I would like to know if it is possible, thanks to DriveWorksXpress, to add a model to an assembly?
To explain the context, I will need to add the same assembly several times if the length of the first one exceeds a certain length:
- If 0<L<3000 then I would have a V1 assembly (a single conveyor)
- If 3000<L<6000 then I would have a V2 assembly (2 conveyors)
-... etc
So I'd like to know if we can copy the assembly.
I know that we can remove components so it could probably work the other way around but the problem is that there is no limit to the number of conveyors...
In DriveWorks Xpress, it is possible to enable disable assemblies based on conditions on user input.
If you don't have too many assemblies to " duplicate ", it can possibly be treated this way.
You will just have to duplicate the assembly to repeat as many times as necessary.
However, be aware of the following limitations related specifically to DriveWorks Xpress :
- It is not possible to control the location of the files to be generated
- It is not possible to control the drawings (adjustment of the scale of the views and the positioning of sannotations)
- It is not possible to manage occurrences of the same component (a part present several times will necessarily always be in the same state if it is controlled : no different configurations and all occurrences are either activated or deactivated together)
- It is not possible to control the advanced parameters of the sheet metal and mechanically welded functions. Only the dimensions that appear on the screen when a double click are controllable.
- It is not possible to replace one component with another (from a library of standard elements).
- It is not possible to replace a component with one previously generated by the configurator.
If, on the other hand, you can potentially have a large number of " different but similar " assemblies to assemble on demand, DriveWorks Xpress will not allow you to do so without restrictive counterparts.
However, this will be possible in the professional version of DriveWorks.
DriveWorks Pro allows you to process everything that the Xpress version does not allow, but in particular :
+ Generate the same assembly in different variants as many times as necessary
+ Generate an assembly on demand by assembling existing components or components generated in a previous step (variants of the same typical conveyor for example).
+ Manage occurrences of the same component (if the same part is to be used in different configurations for example ; or if a part needs to be deleted in one place but active in another place in the same assembly)
There is an example that looks strangely similar to what you are asking for on the DriveWorks website.
It is offered on a Web configurator, but it is of course possible to do it more easily in SOLIDWORKS directly with DriveWorks Pro if the goal is " just " to save time for a design office.
ac cobra 427: it's true that with the configurations it could work but the configurations have to be connected to DriveWorks otherwise it's screwed. I'm going to look into that.
Yves.T: I just did it but it's not easy, is it possible to delete an entire subassembly. I've read everywhere that you can remove a function but not a complete subassembly...
thomas.guillard: Yes, the Pro version allows you to do exactly what I would like to do... All you have to do is invest :)
Hi TLM, thanks to all your advice I almost managed to achieve what I wanted (by looking hard and rubbing my head a little).
When you give rules for filenames, you can use "Unsuppress" and "Suppress" functions that make the subassembly disappear. By combining them with the logical functions "IF", it gives formulas like this for example:
There's just one problem, it's that the manipulation works in one direction but not the other (A bit long to explain ^^.
This problem probably comes from the 2nd formula, would you know if it is possible to put the length condition in the interval? I have the impression that it comes from there but tell me if I'm wrong.
Thank you again for your very enriching advice on the subject.
- Your second test does not need an interval, this second test is only performed if the length is greater than 3000. so if ConveyorLength <3000 is wrong, you can just test if ConveyorLength <6000
- If ConveyorLength < 3000 is wrong and ConveyorLength < 6000, your ruler didn't return anything at all, so I added "S" just to say.
Thank you Thomas, indeed one of the errors was present here!
Now the problem is that my second conveyor that I grafted onto the other one is not controlled... However, when the length of the conveyor<3000 it is removed but when 3000<L<6000, the dimensions of part N°2 do not follow those of part 1. However, I have filled in all the variable odds of the second part in the rules...