Expanding Feature Manager
Expanding Feature Manager
(OP)
This is more of an annoyance than a problem, but in assemblies the parts, subassemblies, and folders of the Feature Manager tree expand by themselves. How can I keep them all neatly contracted when I'm searching for an item on the tree and don't want to scroll through all the features of each model?
Judy Mitten, Senior Designer
Aerospace Display Systems, LLC
Judy Mitten, Senior Designer
Aerospace Display Systems, LLC






RE: Expanding Feature Manager
RE: Expanding Feature Manager
RE: Expanding Feature Manager
Something else that is very handy is to add a folder in the Feature Manager Tree and add features (for part files) or components (for assemblies) to it. This is similar to using subassemblies but it does a better job of managing the expansion of the tree, which is your stated problem.
- - -Dennyd
RE: Expanding Feature Manager
Have you ever had any strange stuff happen with this new folder structure. I believe that this is a new feature to sw 2004. I have people still reluctant to use it because of possible flaws with it being still so new.
Have you experienced anything?
RE: Expanding Feature Manager
In the Feature Manager Tree, I see Dependencies and Features all the time. I cannot turn Dependencies off like it was in 2003. When I do a “Go to…” the search goes through the dependencies every time.
Bradley
RE: Expanding Feature Manager
RE: Expanding Feature Manager
Having the feature manager over the assembly makes picking reference geometry difficult, adds to mouse work, and takes longer.
RE: Expanding Feature Manager
Actually you don't *have* to RMB the top item...make sure you have nothing selected then RMB *anywhere* in the feature where there isn't anything to select (i.e. no words, feature names, components names, etc...). If you do accidentally select something, you'll have to de-select it (I like to hit ESC) and they RMB a different spot, but it really works fine once you get used to it.
Ken
RE: Expanding Feature Manager
Ed, if you don't like the "see-through" FM check Thread559-88487 ... it gives registry tweak to switch the FM to opaque.
RE: Expanding Feature Manager
I did every thing described in the thread and this did not make an area over the assembly for the assembly feature manager when the assembly dialog is where the feature manager usually is.
RE: Expanding Feature Manager
RE: Expanding Feature Manager
I just tried it & it worked ... not quite the way I thought it would though. It changed the "flyout" manager section to opaque, but only about 1-1/2" wide ... any parts or assy's with long names extended into the graphics area with a transparent background.
I hadn't tried it before because I don't mind the transparency feature.
As for the auto-expanding, I've found that a couple of rebuilds or "Ctrl+Q" & save usually stops that.
Like you I find it annoying that the new style manager auto-collapses & hope that Heckler remembers, or someone else knows, what setting controls that.
RE: Expanding Feature Manager
Since I use dual monitors, I think it might be useful to have the FM in a separate window that could be docked on my secondary screen while the main window is running full-screen on the primary. That way it could be as wide as neccessary to display full descriptions without obscuring the graphics area. I hesitate to submit an enhancement request for it because I really want all the bugs fixed before any more features are added, and I want any new user interface features or changes to be bulletproof before I invest much adaptation and learning time.