Using Excel Spreadsheets with Pro/Desktop
 

  • Get ProDeskTop2000iTools.xls and save it. (right click and choose save as)
  • Start Pro/D
  • Open ProDeskTop2000iTools.xls with excel
  • NOTE: This file must always be open to use excel integration with Pro/D. If you close this excel file nothing will work. DO NOT CHANGE THIS EXCEL FILE AT ALL!!!
  • Chose enable Macros
  • Read the directions for enabling the Pro/D menu in excel.
YOU MUST perform a one time intialization to get the new menu system to activate. Mouse over the red triangles in the excel spreadsheet to get instructions on how to intialize the menu system. The initlization instructions are also listed below

 

You have to perform the first time initialization to have these tools work. The steps for doing this are detailed below. You can see a toolbar called "Pro/DESKTOP floating on the worksheet. It's tools should map to macros. To map these tools, please carry out following steps :

  1. Goto the first tool (Gears) of the toolbar.
  2. Click the right button of the mouse.
  3. Click on "Customize".
  4. Choose "Commands" option from the property page.
  5. Select the first tool (Gears) again.
  6. Click on "Modify Selection->Assign Macro"
  7. Select "GetVarsFromPD"
  8. Use the same procedure for the following functions :
    Second tool (Traffic Light) UpdatePD

    Third tool (Arrows) ShowAdjustCells

    Fourth tool (Lines with Points) MakePolyLine

    Fifth tool (Spline with Points) MakeSpline

  9. Click on the "Close" button of the "Customize" dialog box.
  10. Use "File->Save" to save the changes.
  11. Additionaly from the VBA editor (Alt + F11), in the Tools>References menu, check the box against Pro/DESKTOP Object Library.

 

 

Getting Dimension from a Pro/D Design to Excel

Draw a simple 3D Rectangle. Call one dimension length and the other width. You can use the select constraint tool to change the names of the dimensions

  • Keep the ProDeskTop2000iTools.xls file open and start a new excel workbook (in excel).
  • Click on the cell where you want the dimensions to be imported to.
  • Click to get dimensions from the Pro/D Design (make sure the design is loaded and in the active window of Pro/D)
  • In excel you can only change the value of the dimensions, not the names!
  • Try changing some of the values in excel then hit to update the Pro/D drawing.
  • If you change dimension values in Pro/D you must re-import the values to get Excel to update

Think about how you might use this in future design projects. You can have the dimension excel cells be results of formulas!

 

 

Making Lines or Splining Data from an Excel spreadsheet to create a sketch

 

  • Keep the ProDeskTop2000iTools.xls file open and load sample.xls
  • Create a new design in Pro/D and ensure a sketch is active.
  • Highlight all of the numbers (both columns)
  • Click and a Pro/D sketch is created that connects all the points with straight lines
  • Extrude the object and notice how "rough" it is since the data points were connect with straight lines
  • Start another new design and ensure a sketch is active
  • Click and Pro/D creates a sketch with a curve splined between the data points.
  • Extrude this sketch and see how it differs from the sketch created with straight lines

Think of some possible uses for this? Might this be useful for creating the shape of a wing?!?!

 

  
Tutorial by Steve Schweitzer