Design Tables

[donaldbrodie]

Hi,

Recently I have been looking into design tables. These do seem handy but is there a way to make one design table for an assembly and all of it parts. This way you can edit all of the part properties in one go.

Also is there a handy way of making drawing numbers automatic. I have to enter each one individually !

thanks

donald

 

[ctopher]

For DT's, (not 100% sure) I think it has been discussed here. Try a search.
For auto no'2, I make the part file name the part number, then link the text in the dwg to the part file name.

Chris
Systems Analyst, I.S.
SolidWorks 06 4.1/PDMWorks 06
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 06-21-06)

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

You can use a DT to control a skeleton or layout sketch (at the assy level) which in turn controls in-context part sizes ... but not their properties. You will need individual DTs at the part level for that.

Or you can use 3rd party software to propagate multiple file properties.
See Propa-Gator from

http://www.customsolids.com/Propa-Gator.htm

Helpful SW websites FAQ559-520
How to get answers to your SW questions FAQ559-1091

 

[SnowCrash]

The part file name and drawing file name can appear on a drawing by having some text on the drawing format linked to those properties. You can include the full path or not, as suits you.
eg: Part File:$PRPSHEET:"SW-Folder Name" $PRPSHEET:"SW-File Name" shows me the path to the part in view one of a drawing sheet.
If you are thinking of automatically generating file names, that is another matter.
"First, define 'part number' then decide how to"

--
Hardie "Crashj" Johnson
SW 2005 SP 4.0 (reluctant to change)
Nvidia Quadro FX 1000
AMD Athalon 1.8 GHz 2 Gig RAM

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

If you are making individual drawings per part or assy, the drawing name (when being saved) should default to the same as the part or assy.


Helpful SW websites FAQ559-520
How to get answers to your SW questions FAQ559-1091

 

[bigbenbob]

You can easily control which part config you want to use in an assy config from tha assy design table, but you can not directly control feature or sketch dimensions thru the assy DT.

I am told that API code can be written that will do this.

 

[donaldbrodie]

Thanks for all the replies. So from my understanding DT do have quite a lot of limitations. If you cant compile all of your DT into one top level DT I cant see the point in them. As you can just as quickly use the custom properties in part which is quicker I think.

 

[handleman]

So... all you want to change with the design table are the custom properties? That's not really what they're intended for, although you can force them to do so.

(These hammers do have quite a lot of limitations. If you can't drive screws with them I can't see the point in them.)

Since DTs are nothing more than Excel files you can create each part's individual DT and then link the individual tables to a master sheet.

(The screw goes in but it doesn't hold too well and it takes a while to do)

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

A DT is very powerful tool and has very few limitations ... when used as intended for creating configs of parts and assys. Their biggest "limitation" is that they cannot directly control parts at the assy level ... but that was/is not their purpose.

Submit an Enhancement Request to SW explaining what you would like DTs to be able to do.


Helpful SW websites FAQ559-520
How to get answers to your SW questions FAQ559-1091

 

[donaldbrodie]

Ok i must agree maybe I do not know how to use DT's properly but how would one go about using a DT in a way that it would make the design process that much easier.

Maybe I am just dim !

 

[ScottHeiden]

I work with modular shelving units and use design tables alot. They allow me to quickly generate several different stockroom capacities for a customer by choosing different configurations of the shelf assemblies within a stockroom assembly.

To start at the beginning, I first use a design table with each part to create every size of that part we use (like posts at 72", 84", 96", 120" and 144").

Next I open an assembly drawing and build a shelf unit using one configuration of each part (say an 18"x48" by 96" tall unit with 4 shelves).

I add a design table to the assembly and create different sized shelving units quickly by specifying different configurations of the parts (ex: I make a 18"x48" by 120" tall unit with 5 shelves by changing the configuration of the posts in the design table from 96" to 120" and changing the number of instances the shelf is patterned from 4 to 5).

Finally, all this work pays off. I have to design a stockroom layout for a customer by placing different configurations of the shelf assembly on a floor plan. The customer wants us to give them a couple options - say 96"-tall and 120"-tall shelving.

The design tables in the shelf assemblies allow me to quickly generate two different stockroom options by changing the shelf configuration thru each shelf assembly's component properties in the Feature manager tree (just choose the 120"-tall unit instead of the 96" one). Without the design tables and configurations I'd have to lay out the stockroom twice from scratch.

Scott