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Bob_Johnson1-Visitor
1-Visitor
April 29, 2020
Solved

Replacing the CAD model of a part while maintaining references in all assemblies

  • April 29, 2020
  • 2 replies
  • 6865 views

My company uses a common part on all of our assemblies. Recently, we received new, more detailed CAD of the part from the part supplier. The new CAD maintains all of the key dimensions of the old part, however it is much more detailed. 

 

Is there a way to update my part to the new more detailed geometry while maintaining all the original references in my assemblies? In this way I would not have to create a new part for the new CAD, and use the replace function in every assembly we have (because we have a lot).

 

Thanks,

Best answer by pausob

If you are dealing with a vendor model that is essentially an import feature in your part, then one hack I can think of is:

 

- in your common part, add an extruded cut - which cuts through all geometry.

- this leaves an "empty" model 

- import the new, more detailed geometry

 

Well, that's about it.  The new common model has the high-fidelity geometry, but it should just work in whatever assembly it was used in because the references will remain - to the existing cut-away geometry.

 

I'm not sure - I don't think I'd do this, but the alternative seems painful.

2 replies

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DavidBigelow17-Peridot
17-Peridot
April 30, 2020

This really depends on a lot.  IF it is a Creo Part and the IDs are the same for the surface / references between the different models... You have a few options -- Pro/PROGRAM edit converting each of these to variables and using a parameter to replace them with the new model name (should) work.

 

IF they are not (completely different models)... you might need an interchange assembly as an intermediate step to define the mapping for assembly references and the somehow find and replace -- or to the Pro/PROGRAM trick above.

 

I am sure there are many other options...  but those come to mind as a more automated fix.

 

Dave

    S
    sully714-Alexandrite
    14-Alexandrite
    April 30, 2020

    I definitely agree that Interchange assemblies are one really good solution here - they are a great way of "pre-defining" how two unrelated models can be replaced, while still keeping all the references lined up.

     

    Two good youtube videos that might help here: 

     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLe2aXdVK6o

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MK7Z1n7ocmU

     

    Hope this helps!

     

    James Sullivan

    A
    ArnaudVandeVeer16-Pearl
    16-Pearl
    April 30, 2020

    if its only a 1:1 replace, when replacing by an Unrelated Component, you can build an "internal interchange list" with Edit Ref Table and avoid making an extra interchange assembly

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      pausob19-TanzaniteAnswer
      19-Tanzanite
      April 30, 2020

      If you are dealing with a vendor model that is essentially an import feature in your part, then one hack I can think of is:

       

      - in your common part, add an extruded cut - which cuts through all geometry.

      - this leaves an "empty" model 

      - import the new, more detailed geometry

       

      Well, that's about it.  The new common model has the high-fidelity geometry, but it should just work in whatever assembly it was used in because the references will remain - to the existing cut-away geometry.

       

      I'm not sure - I don't think I'd do this, but the alternative seems painful.

      B
      Bob_Johnson1-VisitorAuthor
      1-Visitor
      May 1, 2020

      I think this is close to what I am looking for. In a perfect world it would be nice to delete the old geometry features, but if Creo doesn't have something cleaner this might be necessary. 

      G
      gmontgomery-21-Visitor
      1-Visitor
      May 20, 2020

      Worth mentioning that if the simplified model was a defeatured version of complete model it may work as is, depending on how it was referenced in your existing assemblies e.g. default datums etc are likely unchanged. If so the new model would work in place of the old, providing the new version is named to match the old. Probably you tried that already.

       

      Barring that I would maybe investigate to determine what the referenced entities (component side) are in your current usages. Even if the old and new models are unrelated you might be able to coax the new model into being interchangable with the old if the component references (default datums etc) are consistent across using assemblies and the referenced component entities can be made to match e.g. default datums fairly early in the model tree.

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