Design table driving part instances

[friedrich]

Hi all, it's me and my silly questions again.

I've got a part with different configurations (driven by a design table), and I'd like to insert several instances of the same in an assembly, each one with a different configuration. (by the way, something very easy to do with Sol****rks )

If I insert the part once, and make a regular Copy/paste, each configuration change on one is reflected on the other. (that's not exactly what I wanted (

If a use Paste special the new instance can keep its configuration. Fine. But I then have to save it as a separate file (linked to the same table file) But I just can't have as many files as configurations (that's just what design tables were supposed to avoid!)

So far I keep going with the last "solution", but If there's a "prettier" way to do it please let me know.

Thanks!

 

[Arkangel]

friedrich,

If you are up to speed on PowerCopy and Catalogs, this is the route you might want to take. I would make a PowerCopy of the part and place it in a catalog. In the catalog, you can resolve the part families, which will give you a part document for each configuration. Then, you could insert the desired configuration from the catalog browser. At this stage, it becomes relatively painless and quick.

Now, what I just said here was simplified. You would first need to get to know how to develop a PowerCopy, which can take a while. Then, you'd need a crash course in catalogs. The key here is resolving part families.

Good luck!

 

[puck]

Quick and easy way to do this is to open the part with the embedded design table select the row of the design table that you want then file it off using save as for each row of the design table.
This a quick way if you say have only a couple of configurations.
Now open your product and insert each unique part that you had saved off in the first step.

 

[friedrich]

Thank to all of you for your valuable help!

Puck, your're right. I've only got 5 configurations and creating 5 files is in this case the fastest way to go. You can also choose "user-friendly" names as you create them.

As for what you said, Arkangel (resolve the part families in the catalog) there's a nice example about it in the Online Help. It automaticaly generates a bunch of files from a table driven screw (or nut, I don't remember). It's not very difficult to do, but I won't use it unless I reach 10 configurations.

Both seem to show the same: you must have a part file for each configuration your want to use. I guess it's the "Catia way" to handle configurations. Why not? I just don't find it very elegant! )