It's all in the title!
I'm in the process of making a library of screws to include in my assemblies. I would like to know if it is better to make configurations or families of parts. I know for example that the toolbox works with configurations and this is useful for designating the component in drawings because this designation can be different depending on the configuration (to be filled in the properties form).
Example: Designation - Hex Screw
Reference - M8x50
In fact I would like to have a .part file per type of screw (hexagonal screws, 6-point socket pan head screws etc.) and not x file per type and size (too many files).
What are your opinions on the subject?
Hello
we work with families of parts and this is not a problem in MEPs because we can also fill in the properties so that they appear in the nomenclatures...
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Much more practical in a family of rooms in my opinion too.
We produce as many pieces as possible in libraries on this principle.
It is much easier to go from one size to another. Otherwise you have to replace the comosant with and that's often a hassle.
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I don't really make a difference between part family and configuration: the part family is just an "advanced management" mode of configurations.
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I tested the part family and it's really not bad. In excel you can quickly fill in the personal properties. The only drawback if you have different materials, you have to recreate a line.
I know that I struggled a lot to create my first library component. I didn't know the order of realization well. 3D modeling -> Create a part family with some variants -> Create constraint references -> insert into the custom library.
Tell me if I made a mistake.
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As stefbeno says, the parts families are also for me a mode of configuration management but more advanced where the configurations can be duplicated much more quickly and simply.
Of course, for parts with many different sizes, such as a screw, it is very appropriate!
As mentioned on the other one, you can start from the existing Visiativ libraries to save time and which already work on this principle, which I did and all that remains is to flesh out specific ones.
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The big advantage of part families is that you can link the power of Excel functions to Solidworks.
Moreover, it opens the door to the publisher configurator
may the force be with you.
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