External simplified Rep

[Praveen]

Hi,

I am trying to add the component in the external simplified rep but the added component is not getting updated/visible in the reference assembly.

I am just trying to check if concurrent modeling is possible with external simplified rep.

It will be of great help if any one can solve this problem

[Praveen]

Thank you Christopher

Update and Integrate option helped me to solve my problem

[MosheBaum]

Two users can have two different ESRs, yet each of those ESRs can containt same sub-assembly - to which both of them can have access to and can edit simultaniously/cehck-in/out/etc. Just like any assembly

Of course both of them can also work directly in a Subset of the original top-assembly as well. If someone updated models that you currently use in your session - you can update and replace-in-session with the latest updated object.

(*in Creo 3.0 you even get directly model-tree notification icon automatically w/o needing to sync workspace manually via embedded browser or so)

The intended use of ESR tool was to let "system architects" a way to prepare "work packages" and distribute them to the team w/o forcing them to ever download nor modify the higher level assembly(s).

Purpose of ESR is to store a simprep definition in a separate file that does NOT force user(s) to modify the top assembly object and/or interact with an internal simprep that is defined in the top assembly.

Realistically - in very large assembly scenarios - only the integrator(s) or very few users will actualy have access to the top assembly for editing, while each designer will likely have access to the systems of one's responsibility.

[Praveen]

Thanks to all .......for sharing some good information on ESR.

After seeing all the responses I was trying to understand what is the major difference between simplified rep & ESR.

Only benefit from ESR is to create a separate assembly file?

If we need to work on sub assembly level then what is the use of ESR ?

And finally from the PTC website I got the following information on the ESR but all the points are not so clear.

They have mentioned that multiple users can work simultaneously and I am not able to understand How??

[gkoch · Accepted solution]

Hello Praveen,

Only benefit from ESR is to create a separate assembly file?

As Moshe wrote earlier in the thread, there are two main benefits:

1. Use a separate file for the simplified rep - the huge benefit is that everybody can create such an External Simplified Rep when needed without modifying the actual assembly (and checking in again, requiring all others to update, etc...)
2. Plus ESR allows to add components that should not appear in the assembly - this allows for example to show models, your design would interact with in reality or devices that are used for assembling your design

If we need to work on sub assembly level then what is the use of ESR ?

• If you have everything you need in your subassembly, open the subassembly, work on it and don't mind top assembly simplified reps. However, if you are in the situation (like many users), that you need to see your subassembly in the context of a (huge) top assembly, you will need simplified reps - external or internal. Externals offer just above mentioned additional benefits.
  For example: If you do the cabling, you normally have a subassembly for it, but how would you design the cables without knowing the full assembly?

They have mentioned that multiple users can work simultaneously and I am not able to understand How??

• This should be clear by now: If you design a large assembly with multiple sub-structures (e.g. engine, suspension, chassis, electric, fuel system, exhaust pipes...) and if you have build your assembly clever enough to use sub-assemblies corresponding to the sub-structures, multiple persons can work on different sub-assemblies or parts simultaneously.
• ESR does not empower multiple persons to change the same model simultaneously. It allows them to work on different components, while being in the context of the same top-assembly.
• To allow multiple persons to work on the same model, you can use the Update and Integrate functionality, mentioned by Christopher. It basically allows to merge two different design iterations (new versions created by two different users), which both have originated from the same model. So both users work on the model separately and later someone has to do the cleanup and align the designs. If more than two users change the model, it requires multiple merges. But this has nothing to do with ESR.

[Praveen]

Thank you Gunter,

You have answered all my questions this will help me to prepare a short presentation for my team on ESR

[vzak]

Gunter and Moshe maid most of the points, I'd probably just stress why PTC mentions "concurrency" when talking of ESR.

- when you say "concurrency" , if you mean "2 eng's working on same part" - as Gunter said, this is not ESR this is PDM Integrate functionality

- but if saying "concurrency" you mean "we have top.asm with parts A,B,C,D. I want user-1 to work on A & C in assembly context (there are references from C to A), while user-2 to work on B & D" - here you get exact ESR case. You make 2 ESRs from TOP.ASM, each one excludes TOP.ASM and only includes respective components. Benefits :

1. Check Out / In these ESRs - no conflicts on TOP.ASM as TOP.ASM is not checked out by either of them. Work on ESR1 with A & C - add features, relations etc.

2. your Workspace does not get overloaded with unnecessary models (B.PRT, D.PRT, TOP.ASM in our case. Surely all WS operations are times faster.

3.When you check them in back and retrieve the full TOP.ASM you will see that all references between the parts that you created in ESRs will magically update according to any changes that happened in TOP.ASM. This is since ESR manages assembly dependencies in a smart way : not bringint TOP.ASM physically it has all the notion of it and pases this motion to ESR members.

Now above case describes primary usage of ESRs - when default action is "Exclude" and only necessary part components / subassemblies included. However there is also another usage when top assembly is Included in ESR, and some of its subassemblies have most of unrelated components Excluded. Such ESR will differ from regular top assembly simprep only by that it will not download Excluded low level components. hence it is less about concurrency and more about just "lightening" PDM operations and WS size.

Hope this provides some more insight on ESR.

Regards

- Vlad

[ptc-4864603]

one question: if I am working on an assy that I DO NOT want to check out BUT I want to control the assy's SimReps for visual purposes while working on sub assy components.

I keep loosing my rep states since the main assy is not checked out.

can I use an ESR of the main assy to save those states?

[ChristopherLewi]

External Simplified Rep is a way to do this.

Also making your own 'master viewing assembly' is a reasonable option i.e. make a new fake assy that you assemble the assembly you want to persist simplified reps across your working sessions into as the component. Provided you don't build any external references in that assy, you'll not have to check it in.

[ptc-4864603]

i was doing the dummy assy technique for awhile but was hoping that ESR's is a safer way.

thank you for the reply.

[vzak]

You are absolutely right: ESR is the SAFEST way to do it. For this reason create ESR simply excluding top assembly and including individually all 1st level subassemblies.- then chances of bumping top assembly it is zero. Create simpreps in ESR instead, they will govern all subassemblies in a correct way.

Master Viewing Assembly should serve same purpose just fine in most cases, but in some cases top assembly can just bump as a result of unwanted regeneration or some other artifact.

[ptc-4864603]

thank you Vladimir!

Sometimes the help files don't answer the simple questions.