ASSEMBLING PART CONFIGURATIONS WITH MACROS

I have created thausand of configurations out of a single SW part
driven by a design table. Now I would like to automate the process of
inserting those part configurations into a assembly file by running a
macro.
Is it possible?
I will appreciate your advice.
regards,
Ariel

 

Some of the access to configuration control of components in an
assembly are limited. This may be one of those areas.

Try recording a macro and see what you get.

 

I recorded a macro as Mr. TOP suggested, I inserted 3 different
configurations and saved the steps, however the result was not very
happy, the macro inserts the same configuration 3 times, Does it mean
that SW API can not control part configurations?
Please let me know what you think.
Ariel

 

FYI - I believe that parts with thousands of configurations can lead to
very bad performance in large assemblies. I don't know off the top of
my head, but maybe someone with more experience can chime in.

As for adding the configuration. The API you want is:
retval = AssemblyDoc.AddComponent4 ( compName, configName, x, y, z)

See that the second parameter is configName. Just specify that and the
proper configuration will be inserted.

 

That is the limitation. It's been around since 2003 and probably
before. As Mr. Who said, multi-config parts in a large assembly can
slow things down.

 

I am looking for a person who is able to write the above mentioned
macro.
If you are interested please let me know. then we can discuss about the
specifics...
Ariel

 

Is this a size thing (i.e. diameter of a shaft changes to the receptacle
hole)? Do you have 2006? If yes to both then lookup smart components,
you may be able to do this yourself.

Ben

 

Mr. Who
I have this litle macro that intents to insert a part configuration
(#100 as you can see in the macro)
do you know why it does not work? how do I tell SW to insert the
configuration number 100??
I will really appreciate your help!!!!!!!!!!!!Then i will create a
loop for the macro to insert thousands of configurations, this is my
ultimate goal.
Ariel




Dim swApp As Object
Dim Part As Object
Dim SelMgr As Object
Dim boolstatus As Boolean
Dim longstatus As Long, longwarnings As Long
Dim Feature As Object
Sub main()

Set swApp = Application.SldWorks

Set Part = swApp.ActiveDoc
Set SelMgr = Part.SelectionManager
AssemblyDoc.AddComponent4
"K:\47200_20_Fenchurch_St\C_Product\10_Models\10A_Virtual\3dm\2006_03\AD\CW
UNIT\CW UNIT L2.SLDPRT", 100
End Sub

 

Mr. Who
I have this litle macro that intents to insert a part configuration
(#100 as you can see in the macro)
do you know why it does not work? how do I tell SW to insert the
configuration number 100??
I will really appreciate your help!!!!!!!!!!!!Then i will create a
loop for the macro to insert thousands of configurations, this is my
ultimate goal.
Ariel




Dim swApp As Object
Dim Part As Object
Dim SelMgr As Object
Dim boolstatus As Boolean
Dim longstatus As Long, longwarnings As Long
Dim Feature As Object
Sub main()

Set swApp = Application.SldWorks

Set Part = swApp.ActiveDoc
Set SelMgr = Part.SelectionManager
AssemblyDoc.AddComponent4
"K:\47200_20_Fenchurch_St\C_Product\10_Models\10A_Virtual\3dm\2006_03\AD\CW
UNIT\CW UNIT L2.SLDPRT", 100
End Sub

 

What you are describing now and what you described earlier are
different. Initially you said you wanted to insert a part into an
assembly using a specified configuration.
"I would like to automate the process of inserting those part
configurations into a assembly file ."

Now you are saying that you want to insert a new configuration into a
part.
"I have this litle macro that intents to insert a part configuration "

To insert configuration "100" of a file called "PathToPart.sldprt" at
the assembly origin you would use:
AssemblyDoc.AddComponent4 ( compName, configName, x, y, z)
AssemblyDoc.AddComponent4 "pathToPart.sldprt", "100", 0, 0, 0 (insert
at origin of assembly)

To add a configuration to a part called "100" you would use:
ModelDoc2.AddConfiguration3 ( Name, Comment, AlternateName, Options )
PartDoc.AddConfiguration3 "100", "", "", 0

 

Ariel,

Yes it is possible. I have one that I use for fasteners and hardware. I
also mates them for me too. It was done with API and multiple files
(each with multiple configurations).

Ken

 

Mr Who
I appreciate your help a lot. It is being really helpful.
What I need is To insert configuration "100" of a file called
"PathToPart.sldprt" at
the assembly, however I do not want to insert the confguration at the
assembly 0,0,0, the part should be inserted according to its own
original position, otherwise nothing would work for me.I have thousands
of windows configurations, each of them has a unique shape and position
in space since they cover a free-form building curtain-wall.

Both, the building wireframe I am using as support and the
configurations share the same 0,0,0...
Regards,
Ariel

 

Hmmm, so you have lots of windows and need to place them into the
assembly at specific locations.

What do you mean by "part should be inserted according to its own
original position." What data do you have available so that you know
what x,y,z points to use for inserting the component?

 

Mr. who
I have created a generic window (a part) that has 4 corners. each
corner position (xyz) is control by a design table, meaning that each
windows needs 12 values (4 corners*3 values per corner=12). Each of
thiese corners has 3 dimensioanl contrains related to the 0,0,0. So the
design table is fill out with rows of 12 numbers that control each
window corner.
If I wanted to create the assembly manually, I just would insert each
configuration one by one (as you can imagine it would a insane task). I
use insert new componet, then i selectt the part, then i select the
configuration, and then I click OK, so the configuration flys to the
right position automatically.

So the keypoint is to create a macro that takes each window coordinates
into consideration. May be it could use the design table to drive the
windows, (i am wondering)
THANK YOU!!!!