Flexible Subassembly

[abeschneider]

I am having trouble in retaining DOF in flexible subassemblies. For example, I am creating a complicated machine, so I have separated logical "chunks" of it into separate subassemblies. Lets say one subassembly has a moving part with only the req'd DOF: ie: a rotating shaft. I want to insert this subassembly, containing the rotatable shaft, into another larger assembly. When I do this, I can no longer rotate the shaft! And when I select >Properties>Solve as Flexible, ALL my constraints in the subassembly disappear.

Any suggestions? Thank you.

 

[PDMAdmin]

I have run across the "flexibility" problem with users who were trying to set the "Flexible" setting at too high of a level. For example, if your sub-assembly is at level 5 in the assembly, you need to set "Flexible" in the level 4 assembly, not the top-level.

 

[abeschneider]

Thanks PDMWAdmin for the reply. Actually, my assembly was at level "3". I think I found the root of the problem, though, and it is that for some reason, when I inserted the subassembly, most of the subassy's mates were suppressed. The simple fix was to unsuppress the offending mates, re-insert the subassy, make flexible, and then I got my desired DOF's. Thanks.