Basic Pro/ENGINEER 1. What is the difference between object reference and geometric associatively? Object reference is a data management term that has to do with the way one object references another. Geometric associativity has to do with how a parts geometry can be changed from the part or drawing. 2. What are the file extensions given to parts? Assemblies? Drawings? Sketches? Parts: .prt - Assemblies: .asm - Drawings: .drw - Sketches: .sec 3. How should you create a new part or assembly? Why? You should always create a new part or assembly using the copy from option in the new dialog box and copy a start part. This ensures the proper layer setup, saved views, d atum planes, parameters, etc 4. What is the config.pro file used for? The config.pro file contains configuration options which c ontrol the behavior of pro/engineer. This file also contains user macros which are called mapkeys 5. What is a trail file? The trail file is a record of every menu pick and screen pick and keyboard input during an entire session of pro/engineer. This file can be retrieved and edited and replayed to retrieve work lost during an unexpected failure of a session. 6. What does ‘store back’ mean? 'Store back' refers to the behavior in which an object is stored back to the directory from where it was opened not necessarily the current working directory. 7. What is the difference between File, Erase and File, Delete? File erase removes the object from the ram of the computer and file delete removes the object from the disk or hard drive of the computer. 8. What is the difference between File, Save and File, Backup? . File save stores the object in the directory where it was opened from and file ba ckup copies the object to the specified directory using the same name 9. After performing a File, Save As, what is the current object? After performing a file save as command the current object is not a new object it is the old object 10. If I use Window, Close without saving my model, have I lost my work? No. 11. If I use File, Erase without saving my model, have I lost my work? Yes. 12. What is a feature? A feature is a geometric definition of part of the model. 13. (True or False) All features have parents. Explain. True, with the exception of the three default datum planes. All features reference other features for their definition thus creating parent/child relationships 1
Basic Pro/ENGINEER 14. (True or False) All features have children. Exp lain. False. Example, rounds and chamfers should not have children. 15. (True or False) Parent child relationships are bad. Explain . False. Parent/child relationships are bad if you are not awa re of how they are created. 16. Can parent child relationships be broken? Yes, using Redefine or Reroute. 17. What is the mouse button sequence to query select an object that is under another object? Right, left to pick, right as many times as you need to to get the thing you want, middle to except the thing you want, middle again for done select. 18. What is a reference plane? What does #Default do? The reference plane gives the sketching plane it’s orientation. Using default, the system picks the reference plane for you and does not create a parent/child relationship. 19. What does a sketch point do? A sketch point is used as a construction entity to help constrain a sketch. 20. What do a construction circle and a sketch centerline do? A construction circle and a sketched center line are used to help define your design intent. 21. Name six common assumptions the sketcher will make. Horizontal and vertical, equal length lines, equal radius or diameter, co-linearity, 90 and 180 degree arcs, points on the same horizontal or vertical, points on other entities, tangency, symmetry, parallel and perpendicular lines. 22. What is the difference between #One Side and #Both Sides? One-side extrudes only one specified direction from the sketching plane. Both sides extrudes both sides of the sketching planes. 23. How do you change dimensions of a feature? Modify, pick the feature, pick the dimension, enter the new value, pick regenerate. 24. What is the model tree? The model tree is a graphical representation of the features and or components in the model. 25. Define "Parametric Feature Based Modeling". Parametric means driven by parameters. Feature based means you d efine a series of instructions (features) to tell the system your design intent. Modeling means creating computer images coupled with geometric information defining a part or assembly. 26. What is different about datum planes created ‘on the fly’? The datum plane created on the fly means it was created when you were in the middle of creating something else and it goes away after the thing you really wanted was created. These are created using the 'make datum' command. 27. List five uses for datum planes. Sketching plane, reference plane, dimension and alignment references, geometric tolerancing, creating cross sections. 2
Basic Pro/ENGINEER 28. List three uses for datum axes. Dimension and alignment references, centerlines on drawings, geometric tolerancing, coaxial hole. 29. List two uses for a datum coordinate system. When exporting to iges and stl. 30. Name a feature that can both add and remove material. . Rounds and chamfers 31. What is the minimum number of surfaces you must remove when adding a shell feature? One. 32. What is the minimum number of sections you must sketch when adding a blend feature? Two. 33. What is the difference between a ‘straight’ and ‘smooth’ blend feature? Straight extrudes with straight segments between the sections. Smooth extrudes with the best fit arc between three or more sections. 34. What is the first section of a sweep feature called? Trajectory. 35. What does the start point and direction arrow do in a blend feature? The start point determines where the system starts counting the vertices in the section. The direction arrow indicates the direction in which the system counts the vertices around the section. 36. What does a ‘blend vertex’ do? A blend vertex adds one additional vertex to the sketch, for example, when blending between a rectangle and a triangle a blend vertex is required on the triangle section so that the sections have the same number of vertices. 37. Why is alignment not always necessary when creating the cross section of a sweep feature? Because the system draws two sketcher centerlines, and if you sketch close enough to the centerlines, the system will assume alignment. 38. What are the three types of dimensional patterns? Identical, varying, general. 39. What is the requirement for a feature to be patterned? The feature must have a locating dimension. 40. Which of the three types of dimensional patterns regenerates fastest? Identical. 41. What is a reference pattern? A pattern that follows another pattern. 42. How do you control the number of turns in a helical sweep feature? You can’t, directly. The number of turns is the length of the trajectory divided by the pitch. 3
Basic Pro/ENGINEER 43. How do you add a mapkey to a pull-down menu? Use utilities, customized screen and pick the menus tab, then pick the menu, then pick the mapkey, then pick the arrow, then pick ok. 44. How do you add an icon to a toolbar? Use Utilities, Customize Screen, and pick the 'Commands' tab. Select in the categories panel and then drag the icons to the toolbars. 45. What is the ‘Intent Manager’? The new sketcher where the section is always regenerated. 46. List three uses for datum curves. To create a layout. To define an area on the part that is not really a solid feature, for example, where to apply a label to the part. To develop kinematic mechanisms 47. How do you start a new drawing? Use file new, be sure to pick browse, and select the name of the model you want to make the drawing of. 48. What text should not be edited in the drawing title block? The tolerances, the scale, the number of sheets, just about everything except your name and the date, because they are all driven by parameters coming from the part. 49. How do you change the tolerance values in the drawing title block? Change the tolerances in the part which can be displayed using the environment menu under utilities. 50. If a drawing view is added with the ‘no scale’ option, does it really have no scale? No, it uses the sheet scale. 51. What type of view must the first view added to a drawing be? General, and you must orient it using save views from the model. 52. Why should you use #Disp Mode on drawing views? Because by default, drawing views get their hidden line removal from the environment. Each users environment may be different thus causing the drawing views to look different when another user opens the drawing. 53. What is a ‘shown’ dimension? A dimension from the model. 54. If you erase a dimension, is it gone forever? No 55. Why is it a good idea to start drawings early in the part design? Because it’s easier to show the dimensions from the mode l a few features at a time. Start the drawing early and have the drawing process be a parallel process with creating the part. In other words, create a couple features, go to the drawing, show the dimensions from the feature on the drawing, go back to the model, create a couple more features, show those dimensions on the drawing, etc. 4
Basic Pro/ENGINEER 56. What is the best way to show dimensions? Use preview and pick the features from the model tree. 57. How are the default number of decimal places and default tolerance values determined for parts and assemblies? They are built into the start part and start assembly. 58. List four types of assembly constraints. Mate, align, insert, orient. 59. Why should you put assembly components on a layer? So you can see to add new components to the assembly. Layers do n ot care about parent/child relationships. 60. How do you get a list of all the features in a model? Use info feature list. 61. Name three things about a feature that you can not redefine. The class (solid, datum, and surface), the type (protrusions or cut), the form (extrude, revolve, sweep, and blend). 62. Name three things about a feature that you can redefine. Everything in the dialog box (attributes (one-sided, both sides), sketch, direction, material side, depth, etc.). 63. Can a feature be reordered before any of its parents? No, never. 64. Explain the difference between insert mode and suppressing features. Insert mode allows you to add features to the model before existing features and have the existing features move down in the model tree. Suppress removes features temporarily, but when they resume, they come back to their original position in the model tree. 65. List three reasons to suppress features. To simplify the model, to speed regeneration. To try different design iterations (what-if scenarios). To reduce file size for transfers thru email or floppy disks, etc. 66. Can a feature with children be suppressed? Yes, if you are willing to suppress the children as well. 67. Explain parent/child relationships. Features reference the parents for definition. Example, the sketching plane of an extruded protrusion is it’s first parent. The protrusion is the child of the sketching plane, etc. 68. What is ‘Component Display’? Component display is used to show components in an assembly in different display modes. (Wireframe, hidden line, no hidden, shaded, or not shown at all). 69. How do you find parent/child relationships? Use info, global, reference viewer. 5
Basic Pro/ENGINEER 70. How do you add color to a model? Use view, model setup, color appearances. 71. What are the steps required to get just one components default datum planes displayed in an assembly? Using layers, blank the layer containing the d efault datum planes, pick the plus sign next to that layer in the layer display dialog box and then pick the component that you want to see the planes in and then pick the show icon. 72. Why would you do this? To be sure that when creating a feature, you are using the datum planes in that part so that you don’t make unwanted external references (parent/child relationships). 73. What does ‘save status’ in the layer menu do? Save status permanently sets the layer displays status of the model so that when the model is saved and opened again the layer display is still set that way. 74. What function in layers should you not use? It is normally recommended that beginners not use the isolate function in layer display. 75. When copying a feature, what is the difference between ‘dependent’ and ‘independent’? Dependent means that the copy feature will change when the original feature is changed. Independent means that the new feature will not change when you change the original feature. 76. What is different about a feature that has a dependent copy? When redefining a feature that has a dependent copy, the alignment function in the sketcher is not available. 77. How do you make a dependent copy feature independent from its original feature? Use modify, make independent. 78. What is the pro_group_dir for? This configuration option is used to tell the system where you are keeping your udf’s. 79. What should you do if creating features that are to be included in a user defined feature? 80. In family tables, what is a ‘generic’ and what is an ‘instance’? The generic is the original model. The instances are created by the system based on the combination of the generic and the table. 81. Why should you name features? Features added to family tables should be named so that when you are looking at the family table you can tell what feature is in the table. 82. What is a cosmetic thread and why is it used? A cosmetic thread is a special surface feature that is used to define threads in models. It is only a cosmetic feature and does not affect mass properties. On drawings these features display like you normally want them to for a threaded hole. 83. How do you create an opposite hand (mirror image) part?
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Basic Pro/ENGINEER Create an assembly without datum planes. Assemble the pa rt that you want to make a mirror of. Pick component, create, part, mirror. Enter a name for the new part, pick ok, and select a datum plane in the part for the mirror plane. 84. How do you get a bill of materials list of the components in an assembly? Use info bom. 85. How do you modify a ‘mate offset’ dimension? Pick modify, pick the component, pick the dimension, enter a value, pick regenerate, automatic 86. When do you use two equal signs in a relation? When testing for equality. 87. When do you use one equal sign in a relation? When setting equality (making one thing equal to another). 88. What does ‘ceil 10.2’ evaluate to? 11 89. What does ‘floor 25.8’ evaluate to? 25 90. When do part relations evaluate? At the beginning of regeneration before any features are regenerated. 91. When do feature relation evaluate? When the feature regenerates 92. What is a constraint relation? . A constraint relation is used to put limits on parameters (usually dimensions) based design intent and/or manufacturing limitations 93. Name four types of parameters. Integer, real number, string, yes_no. 94. What is a logic statement? . Logic statements are a series of relations that test parameter values and performs actions based on the results of the test. 95. Why should you comment relations? You should comment relations so that other users can understand what you are trying to accomplish with the relations. 96. What does ‘sort relations’ do? Sorts the relations in case of circular references within the relations. 97. Can you add motion to a part? Yes. 98. How do you add a model parameter in a drawing note? Use ampersand and then the parameter name (&material). 7
Basic Pro/ENGINEER 99. What is the difference between #Move and #Move Text? . Move allows you to move the selected item anywhere. Move text allow you to move the selected item only parallel to the elbow 100. Name the four types of tolerance formats? Nominal (no tolerance shown), plus/minus, plus/minus symmetric, limits. 101. Which of the tolerance formats should you not use? Plus/minus (because manufacturing people want the model at the mean size not the nominal size). 102. What is a drawing symbol? A symbol is a collection of draft entities that are stored together for reuse on other drawings 103. Can a drawing reference more than one assembly? Yes. 104. Can a Pro/ENGINEER drawing be opened in AutoCAD? No. (Yes, but only after translation to dxf or iges or dwg). 105. Can the units of a part be changed without changing the size of the part? Yes.
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