Explode lines editing in an expolde state; Re-establish a new reference.

[JShown]

Subject: RE: PTC Case 12621353 Offset lines editing in an exploded state

Mike,

Thank you for responding.

I do not have a problem with the “Offset Lines” if I save the state of the model.  I have the issue of when I replace a part in the assembly for which an “Offset Line” is attached.  They are marked with a yellow triangle in the model tree. The option of changing a reference is not available.

I was just going through this exercise just as your email came in so it is fresh.  I do not get the chance to reroute the reference to the NEW cylinder surface; I must delete and re-create them.  I am working with some older assembly models that have incorrect threaded insert models in them.

The more I do this, the more I avoid “Offset Lines” but I get over ruled by the reviewers of the assembly drawings.  So I must put them in.

Please, do an experiment with them by saving a configuration then replacing a part with a new part and see what happens?

Mikes response:

Hello Jeff,

Unfortunately, what happens when a component is replaced, the offset line no longer has a parent reference and is frozen.

Currently, it is not possible to edit an offset line and establish new references, but I think this would make a great enhancement.

If you would like submit a product idea so R&D can take your request into consideration for future releases, here is a link to the

PTC Product Idea Submission Process

Mike

Mike Swartz
Senior Technical Support Engineer
T  800.477.6435 E -
PTC.com

[danderson]

Jeff you should vote on your own idea!
Don

[psobejko]

Good idea - if you don't reroute the references, the offset lines will fail and have to be deleted and re-created.  Actually, that's not the biggest issue for me because you can re-map the references when you "replace" components.  Use "Replace" function in the assembly and replace by "Unrelated Component".

Once you select the new model, activate the "Edit Ref Table" to specify the mapping of references.  With this technique, your offset lines will be "preserved", so hopefully that helps you out some.

However, even if you do this, often your "new" offset line will be just plain wrong.  The typical case is that it will go off in the wrong direction from one component to the other.

So in summary, the biggest problem with offset lines is that working with them just sucks: editing them is a nightmare and often impossible (why do the jog points "snap back" to their original location - that's assuming you can actually get them be dragged ??)  Heck, even creating them is just a pain.  And they clutter up the model tree badly (why can't you group them???)  No wonder many avoid them at all costs.

[dgrobe]

why cant the reference be part of the reference editor when doing a replace?

[RobertH]

Still not solved in Creo 7.0.5.0. An Edit definition should save a lot of redoing.