Setting Default Component Interface using a family table

[RBobroski]

Hi all,

New to this site. I had a question regarding default component interface assignment. I have family tables set up for different types of Pneumatic conveying pipes based on the pipe diameter and whether or not the ends are straight or expanded. Everything works fine until I get to the component interface. Since the ends of the pipes are changing (expanded or straight, with expanded I just include additional features that act as the ends), the mating surface changes, so I need two different interfaces set up. I would like to have it set the default interface based on a Family Table but this seemed to not work.

Pretty much what I did is I had the expanded pipe finished, then set up my first interface PIPE_EXPANDED. I then suppressed the extra features to show the ends as if they were straight (I had to suppress because I need the shell to designate the INSERT command and the shell has to be after the extrude features, this is why I couldn't just move the interface out of the footer and into an appropriate position in the model tree) and set up my second interface using these edges, PIPE_STRAIGHT. Then in my family table I selected both these interfaces as features and applied Yes or No accordingly for which interface I wanted to be active. This didn't work out how I wanted it to, all it is doing is keeping the PIPE_EXPANDED active regardless. Is this because of the way I have PIPE_STRAIGHT defined, or is it because of the way my family table is set up? I was thinking of setting up an IF ELSE statement in the program file but I keep getting errors..any suggestions?

 

[dgallup]

I always create datum features before any geometry for assembly interfaces. Then I use these to control the geometry. This way you can suppress, delete & redefine the solid or surface geometry to your hearts content and the assemblies still work.

 

[RBobroski]

Okay, thanks. I see where you are coming from. What would be the best way to set up my datums, do you suggest? The expanded ends of the pipes are 1.375" and I would like the offset mating distance to be .75". This is easy when I have the expanded features ON, as I can make d14(my datum distance) to be d7(the feature length)- 1.300.

I was hoping that when the features were turned OFF then d7 would =0 and I could have simply d14=d7, which would make the offset distances 1.375 and 0 respectively (i would like .75 but I could make do with the full 1.375), but when the features are OFF d14 still equals d7 and my datum plane stays exactly where it was. Why is this? I'm surprised pro/E is populating dimensions for nonexistent features, that seems like it's using unneeded computing power.