Intralink, layouts and skeletons

[daveyk_belgium]

We are using Wildfire 2.0 (M130) and Intralink 3.3 (M022)<?:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" />


We use sophisticated top-down design methodologies, but are having problems with Intralink submissions.


In a simplistic overview, we have sub-assemblies, sub-modules and the master assembly.


Sub-assemblies make sub-modules, and sub-modules make the master assembly.


Each sub-assembly has its own specific sub-assembly skeleton and sub-assembly layout. We could have chosen one layout for the entire product, but with many sub-assemblies and sub-modules, we feared that at the beginning of the project, many designers would be fighting to change the one and only layout and submit it back to the database. Thus we opted for one layout per sub-assembly.


Sub-modules always have their own specific sub-module skeleton, and each is built up from copy geometry features from contributing sub-assembly skeletons. Sub-modules don

 

[gcook]

"Circular dependencies", which are often confused with "circular references" (which are not the same thing) typically occur in Intralink due to external references between models in Pro/E. If a user creates an external referenceto a top-level assy feature down to asubmodule part "in the context" of thattop assembly, then the sub-levelpart will always be tied to that top-level(unless ext ref is broken). If a user then tries to 'duplicate' just that one submodule partandNOT the externally referenced top level assy, then they will receive a Intralink message informing them of "circular dependencies" and the operation will cease. Basically Intralink is intelligent enough to know that the submodule part requires the top-level in order for its externally referenced features(i.e. copy geoms) to be locationally placed and its required geometry, thus it requires those referenced items to be duplicated also. It basically means that in the example given above, you would need to duplicate the sub-module and top-level assy in order to duplicate the submodule part, for the operation to continue (or re-design your model to reduce or eliminate the external refs), then duplicate.


There is a way to trick Intralink though, if you are in a pinch, and really require that sublevel part to be duplicated, you can just checkout the part into an empty workspace by itself(w/o the assys) and then duplicate it, but keep in mind you will have orphaned references in that part that would need to be cleaned up. (which is the very thing that the circular dependenciesmessage are probably trying toprevent from happening to begin with).


hope this helps, with that part of your question.