Moving from TeamCenter

[2SRPE]

I am currently using TeamCenter as the PLM system for NX designed components and assemblies. The company is planning to move to a different PLM software (though not yet decided on which) and wants to take everything that has been saved in TC engineering database and place it on a server for use with a standalone NX system (opening and saving items from a folder instead of through TC). Can anyone offer a way to etract the files either through TC or with a third part software?

 

[ewh]

Sorry, I don't have any info to help you out. I was wondering, however, what problems your company has encountered to take such an action.

"Good to know you got shoes to wear when you find the floor." - [small]Robert Hunter[/small]

 

[ingallspw]

I know in the Content Migration Manager (used for importing I-deas data into NX) has an option for exporting to a local file system but I am not sure if that also works with already migrated or NX data.

I'm not a teamcenter fan myself so even if you don't get the answer here, would you mind posting it?

Thanks!

 

[rg006]

Hello,
I have had some issues with this, but its complicated. Our parent company uses TC and we do not. So, when we go to download files from TC the first problem is assemblies. TC gives assemblies some pretty crazy names so you have to somehow figure out how to track down the original name of the part file. Luckily our parrent company uses the part name in an expression, so we can go check it that way. Then you must go through and open component as, then find the file. If you do not use assemblies, then it would just simply involve saving the files to a folder under whatever name you wish. Its time consuming, but there are some free macro programs you can download and create your own macro to open/copy and same UG files from the server to a new folder. That might be the most cost effective, but also time consuming. Other than that, if you are still paying for UG support, call them. Thats what you are giving them so much money for. Or better yet, if you are still shopping for new CAD software, dictate in you contract that they will provide conversion software free of charge. Its a buyers market right now so that will pretty much do what they have to for new customers. When we moved to UG from EMS back in the stone age UG provided translation software to make the switch. We were only able to get solids and DXF files, but it was automated and fast.
Hope this helps,
God Bless,
Rick

 

[2SRPE]

Thanks Rick, unfortunately we are not still paying for maintenance on the system. I've had the same problem with the file names not quite being what I expected, as you said they are pretty crazy and impossible to figure out what they are. At this point we don't have a platform decided on to switch to, and right now budgets are tight, so I can't ask for the new provider to supply a conversion software program. Right now I just need to get the files out because the stability of TC is questionable and I don't want to lose all the files. Where can I find the free macro programs you mentioned?

 

[hudson888]

One would have thought that you could just use the export function for all of your major assemblies. I guess that might not catch all of the files everywhere, but it could keep guys working while the historical and less important stuff was fished out over a more extended time.

Best Regards

Hudson

www.jamb.com.au

Nil Desperandum illegitimi non carborundum

 

[rg006]

2SRPE,
The macro program I am refering to is just a free download on cnet.com, it allows you to make your own macro, for example, open a folder and copy the file somewhere, then repeat the macro till you run out it files to move. But I really dont know too much about the macro side of things. As far as getting the TC files moved I have a quest-suggest-tion. If you have access to the TC server where the files are located, or you have access to the TC website, then downloading the files should be not problem (correct?), you just dont know what the name of each should be changed to. Now, I am assuming, once again, that you sell these parts to a customer. This should mean that you have some sort of tracking system for customer sales and possibly an inventory or item number database. Second, after you save the file off of TC you can open it and look at the drawing to get the part number, and "save as". Now you will have a master list of the assemblies (from the tracking system) and a freakin big folder of files. When you open an assembly, you probably know it will not automaticly open the piece parts, so you can go back to your list of numbers and "open component as" until you have all of the piece parts loaded. Of course you will have to do only the first time you open a part, after that UG will save the new part names and, granted you have the load options defined correctly, it will open them up easily the second time around. I have to do this every time we get an assembly from TC. Its a little lengthy, but hey, in a recession with a tight budget, it sure makes you look busy.
Question: What problems are you experiencing with TC, we were considering buying it since our parrent company uses it.
Thanks,
Rick

 

[rammeda]

Hi 2SRPE,

Use ugmanager_export.exe utility from Siemens (located in UGII folder) to export the data from TcE to native system.

please go through the switches/arguments for this command, especially if you are using revision rules with either date or unit effectivities in Teamcenter, other wise you will end up in getting incorrect BOM/partslist, also you may get some issues with naming conventions.

Assembly size (number of components) plays a greater role in this process (out of memory issues), how large are they? what is your NX version? because if you are using NX4 & UP you could setup a system with 64 bit, which will utilize all the available RAM, unlike 3GB max limit for 32bit systems.

First run the utility with dryrun switch to see any errors or exceptions, after successful test you can automate the export process for all assemblies in Teamcenter database.

Ram

 

[EDCSRPM]

You can create a TC BOM and copy and paste hundreds of files into that BOM save it then export the assembly (BOM just created) from TC.

Good luck keeping all the file revisions straight and working in assemblies without the aid of revision rules. Does you company have any plans on how they will manage all the geometry and positional references?

TC can look like a glorified file cabinet, but it does much more.

 

[hudson888]

Having used TC in the past at a few different sites, okay Yes it can be inflexible in working between native and the database. The claim is that this enhances your security but that as always comes at a cost generally to all of the wrong people (as most of us who have suffered air travel may attest). However overall the cost of not having it once your implementation is in place just has to be more than sticking with it and getting it right. Your company may have other reasons for doing their own thing but the point remains for any good PLM system that provisions for being able to abandon it would not form part of its criteria for success. We would out of interest like to hear what prompts you to change then?

Best Regards

Hudson

www.jamb.com.au

Nil Desperandum illegitimi non carborundum

 

[2SRPE]

Since the question has been asked a few times, let me answer why we are moving away from TC. There are a few issues at hand, neither of which really has to do with the functionality of Team Center. First, the current hardware that we use as servers to support the system may be a little inadequate. Recently we have been having problems with system crashes and the inability to even start TC for use. As I mentioned, we no longer have the service agreement so trouble shooting the system when this happens becomes a problem. We once spent almost a week trying to get it back up. My understanding is that it was never properly setup for our use. Ulitimately, the reason is that we are trying to standardize PLM systems between our different groups and our head quartes which is overseas. We still don't know which will be the new standard but I need to get the files from TC out and prepare for the switch that is supposed to happen during the beginning of the new year.

 

[ewh]

So, the functionality of TC has little to do with the decision to move away from it, and it was not set up properly to begin with. Is your hardware up to the task of running a different PLM system (yet to be decided on)? What guarantees do you have that another system will be properly set up?
Sorry if I seem skeptical, but it seems that there must be more to the story.

"Good to know you got shoes to wear when you find the floor." - [small]Robert Hunter[/small]