Creo/CoCreate Update June 2011
Creo Direct vs. Creo Elements/Direct: What is the difference?
Now that Creo 1.0 has been released, the confusion about the product naming seems to have grown. We have provided some clarification below:
Creo Elements/Direct is the new name for the product formerly known as CoCreate. It contains all the functionality that CoCreate users expect (since it's the same product). Interaction with Pro/Engineer and Creo Parametric is still done using neutral files, as before (though later versions can write Granite-format files).
Creo Direct is a totally new app built on the Creo Common Data Model. It's being written "from the ground up" as a new direct modeling tool to complement Creo Parametric (the successor to Pro/Engineer). At this time, Creo Direct 1.0 is a very basic modeling tool, but can directly read and write files in the format used by Creo Parametric and other Creo apps. The long-term plans are for Creo Direct to include all of the functionality of the Creo Elements/Direct product, allowing for an easy transition.
For more information, please keep reading the next section...
PlanetPTC Highlights on the Future of Creo Elements/Direct
At PlanetPTC Live in Las Vegas during the second week in June, there was much discussion about the future of Creo Elements/Direct (CoCreate) and the Creo Direct app.
During the event, several PTC reps stated that the Creo Elements/Direct product will continue to be actively developed until the Creo Direct app contains equivalent functionality. In other words, they don't expect current CoCreate users to move until they can transition seamlessly to the new Creo Direct app with no loss of functionality. Though the roadmap for Creo Elements/Direct showed releases through 2013, there were multiple presentations that stated that they expect the Creo Elements/Direct (i.e. CoCreate) product line to be actively developed for at least the next 5 years, with one presentation speculating that the process of making the Creo Direct app equivalent could take up to 10 years!
With this understanding and additional information, our expectation is that CoCreate and Creo Elements/Direct will be the solution of choice for several years to come. AI MAXTools will be here to help protect your investment today and in the future. Contact us for more information!
AI MAXTools released for v18!
The AI MAXTools suite is now available for Creo Elements/Direct (CoCreate) v18. This new version works seamlessly under v18, including taking advantage of the new capabilities of the ribbon UI. Using the v18 customization capabilities, we have further enhanced our v18 ribbon interface to provide improved direct access to the AI MAXTools functionality.
In addition to v18 support, the latest release provides many other enhancements, including a new positioning method (2 Points in Plane -- no need to project points onto workplanes!) and improved feedback for AI MAX Share. As always, we continue to support those who are on older versions of the CoCreate tools, so these new improvements are available for older versions of CoCreate as well (all the way back to v14). If you have additional suggestions, please let us know -- we're always looking for improvements and new functionality that will bring additional value and time savings to our customers!