be automatically assigned to each pin on a connector using rules in a terminator table. A
terminator table is a file that describes the criteria that must be met for a particular
terminator to be assigned to a pin on a connector. If you specify certain combinations of
parameters in a terminator table, any connector pin meeting these requirements can be
automatically assigned a specified terminator.
The terminator table must contain two header lines. The first column is mandatory and the
other columns are optional. In the following table, “object” is one of SPOOL, COND,
CONN, or PIN, and “Param” is any parameter in the object, including a user-defined
parameter. COND refers to a cable, cable conductor, or wire that is routed to a connector
pin.
CONN (OBJECT) (OBJECT)
TERM_NAME (PARAM) (PARAM)
You can assign terminators either manually, by editing the connector parameter file, or
automatically, by using a terminator table. By default, terminators are assigned automatically
where appropriate when a terminator table is executed. Typically, the terminator table is set
up to select the terminator based on the diameter of the wire and the connector model
name. The terminators that you assigned are specified with the TERMINATOR connector
parameter statement. To manually assign a terminator, use the TERMINATOR pin
parameter.
When you regenerate the cabling assembly, the connector terminator statement is updated
(created, deleted, or modified) according to the latest terminator table you have executed.
Terminators that you manually assigned are not overridden by settings in a terminator table
unless specified otherwise.
Note: Before a terminator is assigned to a connector by a table or is manually assigned, the

connector parameter PIN_ASSIGN must be present in the connector parameter file.
Specifying a Terminator Table
Terminator table files initially contain header rows that display default connector and spool
parameter columns. The default parameter for the connector column is model_name, and
the default parameter for the spool column is wire_gauge. These typical selection criteria can
be added to or modified to include any connector, connector pin, spool, or spool conductor
parameter.
Desired terminator names are entered in column 1, with their appropriate defining parameter
values in each respective row. Asterisks in the parameter columns mean the terminator
applies to all values of the parameter in the column header to be ignored.
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Terminator tables are not just limited to setting terminator names. You also can set any pin
parameter based on the logic set up in your table. For terminator tables, there are typically
certain parameters that are used to set the terminators. For spool parameters, thickness and
wire_gauge are common. For Pin parameters, gender influences the terminator selection.
For Connector parameters, model name and even a user-defined parameter like pin_plating
are common parameters for the table. However, it is up to the user to decide how he/she
wants to set the terminators for his design.
When thinking about how you want to display terminals in the drawing, will determine
whether you use a terminator table to assign the parameter value for “TERM_NAME” or if
you actually assemble the terminals as 3D component models in your cabling assembly. You
can create a library of terminal lug models for ring, fast-on, and spade terminals. Just
remember, the size and complexity of the model increases with the addition of lug models in
the assembly.
Exercise-2-11 – Creating a terminator table
Pull up the starting diagram
/OPEN/terminator_table.dgm
Read in a spools and add parameters thickness and wire_gauge.
/SPOOLS/READ/working_directory/16rd.spl
/EDIT/check to see the wire gauge = 16 and the thickness = 0.06.
/SPOOL/READ/working directory/18bl.spl
/EDIT/check to see the wire gauge = 18 and the thickness = 0.05
Create 2 parametric connectors
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/CREATE/CONNECTOR/PARAMETRIC/FEMALE/6 PINS/Enter “J1” for Ref Des
and “CN45678” for Model Name
Create User-defined parameter for Connector by picking menu
/VIEW/COLUMNS/in Name Box enter”PIN_PLATING” <CR>
Move PIN_PLATING after MODEL_NAME using the up arrow/APPLY/OK
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Under PIN_PLATING, enter value of “TIN”
Save the connector parameter file. We will reuse it for the next connector. We will just
modify the ref_des and gender.
/FILE/WRITE/”J1.spm”/OK
/ROTATE 180 degrees/RESIZE 1.433*2
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Create a second parametric connector with six-pins, but this time make it a male connector.
/CREATE/CONNECTOR/PARAMETRIC/MALE/6 PINS/Enter “K1” for Ref Des
/FILE/READ/j1.spm
/RESIZE/1.433 * 2 (twice its original size)
Change pin sequence
/MODIFY/PIN SEQUENCE/Pick J1 connector/REVERSE
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Autoroute wires between connectors using red, 16 gauge wire
/CREATE/WIRE/16RD/AUTOCONNECT/PICK“J1”/Pick K1”/PREVIEW/DONE
/MODIFY/CHANGE SPOOL/Pick last 3 wires/18BL/
Create terminator table
/ADVANCED/TERM TABLE/READ/TERMINATOR_TABLE.TTB
/EDIT
Notice how different terminators are assigned based on model name, wire gauge, pin plating,
and gender, thickness. This table is very small, but these tables can be very large to
automatically assign all terminators in a diagram. Also, the terminator table acts as a master
for the entire company, so the work needs to be done only once upfront.
/EXECUTE/DONE
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Check the TERM_NAME pin parameters for the 2 connectors
/MODIFY/PARAMETERS/Pick two connectors/DONE/Select PIN radio

button/VIEW/EXPAND ALL/
Note: the terminators were set based on the table logic.
Set terminator to different value from table
Enter “XXXX1” for pin 1 of J1 TERM_NAME, and set the TERM_AUTO_ASSIGN to

“FALSE”. Now the value for the terminator has been set manually and will not be over-
ridden from the table.
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Strip Length Tables
A Strip Length is the amount of insulation, which is removed from the end of a wire. Strip
lengths can be assigned automatically or manually, in a similar manner to terminators.
A strip length can automatically be assigned to the end of wires in a manner similar to a
terminator table. Select Strip Table from the HARN SETUP menu and choose Edit. A strip
table contains 2 header rows: object and parameter. The object of the first column must be
"COND," or conductor, and the parameter must be "STRIP_LENGTH." Additional
columns may contain any object and parameter desired. In this example, strip lengths will be
assigned based on terminator names. Setting up the strip length table as shown in Figure 6
will automatically assign a strip length of 0.2 inches to any wire terminating with "term_1"
and a strip length of 0.3 inches to any wire terminating with "term_2." Exit Pro/TABLE,
and Execute the strip length table.
4 "STRIP_LENGTH" parameters were automatically added to this cable's parameter file

because the cable has two conductors and each conductor has two ends. Select Modify
125
from the CABLING menu, and choose Parameters. Use Sel By Menu and pick CABLE2 to
view the contents of the parameter file. Notice that "AUTO_ASSIGN" is set to "TRUE" for
each conductor.
126
3
Lesson
Directory Structure
127
This chapter will layout all the template and example files for the setup of your
electromechanical environment.
Directory Structure
We have included many of the files necessary to get you started. These files are merely
examples and templates that you can used to edit to your company standards and design
practices. It is very similar to the pro_stds directory that many customers used today with
Pro/ENGINEER. It has just been tailored for the electromechanical environment of
Pro/DIAGRAM, Pro/CABLING, and Pro/HARNESS MFG.
Here is how the directory structure is laid out:
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I will break down each subdirectory and explain/show what is contained in each.
The configs subdirectory contains several subdirectories below it. They are:
Config_template- is the config.pro file containing standard configuration settings along

with several mapkeys.
Color – color subdirectory contains the color.map with named colors useful for
coloring wires/cable/sheathing and other components as well
Layers – contains standard layer setup for part and assembly connectors.
Maintaining a consistent layering scheme in your design is very important
Mdl_tree – contains cabling.cfg file for setting up the cabling columns in the
model tree
Win_cfg- contains the config.win file for setting up the icons, mapkeys, toolbars,
basically the windows environment.
The next set of directories is related to drawing and diagram notes and setup:
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Drawing_note_dir – contains notes to read in from file for naming
wires/bundles, and reference designators in a flat harness drawing
Drawing_setup_dir – contains to subdirectories; diagram and drawing
Diagram – contain diagram_template.dtl file with common settings for B-D

size diagram with ½ inch grid size
Drawing – contains standard drawing setup files for ANSI, ISO, DIN, and JIS
for the start harness drawing.
The next 2 subdirectory is the format and library directory.
Format- contains a C-size template format with the grid location setup
Library- contains a subdirectory called Inpart
InPart- contains several example model files downloaded from InPart
Conn_lib – storage place for custom library 3D connectors
The next subdirectory is the spools containing examples and templates for wire, cable and
sheath spools.
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Wire – contains examples of wire spools along with a template
Cable – contains several examples of cable spools along with a template
Sheath – contains spools for 3D sheathing; heat shrink, tape, loom, and an
example tape spool
The next two subdirectories contain example start files and an example strip length chart.
Start_files – contains diagram, connector, electric assembly, start_harness

drawing, and start part.
Conn_template – example connector with standard views, layers, datum

features, etc.
Diagram_template – C –size diagram with format, tables, etc.
Elect_asm_template – start assembly with views, layers, parameters, etc.
Start_harness.drw – start harness drawing containing tables, for a variable sized

nailboard drawing
Startpart.prt – standard start part for Pro/E
Strip_table – contains an example strip table chart for assign strip length for conductors
The next subdirectory contains symbols:
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Harness_draw – contains symbol for ballooning ref_des
parameters – contains both component and connector parameter file examples
template_syms – contains a default node and terminal block template symbol
elec_sym – storage place for electrical symbols for Pro/DIAGRAM
The next subdirectory contains tables for both diagram and harness drawings
diagram – contains Pro/REPORT tables for the diagram
dgm_conn_loc.tbl- locates the connectors by location grid in diagram
dgm_conn_term_bom.tbl – bill of materials of connectors and their terminators
dgm_spool_lists – list of all spools contained in diagram
dgm_wirelist – wirelist giving from-to info about each conductor
from-to.tbl – another example of the wirelist
location.tbl – another table showing the connector/component location
drawing – contains Pro/REPORT tables for harness drawings
132
conn_pin_out.tbl – connector pinout table describing the wires, gauges, at each pin for
each connector
dwg_bundle.tbl – list all the bundles in a harness with their size, length, and spool
dwg_conn.tbl – list all the reference designators and their corresponding model names for
a harness drawing
dwg_conn_bom.tbl – list the quantity of each connector and terminator in the harness
dwg_pinout.tbl – similar to the conn_pin_out.tbl with different parameters shown
dwg_wirelist.tbl – wirelist show from-to info including conductor length
electric_bom.tbl – bill of materials of all the electrical components that make up a harness
The last subdirectory is term_table containing an example terminator table for automatically
assigning terminals for the connector pins.
133
A ppendix A - PTC Global Ser vice
Sur vey
Below is a list of items PTC Global Services Organization can help our customers with. Please
evaluate the need in each item and complete programs on a 1-5 basis using the following ratings:
1 – no need
5 – absolutely necessary
If you think that an item should become a part of a different program, please enter a
number of that program in the “Move” column.
Programs 1 2 3 4 5
1. Foundation
1.1 Customized configuration files (.pro, .win, .dtl)
1.2 Library directory structure
1.3 Naming conventions (Pro/E files, features, library objects)
1.4 Start files (diagram, cabling assembly, connector part and assembly)
1.5 Sample customized library objects (.sym, .spl, .spm, .ttb)
1.6 3D connector and component models
1.7 Report tables (runlist, BOM, pin-out tables)
2. Quickstart
2.1 Foundation
2.2 Pilot project support
2.3 Detailed specification for library objects' creation
2.4 Implementation planning
3. Library development
3.1 PTC consultant develops detailed specification
3.2 Custom 3D library models made by a PTC certified vendor
3.3 Custom 2D library files made in-house using the PTC developed scripts
4. Project support & mentoring

4.1 Interactive user mentoring
4.2 Development of Best Practices and troubleshooting documentation
4.3 Creating an internal web site with documented the Best Practices
5. Customized training classes

5.1 Use of your production models in exercises
5.2 Use the company specific best practices in training
6. Assessment
6.1 Questionnaire/quiz for users/contractors
6.2 Cabling assembly management test
6.3 Modeling test (Pro/DIAGRAM, Pro/CABLING, Pro/HARNESS-MFG)
134
7. Automation
7.1 Automatic connector and component placement in 2D
7.2 Automatic wire and connector parameter creation in 2D
7.3 Automatic library models' check-out in Pro/INTRALINK
7.4 Design options’ automation
7.5 Routing automation in 3D
Please indicate (in man-days) what kind of your company internal resources would be required
to develop:
At the start of Now

implementatio
Configuration files (.pro, .win, .dtl)
Naming conventions
Start files
Please name what start files you are using:
100% parametric report tables (no manual entry)

Please list the tables
Detailed specification for library objects' creation

3D library models (connectors, components, hardware, etc.)
2D library files (spools, notes, parameter files, terminator table)
Best Practices and troubleshooting documentation
Internal web site
Customized training
Please name the “subjects” you teach the new users in-house:
Good evaluation tool to assess users/contractors

Please describe the tool:
Automation technique
Please describe the technique:
135
PTC has a group of expert Global Service Consultants who can assist you in implementing the
software correctly to automate your current electro-mechanical processes
(http://www.ptc.com/services/index.htm). Please contact your Sales Representative for
further details
136
A ppendix B – Educational Ser vices -
Electromechanical Tr aining
Contact Info
For more information on PTC Education services products, call us at (888) 782-3773 or visit www.ptc.com
2000i2 Update Training

Maximize your productivity! Update Training focuses on enhancements made to various
Pro/Engineer modules and includes a chapter dedicated to electromechanical functionality.
After completing the course, you will be able to:
• Define a format grid used to locate diagram entities.

• Use enhanced search capabilities and the Electrical Parameters dialog box to quickly
locate and change entity characteristics.
• Selectively implement wire label content and orientation using the new Redo Labels
menu.
• Select Multi-View components by name and switch sheets during placement.
• Dynamically manipulate cable paths using the new Location > Move > Drag
command.
• Automatically set wire color based on spool parameters
• Automatically designate components and connectors using the new Components >
AutoDesignate option.
• Better manage large assemblies using the multiple location point config.pro option.
• Toggle the display of tangency between none interfering wires.
• Choose a simplified rep when entering harness manufacturing.
• Use the new Close Loop command to flatten 2 and 3 sided loops; and loops that
include splices.
2000i2 Harness Design Training
Sharpen your knowledge! The 2000i2 Harness Design course leads you through the entire harness design
process. In five days, you’ll cover the setup, modification, and optimization of your deliverables.
137
Pro/Diagram – 2 days
L e a r n t o e f f e c t i v e l y p l a n yo u r
logical design. The new course
offers extended coverage of basic
diagram foundation, including
environment setup options and
u s e r - d e f i n e d s ym b o l c r e a t i o n . T h e
course also discusses the import
and export of logical data, and
Pro/Report tables.
Pro/Cabling – 2 days
Learn to effectively design your 3-D
harnesses. The new course offers
extended coverage of basic foundation,
including connector definition, Data
Sharing techniques, assembly
structure, and subharnesses. The
course also explores complex 3-D
networks and routing without logical
references.
Pro/Harness Mfg. – ½
day
L e a r n t o e f f e c t i v e l y f l a t t e n yo u r 3 -
D harness. The new course offers
extended coverage of flattening
techniques including Fan Out and
Close Loop. The course also
investigates troubleshooting
techniques and harness
information tools.
Nailboard Drawing – ½
day
Learn to effectively document your
harness design. The new course
offers extended coverage of multi-
m o d e l d r a wi n g s a n d n a i l b o a r d
dimensioning. The course also
r e v i e ws P r o / R e p o r t t a b l e s a n d h o w
t h e y c a n b e u s e d f o r B O M s , wi r e
a n d s p o o l s l i s t s , a s we l l a s
connector pinout listing.
138

ProE Electrical Jumpstart

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Electrical Jumpstart Kit

An excellent deliverables analysis is an essential prerequisite to a proper electromechanical

• Identify all of the elements required for the foundation

• Connector – A Pro/DIAGRAM connector is a schematic representation of a

• Component – A component is a schematic representation of electromechanical

Spool – A spool is an assembly feature representing a certain type of wire or cable. In

EXERCISE 1-1: Deliverables Analysis

Review the component catalog sheets

Review the diagrams.

Locate the diagram components (single view)

Locate the diagram components (multi-view)

Locate the diagram connectors

Locate all of the splices

Locate all of the in-line connectors

Locate the wire breaks

Construct a “from-to” table

¾ Name of the wire

Review the harness drawing

1. Make notes of all type of harness symbols

2. Are the terminal lugs showing graphically or in a table?

3. Are the connector reference designators shown on the drawing?

4. What information is contained in the pin-out tables for each connector?

5. What type of sheathing/braiding is used in harness?

6. What types of markers/labels are used?

terminals, signal, strip length, etc.)

10. How is the drawing dimensioned? Are their dimensions?

Review the parts list

1. How many columns/rows to part list?

3. What are the units of measure (UM)?

Drawing Setup Files

Ref_des_display yes/ Controls the display of reference

show_cbl_term_in_region yes/ Allows the use of report symbols

harn_tang_line_display yes/ Specify whether on not to turn on the

Diagram Setup File

def_wire_break_label SH.&wire_opp_she Sets the default wire break

wire_note_above NO Sets the offset of wire notes

rail_note_above NO Sets the offset of rail_notes

default_para_conn_text_ 0.05625 Sets the default parametric

Break_point_size 0.01 Sets the size of wire break

Wire_default_prefix W Defines the prefix of the

Wire_default_suffix 001 Defines the start number or

Cable_default_prefix C Defines the prefix for cable

Cable_default_suffix 001 Defines the start number or

Pc_node_label &label Sets the content of node

Node_radius .01 Sets the size of the nodes

Rail_node_radius .01 Sets the size of nodes

Drawing_text_height .15 Sets the default text height

Configuration file (Config.pro)

General Rules for Configuration File Options:

Configuration file options generally use the format

Storing Configuration Files

At startup, Pro/ENGINEER first reads in a protected system configuration file called

1. loadpoint/text (loadpoint is the directory in which Pro/ENGINEER is installed)-Your

3. Startup directory-This is your current or working directory when you start

cl Centerline Displays 3D harness in centerline

dim Create Dim Create drawing dimension

dr Drag Loc Drag Location dynamically

fd Del Feature Delete Feature

gf Grid off Turns grid display off

go Grid on Turns grid display on

gs Grid Snap Toggles grid snap on/off

gt Get Table Retrieve table for diagram/drawing

ip Int portions Toggles display of internal portions

len Len Info Find length of wire/cable