Skip to main content
J
JeffKwapien1-Visitor
1-Visitor
February 13, 2012
Solved

How to create multiple configurations within an assembly?

  • February 13, 2012
  • 3 replies
  • 31200 views

Does anyone know if Pro/e has a command (similar to Ideas "assembly configuration" option) in order to create multiple configurations of an assembly, so that each configuration has a unique set of component constraints?

I could not find something similar in Pro/e 4.0 help menu.

I simply want to create multiple assembly configurations within one assembly model, without having to learn about Mechanisms.

Thank you

    Best answer by cgorni

    To close this community thread on How to create multiple configurations (“states”) within an assembly?

     

     

    Summary of the exchanges and list of proposed alternate techniques (initial topic), also summarized in article CS136897

    • Constraint sets with Family Table or Flexibility
      • Using constraint sets (defined when positioning the components), they may mimic the concept of configurations when associated to Family Table:
        • Create all variations of Constraint Sets in Component Placement for the parts you want to vary positions.
        • Add meaningful names to sets, like : Position_1 / Position_2 etc and enable only one
        • Create number of instances in assembly Family Table - as many as configurations that you need.
        • Add column items as Parameters > Look In: Component parameters, pick your component that have more than 1 Set and select PTC_CONSTRAINT_SET.
        • Add them per each component.
        • In the value for these parameters, put respective sets names in each cell.
        • Note: if you have nested structure (variations in different subassemblies) this will require creation of such family table at each level.
        • Bottleneck is that the instances will have different names than the generic when used in drawings or top assembly.
      • Flexibility could be used in association with constraint sets instead, as detailed in article CS46389
        • Flexibility can be defined in File > Prepare > Model Properties > change at Flexible row
        • PTC_CONSTRAINT_SET parameter of each varying component could be added
        • Or a global parameter could be created and used to control all them through relations
    • Overloading the assembly to filter with Family Table, Simplified Representation or a Program
      • You could place the varying components multiple times at their different locations and enable/disable them using methods like Family Table, Simplified Representation or a Program
      • Family Table instances or Simplified representations offer the advantage to get parallel references to show in drawing views
    • Placement Dimensions controlled by Relations, Program or Family Table
      • You can place your components with distances that represent dimensions that could be varied to achieve the wanted states, and even if they are set to be Flexible, see CS35523
      • However only one state at a time, in session, can be obtained this way. Therefore Family Table could used to create the different configurations

    You can review the following threads too:

    Assembly Configurations

    Flexible Models vs. Part Simplified Representations vs. Family Tables vs. Constraint Sets

     

    If you are more interested in configuring the Assembly structure (BOM variation) than the components position, you can review Creo Options Modeler capabilities and overview

    3 replies

    K
    KevinBradberry1-Visitor
    1-Visitor
    February 13, 2012

    The following thread may be helpful:

    http://communities.ptc.com/message/4910#4910

    Welcome to PlanetPTC.

    J
    JeffKwapien1-VisitorAuthor
    1-Visitor
    February 16, 2012

    Thank you for the quick reply. Unfortunately, I first read every post before deciding to send out my question. I wanted to see if I missed something in Pro/e's help menue. I think I may have a work around, which is to create multiple constraint sets, followed by creating individual drawings by activating only one constraint set at a time.

    K
    KevinBradberry1-Visitor
    1-Visitor
    February 20, 2012

    Is your goal to have a drawing of each assembly configuration? Is each configuration going to look different, like a set of legos that you can build in many different ways? Please give more details for what you end goal is. I'm wondering if the best option would be to have separate assemblies with a drawing for each.

    C
    CamiloParraPala1-Visitor
    1-Visitor
    October 22, 2013

    This is the best way to configurate assemblies http://learningexchange.ptc.com/tutorial/1480/creo-options-modeler-overview

    GregoryPERASSO
    GregoryPERASSO16-Pearl
    16-Pearl
    October 23, 2013

    Hello

    Option Modeler (connected or not to Windchill Options & Variants management) is more designed for managing different Configurations of a product. (example Options for a Car), not to manage different "state" of the product

    I'm not a ProE specialist, but if only have to manage angles, may be the "flexible" feature can be used to avoid creating Assemblies family tables.

    You can also use Creo View Animation if you have licenses ... Not use it since newly released, but older Porduct View version works pretty well for this kind of need

    regards

    Gregory

    C
    cgorni16-PearlAnswer
    16-Pearl
    November 3, 2021

    To close this community thread on How to create multiple configurations (“states”) within an assembly?

     

     

    Summary of the exchanges and list of proposed alternate techniques (initial topic), also summarized in article CS136897

    • Constraint sets with Family Table or Flexibility
      • Using constraint sets (defined when positioning the components), they may mimic the concept of configurations when associated to Family Table:
        • Create all variations of Constraint Sets in Component Placement for the parts you want to vary positions.
        • Add meaningful names to sets, like : Position_1 / Position_2 etc and enable only one
        • Create number of instances in assembly Family Table - as many as configurations that you need.
        • Add column items as Parameters > Look In: Component parameters, pick your component that have more than 1 Set and select PTC_CONSTRAINT_SET.
        • Add them per each component.
        • In the value for these parameters, put respective sets names in each cell.
        • Note: if you have nested structure (variations in different subassemblies) this will require creation of such family table at each level.
        • Bottleneck is that the instances will have different names than the generic when used in drawings or top assembly.
      • Flexibility could be used in association with constraint sets instead, as detailed in article CS46389
        • Flexibility can be defined in File > Prepare > Model Properties > change at Flexible row
        • PTC_CONSTRAINT_SET parameter of each varying component could be added
        • Or a global parameter could be created and used to control all them through relations
    • Overloading the assembly to filter with Family Table, Simplified Representation or a Program
      • You could place the varying components multiple times at their different locations and enable/disable them using methods like Family Table, Simplified Representation or a Program
      • Family Table instances or Simplified representations offer the advantage to get parallel references to show in drawing views
    • Placement Dimensions controlled by Relations, Program or Family Table
      • You can place your components with distances that represent dimensions that could be varied to achieve the wanted states, and even if they are set to be Flexible, see CS35523
      • However only one state at a time, in session, can be obtained this way. Therefore Family Table could used to create the different configurations

    You can review the following threads too:

    Assembly Configurations

    Flexible Models vs. Part Simplified Representations vs. Family Tables vs. Constraint Sets

     

    If you are more interested in configuring the Assembly structure (BOM variation) than the components position, you can review Creo Options Modeler capabilities and overview

      Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement