In general
As in PTC Creo, the SAP ECTR Interface to PTC Creo also determines family tabels (single-level or hierarchical) only on a single level.
The representation e.g. in the Application Structure is made accordingly.
For a better overview in the Application Structure it is possible to display the instances in a container.
(Configurator of the SAP ECTR Interface to PTC Creo: Settings → Advanced → Application Structure → Group instances of the displayed family table into container "Instances")
Family tables - for parts or assemblies - consist of a generic file and the associated instances.
PTC Creo Parametric creates the family table instances at runtime from the generic file.
For all family table members, including the generic file, in SAP ECTR a separate document info record is created in SAP PLM.
Each document can be separately linked to material master record, etc. .
The documents of all members of the family table contain the metadata like status, classification, etc.
The document of the generic file has the generic PTC Creo Parametric file as original file.
Each document of a family table instance has a dummy file as original (* .var.*).
This dummy file is not used from PTC Creo Parametric.
But it is used from SAP ECTR interface to PTC Creo for internal processes, among other things.
Please note that additional DType definitions will be required for family tables (generic files and instances).
Prerequisite
Note: These settings are required to work with PTC Creo Parametric family tables and SAP ECTR !
<SAP ECTR INSTALLATION>\customize\config\default.txt:
plm.document.newVersion.notAllowedForFamilyMembers = true
<SAP ECTR INSTALLATION>\applications\pro\customize\config\dtype.xml:
take_instances_for_generic="yes"
Description
Open a Family Table instance for edit
As defined for all SAP ECTR interfaces to <CAD> in general a family table is handled / edited via its generic.
Due to data consistency documents of family members can not be edited.
In this case SAP ECTR shows a corresponding error message dialog: "The document ... is a family table member, it isn't allowed to edit them."
To edit a family table instance open the generic document for edit.
Delete Instances of Family Tables
Due to reasons of data consistency (Where Used of instances in SAP Bill of Documents and CAD Structures) it is specified for all interfaces that no SAP documents (DIR) of family table instances will be deleted in SAP ECTR while checkin.
Possible Workaround:
NOTE: This workaround is completely in the responsibility of the user!
- Create a new DIR Version in SAP ECTR of the complete family table at first to avoid data inconsistency of already where used documents.
- Checkout the new versioned family table to CAD.
- Delete instance from family table in CAD.
- Checkin the changed family table to SAP.
- Now delete the DIR of the deleted instance manually in SAP ECTR using "Document > Delete document from SAP System".
Load family tables from SAP ECTR to CAD
In the standard SAP ECTR loads the originals from SAP documents, including their document structures from SAP to the local session directory.
The SAP document of the generic of a family table have no SAP document structure.
If you select only the generic SAP document for the load from SAP, SAP ECTR loads only the generic original in the local session directory.
Associated originals of the instance SAP documents and their .di-files are not loaded from SAP in the local session directory.
During follow-up processes this may lead to error messages due to missing .di-informations.
To solve this issue you can do the following:
Manual workaround
Select the generic SAP document and all corresponding instance SAP documents in the SAP ECTR for the load from SAP ECTR.
OR
Automated assistance within SAP ECTR
In order to load family tables completely with all relevant .di-files automatically from SAP ECTR implement the solution from SAP note 2408290.
https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/notes/2408290
OR
Automated assistance within PTC Creo Parametric with SAP ECTR interface to PTC Creo
Note: Planned for one of a next patches
The .di-file and the original from an instance SAP document is determined from SAP ECTR and loaded to the local session directory on demand when the instance is retrieved in PTC Creo.
The useage of a whitelist for filenames is planned as an option.
The implementation of SAP note 2408290 is not mandatory.