Is it normal that a drawing of an assembly including equations does not update completely?

3D Design
1

Hi all

I'm on Solidworks 2018.

I created a main assembly with 3 configurations (Manual / Motorized / Mixed). This assembly includes several sub-assemblies, one of which has 3 configurations (Manual / Motorized / Mixed). This sub-assembly includes several parts including a basic part with 3 configurations (Manual / Motorized / Mixed).

Each configuration is related as follows: The Manual configuration of the main assembly includes the subassembly with the Manual configuration and the Manual subassembly includes the base part with the Manual configuration. The same is true for the other configurations.

In the main assembly, there is a series of equations that drive the dimension of the base part. In the equation page, there is a variable value that changes depending on the configuration. For the manual and mixed configuration, the value of 200 and for the motorized configuration, the value is 510. Then this variable is used in the equations to define the length of the base part.

At this level, everything works properly. Each time I change the configuration in the assembly, visually on the screen I get the part at the right length.

In theory, the length of the base part for the Manual configuration is equal to the length of the base part for the Mixed configuration. For the Motorized configuration, the basic part is longer.

My problem comes during the drawing of the main assembly.

I create a drawing file with 3 drawing sheets. One sheet drawn per configuration.

So I have 3 sheets of drawing (Manual / motorized and mixed) for my main assembly.

The sheet for the manual config = no problem

For the other two leaves, it gets tougher.

When I leave my main assembly to switch to the drawing and on the screen my main assembly is set to the motorized layout, the drawing for the motorized configuration contains the base part with the correct length, while on the Mixed drawing, the length of the base part is not good. Here I have the length of the base part for the Mixed config which is equal to the Motorized config, while it should be equal to the length of the Manual config.

Now, when I leave my main assembly to switch to the drawing and on the screen my main assembly is set to the Mixed configuration, the drawing for the Mixed configuration contains the base part with the correct length, while on the Motorized drawing, the length of the base part is not good. Here I have the length of the base part for the Mixed config which is equal to the Manual config, but also equal to the length for the Motorized config, while the Motorized config, the base part must be longer.

I think that the update in relation to the equations is only done in the assembly and that when I choose to display the config that interests me and therefore the drawing is only updated in relation to what is displayed on the screen.

I hope I have not been too confused in my explanation.

Does anyone know how I can correct so that the drawing of the 3 sheets is displayed correctly in relation to the rules established in the equations.

 

Kind regards

2

A little info,

The "Q control" does not correct my problem.

3

Hello

if I understood correctly, not sure... A part is common to several assemblies and these dimensions are controlled by equation?

You generate conflicts  .

The configuration that is being drawn as well as all these components must be active to be calculated. But if the same part generates several calculations it's dead.

The SW equations quickly show their limits.

For my part, all the calculations are in excel and the values are the result.

several calculations according to the variables, I draw my formulas. 

Kind regards

 

 

 

1 Like
4

Not quite Bruno,

I only have one assembly with 3 configurations. The assembly contains one part with 3 configurations.

And in the assembly, among all the equations, there is one that drives a sketch dimension of the part. And the equation that drives the sketch has a different value depending on the configuration.

However, I can't configure the dimension directly in the assembly, because this dimension depends on another variable and I have to go through a mathematical formula to determine the new value.

5

You can't make a family of parts in your part (with the equation in the excel file and instead of driving the length from the assembly you then control the choice of configuration on the part created with a family of parts.

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6

Sabdenis,

I don't master the families of parts. Either I can't get the function or dimensions I want to control appear in the Excel sheet, or a lot of things appear and I can't find my way around.

One day I will have to look at these families of pieces to understand how it works.

But for the moment, I don't have too much time to look. My boss has set me the goal of creating more than 1600 drawings of our products with the CAD that goes with it in less than 2 months.

7

In fact, I think my problem is that only the configuration visible on the screen updates. The other configurations are in a way dormant.

Is it possible to force the update of all configurations, even those not visible on the screen?

8

See options / External references / "allow multiple contexts for parts when editing in an assembly"

9

Hello

I had found a macro that updates all the configuration parts but I don't know if it works if you run it from an asm. To try

https://www.lynkoa.com/contenu/macro-pour-valider-toutes-les-configuartions-dune-pi%C3%A8ces-0

10

Thank you

I'll test all this tomorrow and get back to you.

 

11

Porta Ben,

Your explanations amount to the same thing.
Conflict: you can't have several results at the same time with the same calculation even if your assemblies are diffèrent.il only takes a series of variables at the same time.
at the next calculation, the previous one becomes null and void.

Bad DSL Choice
As I said before , equations quickly show their limits.

No choice of part family in excel

If you do configs you're almost there.
and the connection between parts and assembly is done well by creating variables in the equations

Here is a small simple example made by one of my colleagues (I am one of the most complex, we can see later).

Home Automation Switch: Different look, different communication protocol, one or two touch, with different engraving...... I'll spare you the details.

Excel table: the refs and descriptions come from the sales department.
I 'm thinking about making a formula that reads the reference and determines what to put in each cell.

You shouldn't make the table automatically, it's better to choose the dimensions, the functions and the parts

Your file structure may remain the same.

 

For your information, the sales representative gives me between 60 and 200 refs per project, without the configurations on excel it would not be tenable.

I wanted to make a tutorial but there are plenty of them

https://www.lynkoa.com/contenu/famille-de-pi%C3%A8ces-8

Kind regards

2 Likes
12

In the end, I solved my problem.

For this to work, there had to be as much configuration in the base part as in the main assembly. It was also necessary to recreate the equation that drives the sketch dimension of the base part.

At least for the moment it works.

1 Like
13

Hello

That was my answer, sorry if you didn't understand it  .

I'm often unclear.

Kind regards

Bruno

14

Yes Bruno, rereading your answer, I find myself a little bit there.

On the other hand, I didn't use the parts families.

Thank you again.

15

Thank you

Unless I'm mistaken, the different configurations give a family of parts.

two configs = two pieces in the family (or two sets in the family)

The answer to check is the one that includes the images.

Kind regards

Bruno

16

Another simple and immediate solution to your problem: a file plan per configuration. No more conflicts  between configurations on different pages -> normally the problem is solved

1 Like