Component Placement via Family Table

[ehubert]

I have a welding fixture that needs to accommodate a family of weldments. To do this various fixture components (subassemblies) need to be positioned at different linear and angular positions in a master assembly. I have placed the components into the assembly with connections as I desire to create some animations and perhaps do some motion analysis.


I would like to simply select an instance in a family table in the assembly and have the components change their location automatically. However, the assembly references will change from instance to instance. For example, a hole on the component will always be a component reference but the assembly reference to which the component will align could be one of several holes, depending upon the weldment size.


Alternatively, if there is a way to connect the components to the master assembly and manipulate the references via PRO/PROGRAM, I would certainly give that another try too.


can component placement be controlled with a family table if connections are used/ Any help would be appreciated.


Thanks,
ehubert

 

[jrobi]

perhaps a pattern table- been a while since I played with them- but I believe you can select different references for specific plaements...

 

[ehubert]

Would this create multiple instances of the components in the assembly? If so, would I have to use PRO/PROGRAM to supress particular instances? I would prefer to have as few components in the assembly as possible.


Thanks,


ehubert

 

[jrobi]

check it out and see- its been 2-3 years since I did that kind of work...cant learn it if you dont try it- start out with a simple placement...

 

[mdemers]

As I understand it, you have external references from your moveable component to your assembly. If it is the case, you could work with a skeleton model in your assembly. Your references would be made to the skeleton, in which you could control their position by modifiying the position of a feature of your skeleton model.


This seems to me like a very simple solution : no Pro/Program, no need to insert multiple repetitions of your sub-assembly, no family table.


Hope this helps,


Mat