Using Revision Manager

[karmoh]

Hi Guys

I have a conundrum that is bothering me. I will not try and promote a discussion on naming conventions etc, but typically I use the following (basic example)
Oh by the way I work as an independent design engineer and typically I specialise in Sheetmetal Design.

My part numbering system works as follows:-

ANC where this acronym is made from A New Company
-0001 is the part reference
-Chassis is the descriptive name
-1 is the revision (-1, -2 etc for prototypes then A, B etc for Production)
Resulting in ANC-0001-Chassis-1

After much trial and error I have been able to use revision manager (on a standalone) with good effect, but one thing eludes me.
If I have to do a revision change, I load the top level assembly or part, select all, copy, set path etc

I then want to increment the part ANC-0001-Chassis-1 to revision A, is there a way of achieving this globally without having to manually change the name.

All is well if the changing from 1 to 2 or A to B, but not from 1 to A.

Obviously the above is simplified, some assemblies have many parts and to manually change is fraught with danger ;-)

I hope that makes sense

Any help is greatly appreciated

 

[KENAT]

We do similar on the -1 -2 for proto and -A -B for revs.

I haven't found a way to do it automatically. In fact some of the semi automatic functionality that does exist in Rev Mgr doesn't work that well, at least for me.

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...

 

[beachcomber]

Hi Karmoh,
My tip here would be to use a different delimiter for the revision (ie use a "_" instead of a "-" ) so that there is a definite distinction for the revision character.
Then you will select the parts to revise and use Edit>Replace to go from _1 to _A.
You can't automatically increment from number to letter.
One question though, why do you use "select all" ?
You don't need to revise the whole assembly do you ?

bc.
CAD2 Imagine Workstation
2.4GHz Core2 Quad, 4GB RAM,
Quadro FX4600.

 

[toffeet]

We are using Insight Server which allows me to revise a part in the Part or Assembly environment. I don’t necessarily have to use Revision Manager. Since Version 20 it will also identify any drafts of the specific part or assembly and will revise them as well, all in the same process.

Revising parts in an unmanaged library is quite tedious at best.

Regards,
Theodore

Solid Edge V20 SP4 on WinXP SP2

 

[ksudavid]

Beachcomber is correct. Use a different delimiter to signify the revision and you will save yourself a lot of headache.

 

[KENAT]

To make that work I think you'll have to change a setting in Tools options for the REV delimeter or something, I can't recall exactly.

It won't fix the basic number to letter problem though as far as I'm aware.

Beach - at places I've worked when going from proto to release yes, you rev all new drawings in the pack from 1 to A or vice versa.

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...

 

[beachcomber]

The setting for revision delimiter is under
Tools > Options > General.

Kenat, yes I can see changing revision from 1 to A etc. for drawings, but Karmoh is talking about assemblies and parts.
I've NEVER used revisions on models, or set models to released status - it gets too complicated unless you have some PDM type system to manage it.

bc.
CAD2 Imagine Workstation
2.4GHz Core2 Quad, 4GB RAM,
Quadro FX4600.

 

[karmoh]

Thank you for your replies,

I work for myself, mostly for smaller manufactures that do not have the resources for R&D and full design team. So using insight server on a standalone is a pointless exercise, even if it were possible.

I deal mainly with sheetmetal assemblies that require only one main folder and sub-folders for fittings etc, so PDM style systems are not required.

Beachcomber thanks for the tip on the delimiter, I agree and disagree with your comment never use revisions on models. If, as in the past I was part of a team working on large projects then I would agree, but I work alone and on individual projects and having the models with the revision number tagged on the end is visual as well as common sense (for me only, maybe?).

Remember I wasn’t trying to promote a discussion on part/drawing numbering systems, just if there was a tip or trick to switch from _4 to _A.

 

[beachcomber]

Hi karmoh,
I wasn't saying that you should never do it, just that the size of projects I've worked on would make it very complicated if part revisions had been maintained.
In your case I think you are probably working the best way - it's a nice safety net to have old revisions of parts, and easy to control when working alone.
If you revise all your models at the same time then it's easy to use the find/replace in rev manager.
You would simply select all, set action to copy, set path, replace _4 with _A, hit the whoosh (perform action) and off it goes.
If all the models are not at the same revision you can do the replace in steps - replace _1 with _A, _2 with _A etc.
If you wanted to change the delimiter on a set of models you can use the rename function and replace -1.psm with _1.psm etc

Hope this helps.

bc.
CAD2 Imagine Workstation
2.4GHz Core2 Quad, 4GB RAM,
Quadro FX4600.

 

[KENAT]

Beach, my old place had the rev in the model filename as I recal. Here they dropped it with a view to going to PLM/simplifying file management. However, we use the part rev property to drive the drawing rev so everytime a drawing changes, even if there isn't a physical change to the model, the model gets updated.

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...