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Family Tables

M

michael3130

New member
Hi Everyone,


I have created a sheet metal part with 4 instances in a family table. One of my features in this part is a form, created from a form tool which also has 4 instances. Instance 1 of my sheet metal part uses instance 1 of my form tool, instance 2 of my sheet metal part uses instance 2 of my form tool and so on.


Am I able to set up my family table in such a way that it will use the instance that I specify, the way SolidWorks does it, or do I have to put 4 form features into the part and enable the required one in the family table? The second option could be very laborious if there were a lot more instances.


Thanks in advance


Michael
 
When you make your family table, add new rows for each sheet metal instance and then add a new collumn for the form feature. Then in the collumn of the form


feature place the name of the form you want in that instance. After you fillin each row and collumn with the instance you want verify each instance to make sure it works correctly. Remember that each individual instance of the part and the form must have it's own unique name.


You only have to add the "generic" form instance 1 time to the sheet metal part.


Dan
 
Thanks dcrow, I tried what you said but it wont let me insert the name of the form in that instance, it goves the option of Y, N or *. Am I doing something wrong?


Michael
 
I tried it but it didn't work. sorry. you were corrct it only gives you a yes,no,or * option.


dr_gallup. what did you mean by IIRC


dcrow
 
If I Recall/Remember Correctly


EDIT


Google IIRC and look what you get, there are whole webpagesdedicated to acronyms....in some sort of way these pages are both funny and scary (I am presently weeping for the death of English, and turning into a 'Grumpy Old Man'
Edited by: prohammy
 
ok. I'll have to remember that. Anyway Micheal my "replace" menue pick in my family table tools menue is grayed out when I try what dr_gallup suggested, so maybe you need one of the advanced modules to do what you want.


dcrow
 
Do you have the form tool in the family table? I think you have to add it as a "reference model" or maybe a "merge"? This is what you want to vary in the family table, not the form feature.
 
dr_gallup,


I have it as a form feature. I'll try to add it as a ref model or a merge and see what happens. PTC helpline said the only way I could do it would be by settingeach instance of the form toolup as a parameter and inserting it that way, sounded a bit complicated though. I just want it to work the same way thatyou canreplace different instance parts in an assembly.


Thanks


Michael
 
michael3130, When you are in the family table, you will only have the pull down options of Y, N, * but you can type the name of the form part in the cell. So if your form tool generic is called "Formed_tool" type "Formed_tool_2" in the family table cell.
 
Ked555


I tried that. When you type in a string name (other than N,Y, or* from the pull down chioces) it give you an error message. Have you tried it. If you don't get an error message I would be interested in how you are doing it.


dcrow
 
I got it to work. I created an instance of my pooch_tool that has a different diameter. I then created a generic pooched_sm part. I created an instance of the pooched_sm part using the instance of the pooch_tool. Here is a screen shot: This is the 1st time I have posted a picture, so I hope it works correctly.


 
KED555


Thanks. It looks like you added the formed tool as a merged part. I'll try that and see how it works. Your screen shot came in good.


dcrow
 
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