Linked Files + Sections

[mmccall]

If you have a large assembly with linked files.. and say for instance you are working with sections.. to make several different section types within different configurations.. example.. like in this case working on the Ares rocket a concept design i needed to show some components with sections and others without.. '

 

I initially tried applying the sections I needed in the top assembly.. requiring several sections.. and turning them on and off in different configurations.. man.. this took a long time.. this is a big top assembly file.. and each section having to go through the entire top assembly through each of the linked files.. a real nightmare.. and the inevitable crash.. this file gets more and more buggy along the way.. but.. got to get it done in 1 day..

 

A better way was to place each section in the linked sub assemblies then go to the top assembly and use configurations to turn them on and off.. but this presented a problem... remember.. I created the top assembly and the links prior to creating the sections in the sub assemblies.. so in the feature tree at the top assembly level, none of the sections actually showed up..

 

The fix was to move the section.. or rather assemble them into the assembly at the sub assembly level.. confusing.. in other words.. I went into the sub assembly.. selected the assembly and the section and assembled them together.. this created another strange instance.. it just wouldn't work or I found some of the components no longer recognized the section feature.. so they were full volume instead of sectioned...

 

I had to delete the section.. but you know what?.. that didn't work either.. and for some reason all those horrible section problems from back in v6 and v8 were coming back.. the file got trashed.. had to do a copy and paste to a new file and recreate the section within the sub assembly on the first try.. you don't get a second chance at this .. so get it right the first time.. !..

 

Now .. once you get all your sub assemblies with the sections included.. when you go to the top assembly.. your feature tree will now show the sections in each of the sub assemblies.. .. and there you have it... you are ready to create the configurations..

 

In this "Tip and Trick".. i figured out the whole thing with the section not showing up in the top assembly in the tree.. in the midst of forming the tip.. i ran into some bugs... and had to come up with a trick.. .. being ready to save a file with copy and paste..

 

The file works fine for the most part.. but any modifications needed had better be done in the individual sub assemblies.. since they seem to be a little more stable when saving.. so if my top assembly goes down.. I can simply reopen it and all the updates with be there.. and if it ever trashed completely.. I have all the sub assemblies at a default location and the top assembly can be recreated relatively easily...

 

When working with the really large files.. I like the ease at which IC allows you to pass the geometry to the sub assemblies.. I like to use surfaces.. or copy parts and components that I am trying to dodge or design around.. and drag them into the linked sub assembly.. then I simply open the sub assembly and there it is.. and I can continue working on the smaller more user friendly file..

 

The problems with this file are with the large amounts of detail.. and I forgot to mention.. this is a native WildFire file.. stepped out.. lots of pockets holes.. etc.. I have done complex files all linked native IC and have not had this many problem.. so its not entirely an IC problem where speed and some instability is concerned.. I dare say things would work better if the assembly was all native IC.. but the section tool just still seems to cause problems..

 

I even experimented with using an assembly cut.. HA.. things got much slower.. so I wasn't really interested in that method.... the section tool is faster than the assembly cut method in this situation..

 

Hope this helps somebody out there..