Suggested Technique for Using Location Callouts in Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 3.0

Product development — even for the individual CAD end-user — is getting more complicated by the minute. Yet mainstream press continue to focus on the latest, coolest, easy-to-demo feature — instead of tackling the complicated issues. PTC Express decided to ask three manufacturing professionals: what really concerns engineers today, and what are some of the advanced CAD capabilities that help address these challenges?

The first step for using location callouts is to create a format. Figure 1 shows the format that will be used for this suggested technique. Notice that there are five columns — numbered one to five — and four rows lettered A to D.

• Select File > Page Setup > Define to begin creating the location grid.
  
  
• Define the origin of the location grid by selecting Grid Origin. Since the numbering and lettering systems go left to right and top to bottom, select the upper left hand corner. A small yellow x will appear indicating the location of the grid origin.
  
  
• Begin defining the columns of the grid by selecting Columns from the DEFINE GRID menu.
  
  
• Select Letters, Numbers, or Custom to determine which system will be used to define the columns. This particular example uses Numbers.
  
  
• Select either By Number or By Pick Point to set how the columns size will be determined.
  
  
• By Number will create the desired number of columns or rows evenly spaced along the size of the grid. By Pick Point enables for greater flexibility because it allows for the width of the columns to be defined by selecting on the screen.
  
  
• Select Done/Return when finished defining the columns.
  
  
• Use the same steps to define the rows of the location grid. When finished defining the rows and columns the format should look like Figure 2. Notice how the name of each column and row appears in white.

Note: The grid will disappear when exiting out of the LOCATION GRID menu when in Format mode.

• Add the format to a drawing to begin using the location callouts. We will use the drawing in Figure 3 this example.
  
  
• In this particular example, we need to edit the note SEE DETAIL B to include the position of the detail view on the drawing. The parameter used for the location callout is &pos_loc:view:<view_name>.
  
  
• Since the name of the detail view is B, the syntax of the note would be &pos_loc:view:B.
  
  
• The name of the view can be verified and modified by selecting the view note so it highlights Edit > Properties in red. The location callout will read 14C because the view is located on sheet one and in location 4C of the format grid. If the detail view is moved, the note will automatically update with the new location.
  
  
• The position location parameter parent_note can also be used to call out the location of a detail view's parent. For example if the note DETAIL B was modified and &pos_loc:parent_note:b was added, the note would read 22A which references the location of the detail view's parent.
  
  
• The drawing setup file option pos_loc_format controls the format of the location callouts. The default value is %s%x%y, %r which will display the sheet number, the location in x direction, and the location in y direction.
  
  
• The %r is not applicable in drawing mode because it is used when calling out the location of multiple objects with the same name, such as Pro/DIAGRAM connectors.
  
  
• If pos_loc_format was changed to %x-%y, the value of the note in the above step would be 4-C.