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Configurable Parts Library in Part Studio or Assembly?
elijahpekaar
Member Posts: 12 PRO
Currently, I am making a library of our purchased hardware at my company. I model a bolt for example in the PS, with configurable variables and fill in a table in the assembly level to create a list of size choices, material, color, part number etc.
Then in the models I need the hardware in, I grab the bolt size needed from a list in an assembly.
Is this the correct way to do it, or is it best practice to contain it in 1 part studio and not go to assembly level. I have seen both ways. What is the reasoning behind why one is better than the other?
I can share a file if needed. Thank you all
Answers
If you are inserting the configured parts directly into the assembly, it will count each identically configured part as a duplicate and it will note it properly in the bom. If you are inserting these parts in a multi-body part studio, then into an assembly, the assembly won't know how to properly count them in the bom because it thinks that each "bolt" is a different part from the multi-part studio.
My preference for standard content is to have a well configured part and re-use that in at the assembly level. Or at the part studio level if doing frames or pipe-routing. If you do need a multi-part studio workflow that also works with the assembly bom, see the Assembly Imposters (Feature + App).
Tip: You can dynamically configure your part properties with the
Property / Attribute feature so that you don't need a config table, just a config variable. Try to keep the part exactly the same and just alter it's size, this way down-stream references don't break if you change the config. Note: You can also do this with frame profiles if you set it up right. Not sure why there isn't a dynamically sized profile in the standard frame library yet.
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I will post two photos that more accurately show what I am doing.
I model the screw in a PS, then I bring it into an assembly and fill in the table (this fills in the strings for property/attribute), custom feature as well. When I insert the screw into an assembly, my BOM works correctly.
PS: (configured variables that I fill in at the assembly level to create different sizes/part names, etc.)
Assembly:
I fill in the sizes I want (Name), fill in the parameters to make that size, and then use a few variables here to fill in the part name/vendor. Part number is driven by the sizeIndex variable, which drives lists in the PS to select the correct number
I don't really know why I moved into assembly level before inserting into other assemblies, standard practice? I am not sure.