I'm trying to create a set of drawings, each sheet showing an a hydraulic ram assembly in a different position. I've tried to create a set of configurations within the assembly, one for each position, so I can call each up as required to show the piston in different positions.
I was expecting to find a "configurations" rollout offering "this configuration"/"all configurations"/"specify configurations" radio buttons, at which point I'd select "this configuration". But I can't see those choices anywhere. I seem to have created the configurations and can activate each in turn but they don't cause the assembly to reconfigure and the bottom line is that although I call them up as configurations within my drawings, they all show the assembly in the last state I left it in. It looks as if I'm changing all of the configurations when I change the mate distance, despite apparently activating a different config in each case.
If I understood the various references correctly (the SW help, Solidworks for Beginners, The Solidworks Bible, Youtube guides etc), I would create a new configuration ("add configuration"), make the changes (change a mate distance in this case) then save the assembly again. I would do this for each new configuration, ending up with 3 configs in my case. Then, when I wanted to show the piston in one of those positions in a drawing view, I'd call the right configuration up in the drawing properties.I seem to have done all that but still no cigar.
Can anyone suggest where I am going wrong here? It feels as if it's one of those simple problems that's staring me in the face but I can't see it. It may be that the critical controls have been moved in recent releases - I'm using 2014.
I tried a really simple assembly (a nut and bolt) with just 2 mates (concentric and distance) and I still have the same problem.
I second Craig. It worked for me, but I had to unsupress the distance mate in a couple configs also.
One thing to help might be what faces you are mating to, and if the distance mate dimension is required to 'flip' between configurations (change its direction). This might cause issues.
With the mate being suppressed, maybe this is the only problem, and when you are adding new configs, it is auto suppressing for you. Here are some pics to check that.
Distance mate showing suppressed when I opened your assembly.
RMB on config, click on properties.
Make sure checkbox 'suppress new features and mates' is not checked. If you create the mate first, then add configs, this box will mess with you. Do not remember if it is a system/document option somewhere, this box for me is always unchecked.