Log Files for assemblies

[Russell67]

Does anyone know of a feature or a product that will record the steps of how and assembly is put together (mates with ref numbers, when parts inserted, feature patterns, etc)

Problem we are running into is when a user creates a large assembly, inserts everything, mates everything, releases the assembly then gets layed off. The next user that may have to revise that assembly and move parts around spends a great deal of time fumbling through the assembly trying to figure it out.

Anybody have any suggestions.

 

[ctopher]

The tutorial in SolidWorks Help will show you how mates work.
If users do not know how parts are mated in an assy, maybe you should look into training?

Chris
SolidWorks/PDMWorks 08 2.0
AutoCAD 06/08
ctopher's home (updated 10-07-07)

 

[TheTick]

Mates are solved simultaneously; there is no sequencing.

I see multiple sources of trouble: you fire the guy who made the model, the new guy can't figure it out. Either one or both is lacking skill.

 

[sldwkmin]

Best Practices!!

Have a document that describes how your company in general should mate things. Do you use planes, or do you use the features that would normally be used to assemble the real world product...these are just a couple examples. Main thing is to document a procedure and then follow it. I'm sure you can see now how valuable this can be. As for figuring out your older assemblies, The best is going to be time and diligence to figure it out.

Cole M
CSWP, CSWST, CSWI, CPDM
HP XW4300, 3.4g proc, 2.5g RAM, ATI Fire GL 3100
Dell M90, Core 2 Duo, 2g RAM, Nvidia Quadra FX2500M
Equus (custom), P4, 3.4g proc, 3g RAM, Nvidia Quadro FX3400

 

[mncad]

As far as best practices go, putting the mates into folders is a huge help for us. We have smaller assemblies so this may not work for all, but each part or subassembly gets its own folder under the mates and every mate for that part goes in the folder. Makes it alot easier to look back thru.

mncad

 

[Pneuguy]

In SW 2008, just select a part or subassy and select "view mates" (paper clip with glasses). This will show all of the mates for that part. Maybe 2007 had a similar command, but I never ran across it.

 

[bsj0526]

A quick way to see and edit the mates for a part is to select it form either the feature tree or the graphics screen and click on the properties tab on the feature manager. There is shows all mates refrencing the part.

 

[Russell67]

While i thank all the responses i think i may have asked the question wrong.

Imagine that you are responsilbe to create an assembly model of the hvac system for a very large multi office single story building. One of you coworkers has already modeled up the roof structure and another has modeled up the ceiling. Both of those assemblies are used in the hvac assembly as reference parts and are mated to the building center. Easy to import them just insert and fix. Also your assembly has no mates to these structures, just to the building center.

Your role is to begin to build the system / model (elbows, tees, diffusers, hangers etc) and have it reviewed. After the model is completed it gets passed onto someone else for them to create the drawings, modify because you are onto a new project, or add component missed by the incompetent marketing peole.

So as you begin to build the system (And no this can't be a swept profile because each part needs its own drawing) you first start to lay in the duct runs, ignoring the hangers, screws and such. This becomes a mix of linear patterns, indivudual parts yada, yada, yada.

Model is done passed on for review three weeks later make these middle runs shorted change the elevation here add hanger every 24" vs 36" and you need 6 screws instead of 3. Sound easy but all the like components are now in folders so assembly order has changed (i know follow the numbers)

Original guy on new project manager sees it as easy change. New guy dives right in and deletes component model tanks. Tree is glowing red and yellow. Now what?

1) He spends hours searching the mates, suppresing them hoping for the magical mate.

2) Gets original guy asks for help, original guy looks at model wonders were all the new parts came from attempt to help over the shoulder?

3) New guy reads a log file to give him some idea of the assembly process? Liken this to pressing the f2 key after a long autocad session and you want to find out that length.

And yes there are drafting standards and yes parts were mated in the context of the way stuff got assembled.

Alot of times when stuff gets added to assemblies the exact position is sometimes unknown so mating upon the first insertion sometimes works but oftem time get changes hence screwing up the sequential order.

Also we do know how to use solidworks and currently are working just fine, however ther are those insctances <5% of the time stuff like this creeps up. Just wondering if there is a solution or if others have run into this issue as well and some practical methods for handling this. Thanks for reading my book.