It is possible to specify several ProE/Creo specific options (in A3DRWParamsProEData) while importing such CAD files with the HOOPS Exchange API, including the following ones:

Table of Contents

Family tables (m_eFamilyTables):

A family table represents a component with a variable representation

For example a Screw can be part of a family table: that means for the same component, Creo has a variety of representations where the screw length and/or diameter change.

A component from a family table always has a generic representation (i.e. the default model), but the designer will usually use an element with specific parameters.

This is what it looks like in Creo:

HOOPS Exchange supports of Family Tables depends on what data are available in the native Creo file.
Depending on the model, the representation of the family table components can be:

• Stored as a tessellated body.

• Stored in a Creo accelerator files (.xpr, .xas), provided with the model files by the model designer. BRep may be available.

• Not available (no tessellation, no accelerator file). In this case the generic representation is used by HOOPS Exchange to represent the component.

A family table import option impacts the behavior of HOOPS Exchange.

• A3DProEFamTabAcceleratorFileOnly: Only use accelerator files. If none are available then no tessellation nor generic parts will be loaded.

• A3DProEFamTabOrUseTessellation: Will try to use the accelerator files first when possible. otherwise will load the tessellation instead.

• A3DProEFamTabOrUseWireAndGeneric: If no accelerator files nor tessellation are available, will use generic/wire representation.

Example

Creo import options used	Result
A3DProEFamTabAccelesratorFileOnly
A3DProEFamTabOrUseTessellation
A3DProEFamTabOrUseWireAndGeneric

Flexible components

In Creo, a flexible is a part that can has several states, with a variation of dimension, tolerances or material. For a example, a spring can be represented as a flexible component.

In HOOPS Exchange, flexible components are not fully supported. A flexible component can be loaded only in the state it was saved in Creo, and it depends on the data stored in the native file.

• If the tessellation of the flexible component is stored, it will be loaded by default

  • The tessellation is the representation of the flexible component in the state it was saved in Creo.
    

• If no tessellation is available the setting m_bFlexCompUseGenericIfNoTess adapts HOOPS Exchange behavior

  • If the value is set to true a generic representation is loaded.

  • If the value is set to false , no representation is loaded. The component won’t be displayed.

Note: if the tessellation is stored in the file, m_bFlexCompUseGenericIfNoTess won’t have any effect.

Example

Situation	Result
Model saved in Creo
The tessellation is stored in the Creo file
The tessellation is NOT stored in the Creo file m_bFlexCompUseGenericIfNoTess is true
The tessellation is NOT stored in the Creo file m_bFlexCompUseGenericIfNoTess is false

Boolean operations

In CAD software, boolean operations are a way to define geometrical elements by performing unions or intersections or 2 or more sub-elements.

For example, here is the result of a boolean intersection between a cube and a sphere:

Depending on the Creo version used, boolean operations may not be fully supported by HOOPS Exchange

• For older versions, only the tessellation generated by Creo will be loaded if available

• If no tessellation is available, the setting m_bBoolOpUseGenericIfNoTess adapts HOOPS Exchange behavior

  • If the value is set to true a generic representation is loaded. It usually corresponds to the edited part without any of the boolean operation

  • If the value is set to false , no representation is loaded. The component won’t be displayed.

Note: if the tessellation is stored in the file, m_bBoolOpUseGenericIfNoTess won’t have any effect.

Example

Situation	Result
Model saved in Creo
The tessellation is stored in the Creo file
The tessellation is NOT stored in the Creo file m_bBoolOpUseGenericIfNoTess is true
The tessellation is NOT stored in the Creo file m_bBoolOpUseGenericIfNoTess is false

Recommendations

• When a model has a defect in HOOPS Exchange, we recommend to resave the file in Creo, and if possible in a more recent version of Creo.
  

• We recommend trying to work as much as possible with models more recent than Creo 4 for the best results in HOOPS Exchange. If possible, resave the file in a recent version of Creo to upgrade the model.