Assembly Settings?

[cadfreak]

Hopefully this makes sense.

What are the config setting(s) you must apply in order to get the component you want assembled attached to your cursor?

Also, where can I find more information about predefining components at the part level for future assemblies so that they are set to be assembled in a specific way (not sure what the term is called).

Wildfire 2.0 m130

 

[Guest0527211403]

These settings can be found under Edit--> Setup -->Comp Interfaces.

This lets you predefine the references you can use for assembly. Expand out the "Assembly Settings" option and you can establish rules for the assembly features as well. These rules aren't permanent (you can manually set whatever reference you want), but they help Pro/E make a decision as to what to use in the assembly.

To do the cursor thing: In the file browser (model tree window) browse to the folder where your file is, and select the folder so you can see its contents in the web browser window. Select your part, and simply drag it onto the location you want it to show up in your assembly. It won't be attached to the cursor like you asked, but I think this is what you meant.

A caveat: This doesn't work so well, in my experience. I've found that Pro/E rarely gets it right the first time, and you end up having to browse through a series of possible assembly conditions. Adding rules in the Assembly Settings makes your odds a bit better, so you may want to plan that out in advance.

Here's a good trick if you are assembling a lot of the same part:

Assemble the part once, then select the part, and hit Edit--> Repeat. Then choose only the references that differ (i.e. if you are assembling a series of bolts that mate to the same plane, only choose the axis), and then hit 'Add' and start picking axes for the new bolts to be placed. This is really useful to me when I'm making assemblies from plates (usually dies) that don't have hole patterns.

Good Luck in 2006

 

[jeff4136]

"A caveat: This doesn't work so well ..."

A variation: Assuming there's an unambiguous comp interface defined, like a mate / insert for a fastener; pre-select the assembly reference faces then drag the part in from the browser.

For sure try the Repeat function. It's good.

Ramblin' on... Try copied Groups for placing hardware sets. A bolt, two washers, lock washer and nut can all be placed with three (two planar, one cylindrical) face picks. It would really be slick if it worked like Repeat. As is a mapkey to copy, paste special with advanced reference collector is as good as I know of.

 

[Guest0527211403]

Jeff,

"...pre-select the assembly reference faces then drag the part in from the browser."

For some reason, when I try that, it asks me for the assembly references. I can't find any config option that fixes this, either. I tried it with my SHCS that has a mate and insert interface.


A while ago I pitched an idea to my former employer to develop a series of HTML files with standard fasteners showing in a nice, graphical format. If you link to the correct network location for the parts in the HTML source, you can drag and drop parts in the same way (Pro/E's file browser is just generated HTML). One reason the idea never really flew was the fact that I could never make the parts go where I really wanted them to on the first shot, so the boss wasn't that impressed.

 

[jeff4136]

>> ... pre-select the assembly references ...

> ... it asks me for the assembly references ...

Ok, guess I'm gonna have to 'fess up. `;^)

Reading your caveat statement prompted a what-if-thought, I tried it (on a tiny test assy I had laying around; that's key), it worked, I thought; "cool". Then you popped my bubble. Sure enough I loaded a larger assy and it didn't work.

The good news (I guess, and I don't pretend to understand why) is; there appears to be way to make it work. Go to Tools, Assembly Settings, Placement Preferences. Expand the Advance Interface Search section at the bottom. Clear the Check Interference of Matches tick box. That seems to allow pre-selection to work on, at least, medium size assemblies. (Using WF2. Couldn't find an associated config opt or know how to make the setting persistant. Maybe setting is stored in assy start model?)

 

[Guest0527211403]

Sorry.. didn't mean to shoot ya down. I still can't get it to work right

That's one area where I wish I would see preselection highlighting or whatever they would call it...

Ideally, we would be able to pick the part, drag it onto an assembly, and as it drags over the assembly, we see a real-time preview of possible assembly states. Might sound a bit childish, but I want to make Pro/E work like Lego Digital Designer, or (somewhere in between) SketchUp. Both support the ability to rapidly build assemblies using drag and drop techniques from a component browser, which is what I was trying to do with that HTML page.

Oh well, I'll keep trying... tomorrow

 

[jeff4136]

> ... still can't get it to work ...

Don't know what to say (not that it's a real biggie, anyway). It's probably not a "supported" technique; may work in some builds and not in others? If you do want to pursue it I can send my config.pro (not very large after stripping out the mapkeys) for you to examine.

Have a great one.