Circular reference?

[dgeesaman]

We have a number of assemblies where we make a part for each piece of
base material, then assemble them. Picture two plates assembled in a
tee. The plate components have no links from anything. Then we
create a component in-place and use the edges of the plates to extrude
a weld volume.

Next, we add an assembly cut feature to trim some of the weld and base
machining away. Circular references appear. (?!?!)

The CRC does not appear if I go to the extra effort of making another
assembly that contains the post-weld machining cut features, but to go
back and do that on older subassemblies is a nightmare.

I don't remember that happening in the past, and in my mind it's not a
CRC, and there is nothing harmful about this practice. Regeneration
is sequential according to the feature tree in the assembly:
1) Assemble plate 1
2) Assemble plate 2
3) Assemble weld to default coordinate system
a) Regenerate weld feature using plate 1 and plate 2 references
4) Regenerate assembly cut

If this was always the case feel free to slap me in the head. But if
it's a bug or change I'll submit it to PTC.

Dave

 

[Janes]

We have a number of assemblies where we make a part for each piece of
base material, then assemble them. Picture two plates assembled in a
tee. The plate components have no links from anything. Then we
create a component in-place and use the edges of the plates to extrude
a weld volume.

Next, we add an assembly cut feature to trim some of the weld and base
machining away. Circular references appear. (?!?!)

The CRC does not appear if I go to the extra effort of making another
assembly that contains the post-weld machining cut features, but to go
back and do that on older subassemblies is a nightmare.

I don't remember that happening in the past, and in my mind it's not a
CRC, and there is nothing harmful about this practice. Regeneration
is sequential according to the feature tree in the assembly:
1) Assemble plate 1
2) Assemble plate 2
3) Assemble weld to default coordinate system
a) Regenerate weld feature using plate 1 and plate 2 references
4) Regenerate assembly cut

If this was always the case feel free to slap me in the head. But if
it's a bug or change I'll submit it to PTC.

Dave
Sounds like you're talking, rather obliquely, of a weldment. Why not just say so. And you're putting the welds in as 'components'. Question: doesn't Pro/WELD take care of stuff like this, without resorting to CRC creating trickery!?!

David Janes

 

[David Geesaman]

"[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>"
We have a number of assemblies where we make a part for each piece of
base material, then assemble them. Picture two plates assembled in a
tee. The plate components have no links from anything. Then we
create a component in-place and use the edges of the plates to extrude
a weld volume.

Next, we add an assembly cut feature to trim some of the weld and base
machining away. Circular references appear. (?!?!)

The CRC does not appear if I go to the extra effort of making another
assembly that contains the post-weld machining cut features, but to go
back and do that on older subassemblies is a nightmare.

I don't remember that happening in the past, and in my mind it's not a
CRC, and there is nothing harmful about this practice. Regeneration
is sequential according to the feature tree in the assembly:
1) Assemble plate 1
2) Assemble plate 2
3) Assemble weld to default coordinate system
a) Regenerate weld feature using plate 1 and plate 2 references
4) Regenerate assembly cut

If this was always the case feel free to slap me in the head. But if
it's a bug or change I'll submit it to PTC.

Dave

Sounds like you're talking, rather obliquely, of a weldment. Why not
just say so. And you're putting the welds in as 'components'. Question:
doesn't Pro/WELD take care of stuff like this, without resorting to CRC
creating trickery!?!

David Janes

I used the word weld, not sure how that came out unclearly.

In any case, I might try Pro/WELD since that has not been in customary
use here and it might save the creation of an extra assembly file.
Trouble is that these assemblies and all of the assemblies that use them
will need reworked just to remove the CRCs.

Dave

 

[Janes]

"[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>"
We have a number of assemblies where we make a part for each piece of
base material, then assemble them. Picture two plates assembled in a
tee. The plate components have no links from anything. Then we
create a component in-place and use the edges of the plates to extrude
a weld volume.

Next, we add an assembly cut feature to trim some of the weld and base
machining away. Circular references appear. (?!?!)

The CRC does not appear if I go to the extra effort of making another
assembly that contains the post-weld machining cut features, but to go
back and do that on older subassemblies is a nightmare.

I don't remember that happening in the past, and in my mind it's not a
CRC, and there is nothing harmful about this practice. Regeneration
is sequential according to the feature tree in the assembly:
1) Assemble plate 1
2) Assemble plate 2
3) Assemble weld to default coordinate system
a) Regenerate weld feature using plate 1 and plate 2 references
4) Regenerate assembly cut

If this was always the case feel free to slap me in the head. But if
it's a bug or change I'll submit it to PTC.

Dave

Sounds like you're talking, rather obliquely, of a weldment. Why not
just say so. And you're putting the welds in as 'components'. Question:
doesn't Pro/WELD take care of stuff like this, without resorting to CRC
creating trickery!?!

David Janes

I used the word weld, not sure how that came out unclearly.

In any case, I might try Pro/WELD since that has not been in customary
use here and it might save the creation of an extra assembly file.
Trouble is that these assemblies and all of the assemblies that use them
will need reworked just to remove the CRCs.

Dave


OK, you did use weld, missed that. What I guess I got stuck on is creating components in assembly and referencing other assembly components with 'Use edge'. Bad practice, guys! Thanks, Dave, for pointing out the single WORST practice of the way to model in assembly, or, rather, the BEST way to create CRCs. Much better to model/assemble to datum and use it as an internal draft reference in your sketch of the fillet weld. No CRCs, guaranteed. They come from modelling to assembly references. I don't know why it's such a big deal in Pro/e, but it is. I'm saying this for the uninitiated as I'm sure you know all of this already, Dave.

David Janes