Global Parameters and Design Studies

[ptc-147279]

Hi All,

I would like to run mechanica opimizations by varying global parameters in a layout file. But the optimizations will not run because connection to the layout file is one way and mechanica cannot change the parameter.

The question I have is: Is there any way around this?

And why is this connection to the layout file one way?

Thanks for any help,

Paul

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[danderson]

Paul,

Mechanica was designed to interact with 3d models directly and not drawings.
If you created the parameters at the part/assembly level it should work. If you are referencing
a drawing parameter in mechanica, mechanica will not be able to modify it as far as I know.

Don A

[ptc-147279]

Hi Don,

I felt like I was being pushed into a corner on this one. I am using EXF to generate about 2500 beams in a complex truss. The only way that I found to globally control the beam sections was to create a layout with global parameters and declare the layout to the prototype EFX sections. This has the effect that I can control hundreds of beam sections by changing a single parameter in the layout file. Otherwise I would have to individually change each beam in the assembly. I can not put these parameters into the assembly because EFX will not allow me to create a prototype section with unresolved parameters in relations. I would have to be able to declare the assembly to the prototype EFX section part.

I can still manually optimize the assembly, but it is time consuming. I have ten different sections spread spread over 2500 beams and I have to optimize cost and modal frequency.

Paul

[danderson]

Paul,

I'm assuming all beams have the same cross section and different lengths?
If they all have the same cross section (sketch) could you reference the dimensions in the sketch directly?

You might be able to within Mechanica reference a sketch dimension directly in each part by typing the dim ID and Model session ID or selecting each dim in each part that you want to optimize.

Hope this makes sense,
Don Anderson

[danderson]

It may not work with the layout in session.