Mate Limits?

coleman

Are there currently mate limits?  For example: using a slider mate, allow components to move to x location from face of part but not beyond?  

Thanks 

billy2

Not at this time, it's noted though.

abefeldman

@Coleman I have added you to our ongoing improvement for mate limits.

malay_kumar

@Coleman Can you describe how you intend to use Limits?

I am also interested in learning how limit would help our users in design tasks/workflow. I can see people dragging a part/parts to a limit position and measuring other parts etc or visually inspecting mechanism but I also want to learn other workflows.

kylemoore

I would like to have the ability to give a distance on the x, y, or z axis between two mate connectors, that would also then allow for limits on those axes to also be allowed I would hope.  I would like to see this as I am designing a 3d printer and I test to see the extremes of motion on each motion axis on my design

coleman

Mate limits would allow for digital functionality testing.  As you suggested, dragging parts to a limit position and measuring other parts in relation to other assembly components.  

In the attached picture, the yellow captured ring should only be allowed to translate from the faces of the blue end caps but not beyond.  It would be nice to select the faces that are the stop-limits as opposed to dimensioning the limiting constraints.  

I will pull together some more examples and post them here.    

andrew_troup

Mate limits are invaluable for modelling mechanisms which are connected to external items, (the latter not modelled) which impose limits on their travel. An example would be a pusher which loads a part into an "off the shelf" machine, when the machine dictates the stopping position of the part. 

Mate limits are also a lower processing overhead alternative to using physics to constrain travels inherent to a mechanism, like a swinging lever coming against a stop block.

In both cases, it means the mechanism can quickly be taken to the applicable extremes of its range with a simple, fast mouse drag. At this point, it might be measured (as others have indicated) or it may be eyeballed for an interference check, or used to generate graphics or drawings, or evaluated for ergonomic excellence, or used as a visual guide for modelling or positioning further features, or adjacent machines / mechanisms. 

peter_41

Missing from current mate "vocabulary":

• Cumulative mates so that a vertex mate can be added to a planar mate and as per below alignment of faces.
  
• Alignment so that parts can be positioned by aligned faces rather than mated faces.
• Two and three point mates so that an object can be positioned by a tool and target fixed first points and rotated to align by tool and target second and optional third points vectors or tool and target vertex points and successive tool and target edges.
  

Triad manipulation:

• Allow precise entry so part is moved by entry amount.
• Realignment of triad either by precise entry or by direction of a chosen vector line.
  

3dcad

+1 for mate and angular limits

While designing furniture, I would love to manually open drawer to it's max and close until front plate hits the frame. So I would need more than the example @coleman posted, because opening is limited by drawer slide limit and closing is limited to drawer front piece softening pads hitting to cabinet frame (slide can sometimes go a lot further, depends on the depth of the box).
Also opening door as hinge allows would be great, so I would actually see the whole movement and distances in different positions. This would need angular limits.
For me most of the limits would be in sub- or sub-sub-sub..assemblies in basic components like drawer slide or hinge.

Krys

+1 for mate limits, at very minimum a part should not be able to pass through a "wall", but it would also be nice to set a range for the motion etc.

lowjack

Definitely could use mate limits. Invaluable for designing automated machinery, moving assemblies, etc. Allows for a quick check of interferences and helps show others (the boss in my case) how the device is going to function. Also as mentioned, getting measurements of parts at the limits of their movement can help to quickly establish a work envelope for the machine.