Pro/Program -vs- Family table question

[BobSchwerdlin]

Good Friday everybody,

I'm trying to decide the best approach to the following problem.

I make tooling fixtures and have several different sizes of "standard tool bases". I want to get away from individual databases and drawings for each size by making one "master tool base". There are multiple parts and features that need to change size and quantity in each tool base. I have had some luck with family tables, but I think Pro/Program would be a better solution... from other users at my company point of view. Using the family table approach so far has resulted in a very complex table. Not sure of the best way to go.

Any advice or direction would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Bob

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[ptc-1932745]

Actually, for items like this we have had the best 'luck' using
interchange groups and having individual models for each base instance.

Even though you may use a family table for each instance of an item, you
may not end up showing tables on the final drawing, instead making
separate drawing sheets for each design instance, just to be clear.



The other thing is just how 'standard' are the tooling bases if they are
so varied and complicated.



Although we don't use Interlink, if you do, I wonder the implications of
using family tables vs. Interchange groups would be.





Christopher F. Gosnell



FPD Company

124 Hidden Valley Road

McMurray, PA 15317

[jellis]

In Reply to Bob Schwerdlin:

Hi Bob.

Can't honestly give you a comparison between the two but can comment regarding complicated tables. We manage our CAD data with PDMLink and try to avoid complex family tables. They certainly can be managed within PDMLink but there is a lot of potential for hosed and corrupted tables.

Another thought to share. Have you looked into the Expert Framework Extension module for doing your tool modeling? Of course I have no real knowledge of your tool makeup but if you are using common steel structural shapes, holders, clamps and plate it may be simpler than ProE?

Regards, Jim

[uavron]

Well, actually I believe that the best approach would be using the
Merge/Inheritence Feature capabilities of Pro/E, thus getting away from the
possible problems of Family tables & PDMLink or having to define a whole
bunch of Pro/Program instances.
My actual experience with Inheritence Features is very good, they allow for
the amount of chnage as necessary without overburdening you.

Best Regards

uriel Avron
Harmonic Systems Ltd.