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Gear Mate from Sub-Assembly Does not Work on Top Level Assembly

Question asked by Eli Seidnre on Apr 21, 2009
Latest reply on Aug 17, 2009 by Ted Larson

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Hi Everyone,

I am working with an assembly that has a gear mate in it which works perfectly. When I put this assembly into another assembly, thus turning it into a sub-assembly, the gear mate no longer works. This means that one of the gears is locked, and the other one moves freely.

I have defined the sub-assembly to be flexible so I am pretty sure this isn't the issue. Any one has any ideas as to why this might be happening?

I am using SW 2009 SP3. This also happened with SP0.

Thanks!

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Dave Bartholomew Apr 22, 2009 12:50 AM
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Eli,
I have tried to replicate your gear mate problem in sub assemblies and have not been able to. I too am using 2009 SP3.0. I tested my worm gear mate and then dropped it into an assembly and set flexible and it rotates as it should. I went one step further and dropped this assembly into another assembly, making the gear mate assembly two deep and it still works. Try to post some screen shots of your assembly and mates so we can help diagnose. See my video below.

Flexible gear mates
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Deepak Gupta Apr 22, 2009 1:50 AM
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Eli,

Make sure you Gear assembly or the sub assembly is not fixed. When you drop parts/assemblies in Top level assembly SW tends to fix the first part/assembly or if you drop them at the Origin, again they will get fixed.
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Eli Seidnre Apr 22, 2009 9:22 PM
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I realized that when I first put the assembly in the the top level assembly the gear mate works, but when I mate it (nothing that would interfere with the Gear Mate), the Gear Mate locks up. I will see if I can get a small assembly that reproduces this behavior and post it up here.
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- Ted Larson @ Eli Seidnre on Aug 17, 2009 5:21 PM
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  Did you ever find a solution to this problem? I am having the exact same problem. SW 2009 SP4.0. As soon as I put the gears into the subassembly, they can't move anymore. I also noticed, that it fixes the first item you drag into the sub-assembly, and there is no way to float it. Float doesn't even come up as a menu option for the first item in. Only way to float the item is to dissolve the sub-assembly.
  
  Ideas?
  
  Thanks,
  
  -Ted
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  - Kelvin Lamport @ Ted Larson on Aug 17, 2009 5:43 PM
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    Isthe Float/Flexible option just not selected in the Customize Menu drop-down?
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    - Ted Larson @ Kelvin Lamport on Aug 17, 2009 6:35 PM
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      Fixed/Float only appears on the Top Level assembly. If I make a brand new assembly, put a part in it, and then select Insert New Sub-assembly, and drag and drop the part from the top assembly, to the sub assembly, there does not appear to be any way to fix/float it, without pulling it out of the Sub-Assembly, changing it, and then dropping it back in again.
      
      It is also not an option on the Customize Menu either. I don't think the fact that I cannot Fix/Float a sub-assembly item is my problem, even though it is an annoying problem.
      
      I worked up a simple example to test all this. Two photos attached. One with the pinion in the Top Assembly, the other with it in the Sub-Assembly. The Top Assembly version, the pinion is rotatable around the adapter. The SubAssembly version, you cannot rotate the pinion. It is stuck.
      
      Ideas?
      
      -Ted
      Attachments
      Pinion-TopAssembly.jpg49.2 KB
      Pinion-Subassembly.jpg49.6 KB
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      - Kelvin Lamport @ Ted Larson on Aug 17, 2009 6:54 PM
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        Can you ZIP and post the assy and parts for a closer review?
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        Flexible Assys.zip274.0 KB
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        Kelvin Lamport @ Kelvin Lamport on Aug 17, 2009 7:02 PM
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        BTW, the sub-assy has to be in Edit Assembly mode before the component in that assy can be floated or fixed.
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        Ted Larson @ Kelvin Lamport on Aug 17, 2009 7:26 PM
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        Kelvin,
        
        Thanks for posting your example. Between this, and your comments I was able to figure out the solutions to all my questions.
        
        I didn't realize I had not put the sub-assembly in Edit Assembly mode...this is why I was unable to fix or float parts inside them.
        
        The solution to the Gear Mate working within a sub-assembly, so that you can still rotate the gears, for animation, is just like you said. The sub-assembly needs to be set as Flexible, and it needs to be Fixed. If you do this, then you can move the gears in the sub-assembly, and they will animate properly, without causing you to pick up and move the whole sub-assembly, if it is not fixed to something. I figured this out from looking at your example you posted. I was able to move the arm, even though it was contained within a sub-assembly.
        
        Anyway, bothe problems solved for me. Thanks for the super help!
        
        Thanks,
        
        -Ted
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Gear Mate from Sub-Assembly Does not Work on Top Level Assembly

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