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?Fix ALL?
4

?Fix ALL?

?Fix ALL?

(OP)
Well, it happened to me:

Last week, I imported a bunch of subassembly files, put them in an overall assembly, mated their planes/origins to the global planes/origin, and fixed each one in place.

This week, apparently one of them 'blew up'.  The subassembly was still marked (f), but its components had migrated all over the damn place.  I could swear there were pieces of other assemblies flying around, but when I reimported this one from the step file, the top assembly seems to have pretty much repaired itself.

Each of these subassemblies has several subassemblies of its own, and so on.  Some components are four levels down.  None are fixed within the subassembly files, and apparently, fixing the subassembly doesn't really always tie it down.

So I searched.  In the closed thread titled ""stabilizing unglued step import", I think someone asserted that there exists a command to fix all components of an item in the feature tree with one command, but didn't mention what the command was.  I sure couldn't find it.  Solidworks Help didn't.

The alternative is opening a couple hundred subassembly files and fixing each item in each feature tree.

Is there a simple way?
 

Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

RE: ?Fix ALL?

If each part was mated, what is the "fix in place" for? I only "fix" the first part, then properly mate additional parts.

Chris
SolidWorks 08, CATIA V5
ctopher's home (updated Aug 5, 2008)
ctopher's blog
SolidWorks Legion

RE: ?Fix ALL?

(OP)
The penultimate assembly is a Diesel engine.  For our purposes, we omit the crank, cam, rods, pistons and other internal bits, but every external detail is fully modeled, right down to hose clamps and lockwashers... because we squeeze the engine into a tight box, and hang our stuff on it.

It's a big model.  The manufacturer breaks it into manageable chunks by system.  E.g. the oil filter, brackets, plumbing, etc. in one file.   There are also variant systems, i.e. oil filter mounted high, oil filter mounted low, stuff like that.

I don't know what CAD system the engine manufacturer uses.  When the STEP files arrive, the parts are all in the correct place relative to one another, and to the standard 'reference point' on the engine.  I.e. the origin of every chunk is at the crank center, at the rear of the block.

So, to add a system, you just insert its subassembly, and mate the subassembly's origin planes to the top assembly's origin planes.  Similarly to remove it and substitute a variant subassembly.

I sure don't want to go through an entire engine and apply mates to fix every damn piece in place.

;---

Conceptually, it seems like, at every redraw, SW actually disassembles the entire model, puts all the pieces in a heap, and then reconstructs the model from scratch based on what the mates allow it to do, or not do.  

The model doesn't always go back together like it was before, and it was hard to get used to how dramatically different the model can become in one redraw.

I appreciate the power of Solidworks' 'mates' in design, but so many times I wish it weren't quite so smart, because it's not all that smart all the time.

In this instance, I'd really like to have a 'mate' that can apply recursively down through multiple levels of subassemblies in the feature tree, that just says to SW, "Leave this where I put it.  DO NOT rearrange it."  

I thought that's what "Fix" did, but clearly my understanding was incorrect.

 

Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

RE: ?Fix ALL?

I do similar but with large electronics assemblies.

Each subassembly I just group select everything in feature manager tree and apply FIX relation.  All parts are fixed at once.

I too have experienced rogue parts flying around when working with imported STEP files.

RE: ?Fix ALL?

The Fix mate only works at the one level. You would probably need an API macro to work recursively down (or up) the assy structure.

Alternatively, after opening a STEP file, do a File > Save as > Save as type:Part (*.prt, *.sldprt) and use one of the Exterior Faces, Exterior Components or All Components options. This will create a multi-body part whose 'components' will be immovable.

FYI, after selecting a part or sub-assy to insert, you only need to click the tick for it to be placed, aligned and fixed at the origin.

RE: ?Fix ALL?

3
In SW import settings, (for next time) un-check the box for "import multiple bodies as parts".  That will cause the entire thing to come in as a single part to start with.

-handleman, CSWP (The new, easy test)

RE: ?Fix ALL?

That's even better! Didn't know about that one.

RE: ?Fix ALL?

(OP)
Yeah, I wish I could just click the check mark to bring it in at the origin, aligned and all.  Unfortunately, the people generating the step files seem to be of several opinions about which plane is which.  A third of the subassemblies come in just right.  The remainder have their origin in the right place, but are pointing in the wrong direction, e.g. putting the alternator up in the sky above the engine instead of at its front end, or some other variant.  So I have to mate the planes.

Thanks, handleman; I will try that next time.  I'll probably have to reimport the dozen-ish subs again anyway...
 

Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

RE: ?Fix ALL?

If you import as a single part but the orientation is no good, it's easy to add a "move/copy bodies" feature to rotate the thing into the orientation you want.  I do this all the time with imported vendor parts, etc.

-handleman, CSWP (The new, easy test)

RE: ?Fix ALL?

You could place your imported part into an assembly and mate to position it to your planes and origin, and bring that into your assembly.

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