NX6 Drafting: How to add exploded view of subassembly on same sheet? 1

[potrero]

NX6.0.3 MP2

Is it possible to add an exploded view of a subassembly, on the same sheet as the parent assembly?

I tried doing this by creating an exploded View in the subassembly, then adding a new base view of the subassembly in the assembly drawing , selecting the new exploded View. The resulting view says it is the exploded one, but it does not appear exploded.

Adding the subassembly base view also adds the subassembly to the drawing assembly structure as a "Reference Only" part, and as such it doesn't look like one can create an exploded view in the Drawing file, as you'd normally do for the top-level assembly.

Any ideas? Thanks.

 

[potrero]

OK I have found a solution, though I'm not sure this is the "best practice". Basically, one can create a new View in the Drawing file; create a new Explosion in this View; hide all the components except for the subassembly, then explode as you wish. Obviously, one can also create unexploded views of the subassembly in this manner.

This method also has the consequence that no "Reference Only" parts are added to the Assembly structure in the Drawing file.

 

[hudson888]

I have just such a thing shown on my webpage so I'd better know how to do it!

IMPORTANT! You have to create the explosions at the drawing level not in the assembly file loaded to it if you are working in the master model method.

1. You create an explosion in the drawing file using the modelling application. You are best to save the view using View>Operation>Save As.

2. Add that view to the drawing as a base view.

3. Go back into modelling with the exploded view still displayed and then you can use Assemblie>Exploded View>Hide Explosion to display the assembly in its normal state.

4. Going into the drawing add another base view using the same saved view that you used earlier.

You should now have a drawing with an exploded and an unexploded view side by side.

You can vary your approach and learn to use use the exploded views toolbar (once displayed) to turn explosions on and off. What you'll also find is that although the drawing and model views are separate copies of one another the explosion is common. This means that if you edit the explosion in the modelling environment you will affect the drawing as soon as the views are updated. Happily you can have a number of explosions in the same file to cater for more complex situations.

Best Regards

Hudson

www.jamb.com.au

Nil Desperandum illegitimi non carborundum

 

[BOPdesigner]

Hudson, I believe that you missed the part that the potrero wants an exploded view of a _subassembly_ on the same sheet as the top level parent assembly view which is unexploded. Anyway, Hudson's process is correct but then what I do (and there may be a better way) is add the components of this subassembly to a new layer in the drawing file -> modeling application. Then go into the drafting app and for the sub assembly exploded view, do a Format-> Visible in View, and set that layer as the only layer that is visible. In this manner of multiple exploded views and assigning subassemblies to different layers I am able to document the sequence of manufacturing assembly steps in a drawing set.

 

[potrero]

@BOPdesigner,
Interesting idea. Thanks.

 

[hudson888]

The easiest way to handle a subassembly of the same assembly that is already shown on the drawing requires only that you filter for other components to be invisible in the view that don't belong to the subassembly in question. I would probably tend to the old fashioned way using layers and visible in view within drafting, but you could also simply use show and hide components in views to filter for what you wish to see displayed.

Is that what you wanted to know?


Best Regards

Hudson

www.jamb.com.au

Nil Desperandum illegitimi non carborundum

 

[BOPdesigner]

I must be missing something with the Show/Hide Components in View process. I don't see a filter option in the dialog box to hide the components. Is there a faster way than manually picking each component? I have a harder time picking the components in the view then when in modeling because you can't rotate the view. So I figured it was still easiest to sort the components out on different layers in modeling.

 

[hudson888]

You can display the ANT (Assembly Navigation Tool) and use CTRL or SHIFT methods of selection to help with the selection process. As I say I find the layer based method has its good points as well.

Best Regards

Hudson

www.jamb.com.au

Nil Desperandum illegitimi non carborundum