{"id":463453,"date":"2026-09-11T15:27:48","date_gmt":"2026-09-11T15:27:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/innovationspace.ansys.com\/forum\/forums\/topic\/discovery-geometry-updates-from-cad-source-struggling-with-workflow\/"},"modified":"2026-09-11T15:27:48","modified_gmt":"2026-09-11T15:27:48","slug":"discovery-geometry-updates-from-cad-source-struggling-with-workflow","status":"publish","type":"topic","link":"https:\/\/innovationspace.ansys.com\/forum\/forums\/topic\/discovery-geometry-updates-from-cad-source-struggling-with-workflow\/","title":{"rendered":"Discovery geometry updates from CAD source – struggling with workflow"},"content":{"rendered":"

I’m a long time user of DesignModeler.  I’m trying to transition to Discovery to do geometry pre-processing and I’m really struggling with the workflow.<\/p>\n

I found this, but it’s not helping.  My entry point is different.  I’m stuck at a point where I seem to be unable to trigger an update.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/innovation.ansys.com\/main\/articles\/topic\/bi-directional-cad-connectivity-in-ansys-discovery-expu<\/p>\n

I’ve looked through some of the Discovery training in Ansys Learning Hub and I haven’t found specific training on this topic, either.<\/p>\n

The source models are Creo Parametric.  The target is Mechanical to do the simulation (not Discovery).<\/p>\n

My starting point was Workbench.  Add a new Analysis System.<\/p>\n

In the geomtry cell, I chose New Discovery Geometry.<\/p>\n

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I ran into issue #1 here.  I have a Creo Parametric session running.  I want to attach this geometry to Discovery. Discovery doesn’t seem aware there’s a live Creo Parametric Session that is running.  (Example: DesignModeler was aware there was a live Creo Parametric Session running in the background.)<\/p>\n

The Creo Parametric CAD Integration is setup correctly, I think.  I have an Ansys toolbar in Creo.  But I don’t want to launch a NEW session of Workbench or a NEW session of Discovery.  I want the Creo model in the CURRENT session of Discovery that I launched from Workbench Cell A3.<\/p>\n

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In Discovery, the hamburger menu doesn’t have “attach to active CAD geometry” like DesignModeler.   It doesn’t seem to know there is a live Creo Parametric session running.<\/p>\n

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“Import Geometry” didn’t work either.  It broght in the solid model, but I wanted datum points, and Creo parameters.  I couldn’t find a way to change the “Imported Geometry” to get that information from the Creo model into Discovery.<\/p>\n

I ended up brute forcing “Open”, but there didn’t seem to be an option to import work points (datum points).<\/p>\n

I deleted the geometry.<\/p>\n

Turned on History Tracking, then Opened the Creo source file, again.  Now I see Import Options under the History Tracking.  I turned on Work Points.  Refresh.  Now the Creo datum points are visible in Discovery.<\/p>\n

In Discovery, I made a sketch that referenced some of the work points.<\/p>\n

In Creo, I moved the geometry that locates the datum points.  I wanted to refresh the Discovery geometry to check if the sketch follows the new location of the datum points.  This is where I’m stuck.<\/p>\n

Again, Discovery is unaware that the model is in a live Creo Parametric session.<\/p>\n

I’m out of sketch mode, back in model mode.  If I right click anywhere in History, I don’t see a way to get the changes made in Creo Parametric back into Discovery.<\/p>\n

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