disappearing mates with configurations 2

[weirDeveloper]

Hi,

I'm just learning to use equations and design tables. I've got an assembly, and added some global variables that control the dimensions of parts within the assembly. I've got three test configurations that I can view to check that changes to variables in the design table are working OK.

It's been great till I added the last variable. This last addition has caused some of the mates in two configurations to break - they're there in the mates editor, but greyed out. If I change the mate type of a greyed out mate, and then change it back again, it becomes active again. I can repeat this with the greyed out mates till they all become active, and the model in that configuration looks right. But it breaks the other two configurations - same thing, greyed out mates. I can only get one of the three configs right.

What's going on? Circular logic in evaluating my equations? (If so, how can I see what order they are calculated in?). Puzzled!

 

[weirDeveloper]

Never mind. Right clicking the greyed out mate, and hitting 'unsuppress' did the trick. Don't know how or why those mates got suppressed, but doing this seems to have had a more permanent effect than changing thetype of mate and changing it back again, unsuppressing the mates in all 3 configurations.

 

[Nella95]

You bring up a larger question...Sometimes SolidWorks suppresses mates when they conflict with others - and it (SolidWorks) won't tell you it did it. Not sure why...but it's a feature not a bug.

 

[ShaggyPE]

Additionally, there is a setting in the configuration pane that "automatically suppresses new features and mates." De-select this and all of your new features and mates will stay un-suppressed in that config when created in another config.

-Dustin
Professional Engineer
Pretty good with SolidWorks