The ability to search and purge a specific number of characters in an object's name using wildcards is key when finding Pro/ENGINEER objects in Pro/INTRALINK. This functionality becomes even more helpful when duplicating a large assembly and copying many of its parts in the process.

The asterisk wildcard finds any number of characters before, after or in between the search criteria. The question mark wildcard finds a single character for each question mark within the search criteria.

For example:

Criteria: ?.prt results in a.prt, b.prt, c.prt

Criteria: ??.prt results in ab.prt, cd.prt

Criteria: ??test.prt results in abtest.prt, cdtest.prt

Criteria: 123?456.prt results in 123A456.prt, 123B456.prt

Criteria: ab?cd*.prt results in ab1cd234.prt, ab2cd456.prt

Here’s how to do it for the Locate function.

1. Go into the Locate function within Pro/INTRALINK.

2. Set the Attribute to the desired value (Name, Part, Size, Description, etc.).

3. Set the Operator to =

4. Enter the value to search for (e.g.,???.*).

5. Click on the + button. The search string appears in the lower window.

6. Click on Search to retrieve files.

Results may include:

Abc.prt

Abc.asm

Def.prt

123.prt

ab1.drw

Here’s how to do it for the Rename and Duplicate Objects functions.

1. Go into a workspace and highlight the objects to rename or duplicate.

2. Then go to Object, Rename (or Duplicate Objects).

3. Highlight the object(s).

4. Within the For Selected Items section, enter the current name of the object in the Set field using ? or * as needed. Then enter the new name in the To field and click on Apply. For example:

To rename multiple objects with a naming convention of abcd001.prt, abcd002.prt to efgh001.prt, efgh002.prt, enter ????*.* in the Set field and a value of efgh*.* in the To field. This sets the new name matching anything with four characters before the 001 or 002 portions to efgh, but also maintains the 001 or 002 to place after the new characters. If, for instance, you try to rename an object as abcd001.prt to efgh001.prt but specified ???*.* in the Set field, the new name would be efghd001.prt.

5. Click on OK when finished duplicating or renaming the objects.

Ref. PTC TPI 115368: How the * and ? Wildcard Characters are Interpreted by Locate and Purge.

Keith Ebling is a design engineer/consultant working through M.J. Consultants, Inc. at Baldwin Hardware Corporation in Reading, Pennsylvania, USA. He can be reached by e-mail at ebling@Baldwinhq.com.