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Cant add parent to configurations

Question asked by Peter T. on Jan 30, 2019
Latest reply on Jan 31, 2019 by Peter T.

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Hi guys, I have a part, a cap screw which has a bunch of configurations in it. I am trying to create parents such as 'M4 cap screw' with derived configurations of 'M4x6 cap screw' and 'M4x10 cap screw' but I cant seem to make a bunch of them become derived. I have added and deleted them to this model a bunch of times and I cannot figure it out. I have attached the model I am working with, can one of you please see if you can make all of the M4 variations become derived versions of the top level M4 cap screw?

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13gen_Capscrew.SLDPRT.zip176.2 KB

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M. B. Jan 30, 2019 7:57 PM
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From the configuration manager, create a bogus configuration then delete all other parent and child configurations.
Open the design table and modify as needed to get the parent/child relationships defined the way you want.
Exit the design table to recreate new configurations with the same names as before but now with changed parent/child relationships.
Delete the bogus configuration.
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- Peter T. @ M. B. on Jan 30, 2019 8:16 PM
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  I have tried that, I encourage you to try it and prove me wrong, as its really frustrating repeating the same motions on repeat and getting the same results
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  - M. B. @ Peter T. on Jan 30, 2019 8:57 PM
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    Changing your table settings per below will prevent SW from changing the design table. This makes it so the design table controls the model not the other way around.
    
    On closer look you have multiple errors in the design table. Insert a blank line under line 20 and get the first 19 configs working first. Then, delete the blank line and insert another blank line farther down and keep working until you correct all the errors. The steps I outlined above will work to redefine parent/child relationships BUT you have to correct all errors first.
    
    I'm on SW2019 so you wouldn't be able to open any changes I make.
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    - Peter T. @ M. B. on Jan 30, 2019 9:42 PM
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      I have tried changing that setting as you suggested, but saw no change. In my design table I have no errors until I get to M4x10. There is an error which flashes at the top right for a fraction of a second (why it doesnt appear for a period long enough to read the error I dont know) which I beleive says something along the lines of being unable to change a parent after a configuration has been created. I have tried many times to delete the configurations that dont have parents and re apply them, but the same problem happens. I cant see why there is an error with those particular parts
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      Screenshot 2019-01-31 15.38.36.png165.9 KB
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      - Nilesh Patel @ Peter T. on Jan 30, 2019 10:53 PM
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        Hi Peter T.,
        
        Try following approach:
        
        1. As you can see in the attached image, add and extra letter to the configuration names that you would like to change to derived configurations. I have added "X" in the above image.
        2. Set the parent column "$PARENT" for these configuration to the parent configuration name. In your case it will be "13gen_Capscrew_M4".
        3. Save the design table and close it. This will create these configurations as new derived configurations and delete old ones.
        4. Open your design table again and delete the extra letter that you have added in step 1 and you will achieve what you want.
        
        I am not sure whether this is the best approach but will work for you.
        
        Regards,
        Nilesh Patel
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        Peter T. @ Nilesh Patel on Jan 30, 2019 11:06 PM
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        I have just tried that without any luck, error seems to say that 13gen_capscrew_M4 doesnt exist, so the part cannot be put into that parent, which clearly isnt the case
        
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        Nilesh Patel @ Peter T. on Jan 30, 2019 11:51 PM
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        What version of SW are you using? This is on my end.
        
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      - M. B. @ Peter T. on Jan 31, 2019 9:53 AM
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        "There is an error which flashes at the top right for a fraction of a second "
        
        That pop-up is telling you there is something is wrong in the design table. It disappears before you can read it because SW broke it in a new release several years ago. In spite of One & Two, it hasn't been fixed and probably will never get fixed.
        
        Here is how you figure out what is wrong. Follow exactly.
        -First, be sure you change the DT settings like I showed above.
        -Create a bogus configuration
        -Edit the design table and insert a blank column after column F AND Insert a blank row after row 20.
        -Exit the DT and click OK to delete configurations.
        -When this pop-up appears click Ok Ok Ok Ok Ok Ok Ok ... SW added this useless pop-up about the same time they screwed up the other pop-up.
        
        -Now, open and immediately close the DT without any changes.
        -If you didn't get any pop-ups, open the DT, delete the blank column, then close the DT.
        -If you didn't get any pop-ups, open the DT, delete the blank row, then close the DT.
        
        You should now get this message which is telling you indirectly that the first problem to fix is in the $PARENT column. Find and fix the typo in that column.
        Notice - after this is fixed other problems downstream in the DT may be detected.
        
        In summary: If the pop-up error message disappears before you can read it, troubleshoot by strategically inserting blank rows or columns until the brief pop-up message stops appearing. This narrows down where the error is so you can fix it and (sometimes) causes the pop-up to remain in place so that you can read it.
        
        *If anyone from SW reads this PLEASE fix these DT pop-up bugs. Reporting it to my VAR was a waste of my time.
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        13gen_Capscrew.SLDPRT.zip203.6 KB
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        Peter T. @ M. B. on Jan 31, 2019 2:34 PM
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        OK, I tried a bunch of things, inserting the rows and columns was a helpful way to troubleshoot. The final solution was that I deleted the lines that would not integrate into the parent parts, then copied an existing line and pasted it, then changed the couple of variables to make it what it was before, it then created the part with a parent as I had wanted to do. So its possible there was some kind of incorrect information in those several lines, but I couldnt find it. Maybe there was an issue on the formatting or something else I couldn't see
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  - Rob Edwards @ Peter T. on Jan 30, 2019 11:57 PM
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    Hi Peter
    A tip I read on the forum somewhere was to use a screen recorder to catch that fleeting error message..
    When I first started debugging DT's used to be really frustrating
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    - M. B. @ Rob Edwards on Jan 31, 2019 10:16 AM
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      IMO design table performance enhancements have been lacking especially when they are used to define parts and assemblies with 100's of configurations. I have yet to find a VAR tech who knows how to create and maintain a complex DT. More than one tech has told me the way to resolve DT/configuration issues is to have less than 50 configurations per part/assembly and, if I need more, create multiple and duplicate .SLDPRT/.SLDASM files. I was told the way to solve the disappearing pop-up message issue was to reduce the number of lines in the DT.
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      - Rob Edwards @ M. B. on Jan 31, 2019 10:24 AM
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        Cheers MB
        I rarely have problems with them these days, but TBH I don't use really complex ones very often.
        The only advice I give is that if you have more than 10 minutes invested in one to be sure to do a save as from excel, so that you can always go back.
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        Peter T. @ Rob Edwards on Jan 31, 2019 2:36 PM
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        I typically try not to make very large configurations, but I figured that these fasteners, with only a few features would be OK. I have only had trouble when I have tried renaming them, or modifying them after the initial creation
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Cant add parent to configurations

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