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Enable Simscape Multibody Link Plugin in Creo-Pro/E

About the Plugin

The Simscape™ Multibody™ Link plugin provides the primary interface for exporting CAD assemblies into Simscape Multibody software. The plugin is compatible with three CAD applications: Autodesk Inventor®, Creo™ Parametric, and SolidWorks®. If you use a different CAD application, you can still export CAD assemblies using the Simscape Multibody Import XML schema.

To enable the plugin in Creo or Pro/E, you must manually update the contents of protk.dat, a registry file. If you store this file outside of the Creo or Pro/E root and startup folders, you must also update the contents of config.pro, a configuration file. If you have not done so, download and install the Simscape Multibody Link plugin before continuing.

Update Registry File

Locate and open the protk.dat registry file for your Creo or Pro/E application. Search for this file in the application’s root and startup folders. Add this code to the file, replacing matlabroot with the absolute path to your MATLAB® root folder and os with your operating system architecture, for example, win64.

name Simscape Multibody Link
startup dll
exec_file matlabroot/bin/os/cl_proe2sm.dll
text_dir matlabroot/toolbox/physmod/smlink/cad_systems/proe/text
unicode_encoding false
end

If you cannot find or edit the file, create a new text file with a name of your choosing and .dat extension. This is your registry file. Save it in an accessible folder.

Example

Suppose your MATLAB root folder is C:/Program Files/MATLAB/R2015b and your operating system architecture is win64. If you are using Creo Parametric software, then your .dat registry file must contain this code:

name Simscape Multibody Link
startup dll
exec_file C:/Program Files/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/win64/cl_proe2sm.dll
text_dir C:/Program Files/MATLAB/R2015b/toolbox/physmod/smlink/cad_systems/proe/text
unicode_encoding false
end

Update Configuration File

If your .dat registry file is located outside of the root and startup folders, you must also update the config.pro file. Search for this file in your Creo or Pro/E startup folder. Open the file and add this code:

toolkit_registry_file <full path to your .dat registry file>
If you cannot find the file, create a new text file and save it as config.pro in your startup folder. You may need administrator privileges.

Example

Suppose you saved your .dat registry file as myprotk.dat in the folder C:/Users/jdoe/Documents/Creo. Here is the code you must add to your config.pro file:

toolkit_registry_file C:/Users/jdoe/Documents/Creo/myprotk.dat

Verify Plugin Is Enabled

Start your Creo Parametric or Pro/ENGINEER application. In Creo Parametric, search for a Tools menu with a Simscape Multibody Link option. In Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire, search for a Simscape Multibody Link menu. If the option or menu is present, the plugin is enabled. You are ready to start exporting CAD assemblies.

Updating Plugin Version

If you are updating your Simscape Multibody Link version, you must update the exec_file and text_dir paths in your .dat registry file. Suppose you upgraded your MATLAB and Simscape Multibody Link software from an older release to R2015b. If the MATLAB root folder is otherwise unchanged, the new exec_file and text_dir lines must be:

exec_file C:/Program Files/MATLAB/R2015b/bin/win64/cl_proe2sm.dll
text_dir C:/Program Files/MATLAB/R2015b/toolbox/physmod/smlink/cad_systems/proe/text