Depicting a rotating assembly in multiple positions with no user input beyond "open assembly"

[MP_10062680]

Software:  Creo 9.0

I have an assembly with a rotating component. Other users want to open CAD assemblies with depictions of this component at its limits of travel. There is also a need to calculate the CG of the assembly with the component at its limits of travel.

I am aware of "Explode State", but there are two reasons why it is not a complete solution:

1) the other users have minimal training and are not aware of how to activate or use the Explode State function.
2) the need to calculate CG of the assembly requires that it be actually positioned at the limits of travel, and Explode State is only visual.

I can use Family Tables with the component positioned using Angle Offset, but I can't figure out how to get Family Table to affect dimensions of lower-level assemblies.  The result is that the bearing housings on the component rotate as well and are not oriented correctly.

How would you suggest I resolve this issue?  The greatly-preferred method would be something involving Family Tables, so that users get a dialog when opening the assembly and do not need to perform secondary activities like setting Combined Views or Explode States.  Duplicating parts and using Simplified Reps to turn "extra" items off is greatly not preferred because it interferes with PDMLink BOM generation.

Rotating component with bearing housings:

Top assembly with baseplate:

What I am able to do with a Family Table and Angle Offset of the rotating component:

What I would like to see when I open the Family Table "rotated" instance, preferably without needing to also set an Explode State:

[tbraxton]

Mechanism snapshots will capture the position(s) required and those can be recalled on demand. I would not use family table for this.

About Dragging and Taking Snapshots (ptc.com)

[MP_10062680]

Thank you for the reply, but the mechanism snapshot functionality is not easily accessible to the intended user.

[tbraxton]

The intended user is not able to open a Creo assembly model? I am pretty sure that there is no need to enter the mechanism application once the snapshots are defined. If they can open an assembly, they should be able to manipulate the saved snapshots.

[MP_10062680]

For the intended user, "View Manager" is considered an advanced function that they are not trained to use. 

[Chris3]

Mechanisms come with their own headaches. People are not familiar with the proper ways to constrain them and in order to continue being mechanisms each higher assembly has to be assembled as a mechanism.

If you want to do it with nested family tables then you need to make instances of the lower level components. You can then make a family table at the top level that allows the component to vary and then you paste in the lower level component instance name.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5cXl89oxhk 

https://learningconnector.ptc.com/tutorial/1621950602731/create-a-multi-level-family-table 

Family tables come with headaches as well. They can be hard to manage and are not great from a large assembly management performance perspective.

Another way to do this is to define flexibility at the top level for a CSYS or some feature that you are varying and then use copy geometry with external references for the lower level parts. For instance you could have a skeleton model at your top assembly with a CSYS that has an angle of rotation. That CSYS gets published and copied into the lower level parts which you then use to model the geometry off of. Then you predefine that CSYS to be flexible. When the component gets assembled into a next higher assembly the user will get prompted if they want to make it flexible.

https://support.ptc.com/help/creo/creo_pma/r10.0/usascii/index.html#page/assembly/asm/To_Predefine_a_Flexible_Component.html 

[Chris3]

I should have mentioned that the last option I suggested is really only good for instances where this is only going to be used in one place. In the last scenario you can't have two of the lower level parts in session with the same base part and two different geometries.

[MP_10062680]

It is also true that the duplicated lower-level assembly will need both "forward rotation" and "reverse rotation" Family Table instances for the rotation, and will use one of each for both of the depictions of limit-of-travel (if the left assembly uses the "forward" instance then the right will use the "reverse", and vice versa).

[MP_10062680]

Thank you for the reply.  It had occurred to me that I could use nested family tables (varying the dimension at the lower level, and the component at the upper levels) but I was hoping for a solution that was top-down rather than bottom-up.  But that method would definitely be transparent to the intended users, which is a major goal of this effort.

[Michael]

Using Combine States in Creo can be a very effective solution for your scenario. Combine States allow you to set up and save specific configurations of an assembly, including part positions, display styles, and exploded views. Here’s how you can utilize Combine States for your assembly with a rotating component:

1. Set Up the Rotating Component in Desired Positions: Position the rotating component at its limits of travel. You may need to create two or more different positions representing the range of motion.

2. Create Combine States: For each position of the rotating component, create a new Combine State. In each state, adjust the visibility and orientation of components as needed. This might involve showing or hiding certain parts, or using different display styles for clarity.

3. Configuring Bearing Housings: Since the bearing housings should remain fixed and not rotate with the component, ensure their orientation is correctly set in each Combine State. You can manually adjust their position if necessary.

4. Calculating Center of Gravity (CG): You can perform CG calculations for each Combine State. This would provide the CG data for the assembly with the rotating component at its different positions.

5. Simplified User Interaction: Combine States can be named and saved within the assembly file. When other users open the assembly, they can easily switch between these pre-configured states without having to manipulate the model themselves. This simplifies the process significantly for users with minimal training.

6. Documentation for Users: Provide simple instructions or a quick reference guide for users on how to switch between Combine States. This guide can include information on selecting the correct state for their needs and interpreting the CG data.

By using Combine States, you address both the visual representation of the assembly at different stages of the rotating component’s travel and the need for calculating CG in these positions. This approach is user-friendly and doesn’t require users to have extensive knowledge of manipulating the assembly, making it ideal for your scenario.

~ CreoVerse