flexible sub assemblies

[moyesboy]

I have a flexible sub assembly in my assembly.
I want to add a mate that wil drive the position of the flexible sub assembly. As it happens the mate ovccurs vbetween parts that are in the sflexible sub assembly (for this particular position of the mechanism).
Unfortunately this is not possible. Yuo can apply mates to parts that are located inside the same flexible sub assembly - the flexible sub assembly behaves as a single part for mating purposes.
Have I got this right?

 

[Eltron]

If you are trying to control the motion of a subassy by mating it to itself in the top level assy then you are stuck. What I would do is create a few configuration of the subassy in differing positions before adding the subassy to the top level assy.

Dan

http://www.eltronresearch.com

Dan's Blog

 

[Overworked1]

You are correct sir. If you have a sub-assembly in an assembly, you cannot add an assembly level mate between two components in that sub assembly. You would have to add the mate at the sub-assembly level.

Aaron
SolidWorks (x64)/PDMWorks 09 3.0
CADKey 99 R1.0 (Yes, still using it!)

 

[sisau]

i have worked with different subassemblies and i have always different kind of problems depending on if they are rigid or flexible.

instead of working with subassemblies, i work with only one assembly and i distribute the parts in different folders. i gess you know how to create the folders: in your assembly tree > click woth the right button on "mates" or on any part > create new folder. then you just have to drag each part to the folder you want.

maybe you need to work with subassemblies for some reasons, but

 

[ShaggyPE]

sisau's method would probably be acceptable for a conceptual model, but I have a hard time seeing that being efficient for a completed design. Two main reasons:
1. Large number of mates and parts in single assy. SW starts having issues when the number of mates reaches 300
2. Real world assembly process probably utilizes the building of sub-assemblies. The design documentation should reflect that... unless there is an extremely compelling reason not to... and I have never had one.

-Dustin
Professional Engineer
Certified SolidWorks Professional
Certified COSMOSWorks Designer Specialist
Certified SolidWorks Advanced Sheet Metal Specialist

 

[moyesboy]

It is true that the recommendation is the number of mates in the top level assembly should be kept to less than 300.
Unfortunately there is annoying and still unresolved shortcoming in the BOM and ballooning which makes means grouping parts into aub assemblies for mating convenience is often impossible while maintaining a functional BOM with balloon numbers that work on the drawing.
I've been through this with support and it is still unresolved in 2010, though known of since 2006?!

If you have sub assemblies just for convenience (and saving loads of time and effort) you can dissolve them in the BOM so they were only pretend sub assemblies. BUT then very often you find you get * in the balloon number to all the parts in the dissolved sub assembly. In the end the only way is to truely dissolve the sub assembly then you are faced with exceeding the recommended maximum number of top level mates, or leaving componenent unconstrained.

This is one of quite a long and growing list of things I consider not to be of merchantable quality in solidworks, and, more significantly, left unresolved for years!