What is the best practice for assigning find numbers in an assembly?

[M_C_Anderson]

I am currently researching alternative ways of annotating our models, and keep running into road blocks. There has never been a particularly high degree of focus among my predecessors of using metadata/parameters within the model to help drive things. We use find numbers in balloons in our drawings, but deviate from what PTC seems to intend in two ways:

1. Those balloons are custom symbols
2. The value of those balloons that is displayed is manually entered text

After refreshing myself on repeat regions, I figured out how one might use them in combination with assembly-level component parameters to create balloons that auto-populate. However, in order for this to work I had to define those component parameters for each unique part instance in the assembly, including fasteners. Is there not a way to only enter this once per unique part number, rather than instance? And how would I avoid having to recreate the same parameter in each component? The list of component parameters is empty for each component, so I had to add/name/set type/enter value/designate each component one at a time. 

It seems like there is the start of a good metadata-driven process here, but I'm not sure if I'm missing the rest or if it simply doesn't exist. And besides, this appears to only work in drawings. When we go to MBD and only work in parts/assemblies, this process seems like it will fall apart since there is no table from which to drive repeat region values.

[pausob]

yes...  I think the component level parameter route is the way to go, but the out-of-the-box tools to create them is limited to mapkeys.

For example, https://community.ptc.com/t5/3D-Part-Assembly-Design/Default-Assembly-Feature-Attributes/m-p/795979

I don't think auto-populating is possible, unless from Windchill side - see for example, https://community.ptc.com/t5/Windchill/Windchill-quot-Find-Numbers-quot-and-quot-Line-Numbers-quot/td-p/194599

Even then, I think customization and additional programming is needed to extend the software and make them truly usable.

Perhaps you can look into NitroCell or NitroBOM or Creo|SON solutions by Simplified Logic or SmartAssembly from Sigmaxim.

[BenLoosli]

Creo will assign the BOM index numbers automatically from a repeat region. This is a unique number for each component of an a assembly.

Why do you need to create more work for your designers by requiring each component to have its own find_number? This also leads to conflicts where 2 components end up in the same assembly and they both have the same find number. Let each assembly stand alone as far as find numbers is concerned and not complicate it with added parameters.

[Chris3]

The OP is referring to component parameters which is a separate function from repeat regions.

In short the component parameter functionality that was put in is flawed. The code for ref designators was used and it doesn't work well for find numbers cause as is mentioned the software allows you to enter different find number component parameters for the same component if you have multiples. This works well for ref designators but not for find numbers.

The only way to use this is to write a customization to make it work like PTC should have made it work when they rolled it out.

[M_C_Anderson]

As @Chris3 correctly identified, BOM index numbers are not useful for our company's implementation of find numbers. In the example shown, there are 6 parts in an installation assembly, with find numbers 20 thru 25. In some other cases, numbers may not be sequential. For these reasons, we need a method of assigning find numbers on a per-unique-model basis at the assembly level. Component parameters appear to be the closest in terms of capability, except the process of defining them is tedious and has no mechanism to ensure the same values are assigned for each instance of an identical model.

The current practice at our company is to simply create tables and BOM balloon symbols manually, a process that has no smarts or metadata involved. Furthermore, as we are shifting to MBD, we are looking at ways at improving our models and pushing more metadata into them. Ideally, we would be able to store that find number as an assembly parameter that is defined one time, for all components in an assembly, and display them with BOM balloon symbols that call that parameter.