Baiscs: PTC CREO 4.0

 Software Basics

In this post I will show you how to start PTC Creo Parametric Software, things that will be covered in this post include:

• Starting of PTC Creo Parametric for the First Time
• PTC Creo Menu buttons and their names
• "Working Directory" Introduction

For those of you who are starting PTC Creo Parametric for First Time, PTC Creo Parametric has the Following Icon on desktop computers:

PTC Creo Parametric ICON (Desktop)

Double clicking the icon will open PTC Creo Parametric Window(s), now be patient as PTC Creo 4.0 is a big software and may take some time to load on certain Computers or Platforms.

Once Loaded, PTC Creo Parametric window(s) look like this:

Startup Window Creo Parametric 4.0

Looks so messy right! Well you can close the resource center and inbuilt browser to make the window look more clean like below:

Startup Window Creo Parametric 4.0 Clean

This is the final and most usable screen for us for now, lets see what each button means to us by dividing the screen into certain colour coded zones as below:

Colour Coded Creo Parametric 4.0 Screen

Regions denoted by the colours are, Black Zone, Red Zone, Blue Zone, Green Zone and Brown Zone.

• Black Zone
  Black Zone denotes File operations and Model operations under Home (when working on a Sketch or 3D Model), other wise direct file operations.
  At the start screen, there are two options available to the user numbered as per the Image above:
  A:  File - Here the user has various options about working with files, the File Menu will look like below:
  

  

  File Menu

  1. New        - Makes a new file (3D Model, Sketch, NC Assembly, etc.)
  2. Open       - Opens an existing File (3D Model, Sketch, NC Assembly, etc.)
  3. Save     - Saves the file we have finished working upon / Creates a new "Version" of the Model (will be covered later)
  4. Save As - To export our Model in other formats presumably for Analysis or to open the model in another software (Ansys, Solidworks, etc.), or even to make a copy of our Model under different name or mirrored.

  

  Save As Menu

  5. Print - To export our model for printing on a paper or even 3D printing.

  

  Print Menu

  6. Close - To Close the open model but not to close PTC Creo 4.0 software
  7. Manage File - To delete any older versions, to Delete the File entirely or to Rename the File

  

  Manage File Menu

  8. Other options such as Prepare, Send and Manage session are for Advanced operations not in the scope of this topic.
  9. Options menu gives the user access to configure/re-configure our Window and will be discussed in later posts.
• Red Zone
  Red zone gives the user access to some options of File Menu in Black Zone directly such as New and Open. Apart from that, it gives the user other options as shown form the Image Below:

  

  Red Zone Menu

  1 & 2. are the same functions as Black Zone so please refer to that.
  3. Open Last Session will open a window which will show all the models that were opened when last time the software was used.
  4. Select Working Directory "Working Directory" is the Folder in which the user of PTC Creo 4.0 wants to save, open, etc. all the files which he is working on.
  For example, if I want to work on a 3D model of a Pump, then I will create a Folder named Pump anywhere in my system and select that as my working directory, so that whatever part of the final Pump assembly I make, will be available to me in one single folder, and Creo will save all my files in that folder.
  A working directory is not compulsory to select, but it is a good practice to make one and select the working directory whenever you start PTC Creo Parametric, or are working on existing files.
  5. Erase Not Displayed is used to cleanup the temporary data files after user is finished and is about to close the software.
  6. Model Display opens the 3D Models but only for Viewing, no editing can be done here.
  7. System Appearance allows the user to change the theme of the software.
  8. Play Trail File opens and displayes all previous versions of a 3D Model provided that a Trail File has been generated for it.
• Blue Zone
  Blue zone allows the user to access folders and files form Folder Browser (10) on the system when not working on any model.

  

  Blue Zone

  
  
  Model Tree is hen any sketch or model is open the blue zone shows the Hierarchy of the model (9) i.e. What commands were used to create which features of the 3D Model.
  When any assembly is opened, the blue zone will show and give access to all the "parts" the assembly is composed of and will also allow to change the position and Movement property of each part.(9)

  

  Model Tree

  
  
• (If you did not understand this section, it will be covered in further posts when a 3D model as well as Assembly will be made.)
• Green Zone
  Green zone is the model space, i.e. it displays a 3D Model for viewing or editing such as the Image shown below:

  

  3D Model View in Green Zone (For Representation only)

• Brown Zone
  Brown Zone has a Message Window (18) which show any errors or warnings and messages from the software about the Sketch or 3D Model we are working upon.
  The Look At (19) allows the user to view a specific part of the Model.
  Selection Filter (20) allows the user to select a specific part of the model (eg. axis, geometry, plane, etc.)
  

So this was our First Glance at the software, I hope I was able to cover most of the basic parts of the software and was able to convey some meaning from this post. 

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UP NEXT:

• Scope of PTC CREO 4.0 Parametric Software
• First 2D Drawing in PTC CREO 4.0 Parametric Software