Model Based Definition/Eliminating Drawings using SE

[KENAT]

I posed a general question over in thread1103-239768 but if any Solid Edge users have input on this topic I'd appreciate it as we're primarily an SE user.

The Solid Works advocates have been noisy again recently and, combined with our direct UGS/Siemens sales rep getting laid off, being told we have to go through a reseller but not being contacted by either etc. my boss & more importantly his director are starting to take them more seriously and wants to look at what would be involved in moving to primarily SW.

The issue of MBD is one of the first areas he wants to compare/look at.


KENAT,

Have you reminded yourself of faq731-376 recently, or taken a look at posting policies:

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

 

[beachcomber]

"..what would be involved in moving to primarily SW"
- Thousands of hours wasted work.

You need to look at the PMI stuff.
Personally I don't think model based dimensioning is that good - especially for complex models. It's difficult enough trying to get all the dimensions etc clear on several 2D views, let alone one single model - and I don't specifically mean in SE.

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

 

[beebo666]

I agree with beachcomber. i have zero use for model based dimensions. the machine shops i work with don't want them, maybe i used them once for a presentation but thats it. We made the move from Inventor to SE two years ago and there are still aseemblies i leave in inventor just because i don't want to migrate them.

 

[KENAT]

beach, you're preaching to the choir on that one, having been there done that with changing from 3D CAD 'A' to 3D CAD 'B' on the whim of a director, I'm not keen to go through it again.

KENAT,

Have you reminded yourself of faq731-376 recently, or taken a look at posting policies:

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

 

[beachcomber]

Kenat,
Well, you did ask!!
I read the posts on the link you provided, and it looks like everyone has the same opinion - at the moment the MBD method in any CAD system is not really good enough to provide all the detail you need for a complex model.
Maybe you do it for the simpler parts to avoid drawings, and possibly use it on more complex parts as an additional level of control along with the drawings. This raises it's own problems though in keeping things in-sync.
Your comments on that post seem to indicate the use of model views for different model orientations and annotation planes. I think this would be the only way to do it and I suppose you are only replicating what you would do in a drawing.
As others noted, there is then the problem of translating the PMI data to another system.
The .jt format might be worth looking at as there is an option in save-as to have the PMI data in the jt file, and jt can be read by the free View and Markup. It doesn't work too well on V19 (it transfers the PMI but the dimension text comes in way too small) but might be better on later versions.
Alternaively 3DPDF could be worth investigating.
I've seen a massive assembly in 3DPDF that had all the assembly structure, parts and drawings linked together. You could click on a part and then open it's drawing.

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

 

[HDS]

Never tried it but it only looks appealing if the PMI data is picked up by the cam software or inspection software if we ever get there. It has to be a fully automated process. Otherwise it is useless for anyone without a computer next to them.

 

[KENAT]

Thanks beach & others.

It seems to me (as I've said elsewhere) the only people really making it work are those with a fairly 'integrated' supply chain where they can effectively cooerce vendors into using the CAD system of their choice. These people are also generally big and presumably assign the resources to configu control PDM/PLM etc to make it work.

I've yet to find much evidence of any of the light weight semi generic formats being used on a large scale, or of smaller places doing it much.

KENAT,

Have you reminded yourself of faq731-376 recently, or taken a look at posting policies:

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

 

[swertel]

The only small places I know that are doing it, do it internally only. They have the machine shop and other manufacturing resources to go from art to part without a drawing.

Even then, they often create a "reduced dimensional drawing." Although the solid model goes from designer to CNC, the drawing is there to help gage points of interest (pun intended).

--Scott

http://wertel.eng.pro