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First, aside from datum features, you're typically choosing geometric entities for assembly constraints-- surfaces, edges, axes, etc. But to pick those things within a certain feature...
In 2001: from the Get Select menu, choose Sel By Menu (or whatever the choice is). The key is to change your Look-In Object, which is model listed at the top of the dialog box next to the pointer icon. There are times I've had to use Select By Menu to choose the appropriate model, before I could use Select By Menu to pick the appropriate entity. Typically then, the choices you have for the Filter for Select By Menu are datum planes, axes, and coordinate systems. If you're trying to pick a solid or non-solid surface, or an edge, you pretty much out of luck.
The search tool icon in WF, is not that usefriendly as we were with select by menu in assembly mode. Same is the problem with query select. The altrnates are not easy to be adopted.
Is there anyone who has found a quick way to replace select by menu?
Oops, I didn't realize Mike's original question was in the WF forum.
In WF in general, Pick from List is the replacement for Query Select, but it's non-functional as far as I can tell when assembling a component. (The choice is there from right mouse button functionality, but it doesn't do anything.)
The Search tool is a bit different interface than Select By Menu in 2001. I've gotten used to it, but it was tricky the first dozen times. But it's the closest thing you're going to get to SBM in WF. I've noticed when you use Search to replace SBM when assembling components, you get choices like Edge and Point in the filter list that yield no results.
Best advice I can give, use Hide and Layers when possible to reduce the amount of screen clutter when trying to pick stuff when assembling. Other than that, unfortunately, you're left with Pick, Query, and Search.
Thank you for reply. You say use Hide and Layers to reduce scren clutter . My friend problem is not of assmbling things correctly; problem is that of assembling things quickly as the word Wildfire actually means.
I think may be PTC suggests constraining components before assembling and then using automatic assmbly and this become the culture in future.
I love the quick assembly capabilities in Wildfire. I think what your friend is referring to is defining Component Interfaces in the part (Edit > Setup > Comp Interface). Then you have a number of methods of quickly assembling the component, especially using Auto Place (pick in the graphics area approximately where you want the component placed) or even quicker, dragging the component from the Content Viewer into the assembly (although the algorithm isn't perfect yet for placing the component exactly where I want it).
In 2000i2, you were looking at about 20 mouse picks to get a component into an assembly. With the Automatic constraint in 2001, you could save about 6 clicks per component (and a lot of mouse dragging, going back and forth from the Display Area to the Component Placement dialog box). Now in WF if you have Component Interfaces defined in the part, assembling can be as easy as dragging the component from the Content Viewer and dropping it in the Graphics Area. Again, the code isn't 100% yet, but it's a heck of a lot easier and quicker than 4 years ago.
I agree 100% with what you say. To add to yours I hope WF2 will cover all these shortcomings. Sam Husseini, a friend of mine, from PTC told me that they are improving the search icon capabilities and it will be more easier than the present one.
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