I would like comments/critique on the approach taken for this
configurator. This is the first time I attempt something like this.
I based most of the ideas on what I've seen on these lists on the
various topics.
The configurator is not complete. It doesn't really have any error or bounds checking, therefore you can ask it to make rivets that will result in invalid geometry. If that happens, just ignore it, re-open the design table and change the parameters. Specifying a rivet length that is very close to the recommended full head clinch allowance will break the model.
I don't want to dive much deeper into this until I get a good sense that this is the way to go (and receive some good constructive criticism). Feel free to use/modify this for your own applications, of course.
I can see that some VBA code within the Excel workbook could do wonders. I am particularly concerned about how to handle the various options with regards to showing the rivet in the clinched state. The tables built into the current version simply use the recommended clinch allowance for a full clinch head. This rarely gives you the work thickness you might be looking for. My thought is to, perhaps, add the ability to override the default clinch allowance and specify the thickness of the material to be joined. This would give you a rivet that fits "right".
The way I would use this is to create the desired rivet configuration; use "Save As..." to save it to its own file; open that file; delete the configuration table and then use it in an assembly. You don't really want to carry a config table on every rivet you insert into an assembly!
I included the Excel file saved outside of the SW document to make it easier to examine. Both the internal and external Excel documents have two custom views saved to make it easier to view the whole thing or just the "form" area. In Excel, go to the View menu, select "Custom Views...", then select one of the two views and click "Show".
Thanks,
-Martin
The configurator is not complete. It doesn't really have any error or bounds checking, therefore you can ask it to make rivets that will result in invalid geometry. If that happens, just ignore it, re-open the design table and change the parameters. Specifying a rivet length that is very close to the recommended full head clinch allowance will break the model.
I don't want to dive much deeper into this until I get a good sense that this is the way to go (and receive some good constructive criticism). Feel free to use/modify this for your own applications, of course.
I can see that some VBA code within the Excel workbook could do wonders. I am particularly concerned about how to handle the various options with regards to showing the rivet in the clinched state. The tables built into the current version simply use the recommended clinch allowance for a full clinch head. This rarely gives you the work thickness you might be looking for. My thought is to, perhaps, add the ability to override the default clinch allowance and specify the thickness of the material to be joined. This would give you a rivet that fits "right".
The way I would use this is to create the desired rivet configuration; use "Save As..." to save it to its own file; open that file; delete the configuration table and then use it in an assembly. You don't really want to carry a config table on every rivet you insert into an assembly!
I included the Excel file saved outside of the SW document to make it easier to examine. Both the internal and external Excel documents have two custom views saved to make it easier to view the whole thing or just the "form" area. In Excel, go to the View menu, select "Custom Views...", then select one of the two views and click "Show".
Thanks,
-Martin
Looks like a very good start. Yes, VBA can go a LONG way when doing configurators like this. While the data validation lists are helpful they are kind of cumbersome since you are doing a manual drill-down. If you have you access to a VBA/Excel guru take advantage of that since they are usually pretty good at coding your road map for you. One possibility is to take your existing ERP information, have that linked to an access spreadsheet (or straight through SQL if you have it) and have that drive some of the parameters (p/n, sizes, materials, etc). SolidWorks basically does this exact thing--access database driving parts--for the Toolbox add-in.
We are also in the process of getting the DT to act as a bridge for accessing all other sorts of data, not just off-the-shelf parts.
Great job so far!