Probably the most popular series on the FroTime website is the Cabling series.  While one of the most powerful modules available in Pro/ENGINEER, it is definitely one of the hardest to learn as well.  We have spent the last few weeks updating the Pro/CABLING series to both WildFire 3.0 and WildFire 4.0.

If you are just starting to learn Cabling but are a bit confused, this is a great way to learn the basics.  In fact, we just revamped Introduction to Cabling 4 to help illustrate all the intricacies.  Through the upgrade, this tutorial went from 22 pages to 43 pages as we wanted to do a better job of explaining what was going on.

Pro/CABLING is not that intuitive - which is why it can be difficult to learn.  Spools, Cables, Harnesses, and Wires all seem to get mixed up in your head.  However, the tutorial does a good job of breaking down the organization of objects within an assembly.  It is actually a pretty logical module once you get used to it.  The main thing you need to do is continually try new things and don't be afraid to break anything - that is what the Save button is for.

Simply put, here are the steps:

• Create a Harness- Collection of Cables
• Create a Spool - Material for the Cables and Wires
• Create a Cable - From the above Spool of couse
• Designate Components - Tell Pro/ENGINEER which components can be routed to, and their Entry Ports.
• Route the Cable

While somewhat simplistic, those are the basic steps to follow each and every time.  Just remember that and you are on your way to becoming a routing expert.  Maybe Pro/CABLING really isn't that hard...