parent/ child relation troubleshooting

[pejaer]

I am running SW 2006.

I am having problems troubleshooting the source of a child/parent relations when I inadvertently create this relation.

I use the configuration feature to create a design alternative to my default configuration. Some features do not allow to create multiple configurations. For example, a swept boss/curve does not, whereas an extrusion does (with extrusions you just choose the config from the list when you "edit feature", swept bosses have no option).

When so, I create a second feature, ie swept boss, and depending upon the configuration, I suppress one or the other. Here is the problem: if I inadvertently create the sketch for the second feature using a relation from the first feature, I can't figure out now to locate it. The parent/child feature tells me the first feature is the parent of the second, but it does not tell me why. I can step through the relationships of each sketch entity, etc, but it is very time consuming and seems there must be a better way.

Thanks for the help.
Paul

 

[SincoTC]

Select and Edit the sketch of the child feature, right click and select "Display/Delete Relations", then in the drop down list at the top of the Relations property sheet select "External" to display these troublesome relations.

Hope this helps.

Trevor Clarke. (R & D) Scientific Instruments.Somerset. UK

SW2007x64 SP3.0 Pentium P4 3.6Ghz, 4Gb Ram ATI FireGL V7100 Driver: 8.323.0.0
SW2007x32 SP4.0 Pentium P4 3.6Ghz, 2Gb Ram NVIDIA Quadro FX 500 Driver: 6.14.10.7756

 

[pejaer]

Hi Trevor,

Thanks for the hint. The "external" filter works nicely and didn't know of it.

I deleted all external relations in both sketches that are used in my sweep (in fact it is a coil feature and needs a path via the helix and profile sketch). This did not work and the feature still has a child/parent relation.

Are there any other "links" or relations that I should look for, other than external sketch relations? In other words, what else creates child/parent relations other than external features of the child sketch??

Thanks.

 

[SincoTC]

Hi Paul,

Rather than delete them all, you should refer to the second box "Entities" below the Relations one, to identify the necessary external relations needed for the sweep.

However, it may be easier to delete the feature and its sketches and start again, paying particular attention not to have a referance to anything that will cause this problem later, try and use Planes and the Origin. Maybe turn off "Automatic Relations" under "Tools" > "Sketch Settings" and "Roll Back" the bottom bar bar of the Feature Tree to force the position of new feature above anything that may adopt it.

Trevor Clarke. (R & D) Scientific Instruments.Somerset. UK

SW2007x64 SP3.0 Pentium P4 3.6Ghz, 4Gb Ram ATI FireGL V7100 Driver: 8.323.0.0
SW2007x32 SP4.0 Pentium P4 3.6Ghz, 2Gb Ram NVIDIA Quadro FX 500 Driver: 6.14.10.7756

 

[pejaer]

Hi Trevor,

Thanks. Quick follow-up to say that turning off the auto relations worked nicely. I indeed had to "start again" because I deleted the relations, as I said, and that did not work. On your first point, frankly, I was confused about which relations were which in the area below the Relations box....seems it was not 100% clear. Nevertheless, got it to work.

Thanks again.
Paul

 

[SincoTC]

Hi Paul,

Thanks for the follow-up; your confusion was probably my fault for not mentioning the Entities box in my first reply, but as you say, what's in there isn't that clear anyway!

I must say that these Parent/Child relationships can be very difficult to solve, especially when combined with configurations and its often quicker to start again and be on your guard.

BTW, you can over-ride automatic relations by holding down the Control key whilst dragging a sketch entity.

Have a good Christmas

Trevor Clarke. (R & D) Scientific Instruments.Somerset. UK

SW2007x64 SP3.0 Pentium P4 3.6Ghz, 4Gb Ram ATI FireGL V7100 Driver: 8.323.0.0
SW2009x32 SP1.0 Pentium P4 3.6Ghz, 2Gb Ram NVIDIA Quadro FX 500 Driver: 6.14.11.7751

 

[IAMIS]

As well as relations in the sketch you can also have relationships in the feature parameters, for example "extrude to surface, extrude up to next, etc". I usually check the scetch relations, filtered as above and then the feature parameters under the Edit Feature menu.

 

[SincoTC]

Good point IAMIS, and if that "surface" is on a chamfer or fillet and it's suppressed in one config but not in another it can take some finding. Which is why it's a good idea to roll back the feature tree when adding a feature to ensure that any unwanted potential "parents" are not available.

Trevor Clarke. (R & D) Scientific Instruments.Somerset. UK

SW2007x64 SP3.0 Pentium P4 3.6Ghz, 4Gb Ram ATI FireGL V7100 Driver: 8.323.0.0
SW2009x32 SP1.0 Pentium P4 3.6Ghz, 2Gb Ram NVIDIA Quadro FX 500 Driver: 6.14.11.7751