Paste feature - Specify New Datums vs. Select Parents 1

[PrintScaffold]

Greetings all!

Could someone please explain the meaning of the "Specify new datums" option when pasting feature? I didn't quite understand the difference from the "Select Parents" option apart from the fact I can't specify exressions relations.

Industry creates wealth!

 

[JohnRBaker]

Say you're pasting a Sketch. If when you 'Copy' it you only selected the sketch and not the Datum Plane that it was created on, then when you 'Paste' it, the system will ask you to select a new Datum Plane to replace the one that was not included in the 'Copy' operation. The sketch, while you're allowed to select only it when setting-up the 'Copy', you can't 'Paste' it without a Datum or a planar face to attached the 'Copied' sketch to.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[PrintScaffold]

Hello John!

I meant a slightly different thing. Perhaps my explanation was a bit bague, sorry for that!

I know quite well how copy/paste feature works (and this functionality is damn good!), but I'm a bit confused about it having two different options. When I press Ctrl+V, "Paste Feature" window opens, and at the very top at the Datum References drop-down list there are two different options: DATUM and PARENTS. If I pick PARENTS option, I can as well specify three different options of relating expressions from parent to child. If I pick DATUM option, I can not see any difference from PARENTS option, apart from inability to specify expressions relations. So my question is - what does DATUM option is intended for, and how exactly is it different from the PARENTS option?

Thanks in advance!

Industry creates wealth!

 

[JohnRBaker]

The only real difference is that with the 'Datum' option you will have NO opportunity to link the parametric values of the copied feature with the original. However, if you use the 'Parents' option then you will have the opportunity to link the parameters either by referencing the original expressions to the new one or reusing them which in essence creates an 'instance' where one set of expressions will drive the parameters of BOTH the original feature and it's copy.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[PrintScaffold]

So essentially 'Datum' option is a simplified version of 'Parents' option? Then, as long as I understand, 'Datum' is 'Parents' with the 'Expressions' option set to "Create New"?

Is it safe to assume them that 'Datum' option is better used where we intend to simply repeat the creation of feature which is not supposed to be connected to the original feature?

Industry creates wealth!

 

[JohnRBaker]

To answer your questions; Yes and Yes.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[PrintScaffold]

Thank you, John!

Industry creates wealth!