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Matching Part Coordinate System to Assembly Coordinate System

Question asked by Jared Grinstead on May 12, 2011
Latest reply on May 13, 2011 by Matt Wallace

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I'm a newb to SW and am having some difficulty using a global coordinate system for my assembly. I've created a Coordinate System in my main assembly based on the assembly origin. Now I want to create a new coordinate system in a part file that matches the assembly coordinate system based on the part location in the assembly. The main goal here is in the future be able to bring this part into a new assembly and mate its coordinate system to the origin and it be placed exactly where it is now. How do I do this? I'm coming from using SolidEdge and they way I would do it in SE is to create a new CS, click the CS I wanted to be the origin and boom, it copied it. SW doesn't work that way. I can place the new CS in the part file but the Z and Y axis are the wrong direction and I have no geometry to use for reference to change the axis orientation.

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Deepak Gupta May 12, 2011 2:09 PM

Welcome to SW forums Jared

You can draw an axis or sketch (line) entity or take some edge reference to define the axis orientation.

Also read this post for your future reference: Forum Posting

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Jeremiah Feist May 12, 2011 2:13 PM

I haven't played much with created coordinate systems, But I believe you need to do is to edit the part in the context of the assembly 9have the assembly open, right click on the part, and select edit part) all of the rest of the assembly will be transparent, but will be selectable for defining the features of the part.

this will make an external reference to the assembly file, which is something to be careful about - especially with parts that will be used in other assemblies, as a change in the first assembly can affect other assemblies that use the part.

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Jared Grinstead May 12, 2011 2:30 PM

Jeremy,

That is what I ended up doing. I opened the part through the edit mode and select the assembly origin as the coordinate point of reference. When I do this the X-axis is on the correct axis but the wrong direction which is easy to fix, just reverse the orientation. But the Z-axis is on the reference Y-axis and vice versa. I was able to get it corrrect by selecting an edge for the Z-Axis and then reversing the orientation. Man it would be much easier if i could just pick an existing coordinate system instead of an origin. Thanks guys and thank you for the welcome. I'll check out the forum guidlines.

On a side note is there a best practice for setting up a global coordinate system? I'm familiar with the risks of using refernce geometry for mates. One of the issues I run into is I have to use models from customers and they already have an assembly origion, so I deal with refernce coordinate systems all over the place.

Jared

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Deepak Gupta @ Jared Grinstead on May 12, 2011 2:38 PM

Jared Grinstead wrote:

Man it would be much easier if i could just pick an existing coordinate system instead of an origin.

How about submitting an Enhancement Request

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Jared Grinstead @ Deepak Gupta on May 12, 2011 2:56 PM

I was not aware of that. Thank you!

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Matt Wallace May 13, 2011 12:54 PM

I am not sure quite what you are doing, but you may be making this harder than it needs to be. If you make the part origin the same as the assembly origin, when you go to insert the part, just click on the green checkmark in the confirmation corner and the part will be 'fixed' in the assembly, with origins and planes coincident but no mates overhead. Also, you can drag the part out of Windows explorer and drop it on the assembly origin and get the same effect. If that isn't feasible and you need an in context coordinate system, I would try putting in a plane in the part file coincident with the assembly origin, sketch two lines on this plane to define your x and y axes, and attach a coordinate system to the sketch lines. Then you can mate the coordinate system to the origin, and this gives you the option to align axes as well.

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Deepak Gupta May 12, 2011 2:09 PM
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Welcome to SW forums Jared

You can draw an axis or sketch (line) entity or take some edge reference to define the axis orientation.

Also read this post for your future reference: Forum Posting
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Jeremiah Feist May 12, 2011 2:13 PM
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I haven't played much with created coordinate systems, But I believe you need to do is to edit the part in the context of the assembly 9have the assembly open, right click on the part, and select edit part) all of the rest of the assembly will be transparent, but will be selectable for defining the features of the part.

this will make an external reference to the assembly file, which is something to be careful about - especially with parts that will be used in other assemblies, as a change in the first assembly can affect other assemblies that use the part.
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Jared Grinstead May 12, 2011 2:30 PM
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Jeremy,

That is what I ended up doing. I opened the part through the edit mode and select the assembly origin as the coordinate point of reference. When I do this the X-axis is on the correct axis but the wrong direction which is easy to fix, just reverse the orientation. But the Z-axis is on the reference Y-axis and vice versa. I was able to get it corrrect by selecting an edge for the Z-Axis and then reversing the orientation. Man it would be much easier if i could just pick an existing coordinate system instead of an origin. Thanks guys and thank you for the welcome. I'll check out the forum guidlines.

On a side note is there a best practice for setting up a global coordinate system? I'm familiar with the risks of using refernce geometry for mates. One of the issues I run into is I have to use models from customers and they already have an assembly origion, so I deal with refernce coordinate systems all over the place.

Jared
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- Deepak Gupta @ Jared Grinstead on May 12, 2011 2:38 PM
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  Jared Grinstead wrote:
  
  Man it would be much easier if i could just pick an existing coordinate system instead of an origin.
  
  How about submitting an Enhancement Request
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  - Jared Grinstead @ Deepak Gupta on May 12, 2011 2:56 PM
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    I was not aware of that. Thank you!
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Matt Wallace May 13, 2011 12:54 PM
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I am not sure quite what you are doing, but you may be making this harder than it needs to be. If you make the part origin the same as the assembly origin, when you go to insert the part, just click on the green checkmark in the confirmation corner and the part will be 'fixed' in the assembly, with origins and planes coincident but no mates overhead. Also, you can drag the part out of Windows explorer and drop it on the assembly origin and get the same effect. If that isn't feasible and you need an in context coordinate system, I would try putting in a plane in the part file coincident with the assembly origin, sketch two lines on this plane to define your x and y axes, and attach a coordinate system to the sketch lines. Then you can mate the coordinate system to the origin, and this gives you the option to align axes as well.
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Matching Part Coordinate System to Assembly Coordinate System

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