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CHENAMA
CHENAMA14-Alexandrite
14-Alexandrite
April 9, 2025
Solved

Define ECAD_REF_DES for component in subasm

  • April 9, 2025
  • 2 replies
  • 1066 views

Hi Community,

 

Creo version in use 11.0.2.0 connected to Windchill 12.1.2.10

 

Does anyone here know a way to define a reference designator for a component used in a subassembly in the upper Assembly?

Our use case:

A - Top Assembly,

  B - Subassembly (Gathering Part)

    C - Component with an electrical designation e.g. R101

  B - Subassembly (Gathering Part)

    C - Component with an electrical designation e.g. R102

 

Subassembly B is used several times within A, but it's actually just a "dummy" assembly which only exists in MCAD. When we now assign a reference designator for C, it is defined in B, hence it's always the same, but it should differ. Is there anything foreseen in Creo / Windchill to cover this?

 

Follow up question would be if it's somehow possible that component C immediately appears in the WT-Part structure of A without generating a Part for B?

 

Thanks and BR

Best answer by CHENAMA

If anyone else is wondering or looking for a similar functionality.

We found groups to work quite well.

 

You can copy a group and when using paste special with Advanced reference configuration to work very well. In there you then only have to re-define the constraints which are set to outside the group components. So, it allows re-using groups, while defining usage attributes such as Reference Designator per item. Further of course you can also pattern groups within an assembly.

 

CHENAMA_0-1749644458597.png

 

CHENAMA_1-1749644458455.png

 

2 replies

tbraxton
22-Sapphire II
tbraxton22-Sapphire II
22-Sapphire II
April 9, 2025

If you are asking if the refdes could be assigned automatically, the only way I know that would be possible is when importing using the IDF interface where the ECAD_hint.map file maps the component during import and uses the refdes from the IDF file imported.

 

You can manually assign the refdes using the methods shown here: Article - CS53637 - How to create ECAD Reference Designator for components in Pro/ENGINEER and Creo Elements/Pro assembly

CHENAMA
CHENAMA14-AlexandriteAuthor
14-Alexandrite
April 11, 2025

Hi,

 

No I'm not looking for a way to automatically assign the RefDes automatically. I am looking for a way to define the RefDes in Assembly A for components which are actually used in Assembly B.

 

A - Top Assembly,

  B - Subassembly (Gathering Part)

    C - Component with an electrical designation e.g. R101

  B - Subassembly (Gathering Part)

    C - Component with an electrical designation e.g. R102

tbraxton
22-Sapphire II
tbraxton22-Sapphire II
22-Sapphire II
April 11, 2025

Using your provided assembly notations above.

In assembly mode with Assembly A as the active model if you then activate the component C you should be able to follow the process to manually assign the refdes to component C.

 

Article - CS53637 - How to create ECAD Reference Designator for components in Pro/ENGINEER and Creo Elements/Pro assembly

 

CHENAMA
CHENAMA14-AlexandriteAuthorAnswer
14-Alexandrite
June 11, 2025

If anyone else is wondering or looking for a similar functionality.

We found groups to work quite well.

 

You can copy a group and when using paste special with Advanced reference configuration to work very well. In there you then only have to re-define the constraints which are set to outside the group components. So, it allows re-using groups, while defining usage attributes such as Reference Designator per item. Further of course you can also pattern groups within an assembly.

 

CHENAMA_0-1749644458597.png

 

CHENAMA_1-1749644458455.png

 

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