How to analyze circular references?

[eyai]

Hi, I’m new to SW, have been using it less than a year.

What is the best way to try understanding circular references?
I got an assembly of about 100 parts that some one else did.

Trying to replace files, and do some changes, I keep getting “The file xxxx cannot be used as a replacement because it would create a circular reference”



Thanks for the help.

 

[Theophilus]

This is basically a logic problem. See:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circular_reference

(particularly 2 & 3)

This can happen in SolidWorks if a feature in a part refers to geometry in another part in the assembly (references, often in-context relationships).

To solve this, check out what parts my have references on the part you're trying to replace. Break those relationships. Now the parts don't depend on that part in a circular way, and the part can be replaced. (You may have to break the references of the part you want to replace with the surrounding geometry as well--both ways, hence, circular.)

It's been a long time since I've had this happen, but I remember it popping up a few times when I was starting with SolidWorks a long time ago. (Takes a while to get the hang of the logic within SolidWorks--I've already converted it to intuition, so I don't remember the particulars very well.)



Jeff Mowry

http://www.industrialdesignhaus.com

Reason trumps all. And awe transcends reason.

 

[eyai]

Thanks Jeff