Tooling Componet Templates - Renaming upon insertion into ass'y

[3dr]

I've got a library of parts I've built up over time.

Shoulder bolts...
Punches...
Springs...
Some small assy's...

I really only maintain one base template for each of the above examples. Once inserted / mated into position it's very flexible. I can change expression values such as diameter and length and they update... even report back to the BOM what those sizes are. Not a bad method for tooling. So often a spring will change size a couple of times till you have everything in the design worked out.

My gripe is I've got to manually copy these templates into the job folder as I go. Can't drag and drop or the mods made after insertion go back to the library source part.


So...
Is there a practical way or method of drag and drop, or something similar that allows a rename and placement into the active job folder?
If so I would like to build an entire library / system around it.

Thanks in advance for any help!

Dave

 

[cowski]

Have you considered making these parts into a family table?

Add them to a reuse library?

Deformable components?

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[3dr]

Yes I was looking into reuse for an hour or so this morning. Didn't find much on it that helped. I don't know to much about family tables. Deform-able parts is something I would like to do for springs etc...

Half my problem is being so strapped for time in this fast paced business... that's why I'm asking for suggestions here first.

Whatever emerges from this thread is where I'll put the time I do have.

 

[cowski]

If you are only changing a few expressions to get the part to update to the size you need, it sounds like you are only 1 step away from a family table. From there, you could put it in a reuse library and drag and drop parts into an assembly.

Do you have the machinery library installed? If so, your library could work something like that.
If you don't have it installed/have not used it; imagine opening a navigator panel find a component type, drag it into your assembly and a dialog pops up that asks desired dimensions, component is called up (or created as necessary) and added to your assembly.

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[3dr]

That sounds great... I'm reading up on the reuse docs now. No machinery library installed but that's on my list. I have seen how the reuse part examples work installed in the examples folder.

Sounds like I need to look into part families first.

Any direction I can find here should help. I've started down this road a couple of times but always get de-railed.

If there is any reading mat'ls available or especially file examples of how this is done please share. I really want to get it done this time. No stumbling around in the dark!

Thanks for being responsive Cowski.

NX 8.5, No Team Center



Dave

 

[3dr]

Here are the basic functions I need to accomplish with this method.

The part needs to:

Reside in the folder the assembly is in after placement...
A unique name given upon insertion...
Be fully editable after placement (Ideally the conventional way in the part navigator...

And a wish: Can it be done with a small assy? Meaning the part being inserted contains a few parts of its on. Maybe this one isn't suited for the part family thing??

Can the reuse handle all of the above???

Dave

 

[3dr]

Ok the Machinery Library is downloaded and installed.

I seem to have it working... but the parts i place in my ass'y won't load after reopening.

Am I missing an Environment Variable????

I find the docs and available help on deploying this vague and at times cryptic.

 

[cowski]

You might need/want to define a default directory to save the parts in when they are created. When I initially installed the library it was saving parts to my C drive, not good when someone else opened the assembly...

You can set the directory in your customer defaults: Gateway -> Reuse library -> reusable component tab -> part family save directory.

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[3dr]

Thanks for the reply Cowski.

I've done that... and the parts I've inserted into my ass'y are residing in the folder I've specified there.

But when I close up the design and re-open they aren't found so they don't load up.

I have to be missing something obvious. How about my Load and Save Options?? I'm currently set to Load from "Folder" Maybe I need to set it to "From Search Folder"?

I'm running in Native mode and installed my library through: Library Management -> Add Library

Baffled here. This should be easy and fairly strait forward. But I've found myself spending hours in the Help files, Downloaded docs from GTAC and this forum. Its tiring!

But I'm determined to figure both this problem out and master this add on!

Dave

 

[cowski]

Try using the load option "As saved".

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