The following table shows elements for creating a straight hole.

Straight Hole Elements

Figure Straight Hole with Linear Placement shows code for creating a straight hole with linear placement and through-all depth. The hole has 100 units diameter, and is placed 100 units distant from the first reference and 200 units distance from the second.

The function ProDemoHoleCreate() builds the complete element tree serially. First add all elements required for the straight hole under the PRO_E_HLE_COM element. Then enter the placement elements under the PRO_E_HLE_PLACEMENT element. Use element PRO_E_HOLE_DEPTH_TO_TYPE to specify the hole as 'through all'.

The function UserElemtreeElementAdd() is a small utility that add an element to the element tree.

Creo TOOLKIT supports two methods for creating sketched holes. The first is as described in Element Trees: Sketched Features, the second uses the function ProFeatureCreate() more directly.

The following table describes the required elements for sketched hole features.

Sketched Hole Elements

The following table shows elements for creating a standard threaded hole.

Refer to Example 2: Creating a Standard Threaded Hole with Linear Placement for a code example on creating this type of hole.

The following table outlines elements for standard clearance holes.

Standard Clearance Hole Elements

The following table outlines the elements for creating a custom hole.

Custom Hole Elements

The following table outlines the elements for creating a standard tapered hole.

Standard Tapered Hole Elements

The elements discussed in the following sections specify how to place a hole in relation to the model geometry. The reference entity elements are carried as selection objects, and the other elements carrying actual values of distances, offsets or angles.

Creo TOOLKIT supports the following types of hole placement:

Linear placement requires as references either

or

Locating radial holes requires the first reference to be the axis of placement. This axis is a polar placement (r-theta), where r is the radial distance from a plane, and theta is the angle with respect to a plane.

Locating these holes is similar to radial holes with radial dimensioning. The difference is the distance specified is in the form of diametrical distance.

This type of hole placement uses an angle with respect to a plane and a linear distance from the axis of placement.

This placement type is available when you set the configuration option radial_hole_linear_dim to “YES”.

This hole placement type requires the selection of a cone or cylinder for primary placement.

Coaxial hole placement requires an axis and a placement plane to complete the placement.

This is a special case of coaxial hole in which the primary selection is a surface. The axis must be normal to the selected surface:

This placement type requires a point of type ‘On Surface Point’. The hole is placed normal to the surface on which the point was created. The hole passes through the selected point. The depth of hole is measured from the datum point.

This placement type requires a point of type ‘Datum Point’. It also requires a surface reference. The datum point is projected on the surface. The depth of the hole is measured from the projected point.

This placement type requires a point of type ‘Sketch’. The offset references are used as Sketch references.

This placement type requires a point of type ‘Datum Point’. The direction of hole is defined using the orientation references. The hole passes through the selected point. The depth of hole is measured from the datum point.

Hole parameter files are setup files used to build the user interface for the hole. Programmatic hole creation uses the same files. New sets of customized files can be added as required. The values assigned to the elements PRO_E_HLE_THRDSERIS, PRO_E_HLE_SCREWSIZE, and therefore PRO_E_HLE_HOLEDIAM depend on these files.

Creo Parametric and Creo TOOLKIT load the hole parameter file (*.hol) in following order:

Find the hole diameter from the values of PRO_E_HLE_THRDSERIS and PRO_E_HLE_SCREWSIZE specified in the *hol files. In the Creo Parametric User Interface, element PRO_E_HLE_THRDSERIS is represented as the selection between UNC, UNF or ISO.

The drill diameter PRO_E_HLE_HOLEDIAM, as required for the Standard Type of holes, must be smaller than the thread diameter calculated from the .hol file for the threaded hole. As specified in the *.hol files, the thread diameter is the element corresponding to BASIC_DIAM column and the selected screw size row in the table, as specified in the selected .hol file. If the PRO_E_HLE_HOLEDIAM is not smaller than the thread diameter, the ProFeatureCreate() function fails and returns a PRO_TK_GENERAL_ERROR.

Follow these steps to enter the proper value for PRO_E_HLE_HOLEDIAM:

Be sure to enter the elements into the element tree in the order specified by the tables in PRO_E_HLE_COM Values. Failure to follow these sequences may result in either ProFeatureCreate() failing with a PRO_TK_GENERAL_ERROR error return, or in creation of a feature which fails to get redefined.

Functions Introduced:

You can use the function ProHolePropertyGet() to retrieve the value of the indicated hole value property. Only properties listed in the enum ProHoleProperty are supported.

The function ProElementHoleThreadSeriesGet() returns the type of thread from the hole feature element tree as a wide string.

Use the function ProElementHoleThreadSeriesSet() to set the type of thread in the hole feature element tree. The thread type is updated in the element PRO_E_HLE_THRDSERIS.

The function ProElementHoleScrewSizeGet() gets the size of screw from the hole feature tree elements PRO_E_HLE_THRDSERIS and PRO_E_HLE_SCREWSIZE as a wide string.

Use the function ProElementHoleScrewSizeSet() to set the size of screw in the hole feature element tree. The screw size is updated in the element PRO_E_HLE_SCREWSIZE.

Use the function ProHoleNoteReset() to reset the note of the specified hole feature.