Copies of assemblies/par files to be used in other assm's

[av8errr]

First time poster here, so bear with me.

V19 user.

I have been tasked with creating a "base" assembly which will be used in various other assemblies. All of the individual part files within the "base" assembly will be used in the future assemblies. However, features such as cutouts and hole locations are created with includes and include with offset from a piece part. This piece part will drive any changes to the other "base" components.

I have created the "base" assembly, and through "save as" and "save copy as" have created the first future assembly.

I have set up the new assembly so that when viewed in revision manager, all of the part files listed under the new assembly are "copies" of the origional part files.

Upon opening the new assembly, everything is fine.

However, when I edit the new piece part, which should drive the changes to the other part files, it seems as though the included geometry for the first cutout still refers back to the old part.

I have gone back and changed the geometry to the origional piece part, and this still does not have any effect on the new part files. Help.....

Is there a way to save an assembly so that it's component part files can be edited in other assemblies without those changes appearing in the existing instances of those same part files. I still need for there to be associative links between the new part files that make up the new assembly. But I want them driven by the new piece part.

 

[beachcomber]

I think if you use Rev Manager from the outset, to create your copies, instead of using save-as and save-copy-as you should get round this problem.

bc.
2.4GHz Core2 Quad, 4GB RAM,
Quadro FX4600.

 

[KENAT]

Yeah, link management, typically through revision manager, is an essential skill if you don't have a pdm/plm system to do it for you.

thread562-210643

Also I believe karmoh had a good thread about using revision manager.

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...

 

[av8errr]

First of all, thank you for the replies.

I had tried saving copies with the use of revision manager in addition to save as or save copy as.

I have tried using revision manager, but keep getting the same result.

To clarify what I am trying to do, see attached.

In the attached diagram, Origional (A) Assembly has been copied and named (B) Assembly.
(B) assembly contains copies of both sub assemblies, and copies of their individual part files.

I have a cutout in Part 1(A) which includes geometry from Piece Part(A) to generated the cutout. See cyan arrow

When I go into the Copied Piece Part (B), I want to change it’s geometry, to create a revised part.
However, I do not want the origional assembly to change.

As it stands now, Copied Part 1(B) ‘s cutout is still using included geometry from Piece Part (A) as indicated by the red arrow.

How can I get Copied Part 1(B) to use the geometry in copied Piece Part(B) instead? (blue arrow)

This way, the copied part files 2-6(B) will be associative to Copied Part1(B), and it’s geometry,
which is generated from Copied Piece Part (B).

Basically I want to create a "standard" assembly, and then create vatiations of it by simply changing the piece part that drives all the other part files.

I tried family of assemblies a little also, but had problems with associativity between files not being maintained.

 

[KENAT]

Did you do all of the copying with revision manager in one effort at the same time you copied the top level assy? Or at least did you do the copying of parts from the new top level assy?

I had trouble opening your diagram, it's a rather large file and engineering.com seems slow to download, at least for me. Could I suggest you use a format other than bitmap, maybe jpeg or tiff.

Interpart links from the assy level can be problematic, we normally only use them during deveolopment and then drop them once the design is finalized.

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...

 

[av8errr]

Kenat, I have tried both ways.

I noticed that when I copy part files first, and then assy files, SE gives an error message noting that there are duplicate files in the new location. It indicates that if I click OK, the copies assembly will use the "new" part files. I have clicked ook, and the end result is what I have in the diagram. Upon expanding the new assm in rev manager, all of the component part and subassm files are the "new" copies. I have gone back into the origional piece part file, and made changes to it's geometry, and then checked the new assembly. Includes in the new assembly still show the old piece part's geometry, but it does not update the the revised old part.

It seems as though the include is locked in, and cannot be updated or broken.

 

[KENAT]

Do you have a maintenance contract, can you contact GTAC direct on this one?

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...

 

[beachcomber]

I just created 2 parts, Part1 & Part2.
Part2 has a cutout generated by including geometry from Part1.
Both Parts are put into an assembly Assy1.
Change the profile in Part1 and the cutout in Part2 updates.
We now want to create a new assembly, with new parts so open Assy1 in Rev manager.
Set action to COPY for the assembly and both parts.
Give them new names (in my case Assy1a, Part1a, Part2a) and perform actions.
Open and check the new assembly and parts and they are all linked correctly.
You say "SE gives an error message noting that there are duplicate files in the new location".
This occurs when you save an assembly to a new folder and that folder has files with the same name as files in the original folder. When you open an assembly, the first place SE looks for it's components is in the folder containing the assembly. So it is telling you "OK you copied the assembly to a new folder and I can now get some of the PARTS I need from the new folder, so I'll use them instead of the ones in the old folder".
This may be one of your problems.

In the old and new assembly check the links using Tools>Interpart Manager.



bc.
2.4GHz Core2 Quad, 4GB RAM,
Quadro FX4600.

 

[beachcomber]

I just tried an experiment on the files I created and found that renaming the assembly in Windows breaks the links, but renaming in Rev Manager does not.
I would suggest doing your copies again using Rev Man and saving them to a clean folder.

bc.
2.4GHz Core2 Quad, 4GB RAM,
Quadro FX4600.

 

[karmoh]

Totally agree with the above beachcomber, it's the only save way to move or copy assemblies. Takes a day or so to get used too, but is a great time saver. It's a shame it has never been developed further.


Av8rrr try this primer

http://files.engineering.com/getfil...-33a5-4316-9bf2-d1812886a438&file=Carrier.zip