Auto Placement in WF3

[SayWhatEh]

I have a slight problem if anyone wiser know it then... I'll be happy and your karma improves, hehe.
In one of the selling videos they auto place things using component interface to geometry auto placement. So, I thought this might be a nice thing if it works anything like it seems. Bolts and such I define with and component interface. But to get the "auto place" button to work I need some assambly condition rules, or criteria as it's called in the interface creation wizard.
There I specify that the cylinder area should be mated to a area that is itself a cylinder and is part of a feature type hole.
Then that the bolt head should be mated with a planar surface.

When using the auto place function it finds no hits. I have tried removing criterias but still the same. When manually placing it at the right places, it says that the criteria mismatch.


I have searched this forum and the web but not found anything regarding this that is up to date, any ideas?

 

[gkbeer]

You did create the component interface in the part? Right? That being so.

Cylindrical surfaces need to be defined as inserts, not mates. For a bolt the minimum would be one component interface with two constraints, one insert, one mate.

Experience has shown me that if there is too much background geometry at the pick point, then Pro/E will have problems automatically placing the fastener.

 

[dgs]

I've not played with it much in WF3, but unless it's vastly improved I doubt I'll use it. In WF2 it's a waste of time as PRo|E gives you every possible assy placement except teh one you actually want.


It's as if it knows what you want and is actively trying not to select it.

 

[SayWhatEh]

Hehe, sounds like normal software to me

Anyhoooo, I guess auto place is just another marketing scam then? Well, on parts that you use over and over you can define a recieving interface I guess, but then one never knows how you mate the parts, which creates confusion.
Thanks for your replies by the way...
Ah well, anyone else?

 

[FredGarvin]

FWIW, I will say that I have used the component interface with hardware and so far it has worked great. It is a great time saver, especially if you have large assemblies like I have a fair amount of. For example, my SHCS family table uses an INSERT and a MATE to place them.

 

[SayWhatEh]

Fred, your interface, do you have any criteria on the interfacem or just a insert and a mate? And you are using the auto-place not just clicking the surfaces as the interface also allows you to?

 

[dgs]

FWIW, I will say that I have used the component interface with hardware and so far it has worked great. It is a great time saver, especially if you have large assemblies like I have a fair amount of. For example, my SHCS family table uses an INSERT and a MATE to place them.

Oh, I do use the Component interfaces, they are awesome. Been using them since it was a hidden config option in 2001. I've got 2 interfaces (align def planes and align def CYS) set up in our start parts.


What I don't use is the autoplace function. It never works as I want it to, never finds the placement I'm looking for and I end up starting over.

I wish I could make it so 'autoplace' wasn't the default pick when assembling a component with interfaces ...

 

[SayWhatEh]

Ah, ok. Sounds like auto-place is abit off then.

The interfaces in the start part, do you actually mate using the default datum planes and the coordinate system or did I missunderstand???

 

[dgs]

Yes, I have 2 interfaces defined in the start part.


One has 3 pre-defined align constraints, one for each of the default datum planes.


The other has a single align constraint for the default CYS.


Since probably 80%-90% of the time I'm aligning or matingone or more of the default planes and the other 10%-20% I'm likely to use the default CYS, it seemed logical to pre-define those constraints. It's a real time saver.

 

[SayWhatEh]

Ah ok. Sounds like a time saver, but I feel that mating with default datum planes and coordinate systems is a big nono in regards of accurate behaviour to changes and also for calculations. At least for this company I will have to go another way I think. But thanks for the input!

 

[herb]

I use the "auto place" (insert / mate) for hhcs and nuts and it can be a real time saver. The only time I have a problem is when I want the screw to beat the center of a slot.


Wildfire 3.0 m090


Intralink 3.4 m030

 

[dgs]

I'd love to know how you're getting Auto Place to save you time. We've got most of our hardware set up with component interfaces as you've described, but using Auto Place rarely puts them where I want them without a lot of picking, query select, re-picking, more query select, etc.


I just pick the interface I want and choose the assembly side manually. This is in WF2, so maybe WF3 is better.

 

[herb]

OK, instead of : component assemble; pick insert surface on screw; pick insert surface on mounting hole; pick mating surface on screw; pick mating surface on mounting hole I now only have to : component assemble; pick insert surface of mounting hole; pick mating surface of mounting hole. The End. I have saved 50% of the picks that I would otherwise have to do. I don't seem to have a problem with finding the hole (no pun intended; OK, maybe a little). I zoom up close enough to pick the correct features with very little query select problems


If I need to place the same screw in multiple places, I will use the repeat function for all additional screws.

 

[dgs]

I now only have to : component assemble; pick insert surface of mounting hole; pick mating surface of mounting hole. The End.

Ah, that's what I do as well, so we're on the same page.


I think the question here was about the 'Auto Place' button when first bringing the part in:


View attachment 4065


This is supposed to reduce the clicks to 2-3 (after clicking 'Auto Place'):

1. 
   <LI>Click on screen where the part goes. Pro|E magically finds where you want it by analyzing the assy and determining where it will fit.</LI>
   <LI>If Pro|E picks wrong, there's a list of alternate locations. Pick the one you want.</LI>
   <LI>Select OK to place the component.</LI>

The reality is that the one you want is at best hard to find in the list, usually it's not even in the list. Then you click on screen again, but that doesn't provide better results so have to quit and start over and click 'OK' instead of Auto Place.

 

[herb]

I don't get the "Select Interface" box in WF3, and I didn't use auto place in WF2, so I guess we are not exactly on the same page, but close.

 

[dgs]

I haven't used WF3 extensively yet, maybe PTC figured out that Auto Place was a bust and removed it.