skeletons or parts with datum curves?

[daveyk_belgium]

i have a lot of experience with top-down assemblies using skeletons, layouts etc.<?:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" />

however, using skeletons does not give the ability to use skeleton dimensions in parts because even using a skeleton directly in a part, i.e. even ignoring publish and copy geometry, you can't get the skeleton dimensions to appear in the part

if i use parts just containing datum curves as pseudo skeletons, i can put these in an assembly with the part, and model the part using 'create feature in assembly mode'.

i'm pro/e to the core, but what benefits other than filtering skeletons out of parts lists are there?

okay, i exclude the answer of using one 'master skeleton' to pass information to individual skeleton parts of my pseudo skeletons, keeping the bounding box of my part small, and only referencing the minimum amount of information - don't forget, using such functionality will drop the ability to use the dimensions!

i still think the price to pay is worth it, as the same dimension scheme can be easily recreated in the part drawing.

regards

dave

 

[jfougner]

Dave,


One way to get the dims to show up is to use ext merge or inheritance to copy skeleton geom into your part. The problem is the ext merge copies all the geometry from the skeleton (unused info can be put on a layer and turned off). The inheritance will at least allow you to suppress features you don't need. Is it true top-down? Probably not because you can modify the skeleton geometry at the part level (could make it read-only). Now if you have an assembly that doesn't have a lot of parts, features, and dimensions, passing the appropriate values from a layout and creating relations will allow you show your dimensions. Sure showing dimensionsis nice, but I would opt for a more robust assemblybefore a robust detail drawing. If you listen to the experts, drawings will soon be a thing of the past.

-Jay