Good Morning Forum,
Yes it's still morning in mountain time zone. Here is my problem: I have a multi configuration Assembly that has parts that are driven by a Global Variable that is different in several configurations. The Part that I've inserted has multiple configurations also, is anyone aware of a way that from a part you can reference a specific configuration of the Assembly that you have linked to?
Are you talking like a Configuration Specific Property? I'll see If that will work for my purpose.
Arthur, let me see if I'm getting this straight: Are you trying to use the global variales from the PARTS to be linked to the main ASM aswel?
No, I have a Global Variable in the Part Linked to a Global Variable in the Assembly. I have Assembly Configurations: "A","B","C". Some of the Global Variables are different in the "A" and "B". I want to know how to link the Part Global Variable to only Assembly Configuration "A"
Ok. I'm probably gonna need a Venn Diagram to fully grasp this. However, have you tried to use design tables and ran into problems?
I have design tables, the problem is that every time I switch between Assembly Configurations the Part Variable changes to match the current Assembly Configuration.
Hopefully this quick doodle will help.
Arthur, I'm about to leave the office. If my internet doesn't fail on me at home I'll post you an update.
Yes, the Configuration Specific Properties
Are you trying to control the Configuration of Assembly via Global Variable (or Configuration) of the Part?
No, trying to control Global Variable of a Part tied to a Specific Configuration Global Variable of the Assembly.
You can link Global Variables Part<->Assembly both ways, or Global Variable to specific Configuration, but as far as I know this is just one way traffic. SW has no tools to link Configuration to the parameter: Global Variable. Unless API may help.
I have done this. The Master Assembly has several configurations and the Global Variables are set to be configuration-specific. I then have several parts that were initially created in-context in the assembly, then later saved as separate parts. I then added configurations to the parts to match the assembly configs. (In my case it was Small, Medium, Large). Now in the Master Assembly, I choose Small, the in the Part I set the Part configuration to Small, but I choose "This Configuration Only". Then I switch the Master Assembly to Medium and in the parts I switch to Medium and again say "this configuration only".
Really, I must have done something wrong cause when I tried to do that my Part "C" would change to match Assembly "B" even though I had set it to "this configuration only. I'll try that again and see what I was going wrong.
Tried what you suggested still can't get it to work.
Any help would be appreciated.
By the way this doesn't work: SECTION_LENGTH@B@CANOPY_SECTION-1.ASSEMBLY, to point to a specific configuration, following the format of how a configuration specific property works. Logic said was a good try but no go.
Arthur, until Monday I don’t have access to SW to play with your files, but can show you the way how I handle the task: if PartA (or AssemblyA, doesn’t matter) has a multiple configuration, how to use Global Variable to control configurations.
Let set the rule: if GV=N PartA has to be reset to ConfN, where N=1,2,3…
1. Create a virtual assemblies: Assembly1(PartA(Conf1), Assembly2(PartA(Conf2), Assembly3(PartA(Conf3), … as many as many configurations has PartA. Each virtual assembly has PartA only with particular configuration.
2. Replace original PartA with all newly created virtual assemblies. For BOM each virtual assemblies must have the same descriptions as has been described particular configuration. PartA must be excluded from BOM.
3. Add equations to suppress/unsuppress unwonted virtual assemblies:
Assembly1(PartA(Conf1))=iif (GV.EQ.1,unsuppress, suppress)
Assembly2(PartA(Conf2))=iif (GV.EQ.2,unsuppress, suppress)
Assembly3(PartA(Conf3))=iif (GV.EQ.3,unsuppress, suppress) and so on…
As a result the top level assembly has only one PartA with configuration controlled by Global Variable GV.
If you need to see some samples – let my know.
Arthur,
I had a look at your model and I see you have global variables set in your Parts as well as the Assembly.
In my project, I set ALL global variables in the assembly.
At the part level I set each dimension to be a number that was close to what I wanted, then saved the part.
Then, from the assembly, I opened the tree for a part and double-clicked on the feature/sketch to open the sketch dialog box. Here I set the value to be equal to the appropriate global variable.
Then, when I switch the assembly to a new config, the part gets the updated assembly global variable value.
I have a similar functionality but I need to add Assembly-A,B,C into a larger assembly. The problem arises that the linked parts only update to the most recently opened configuration of the file.
You could create a custom property linking the value and then use that to drive the parts value.