Skip to main content
X
xPR1MUSx10-Marble
10-Marble
March 13, 2025
Solved

I can't figure out how to drag parts to reposition them in an assembly

  • March 13, 2025
  • 6 replies
  • 2766 views

I'm a SW user with about a year of CREO use now. I'm on CREO Parametric 10.0.4.0. I'm playing with a PCB layout, placing major components on a motherboard. So I've dropped in a PCIe card, and attached it to a PCIe Connector, and I've got power connectors, and other hand-accessible components (buttons, switches, etc). I've constrained them all to the PCB surface, and now I'd like to drag them around and figure out which layout works best for end-user and PCB design team.

 

The only way I seem to be able to do this is to click on a component, and Edit Definition, and then drag the arrows for the unconstrained Degrees of Freedom. That's kind of okay, except that CREO seems to really think the assembly order matters. So if I place the PCIe connector first, I have to drag that around in its DoF, but that hides the PCIe card, and associated cables since those were placed later. And if I move whatever the first component is (in this case a button), every other component disappears so I have to frame of reference to know if I've dragged it to a good spot or not.

 

I've tried using the Drag Components tool, but I can't get it to move anything. I've tried moving totally unconstrained parts, partially constrained (like my connectors), and fully constrained parts. The drag tool doesn't seem to do anything. When I watch you tube videos of Drag Components, people just click on the tool, and start dragging stuff around on the screen. Why doesn't mine work like that?

Best answer by kdirth

To use Drag Component, select the drag component button then select the component to drag (do not hold mouse button) and move mouse.  Click mouse button again to release it.

6 replies

S
23-Emerald III
StephenW23-Emerald III
23-Emerald III
March 13, 2025

It just kind of works if the component isn't fully constrained

I would start by testing on a newly created assembly, just to make sure it works at all. Create an assembly, add a part with no constraints and see if you can move it. Maybe there is something unexpected happening in that specific assembly you are working with.

If it doesn't work on a new assembly, the you likely have a setting preventing, although I don't know exactly what that would be.

tbraxton
22-Sapphire II
tbraxton22-Sapphire II
22-Sapphire II
March 13, 2025

If you can post the models (put them in a .zip file before uploading) or at least a video of what is happening that would be helpful. Details on exactly how components are constrained and what happens when you attempt to drag them.

 

If the components are packaged (not fully constrained) then drag components should work. From your description it sounds like you have used a mate constraint to make the connectors coplanar with one side of the PCB. If this is true, then only a single DOF is constrained, and the component will show as packaged int eh model tree.

 

In the model tree do you see this glyph indicating the components you have placed are partially constrained?

tbraxton_0-1741870907107.png

 

X
xPR1MUSx10-MarbleAuthor
10-Marble
March 13, 2025

My parts do show the partially constrained icon. I got the answer in another reply. I was Click&Dragging. The Drag tool requires Click, Drag, Click. Not intuitive for me coming from SW, but very simple now that I know.

kdirth
21-Topaz I
kdirth21-Topaz IAnswer
21-Topaz I
March 13, 2025

To use Drag Component, select the drag component button then select the component to drag (do not hold mouse button) and move mouse.  Click mouse button again to release it.

There is always more to learn.
    X
    xPR1MUSx10-MarbleAuthor
    10-Marble
    March 13, 2025

    Oh my goodness, what a lifesaver!!! This is just like the Middle Mouse click to create a dimension. Thank you!

    P
    19-Tanzanite
    pausob19-Tanzanite
    19-Tanzanite
    March 13, 2025

    FYI, if enable_implied_joints yes config.pro setting is active (default setting for Creo 10), then you can use CTRL+ALT+Left click button to grab and drag your component(s) around (the components will obey their constraints) - without going into the "Drag components" mode 

    Dale_Rosema
    23-Emerald III
    Dale_Rosema23-Emerald III
    23-Emerald III
    March 13, 2025

    If components are constrained to the component I am trying to move, I get the follow in error:

     

    Dale_Rosema_0-1741872392413.png

     

     

      Y
      YT_130058723-Newcomer
      3-Newcomer
      March 13, 2025

      Delete all assembly constrains. Now its free to move any direction. Move with Display Dragger. Fix when correct location.  

      D
      DS_89774386-Contributor
      6-Contributor
      May 14, 2026

      Sooo long story short. It is not possible to temporary disable constraints in Creo.
      Not if the parts are fully constrained, which 99.9% they always are unless its a cowboy company.
      Lets say you want to retract a screw to see if there is enough room before the screw head collides with...anything.
      To do this today you would have to disable the constraints in that specific sub-assembly were the screw are constrained, which could be 5 levels below.  And Pdm, Intralink or similar would prompt you for checkout when trying.
      You could just set PDM to continue whithout checkout if your PDM setup allows this. But then all those parts will be modified in your workspace but not checked out. Meaning you must manually de-select those before checkin or upload of your own parts. Hoping thet you have number series that would make them easy recognizable. But unexperianced users in your company will often do misstankes unless this is restricted, .

      Also when trying to change the constraints in a part or assembly with “locked” status for example, Manufacturing, Released or similar depending on setup,  the PDM will also trigger the system (situated in India with a server Ping time of 500ms to do a full comparison with commonspace to see if these fileas are permissible to checkout….meaning you might have to wait, And ig you then also have set the 50gb model to regenerate when this happens. Please just take early lunch.

      Am I by accident now  revealing my feelings about PTC inability to fix things that have been annoying for the past 20 years.

      The functions are there, There is just no access to it. It would only require a shortcut, like it was a flexible component, or temporary exploded view.

      Fastest way to freely rearrange parts in an assembly would be to export to PVZ, Then using Transform command in Creo View Express, Creo View Lite or Creo View Mcad 
       

      Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement