SW2016 Routing
I have a very simple route from one fitting to another. I replase one fitting and get error.
Then select edit route and connect route to this new fitting. Looks fine. Then click ok and accept.
Now the route is no more editable. Sometimes I lose my tube and can't get it back.
Looks like you can't change route end point fittings. Am I right?
Tapani,
It might be all clear to you what you're describing but there's simply not enough information for anyone to provide an actual answer.
Please elaborate,. Post the ASM if you can or some dummy ASM that demonstrates your issue, if nothing else, post some screenshots.
The fitting on both the starting end of a line as well as the ending end of a line can be changed. If you have an issue that you lose your tube/pipe then either you have a software issue or you're doing something wrong.
Thanks for quick answers! I tried to make a simple Routing -assembly example, but couldn't replicate the problem.
Original file is full of tubes and other staff so might be too heavy for some reason.
Solved the problem by making new tubes.
Another problem is that every time I edit tubes, they lose references in the tube drawing and must click clack every centerlines to the right positions to get right measures ... uuuuggghhh!!!
Are you using PDM?
Ok. Little things that SW doesn't teach about the routing program, or make easy. Make sure all sub assy's, DB's for the routing program, and xmll files are checked out, then the changes should be able to be done and eventually will be saved. Then make sure they are checked back in... It's a process that so convoluted that makes using the program between multiple users not worth it.
Thank you for a very interesting answer!
What xml-files do you mean?
What DB-files do you mean?
Sounds a bit complicated for using a tool that should make your life easy ....
Sorry for the late response.
Each type of routing has an xml file and DB.
I am mostly familiar with Electrical.
Perhaps you haven't set them up yet, or they are not existing in your vault which may be a problem...
We have only one tube.sldprt in our vault. What else should be there? I have watched routing -training, but there were not a guide for vault-setup for routing. Can I find a tutorial for that somewhere?
Seeing as that your using a vault, even for routing, I take it that there's more people then just you using Solidworks as well as the routing module.
Did you have any training by your VAR or by a colleague? If not, please try to get a training from your VAR.
Have you run your tube and fittings through the Routing Component Wizard? (pull down menu Tools -> Routing -> Routing tools -> Routing library manager). If not please do.
Who has set up the vault and/or can you ask your VAR to help with that because setting up a vault is not something to do lighthearted
Routing can be a really nice tool once it's set up right. Getting it set up right, and knowing what to do and what not however can be not exactly straigthforward, let alone when one throws a PDM system in the mix.
Hmmm... If I read your message right, it looks like Routing is not designed to co-operate with vault or in multi-user environment. So it seems that we can not take it in our usable design tools -recommendation. It is too difficult to get all setup done and controlled properly. Can't even find a tutorial for this in a vault environment.
Tapani,
euh... no you didn't understand me correctly it seems.
Routing works in a multi-user enviroment. We have done it, do it and will do it.
3d modeling, sheetmetal, weldments,toolbox etc... they all ask for some setting up to ones liking and needs (standards, materials, etc) unless one can use the provided elements as is. Routing needs that too but more so and because there's lots of different elements, types of elements, materials... it does take a whole lot more time and effort to set it up. Routing also being not as easy as for instance weldments makes it much more difficult and without proper guidance it's a steep hill to climb.
We've created our own library of parts in PVC, PE, PP, SS, HVAC, Steel. Lots of them in both butt welded and socket welded for the different kinds of materials. We design and built industrial water treatment plants, air treatment units and plants (scrubber, active carbon, bio-trickling,...) and complete biogasplants. In short we built things that fit in a container all to the way up to a fully fledged factory. All the piping needed is done with Routing. With projects that takes a few days to ones that take 2 years.
As I see it, anyone can be taught how to properly use a hammer or a screwdriver within seconds but you can't expect that one can learn just as quickly how to use a CNC machine. Just as you can be taught how to use the basics in Solidworks quickly but it needs lots of knowledge, instruction, study and practice to get Routing tuned to ones needs.
I have seen people on here that think, or their boss thinks, that because they have some mechanical knowledge and have used Solidworks in college that they'll pick up Routing in an afternoon and will be able to do the work of a piping designer. Frankly I don't know if I should laugh or cry.
If you just have to draw the occasional hose or a small pipe than there's easier ways to do it then Routing, e.g. sweeps or weldments. If you have to do it often and for lots of hoses and/or pipes then it comes into its own. But yes, if you're starting from scratch you'll need quite some time to get settled in to it all. If you're unable or unwilling to put in the time to learn how to use it then you are better of not using it.
Does Routing work with a PDM vault? That I don't have first hand experience with. We manage without it. Partly because there's barely a handful of us using Solidworks let alone doing piping, partly because we don't have the time to set it up properly, nor the expertise or manpower (time) to manage it. Throw in the cost of it all, software + training, and it's a tough sell for us.
If I may be so nosey, how many people do you have using the vault and how many would be using routing?
It's not essential how big our company is, but rather the question that we need to do it with vault / multiuser environment. And I understood that there might be some difficulties with the vault. And my own experience is also giving signals that something is not ok (editing existing tubes not working + drawing references after edit getting broken).
I'm working now with a hydraulic unit with about 40 tubes/hoses in it. Somebody started the work (with routing), but he is no more awailable. So I have not found a better way than delete existing tubes and create them again when eg. changing fittings in the routes.
Tapani Sjoman Are you on SP05? in 2016 there were issues related to Routing some have been fixed in SP05
I am using PDM for all Routing, and yes it can be a bit tricky to figure out the small details.
I have a similar issue. I can no longer open the 3D sketch on piping assemblies. And I cannot edit the route either.
I think this is because I created the piping assemblies on my desktop computer in my office and when I recently rebuilt my laptop computer routing may not have been installed. Routing does not show as an add-in so this is likely the case? So, check your "Tools-add-ins" and see if you can enable routing at start-up. Possibly routing does not exist on the machine you are using.
I don't have same issue, could you attach a simple file? Did you use the piping library from SW?