Rotate PMI Views by Expression?

[Jim0914]

Is there a way to rotate PMI views in models by expression? I don't want to rotate the view every time I generate a new part. I want it to rotate itself by expression.

I have an arc piece with a radial arm on it. The part is built as part of an assembly driven by sketches at the assembly level and waved down to the components. Every part will likely be different with the radial arm at different angles around the circle. I am adding PMI to the start part but I always want the radial arm pointing up from the 6 o'clock position in the PMI view.

I have attached an image of mulitple views of my part. They are as follows:

Model 01 (top left): Trimetric view of the part
Model 02 (top right): Flat planar view of the part
Model 03 (bottom center): The orientation I want the PMI view to be every time a part is made.

I've searched everywhere and cannot find how rotate the view by expression. I have an expression that is the rotation angle but I cannot figure out how to link it to the view.

Any and all suggestions are welcome. Thanks!

Jim Weisner
Senior Designer
General Electric Company

 

[CADPat]

Jim:

A few thoughts to try...

If you create a Datum on the face, using a construction technique like 2-Curves, one of which is from your "arm", then the Datum will be aligned along it. You can then create your View using "Infer" and pick the datum and it will line-up (no need to even use the expression - it's driven from the geometry)

You could also use some math and your expression to perhaps develop a macro to orient the Datum for you.

Or you can use similar techniques to directly orient the view without the intermediate Datum.

Use View, Orient, and one of them methods like Plane, Y-axis, Point to directly orient (e.g. the face of the arm, the side edge of the arm, and the bottom vertex of the arm).

Again, you might also be able to automate some of that. Such automation might make use of your angle expression to calculate the appropriate Y or X axis of the view, based on picking just plane and point.

HIH.

Pat