concept
Designator
Name and identify assembly components in Creo — individually, in bulk, or from a designation map — including compound designations across assembly levels.
Designator is how Standardize names and identifies components in a Creo assembly. You set a designation on each component (individually, in bulk, or from a spreadsheet), and CadActive builds a compound designation from the assembly levels above it so identical equipment in different locations stays unique.
The Creo command is Designate Components. There is no web catalog. Designations live on the CAD assembly (and in optional Designation Map files). Organization settings control the method and map behavior.
Who does what
Role | Where | What they do |
|---|---|---|
CAD manager | Organization → Settings | Choose the designation method, delimiter, uppercase rule, and whether imported maps attach to Windchill. |
Engineer | Creo — Designate Components | Name components in the assembly tree, fix conflicts, and save or import a map. |
Admin / CAD manager | Creo command line | Export or import designation maps unattended. See Standardize Command Line. |
Designation methods
Organization setting Designation Method chooses where the designation is stored. Change it in Settings, or in the dialog under Show Settings. Changing the method in the dialog writes it back to the organization setting.
Method | What it writes |
|---|---|
Cabling Designation (default) | Creo cabling connector designation. Duplicate names at the same assembly level are rejected. |
Feature Name | The assembly component feature name. |
Feature Parameter | The component parameter named by Reference Designation Component Parameter (default |
Set Reference Designation Component Parameter As Designated (default TRUE) is the Windchill designate flag on that parameter. It is not the Designator product.
Compound designations
Base Designation is the name on that component. Compound Designation joins parent designations with Compound Designation Delimiter (default .). The same part in two subassemblies can share a base name and still have unique compound names.
A designation you type cannot contain the delimiter. CadActive prompts:
{name} contains the compound designation delimiter: {delimiter}
Please enter another designation.
ID Path is Creo’s assembly component path from the top assembly through subassemblies. It identifies the instance; it is not the designation.
When Force Designations to Uppercase is true (default), CadActive uppercases designations as they are applied.
Settings
Organization admins change these under Organization → Settings. Full list: Settings for Standardize (Designations). Do not treat Drawings - Leader Line Attach Method as a Designator setting — that is for Add Notes to Components.
Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
Designation Method | Where designations are stored: Cabling Designation, Feature Name, or Feature Parameter. Default is Cabling Designation. |
Reference Designation Component Parameter | Component parameter used when the method is Feature Parameter. Default is |
Set Reference Designation Component Parameter As Designated | When true (default), that component parameter is marked designated so Windchill can see it. |
Compound Designation Delimiter | Character used to join parent designations. Default is |
Force Designations to Uppercase | When true (default), applied designations are forced to uppercase. |
Attach Designation Import to Windchill | After import: Disabled (default), As Content to Model, or As Independent File. |
Designation Map - Report Transformation Matrix | How origin and rotation are extracted for the map. Default is Parent Asm to Component. |
Reports and maps
The Designation Map and the Designated Components Report are the same spreadsheet. Dedicated report how-tos come later. This is the short version.
Assemblies only. Default file type is Excel (.xlsx); CSV is accepted. Spreadsheet columns are Feat #, Component Path, Model Name, Designation, Origin, Rotation X, Rotation Y, and Rotation Z. Import requires Model Name and Designation.
In Designate Components, File → Save writes the map and File → Import applies one. Starting the report from the CadActive report picker requires Standardize. Export also requires the Reporting product. Batch export uses Reporting Command Line. Unattended map export and import use Standardize Command Line (EXPORT_DESIGNATION_MAP / IMPORT_DESIGNATION_MAP).
What is not Designator
A Designated checkbox on a Parameter Profile membership, or Set Model Template Model Parameter As Designated, is the Windchill designate flag on a Creo parameter. It does not name assembly components.
Only Designated Components in Add Notes to Components is a filter. It does not set designations. See Note Builder.
Annotation Manager tags drawing and model annotations. It does not name components.
Geometry Publisher, Model Templates, Parameter Management, and Note Management are other Standardize tools.
Geometry Copier is Automate. It can consume designated names; it does not set them.
AutoAssemble is Automate. It can apply designations from an input file; it does not open Designate Components.
There is no Designator web page. Identifiers live in the model, not in Synchronize.
In this section
Designate Components — name components in the active assembly and save or import a designation map.