Inserting a UDF (User Defined Feature) programatically in CREO by using a VB Application

In this example we are to use the box of the last exercise, be sure this box has minimum 300mm length, 100mm Depth and 150mm height (or larger for the 3 dimensions)

The UDF we are to create will ask for the user to select a coordinate System  on a surface, and also the user can enter the X and Y distance to this coordinate system. The Reference coordinate system should have the Z vector pointing out normal to the surface. Follow next steps for creating the UDF.

Create a reference coordinate system for the UDF (This CS will not be included in the UDF

Orient with Z axis pointing normal to the surface, X lengthwise and Y crosswise

Create another coordinate system (This CS WILL be included in the UDF definition) referenced on the previous CS and with the offset shown in the image below (20 in X direction and 20 in Y direction)

 

Now let’s proceed with the creation of the hole feature; select extrude

Select the ‘placement’ tab

Click on ‘Define…’ button

 

Click on plane textbox

Now we are to create “on the fly” references, click in Model Tab and in “Plane”, as is shown in the image below

Select Z and 0 as the offset direction and dimension, click okay

Now repeat the process for the refernce datum plane, click the “Reference” textbox

And again select Datum plane and click on the CS Select X and 0 as the offset direction and dimension, click okay

 

Select in the “sketch” dialog box, Right orientation for the reference datum plane and click okay,

Now select the CS as the reference, delete all other references

Make a circle as shown below, the center is constrained in the reference, click okay

Make the extrude a cut and “trough all” option for the depth as shown below, click okay to the extrude creation

Now select the “Tools tab” and “UDF Library”

Next dialog box menu appears in the right top corner

Select “create” and type “Hole01” for the UDF name and click okay

Select Stand alone

And click ‘NO’ to the dialog box asking for including the reference part

Next dialog box appears asking for adding features

Select in the model tree the Coordinate system and the extrude (The last 2 created features)

Click okay and done, then for the prompts type “Reference Coordinate System”

Go to the ‘Var Dims’ Option in the UDF definition dialog and select the Coordinate Sytem (CS1 in this example), all dimensions highlight as shown in the image below

Select the X and Y dimensions that position the CS (CS1) in the surface

The prompt for the values will be X Dimension an Y dimension as shown below, click okay and the definition of our UDF is ready.

Insert the UDF

For testing the previous definition, let’s insert the UDF we have already created.

Select the User-Defined Feature command in the Model tab as shown below

Next dialog box will appear, be sure all options are set as in the image (Advanced reference configuration), and click okay

Next dialog box appears, click on the ‘Reference otf the UDF Features’ textbox, and select the reference coordinate system, remember that the z axis of the CS should be normal to the surface where hol will be inserted, in this case select CS0 as the reference, next picture shows it

Click on the variables tab of the dialog box and type 60 for X dimension and 0 for Y dimension as in next picture and click okay.

The UDF is working so the screen should look similar to this image

Now let’s do this automatically from a VB application

By using MS Visual Studio, add text boxes to the form as is shown below, set the default values also

Create a new class and name it as: “Public Class pfcFeaturesExamples” as shown below

Imports pfcls

Public Class pfcFeaturesExamples

    'Create Hole UDF In Part

    '======================================================================

    'Function   :   createHoleUDFInPart

    'Purpose    :   This function places copies of a node UDF at a

    '               particular coordinate system location in a part. The

    '               node UDF is a cylinder cut centered at the coordinate

    '               system whose diameter is driven by the argument to the

    '               method. The method returns the Feature Group object

    '               created.   

    '======================================================================

    Public Function createHoleUDFInPart(ByVal placementModel As IpfcSolid, _

                                        ByVal Name01 As String, _

                                        ByVal csysName As String, _

                                        ByVal Dim1 As Double, _

                                        ByVal Dim2 As Double) _

                                        As IpfcFeatureGroup

        Dim csys As IpfcCoordSystem = Nothing

        Dim cSystems As IpfcModelItems

        Dim i As Integer

        Dim udfInstructions As IpfcUDFCustomCreateInstructions

        Dim csysSelection As IpfcSelection

        Dim csysReference As IpfcUDFReference

        Dim references As CpfcUDFReferences

        Dim variantDims As IpfcUDFVariantDimension

        Dim variantDims2 As IpfcUDFVariantDimension

        Dim variantVals As IpfcUDFVariantValues

        Dim group As IpfcFeatureGroup

        Try

            cSystems = placementModel.ListItems(EpfcModelItemType.EpfcITEM_COORD_SYS)

            For i = 0 To cSystems.Count - 1

                If (cSystems.Item(i).GetName.ToString = csysName) Then

                    csys = cSystems.Item(i)

                    Exit For

                End If

            Next

            If csys Is Nothing Then

                Throw New Exception("Coordinate System not found in current Solid")

            End If

            '======================================================================

            'Instructions for UDF creation

            '======================================================================

            udfInstructions = (New CCpfcUDFCustomCreateInstructions).Create(Name01)

            '======================================================================

            'Make non variant dimensions blank to disable their display

            '======================================================================

            udfInstructions.DimDisplayType = EpfcUDFDimensionDisplayType.EpfcUDFDISPLAY_BLANK

            '======================================================================

            'Initialize the UDF reference and assign it to the instructions. 

            'The string argument is the reference prompt for the particular

            'reference.

            '======================================================================

            csysSelection = (New CMpfcSelect).CreateModelItemSelection(csys, Nothing)

            csysReference = (New CCpfcUDFReference).Create("Reference Coordinate System", csysSelection)

            references = New CpfcUDFReferences

            references.Set(0, csysReference)

            udfInstructions.References = references

            '======================================================================

            'Initialize the variant dimension and assign it to the instructions.

            'The string argument is the dimension symbol for the variant dimension.

            '======================================================================          

            variantDims = (New CCpfcUDFVariantDimension).Create("d6", Dim1)

            variantDims2 = (New CCpfcUDFVariantDimension).Create("d7", Dim2)

            variantVals = New CpfcUDFVariantValues

            variantVals.Set(0, variantDims)

            variantVals.Set(1, variantDims2)

            udfInstructions.VariantValues = variantVals

            '======================================================================

            'We need the placement model for the UDF for the call to

            'CreateUDFGroup(). If you were placing the UDF in a model other than

            'the owner of the coordinate system, the placement would need to be

            'provided separately.

            '======================================================================

            group = placementModel.CreateUDFGroup(udfInstructions)

            Return group

        Catch ex As Exception

            MsgBox(ex.Message.ToString + Chr(13) + ex.StackTrace.ToString)

            Return Nothing

        End Try

    End Function

End Class

Go back to the form and on the ‘on click’ event of the “Insert UDF” Button add the next code:

Private Sub Button2_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button2.Click

        Dim asyncConnection As IpfcAsyncConnection = Nothing

        Dim run As New pfcFeaturesExamples

        Dim Model As IpfcModel

        Dim Solid As IpfcSolid

        Try

            asyncConnection = (New CCpfcAsyncConnection).Connect(Nothing, Nothing, Nothing, Nothing)

            Model = asyncConnection.Session.CurrentModel

            If Model Is Nothing Then

                Throw New Exception("Model not present")

            End If

            If (Not Model.Type = EpfcModelType.EpfcMDL_PART) And _

                (Not Model.Type = EpfcModelType.EpfcMDL_ASSEMBLY) Then

                Throw New Exception("Model is not a solid")

            End If

            Solid = CType(Model, IpfcSolid)

            run.createHoleUDFInPart(Solid, TextBox5.Text, TextBox4.Text, TextBox7.Text, TextBox8.Text)

            MsgBox("Hole Created")

        Catch ex As Exception

            MsgBox(ex.Message.ToString + Chr(13) + ex.StackTrace.ToString)

        End Try

    End Sub

In this case the name of the textboxes is as follow in the picture:

Test the form and the UDF should be inserted in the model.
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