ErrorAn error occurred running Creo parametric: Extract executable returned error code -4

[VallesMarinerisExplorer]

Hi all!

I am trying to learn how to use OpenMeta and GME, but I am having trouble linking my creo distribution to GME when trying to do the Simple_cube tutorial. GME thinks that I have Creo 5.0.0.0, but I actually have Creo 6.0.2.0, and GME cannot find the Creo installation directory. Let me know if there is a setting I can change to find Creo. If you would like to close this that's ok, I just could not find any info on it in the docs on a first look. I would also be interested in helping to link GME to FreeCAD because then there would be more flexibility in it being open source as well. Let me know if you would like to set up a separate issue for that or how I might get started on that.

Thanks!

Here is the log file output for the Creo versioning error.

2020-08-08T18:17:03 - [Debug] - Temporary XML file created: C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Local\Temp\tmpC855.tmp
2020-08-08T18:17:03 - [Debug] - Calling CADCreoParametricCreateAssembly.exe with argument string: ExtractACM-XMLfromCreoModels -c "C:\Users\Owner\PycharmProjects\SMADLAB\MECHANICAL\simple_cube.prt.1" -x "C:\Users\Owner\AppData\Local\Temp\tmpC855.tmp"
2020-08-08T18:17:03 - [Debug] - ExtractACM-XMLfromCreoModels v1.5.28.0[2020-08-08 18:17:03.637668] [0x000066cc] [info] Environment Variable CREO_PARAMETRIC_USE_ENVIR_VARS: C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\PTC
2020-08-08T18:17:03 - [Debug] - [2020-08-08 18:17:03.637668] [0x000066cc] [info]
2020-08-08T18:17:03 - [Debug] - [2020-08-08 18:17:03.637668] [0x000066cc] [info] ************** Begin Environment Variables and System Settings *****************
2020-08-08T18:17:03 - [Debug] - [2020-08-08 18:17:03.637668] [0x000066cc] [info] CADExtensionsDir: C:\Program Files (x86)\META\bin\CAD\Creo
2020-08-08T18:17:03 - [Debug] - [2020-08-08 18:17:03.637668] [0x000066cc] [info] CreoStartCommand: C:\Program Files\PTC\Creo 5.0.0.0\Parametric\bin\parametric.exe -g:no_graphics -i:rpc_input
2020-08-08T18:17:03 - [Debug] - [2020-08-08 18:17:03.637668] [0x000066cc] [info] PRO_COMM_MSG_EXE: C:\Program Files\PTC\Creo 5.0.0.0\Common Files\x86e_win64\obj\pro_comm_msg
2020-08-08T18:17:03 - [Debug] - [2020-08-08 18:17:03.637668] [0x000066cc] [info] TemplateFile_PathAndFileName: C:\Program Files (x86)\META\bin\CAD\Creo\templates\zzz_template_assy_mmks_creo.asm.1
2020-08-08T18:17:03 - [Debug] - [2020-08-08 18:17:03.637668] [0x000066cc] [info] ************** End Environment Variables and System Settings *****************
2020-08-08T18:17:03 - [Debug] -
2020-08-08T18:17:03 - [Debug] - Starting Creo-Parametric, this takes about 10 seconds...
2020-08-08T18:17:03 - [Debug] - Warning: 17456 could not start message module 1074090945
2020-08-08T18:17:03 - [Debug] - pro_start_background_process exec_path = : C:\Program Files\PTC\Creo 5.0.0.0\Common Files\x86e_win64\obj\pro_comm_msg
2020-08-08T18:17:03 - [Debug] -
2020-08-08T18:17:03 - [Debug] - application error: exception : ProEngineerStart returned ProError: PRO_TK_GENERAL_ERROR(-1), proe_path: C:\Program Files\PTC\Creo 5.0.0.0\Parametric\bin\parametric.exe -g:no_graphics -i:rpc_input, prodev_text_path: . Creo may fail to start if the Welcome screen has not been disabled. Start Creo manualy and check "Do not show again" in the "Resource Center" window. See also https://support.ptc.com/appserver/cs/view/solution.jsp?n=CS116805
2020-08-08T18:17:03 - [Debug] -
2020-08-08T18:17:03 - [Debug] -
2020-08-08T18:17:03 - [Debug] -
2020-08-08T18:17:03 - [Debug] - application error: exception : ProEngineerStart returned ProError: PRO_TK_GENERAL_ERROR(-1), proe_path: C:\Program Files\PTC\Creo 5.0.0.0\Parametric\bin\parametric.exe -g:no_graphics -i:rpc_input, prodev_text_path: . Creo may fail to start if the Welcome screen has not been disabled. Start Creo manualy and check "Do not show again" in the "Resource Center" window. See also https://support.ptc.com/appserver/cs/view/solution.jsp?n=CS116805
2020-08-08T18:17:03 - [Debug] -
2020-08-08T18:17:03 - [Debug] - CADCreoParametricCreateAssembly.exe ExtractACM-XMLfromCreoModels has completed.
2020-08-08T18:17:03 - [Debug] - CADCreoParametricCreateAssembly.exe ExtractACM-XMLfromCreoModels returned error code -4
2020-08-08T18:17:03 - [Warning] - application error: exception : ProEngineerStart returned ProError: PRO_TK_GENERAL_ERROR(-1), proe_path: C:\Program Files\PTC\Creo 5.0.0.0\Parametric\bin\parametric.exe -g:no_graphics -i:rpc_input, prodev_text_path: . Creo may fail to start if the Welcome screen has not been disabled. Start Creo manualy and check "Do not show again" in the "Resource Center" window. See also https://support.ptc.com/appserver/cs/view/solution.jsp?n=CS116805

2020-08-08T18:17:03 - [Error] - An error occurred running Creo parametric: Extract executable returned error code -4. Detailed log at C:\Users\Owner\PycharmProjects\SMADLAB\MECHANICAL\log\CADModelImport.6680.log - Extraction Failed. Insure you can access the Creo license server

[ksmyth]

Creo 6 is not currently supported.

[VallesMarinerisExplorer]

Ok. Do you think there is interest in Creo 6/ also using an open-source CAD package? I am willing to help/ create a new branch etc.

[josephcoombe]

@Ahorvath94 It would be nice to have a free CAD option for users without CREO. In the past we've discussed integrating FreeCAD; however, we had some concerns about its maturity.

If you wanted to take a stab at a FreeCAD Interpreter, I'd be happy to provide feedback/limited support to that effort.

Also if you have a specific application in mind, we may have some development branch stuff that would be useful. You can contact me via jcoombe@metamorphsoftware.com

[josephcoombe]

I think the biggest initial challenge to integrating FreeCAD is the lack of the an official assembly workbench

As of FreeCAD 0.19 there is no official assembly workbench. However, several external tools have been created or are in development to manipulate objects to produce assemblies.

https://wiki.freecadweb.org/External_workbenches

---

For each design instance (discrete + parametric variant), the cad-assembler for CREO basically...

1. Creates a blank ASSEMBLY with a base CSYS.
2. Copies each Component's corresponding PART file into said ASSEMBLY.
3. Regenerates each PART using design instance's Parameter values (length, angle, diameter, etc.).
4. Constrains the root PART's base CSYS to the ASSEMBLY's base CSYS.
5. And constrains subsequent PARTs using geometric surfaces, axes, and csys defined in the model's ports

So a first step to integrating FreeCAD (at least using this approach) as a CyPhy2CAD option would be to see if FreeCAD has a sufficiently mature Assembly Workbench option.

[VallesMarinerisExplorer]

Ok!

I will take a look and see what I can do!

[VallesMarinerisExplorer]

Cool! I have had a little more time recently to look into this and I think I am at a good place to really work on it. I recreated all of the components in the spacecraft model using FreeCAD and I want to use the Assembly 4 utility. It looks relatively robust and I can at least give it a shot -

https://github.com/Zolko-123/FreeCAD_Assembly4

I am curious as to exactly what you mean by each of the points you enumerated though. Do you mean that OpenMETA creates the assembly and pulls the Creo parts in using a C/python script? Or is it something that happens on the Creo side of things? I suppose if you have the components already in a folder it shouldn't be too difficult to automatically pull them into an assembly of sorts given that OpenMETA knows how to place them, etc. If you know where the file is that runs the CAD import that would be awesome! I can add a fork once I feel like I've made a little more progress.

Thanks for your help!

[josephcoombe]

So the OpenMETA model represents a bunch of different Components (in this case we're assuming each Component contains a CAD domain model) as well as the connections (physical, logical, network, etc.) between them.

When you run the CAD Interpreter for CREO, it parses the model and dumps out some XML files with all the pertinent model information, like the path to each Components CAD model, parameter values, etc. It also copies the actual CAD files to a working directory. Here's the CyPhy2CAD Interpreter entry point: https://github.com/metamorph-inc/openmeta-mms/blob/master/src/CyPhy2CAD_CSharp/CyPhy2CAD_CSharp.cs

This XML file is then consumed by the cad assembler that uses the CREO API to start a CAD session, load a template CREO ASSEMBLY, and add the CREO PARTs in, etc.
https://github.com/metamorph-inc/openmeta-mms/blob/abfda15ac08d9c02ddfaf37fe316686e736e1db3/src/CADAssembler/CADCreoParametricCreateAssembly/CADCreoParametricCreateAssembly.cpp
https://github.com/metamorph-inc/openmeta-mms/blob/abfda15ac08d9c02ddfaf37fe316686e736e1db3/src/CADAssembler/CADCreoParametricCreateAssembly/AssemblyCreationViaInputFile.cpp