Save as Prototype

Calling the command:

The command is also available in the quick access toolbar.

It allows to save the current document, as a prototype to be used for creation of new documents. Upon creating a new T-FLEX CAD document, its parameters and initial content are copied from a prototype. Upon opening a created document for the first time, the system opens the same ribbon tab and the same set of view windows, that were open at the moment of saving the prototype. Moreover, a default name of a document is based on a prototype name. The New from Prototype command can be used for creating a document from one of the available prototypes. Prototypes are also used in several other commands.

Upon calling the Save as Prototype command, you should specify a folder and a name for the prototype to be saved. The name is specified using the Prototype Name input box in the lower section of the command's dialog. The folder is specified by selecting a desired tab in the list of prototypes in the upper section of the command's dialog. Upon pressing OK, the copy of the current document gets saved as prototype, but the initial instance of the document remains open.

By default, the list of prototypes is formed by combining the content of two folders: folder of default prototypes and folder of custom prototypes. The folder of default prototypes is always located in the T-FLEX CAD installation folder. By default it is C:\Program Files\T-FLEX Parametric CAD 17\Program\Template. The location of the folder of default prototypes in relation to the T-FLEX CAD installation folder cannot be changed. The folder of custom prototypes has the following location by default: C:\Users\Username\AppData\Local\Top Systems\T-FLEX CAD 3D 17\Eng\Template. The location of the folder of custom prototypes can be changed in system options (Options > Folders > Templates > Template Folder), there you can also disable the display of default prototypes and manage handling of name conflicts. Prototypes created using the Save as Prototype command are placed in the folder of custom prototypes.

The Common tab of the list contains prototypes, whose files are located on the root level of both prototype folders.

The Other tab allows using files located outside both prototype folders as prototypes. The Add button at the bottom of the tab opens the standard file selection dialog, where you can select any *.grb file. The selected file will become available as prototype in this tab. If you try to save a current document as prototype into the Other tab, the second tab with the same name will be created corresponding to the eponymous folder within the folder of custom prototypes.

The rest of the tabs correspond to folders within both prototype folders. You can create tabs using the contextual menu, they correspond to folders within folder of custom prototypes.

The list of prototypes is common for several commands. Changes made in one of the commands affect the content of the list in others.
In Save as Prototype and New from Prototype commands, all content of the list is available.
In the Create 3D Fragment command, only two tabs of the list are available: Fragment and Other, where the content of the first one is filtered in order to exclude drawing prototypes.
In the Create 2D Fragment command, only two tabs of the list are available: Fragment and Other, where the content of the first one is filtered in order to exclude non-drawing prototypes.
 
In the Create new Document section of the Start Page all content of list is available, except Tables and Other tabs. The list is displayed in simplified form without units of measurement, standards, hidden elements and editing commands.
 
In the Table command the content of the Tables tab is used for generating the list of table prototypes.
 
In the Create Report/Bill of Materials command, when creating a BOM by prototype, the content of the BOM tab is used for generating the list of BOM prototypes. By default, custom BOM prototypes are located in the BOM folder within the folder of custom prototypes. However, you can specify a different location of custom BOM prototypes, using the system options dialog (Options > Bill of Material > Folders > BOM/Report Templates).

Additionally, some other commands use default prototypes:

•Drawing, Assembly Drawing, 3D Model, 3D Assembly and Sheet Metal Part commands use prototypes from the Common tab by default.

•Import command uses prototypes from the Fragments tab by default.

For each of these commands you can directly specify a prototype using the system options dialog (Options > Files > Templates). The specified prototype file doesn't have to be located in one of the prototypes folders - you can use a file located in any folder accessible on your machine.

Contextual menus of prototypes and tabs in the list allow to:

•Show Hidden Prototypes/Hide tab (folder)/Hide Prototype
Tables prototypes are hidden by default. When hidden prototypes display is enabled, hidden prototypes and tabs are shown in pale colors.

•Create Folder (tab)

•Delete Folder (tab)/Delete Prototype
Default prototypes and tabs cannot be deleted.

•Specify units of length measurement and/or standard
By default, units of length specified in parameters of prototype document (Document Parameters > Document > 3D > Units > Length) are indicated near the prototype icon. Standard is not indicated by default. You can select units and/or standard to be indicated near the icon, using the prototype's contextual menu. In order to restore default indication use All units and All standards options.

Switching units and/or standards using the prototype's contextual menu doesn't affect the resulting parameters of document created from prototype.

If a document saved as prototype contains an icon created using the Icon command, such icon is used in the list of prototypes. Otherwise the standard T-FLEX CAD files icon is used. Custom prototypes are marked with the symbol.

 

Buttons in the bottom right corner allow switching display mode of the current tab (two modes are available Large icons and Table) and filter the content by indicated units and standards.

See Also:

•Create New Document from Prototype