Feature sets

[MickyV007]

Hi everyone,

got a problem with the use of Feature sets in Family tables. In parts with a lot of features its desirable to group some of the features and use them as a Feature Set in one column in a part family table instead of adding all the features seperate. Now my problem is that I can add one feature set to the table that works, if I want to add 2 or three or more feature sets then only the last feature set would work.
Although I can use the feature sets in the part navigator to work perfectly, they won't work in the family table. Attached a simple example with 3 Feature sets and a Family table, try to use the Feature Sets in the part navigator (should be no problem), then go to Part Families and try to Verify member A / B and C and see what happens.

Using NX 4.0.4.2 MP6

Thanks in advance ,

with kind regards.

Michaël.



Michaël Verheyen
CAD designer
PHILIPS INNOVATIVE APPLICATIONS N.V.
Belgium

 

[hudson888]

Michael,

I suspect its the model not the feature sets.

Coming at this from a different angle I've seen similar problems in the past. Part Families need to be reliable and robust for your other users. Using feature sets introduces complexity and may just make problems more difficult to analyse.

If I understand your model correctly you're trying to suppress features to create a part family with three different versions. The problem may be that you're suppressing something that depends upon something else. This happens where there are several faces upon which holes and some of the chamfers you used may depend which are modelled away as you suppress things. It may seem like they should not work that way, but if you unite two blocks with coplanar faces then is the joined face associated with one block or the other or both? You can't easily tell unless you really make the model completely discrete.

To achieve a more robust version you can suppress more than one feature at a time using expressions. I would also use discrete booleans. That means performing unite or subtract after you extrude. I might even make the holes before the booleans if you can so that you know which faces that they depend upon. Even if you have to make two versions of chamfers using some but not all of the same edges then if you always switch the one off when the other is turned on you may have more success. Keep it simple though unless you find there isn't another way to make this model work properly.

At the end if you keep it simple and separate then when you come to testing it then it may be just easier to see what feature is not working.


Best Regards

Hudson

www.jamb.com.au

Nil Desperandum illegitimi non carborundum

 

[MickyV007]

Thank you Hudson for you reply,

the way of working you suggest is new for me so I will keep that in mind for modeling new models. But it still doesn't explain why the Feature Sets will work in the part navigator by toggle them on/off and wont work in the Part Familie where you do excatly the same with the YES/NO function?
I've attached a little more complex part whereby the Feature sets will work in Part Navigator but going wrong in the Familie Table except for the last one?

Any suggestions/help on this matter is welcome,

best regards,

Michaël.

Michaël Verheyen
CAD designer
PHILIPS INNOVATIVE APPLICATIONS N.V.
Belgium

 

[MickyV007]

Hello,

still not figured out why the Feature Sets won't work within the Familie Table but they do there job in the Part navigator. Is there a possibility that I may have to add the Sketches/Datum planes in the Familie Table and turning them YES/NO in function of the feature set, i had this issue before with features which won't work without this solution.

Best regards,

Michaël



Michaël Verheyen
CAD designer
PHILIPS INNOVATIVE APPLICATIONS N.V.
Belgium

 

[hudson888]

Michaël,

I'm not quite sure what you mean but as with anything you're better to start with something simple and build upon you're knowledge a step at a time. Inputting a complex example up front and hoping it may work is a recipe for a lot of analytic diagnosis and headaches.

In general I wouldn't have thought turning on and off sketches and datums should affect you as long as they all stay on all of the time. Avoid creating the sketches as dependant upon faces of other features that could be turned off (modelled away) by suppressing the owning bodies.

Best Regards

Hudson

www.jamb.com.au

Nil Desperandum illegitimi non carborundum