CadActiveSupport

reference

REQUIRE_PATH Options

REQUIRE_PATH lists forced corridors and vias Cabling Auto Routing must visit in order, with coverage and direction flags.

REQUIRE_PATH is a comma-separated list of skeleton curves the cable must visit, in list order. Auto Routing only fills the gaps:

FROM → (Auto Routing) → R1 → (Auto Routing) → R2 → … → TO

note

USE_PATH vs REQUIRE_PATH. USE_PATH curves are an optional highway: Auto Routing may use any subset, either direction, or skip a curve entirely. REQUIRE_PATH curves are forced corridors (or vias). They are spliced into the path; they are not given to Auto Routing as optional highway geometry. Full USE_PATH details: USE_PATH Options.

USE_PATH vs REQUIRE_PATH. USE_PATH curves are an optional highway: Auto Routing may use any subset, either direction, or skip a curve entirely. REQUIRE_PATH curves are forced corridors (or vias). They are spliced into the path; they are not given to Auto Routing as optional highway geometry. Full USE_PATH details: USE_PATH Options.

Syntax

Each comma field is one ordered constraint:

texttrue

Flags go after the curve name, colon-separated. Flag order after the name does not matter. Comma order is visit order. The same curve name may appear more than once.

texttrue

SPAN=10:90 is one flag. The colon between the two percents is not a flag separator.

If a flag is omitted, defaults are WHOLE and ANY. A bare name still works:

texttrue

Coverage

Exactly one coverage flag per token. Coverage describes how much of the named curve is required.

Flag

Meaning

WHOLE (default)

Traverse the full sampled polyline, end to end.

TOUCH

Visit one via on the curve. The cable may enter and leave at that point; it does not have to follow the rest of the curve.

SPAN=<a>:<b>

Require only the sub-span between two arc-length percents. a and b are numbers from 0 to 100 inclusive (decimals allowed, for example 10.5:90.25). Endpoints are interpolated when they fall between samples.

SPAN details

  • Percents are along curve length (0 = start of the sampled curve, 100 = end), not Creo feature parameter names.

  • If a > b (for example SPAN=90:10), the extent is swapped to 10–90. Travel direction is still controlled by FORWARD / BACKWARD / ANY.

  • Equal percents (SPAN=50:50) collapse to a single point (like a via at that percent).

  • SPAN=0:100 is geometrically the same as WHOLE.

TOUCH details

  • TOUCH:ANY picks the sampled point that minimizes distance to the previous waypoint plus the next hint (next corridor, or TO).

  • TOUCH:FORWARD uses the first sample of the (possibly spanned) polyline.

  • TOUCH:BACKWARD uses the last sample.

Direction

Exactly one direction flag per token. Direction describes which way the cable travels along the corridor after coverage is applied.

Flag

Meaning

ANY (default)

Enter at the endpoint closer to the previous waypoint (FROM for the first corridor). Does not look at TO to flip an intermediate curve.

FORWARD

Travel along the curve from its start toward its end (the order Auto Routing samples it).

BACKWARD

Travel the sampled curve in reverse before splicing.

FORWARD / BACKWARD are overrides when shortest-distance orientation is the wrong electrical sense. Use them when the cable must follow the curve in a specific direction even if the other end is closer to FROM.

Multiple curves (ordered)

Comma order is chronological. Unordered “must use these, any sequence” is not supported.

  • Each comma field is its own corridor, even if two names share an endpoint.

  • The same name may appear twice with different flags (for example span 10–90 of a curve, then later touch that curve).

  • If two consecutive WHOLE corridors share an endpoint, the Auto Routing gap between them is skipped (zero length).

Wildcards

Matching uses the name only (flags stripped), case-insensitive, with * wildcards — for example PWR_* matches PWR_NTWK_PTH_8.

Consecutive skeleton segments matched by one token are combined into a single corridor. If one token matches disconnected curves, routing fails: an ordered constraint needs one corridor per token. Do not use a wildcard REQUIRE_PATH token as a stand-in for “all of these, any order.”

How a cable is built

  1. Parse each comma field into name + coverage + direction.

  2. Find and sample that named curve (same Curve Options as USE_PATH; see Routing Profiles).

  3. Apply coverage (WHOLE / SPAN slice / TOUCH via), then orient (FORWARD / BACKWARD / ANY).

  4. Auto Routing (or a straight splice if no remaining USE_PATH curves) fills previous exit → this entry.

  5. Required samples are copied into the path (TOUCH adds only the via).

  6. Repeat for the next token; finally Auto Routing from the last exit to TO.

Examples

Value

Result

REQUIRE_PATH=PWR_NTWK_PTH_8

Must follow the whole curve. Direction = enter the end closer to FROM.

REQUIRE_PATH=PWR_NTWK_PTH_8:FORWARD:WHOLE

Must follow the whole curve start → end, even if the other end is closer.

REQUIRE_PATH=TRAY:SPAN=20:80:BACKWARD

Use 20%–80% of length, traveling toward the start of the curve.

REQUIRE_PATH=CLIP_A:TOUCH,CLIP_B:TOUCH

Must visit CLIP_A then CLIP_B (one point each). Order matters.

REQUIRE_PATH=A:WHOLE,B:WHOLE:FORWARD

Follow A (ANY), then follow B forward, with Auto Routing between them.

Rejected tokens

  • Two coverage flags: WHOLE:TOUCH, SPAN=10:90:WHOLE

  • Two direction flags: FORWARD:BACKWARD

  • SPAN outside 0–100: SPAN=101:90, SPAN=-1:50

  • SPAN with one number: SPAN=10

  • Unknown flag: SIDEWAYS