By Scott Hendren
As a long-time user of Creo Parametric, I have observed tremendous increases in the software’s functionality and stability. With the launch of Creo Parametric 4.0, there are certainly functional changes, but I think the real focus of this release, as has been true of several previous releases, is usability and efficiency.
When I began using Creo Parametric (formerly Pro/ENGINEER), back in the mid-nineties, it was a menu-driven tool. For example, seasoned users will recall that, if you wanted to create an extruded feature that extruded from on one side of a sketch plane, you had to click Feature>Create>Solid>Protrusion>Extrude>Done>One-Side>Done and then select your sketching plane. That is a total of nine clicks - eight menus plus the selection of the sketch plane. Over the years, the software has transformed from menu-driven to ribbon/icon-driven. So in Creo Parametric, those nine clicks have been reduced to just two – simply select a sketch plane and click (Extrude) in the ribbon
In Creo Parametric 4.0, the focus on efficiency has continued with the addition of the mini toolbar. Now, if you want to create that same extruded feature, you can select the sketch plane, and adjacent to your selection, and click (Extrude) in the mini toolbar.
The mini toolbar further increases efficiency by reducing mouse-travel and enabling you to work even more closely with the model. It contains common commands based on the entity you select. For example, if you select a surface, (Extrude),
(Hole),
(Shell) and so on are available. If you select an edge,
(Round),
(Chamfer),
(Sweep) and so on are available.
You can even customize the commands found in the mini toolbar, to further increase your productivity.
In Creo Parametric 3.0, you could right-click a feature and select (Edit Dimensions) or
(Edit Definition) from the context menu. In Creo Parametric 4.0, there is no longer a need to select a feature and right-click. You can simply select an entity and click
(Edit Dimensions) or
(Edit Definition) in the mini toolbar. The system will select the feature to which the entity belongs and enable you do change the feature dimensions or edit its definition.
As Creo Parametric continues to mature, you will continue to gain benefit from software that is easier and more efficient to use, thus enabling you to focus more on your designs.
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A thorough discussion of these updates and more are available in either the Creo Parametric 4.0: Core Update from Creo Parametric 2.0 or Creo Parametric 4.0: Core Update from Creo Parametric 3.0 learning guides, available on the ASCENT eStore.
Plus, if you missed the Creo 4.0 Update Webcast which covered many updates to Creo Parametric 4.0, you can watch the recording here.
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