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rleseberg1-Visitor
1-Visitor
May 5, 2017
Question

Flexibility: One of two varied items gets locked. (Why?)

  • May 5, 2017
  • 2 replies
  • 8711 views

I have a part that is a rod with a length and a diameter, both defined as flexible.

I have a couple of family tabled assemblies that use this part, and they both have the flexibility activated for this part.

This is the only part in the assembly, besides a Bulk Item that I need to populate my BOM Table.

The issue is that I will be working along with all going well, and with all instances behaving nicely, and drawings showing correct lengths, when at any given time, the length item becomes locked, and all parts default to the much longer base part length.

I go to Edit Definition of the part, then check the flexibility, and sure enough the length has a big lock just to the right of it, but the diameter is still free.

There is nothing more going on here other than a simple cylindrical shaped part, and to simple family table assys that use it along with bulk items.

I do have a family table of bulk items, and the more complicated of the two assys has a column in the family table controlling which bulk is used with which part.

These parts are all new in my work space, so have not been checked into windchill yet, and they are not marked as read only, so why would the length become locked?

Remember, the diameter dimension always remains free or not locked.

2 replies

D
dschenken1-Visitor
1-Visitor
May 7, 2017

Which version of software are you using?

Something to add - flexibility is handled by hidden/dynamic family tables. There may be a book-keeping problem that needs to be addressed, hence the version question.

P
psobejko1-Visitor
1-Visitor
May 8, 2017

Are you saying that your assembly has a flexible component in it (namely the cylinder); and this generic has several instances defined in which the size of this cylinder component is changed?

Are you using "associated parameters" to control these flexible components?

I notice that in Creo 3.0 these are automatically created if you try to define columns for assembly instances using dimensions of sub-components.  Maybe your version of Creo does not do that?

I know that without using these "associated parameters" I had very strange results in the past including this "locking" behaviour.  I  can't really explain why or how it happened, but essentially you have to use the associated parameters when trying to control these flexible components from relations or family tables...  Anyway, this is just a guess, because I am not sure about several things.  It would be best if you provided a representative sample model.

R
rleseberg1-VisitorAuthor
1-Visitor
May 8, 2017

I am using CREO 2.

1. The base part has a diameter (.5") and a length (26").

     Both of which are flexible.

     No family table exists at this level

2. I have an assembly of this part and a several bulk materials.

     In this assembly is a nested family table consisting of the following:

     2a. Fine (4 diameters) each (36" raw material length).

     2b. Course (4 diameters) each (48" raw material length).


3. I have another assembly of this part and several bulk materials

     In this assembly is another nested family table consisting of the following:

     3a. Fine (4 diameters) each at several different (Final cut lengths).

     3b. Course (4 diameters) each at several different (Final cut lengths).


4. Finally there are assemblies of these final cut lengths and sheaths.

     The sheath part is a family tabled part.

     This final assembly is also a family table assembly.


I can set these all up as required, regenerate, save and open and close them with all working as it should.

That is what I tested out on Friday afternoon.

I closed them all down, shut down CREO, then restarted and reopened these assemblies, and drawings several times.

Each time all was as it should be down to the final assembly and drawings in Item 4 above.


Then for no apparent reason, like first thing this morning, I open my final assembly of one of the cut lengths and a sheath, only to find that the base part has reverted back to the original (26") length.

Upon checking the flexibility of the base part, in this same assembly, I find the length to be locked, with the diameter still free to be flexed.

The flexibility settings in the actual base part seem to be fine.


Again, only the length gets locked, with the diameter still allowed to flex.

P
psobejko1-Visitor
1-Visitor
May 8, 2017

Point 1) I take it that you have "predefined" the flexibility of this "rod" model?  The varied items table consists of two dimensions, length and diameter?

Points 2 + 3) please post images of the varied items tables for the flexible components in these assemblies, and also the family tables for these assemblies

Point 4) is this then the overall assembly consisting of two sub-assemblies from 2) and 3).  Does this assembly also have a family table?

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