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pimm15-Moonstone
15-Moonstone
August 4, 2015
Solved

Not happy with model change work flow

  • August 4, 2015
  • 3 replies
  • 8944 views

First of all I apologize if I have discussed this topic before.  I tried doing a search on this but couldn't find how I could view all my discussions.

 

I do not like how difficult it is to take model changes through new modifications; the struggle is with the naming.

 

I componentize my models.  The 1st model is the basic shape.  The 2nd model adds flash at the parting line.  The 3rd model places gutter depth beyond the flash width.  The 4th model assembles all of this in a die.  I have to put several componentized model sets into the final die.

 

The changes themselves I would consider as going through this process very easily (most of the time).

 

The struggle is the fact that each of these models needs name changing to identify the new revision number.

 

To discover how to even make this go through was a struggle in itself, but now I at least have a method that will update component by component.  This process takes hours.

 

I'll lay out the left and right jobs that I just did to illustrate the mounting frustration I have with this process.  You don't have to wade through the next 44 steps but it shows the pattern I have to follow so the change properly filters through all of the components.

 

1) Change base model of 1st stage

2) Bring base model into flash model

3) Go back and change base models name and make sure new name loads into flash model

4) Go into gutter model and bring in flash model change.

5) Go back to flash model, change it's name and make sure new name loads into the gutter model

6) Bring gutter model into pro-mold die as bottom and top impression.

7) Change name of gutter model and make sure it comes into die.

😎 Open up and change name of  top and bottom impression reference models.

9-16) Repeat this process for 2nd stage

17-24) Repeat this process for last stage

25) Change name of die and anything within die that includes the new change number

26) Go to opposite hand 1st stage gutter model and review the number that the model wants to import.

27) Change name of the previously changed gutter model to line up with what the opposite hand gutter model wants to see (name prior to change)

28) Bring the 1st stage gutter into the opposite hand gutter model

29) Bring the 1st stage gutter of the opposite hand into the die

30) Go back the 1st stage opposite hand gutter model and modify it's name to the new revision and make sure this number loads into the die in pro-mold

31-35) Repeat same process for the opposite hand of the 2nd stage

36-40) Repeat  same process for the opposite hand of the 3rd stage

41) Change name of die and anything within die that includes the new change number of the opposite hand die.

42-44) Change back the name of all the original gutter model files to reflect the true release number.

 

This is time consuming and breeds opportunities for missing something and making mistakes.

 

The same process with our other CAD system is much simpler.

 

1) Change base model of 1st stage and save it

2) Bring this into flash model and save it

3) Bring this into gutter model and save it

4) Bring this into die and save it

5-8) Repeat this process for 2nd stage

9-12) Repeat this process for 3rd stage

13) Go to opposite hand base model 1st stage and bring in base part originally modified and save it

14) Bring this into die and save it

15-16) Repeat that process for 2nd stage

17-18) Repeat that process for 3rd stage

 

Not being able to replace out names of inserted components causes huge headaches.

 

I have a couple questions;

1) I have to be able to verify that my model changes have been brought all the way through; is there a simpler way to guarantee this?

2) How many out there struggle with this same issue?

 

Make it easier to replace out imported merge/inheritance models

Best answer by James62

Paul,

If you've got lic for Copy Geom feature you can make the whole thing independent on the assembly file. You can use Copy Geom instead of Copy feature (that is Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V).

To describe it little further. There is one caveat when using Copy Geom, if I remember correctly, if you want to select All Solid Surfaces you have to click on a source part in the model tree. Of course to get solid you will have to use solidify feature after that.

Imagine a simple example with two parts in an assembly, one has got solid geometry and the other one is empty. Activate the empty one, start Copy Geom feature and click on the first one in the model tree, in the selection box All Solid Surfaces should show up.

Again this makes feature dependent copy, not file dependent like in case with merge/inheritance.

Copy Geom, as well as regular Copy also allows curves to be copied.

EDIT: Well, I think you will still need the assembly file to edit the Copy Geom feature. It just won't do odd things when you open any of these copied parts separately, without having the assembly file in session, like it sometimes happens with Copy feature. Anyway, too much theory.

3 replies

M
mdebower18-Opal
18-Opal
August 4, 2015

Paul,

Are you using the Mold/Casting application inside Creo for this? If so, are you using the reference model capabilities?   You should be able to swap out the part geometry in the reference model and have the mold components update...

-marc

P
pimm15-MoonstoneAuthor
15-Moonstone
August 4, 2015

Marc,

I have no trouble with geometry updating with changes.  My issue is when there is a name change to the geometry that gets inserted into the die.

You would have to make sure the upstream models carry the geometry changes and insert into the die.  Then you would change the upstream model names before they would cleanly integrate into the die.

I've tried different ways around this but if you want to retain the shape of the reference models (which would in themselves have changes) you would have to go in the order I've described.

I would love to be proved wrong, but I've tried the following methodology and it falls apart when the reference model was changed in the die.

First, make sure that the ref part is unblanked in the assembly. Then right-click on the ref part and click Replace, as you have already done. In the Replace window, click Unrelated Component then select the “file open” icon in the Replace window to select your replacement model. Then pick Edit Ref Table, which will allow you to map references between the ref model and its replacement. With any luck, you will only have one coordinate system as the reference and you can pick “Evaluate” and be done with it. Occasionally after replacing a model you may have to redefine any failed features due to missing or radically changed references.

M
MartinHanak24-Ruby III
24-Ruby III
August 5, 2015

Paul,

to see your discussions, click Browse > Content > Authored.

content.pngauthored.png

Martin Hanak

P
pimm15-MoonstoneAuthor
15-Moonstone
August 5, 2015

Thank you Martin!

J
James621-Visitor
1-Visitor
August 5, 2015

Paul,

Could you please post a video of the process? This just seems way too complicated, guess it'd make a long vid.

I wonder why the Replace option fails.

P
pimm15-MoonstoneAuthor
15-Moonstone
August 5, 2015

James,

Yes the whole replace routine would be a very long and confusing video.

I hope a series of snapshots will describe this confusing process.

Below is the starting model.

BaseModel.JPG

Which gets fitted in the below part model.

FlashModel.JPG

The quandary develops when I have to retain the naming of the base model; otherwise I can't replace out the needed model.  (Nothing will show up in the replacement box)

See below.

EditReference.JPG

Below is the blocker models inserted into the gutter model.

GutterModel.JPG

Below shows gutter models inserted in the die.

DieModel.JPG

Notice that there still is an issue of matching up part model names.

EditDieReference.JPG

These pictures illustrate the progression of the tedious name changing as explained in my original post.

Hopefully this shows the unnecessary struggle that needs to be followed in order to carry new changes through our dies.

Even more hopefully there is a way around this, or it might be changed in a future Creo release.

Make it easier to replace out imported merge/inheritance models

    I
    Inoram14-Alexandrite
    14-Alexandrite
    August 8, 2015

    Why do you need all these reference models?

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