Patterns by External Copy Geom

[gcook]

I got a question for the TDD gurus out there...


I'm using WF3 at the moment and I am wondering if it is possible to do the following:


First pattern a datum feature (i.e. point, axis, etc), in a skeleton model then using an external copy geometry feature pass that pattern down-stream so to speak to the part file and still maintain the pattern. I would like to be able to reference pattern a hole that uses a pattern of axis for example but I find that if I create a pattern of axis in my skeleton and then external copy geom it down to the part then add a hole to my part that references the external copy geometry feature axis as parent and then try to reference pattern it, it doesn't appear I can perform that step.


Does anyone know how or if this can be acheived? I'd like to stay away from creating the hole feature in the context of the assembly also, so please don't suggest that as a method.


Thanks!
Edited by: gcook

 

[kdem]

You can't just copy the pattern and create reference patterns to it. You need to create several patterns. Create theskeleton point or axispatternand make a copy geometry of the pattern leader not the whole pattern. You can then create reference patterns for the copy geometry and the hole.

 

[gcook]

Thanks kdem. I kind of get what your saying but i am a little fuzzy on your statement of "create reference patterns for the copy geometry and the hole".


If i create a pattern of axis features in a skeleton. then create external copy geom in my solid part of just the leader axis from the skeleton's pattern, now I have a single axis in my solid part and nothing to 'reference pattern' the copy geometry and hole with at all. So are you saying that I could then create another ECG somehow keeping the pattern control from the skeleton or are you saying I would have to create a new pattern of theECG leader axisin my part????


I'm thinking that what I am looking to do simply cannot be done in Pro/E without a wacky amount of steps and parent-child relationships (external and local). Maybe I should put in an enhancement request with PTC. It appears the only sensible way to do that would be to place the hole in the part while in the context of the assembly and referencing the skeletal axis...and I don't like that bcuz i wld hv 2 hv asm open (in a rep or something) everytime the hole is affected.

 

[dgs]

Once you have the copy geom with the single pattern leader axis in it, select the copy geom and RMB and select 'Pattern'. Then in the pattern dashboard, select 'reference pattern'. It will then follow the pattern created in the skeleton and you'll have a pattern of copy geoms.

It's important to note that this copy geom cannot have anything else in it. Only the leader of the pattern. You need a separate copy geom for each pattern that you want to transfer and another for the other non-patterned geometry.

 

[gcook]

Thanks dgs, that solution worked well.


Although it is a little disappointment to me that this method doesn't appear to work with a publish geometry. If I create a pattern of anaxis in a skeleton then add only the leader axis to a publish geometry and later add an ECG to my solid part using the skeleton's publish geometry as parent reference for the ECG it doesn't allow me to use the reference pattern option in the solid part. Seems a bit incomplete from a software standpoint but at least the latter method works as dgs explained.


I still think PTC could improve this feature capability further though by simply giving the user the ability to add a pattern along with other non-related skeletonfeatures to a single ECG (and via PUBGEOM as well).

 

[dgs]

I think that if you reference pattern the publish geom, then the ECG should ref pattern too.

But if you think of it, the publish geom is an unnecessary layer in this case. Because you need a dedicated copy geom for the pattern and it will by necessity have only one item in it, there is no value in using the publish geom to gather a set of geometry to be shared.

I can, however, understand the desire to use it for consistency's sake.

 

[kdem]

The problem is you end up referenceing a feature (publish geometry) that isn't a patterned feature.


You probably figured this out from the previous posts but a reference pattern uses another pattern as a reference for its features. In the pics below when the copy geometry isn't patterned the hole can't be referenced patterned since it's reference, the copy geometry, isn't patterned. What you end up with is a publish geometry pattern that references the axis pattern, a copy geometry pattern that references the publish geometry pattern, and a hole pattern that references the copy geometry pattern. Not that you need the publish geometry as dgs stated but you do need to make sure the references and patterns are consistant.






Edited by: kdem

 

[gcook]

Thanks kdem,


Yes, I did figure it out previously but thank you anyhow for the further input. Maybe others will get something from it on this forum as well.


It still kind of stinks that it has to be broken up like that expecially if I needed to share those axis references and maybe some other skeleton interface features as well for that same solidpartlike say...a datum plane to represent the mating face of the part in the assembly for example. If I needed more references using the above technique that means i have to create more/additional external copy geom features and such to handle that task.


The bottomline though is this...as Pro/E users we have to take multiple extra steps to do something that should be done in one simple step. Think of it like this...wouldn't it be nice to just create the axis pattern in the skeleton then simply pick the pattern groupfrom themodeltree when referencing it in our external copy geometry (and have it retain the pattern intelligence downsteam). Also it would make it such to being able to combine other references in the same ECG as a result. Just keeps it cleaner/consistent with less references to manage.


Either way I put in an enhancement request for this with PTC and maybe they will repsond in future releases.


Thanks to you all for your help!

 

[dgs]

Yeah, I guess it's a little cumbersome, but frankly the top down design feature set in Pro|E is incredibly robust and powerful. The fact that you can pass this pattern data down through the model is impressive to me, even if it takes a few too many steps.

Do other CAD tools have this kind of systems where design intent can be passed town through the assembly? I've only worked with one other, and it's TDD capabilities are not nearly as good.

While this could be streamlined, it's frankly a slightly obscure case and there is a logical work around.