External Copy Geom NOT regenerating in Family Table Instances

[JC_7294408]

For Example:

- I have a skeleton model with a family table with 100 instances.

- I then create a PART with a family table with 100 instances with the External Copy Geom (set to auto update) of the skeleton

- When I very all instances of the new PART and open one of the instances the External Copy Geom is NOT regenerated for that specific skeleton instance and I have to manually edit definition for it to regenerate correctly. (This is NOT an ideal way of verifying 100's of instances)

Is there any way I can fix this issue. Its a major issue for my design team. We are in Creo 10

[MartinHanak]

Hi,

please contact PTC Support and discuss the problem with them.

[JC_7294408]

Follow up! I may have figured out my own issue. If you are to make a TOP DOWN design and have a skeleton model that has many (in my case 120) instances with varying dimensional features. In order for the PART level file that has the skeleton placed in as a External Copy Geom. to properly regenerate the correct instance the Creo server needs to be able to recognize the instance of that said skeleton instance (open up each of the skeleton instances created). I had previously not opened up all 120 files to check (which who wouldn't blame me). Once Creo has physically opened the files that have been called for each part it will properly regenerate when you do make and changes in said Skelton file instances. Wish you didn't have to do this but guess their is no way around it.

In saying this I would NOT recommend opening each PART level instance due to regeneration time and click patterns. I opened up the Skelton model instances one-by-one and then went back to my PART file Family Table to then verify each instance. 

[tbraxton]

Family tables may not be the most resource efficient way to capture this design intent. Without understanding the geometry and design intent one is not able to assess what may be an alternative to what you have done. I have found that the automatic regeneration option for copy geometry is not understood well by many users. Creo will only regenerate the copy geometry if something occurs in the Creo session to require a regeneration. Simply retrieving a part and opening it will not necessarily trigger a regeneration of the coy geometry feature. One must also have the master model in session in order to regenerate a shared geometry feature in a derivative model.

Family tables would not be my first choice to manage 120 versions of a part that is subject to ongoing change and controlled by a parent model(s).  If can explain the use case of why the skeleton model is changed to drive 120 instances, then someone may come up with a better way to manage it.

[JC_7294408]

So I have a design for a machine build in our company that changes based on a few factors. Height, Diameter and a feature set. Based on my expertise with Creo top down design this is the best way to create a fully functioning model that spits out every version of the machine we are creating effectively. Yes this is very tedious to ensure proper regeneration through all of my components but it is the only way to build such a machine with interconnecting components that change due to a few different key features requires family table and external copy geometry. 

[tbraxton]

I understand better now what you are managing. I can say with 100% confidence that your current approach is not the only way to manage the various configurations. There are available functions in Creo as well as third party add on software that are intended to manage scenarios such as yours.

Back in the 90s using only Pro/E and MS Excel Otis elevator had a product configuration spreadsheet that was used to update the elevator design based on specifications and options driven by the Excel file. The sales team could fill out the spreadsheet and then send this to engineering as input to drive all the models and fab drawings for a given configuration. This predates the inclusion of Top-Down design tools in Pro/E.