How to display surface area in a drawing.

I swear I've done this before, or at least something similar..... I want to display a value for the surface area (i.e. the real estate) of a printed circuit board. I don't have Behavioral Modeling so I can't save an analysis feature, but I believe it shouldn't matter because as I said, I've done something similar in the past.

We have a default mass properties value called "volume". It's set in part relations thusly:

volume=mp_volume("")

So if I set a parameter called "thickness" and write a relation which sets the thickness of the board (i.e. the blind depth of the feature) to this parameter, then the board area should equal the volume divided by the thickness. So I create a parameter called "area" and write a relation for it > "area=volume/thickness". The in the drawing I have a note with the following:

surface area=&AREA volume= &VOLUME

Trouble is the volume and area parameters keep evaluating to zero, consequently the note says zero. Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong?

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graminator
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I swear I've done this before, or at least something similar..... I want to display a value for the surface area (i.e. the real estate) of a printed circuit board. I don't have Behavioral Modeling so I can't save an analysis feature, but I believe it shouldn't matter because as I said, I've done something similar in the past.

We have a default mass properties value called "volume". It's set in part relations thusly:

volume=mp_volume("")

So if I set a parameter called "thickness" and write a relation which sets the thickness of the board (i.e. the blind depth of the feature) to this parameter, then the board area should equal the volume divided by the thickness. So I create a parameter called "area" and write a relation for it > "area=volume/thickness". The in the drawing I have a note with the following:

surface area=&AREA volume= &VOLUME

Trouble is the volume and area parameters keep evaluating to zero, consequently the note says zero. Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong?

Seems to me I just answe3red this question in the last couple days! No? Well I can't find any evidence of it either!! So, from the beginning ~ I'm hoping this will work and that you won't require any further modules.

Anyway, do your 'Analysis>Model Analysis>Mass Properties'. Instead of the default Quick selection (which mearly displays to screen/disk), click on 'Feature' and green check 'OK'. Notice that the analysis Pro/MAGICally turns up in the model tree as a feature (name it anything you like

Reply to
David Janes

messagenews: snipped-for-privacy@r3g2000prh.googlegroups.com...

can't find any evidence of it either!! So, from the beginning ~ I'm hoping this will work and that you won't require any further modules.

default Quick selection (which mearly displays to screen/disk), click on 'Feature' and green check 'OK'. Notice that the analysis Pro/MAGICally turns up in the model tree as a feature (name it anything you like -- I/m hoping here since you don't have Behavioral Modeling). That's how it should go, anyway.

analysis feature). When you pick the feature and do edit definition to take a closer look, you'll see that, by default, it contains some parameters with values assigned by analysis: Volume, Surf_area, Mass and below, under Datums, some boxes are selectable, to create a cog point or csys that stays with the model and updates with feature changes. Notice if you click the cog_point, that it creates that point when you click the OK check. The parameters, like MASS, are available for notes by typing in a note &MASS:FID_ANALYSIS2.

Bugger me, I thought I needed Behavioral modeling to create a feature! Still not working though. I don't understand the syntax of your line "&MASS:FID_ANALYSIS2". What's the 2 for?

I've tried creating a note in the drawing, just to see if the volume parameter works. In the part I have a relation " volume=mp_volume("") ", which is as according to the Help menu page "To Reference a Mass Properties Symbol in a Note". The note in my drawing says, "volume = &VOLUME". The note now displays a value, but an incorrect one. It was correct at one time, before I modified the values of the part. Now it shows 0.5 when I know damn well it's .375, and when I edit definition of the mass_prop feature it tells me it's .375, so it's calculating correctly, but something wrong with my relations. I've regenerated the model, I've even gone up and down the tree to force regen of the geometry and the mass_prop feature, I've updated the drawing, but nothing changes.

Reply to
graminator

messagenews: snipped-for-privacy@r3g2000prh.googlegroups.com...

I can't find any evidence of it either!! So, from the beginning ~ I'm hoping this will work and that you won't require any further modules.

default Quick selection (which mearly displays to screen/disk), click on 'Feature' and green check 'OK'. Notice that the analysis Pro/MAGICally turns up in the model tree as a feature (name it anything you like -- I/m hoping here since you don't have Behavioral Modeling). That's how it should go, anyway.

analysis feature). When you pick the feature and do edit definition to take a closer look, you'll see that, by default, it contains some parameters with values assigned by analysis: Volume, Surf_area, Mass and below, under Datums, some boxes are selectable, to create a cog point or csys that stays with the model and updates with feature changes. Notice if you click the cog_point, that it creates that point when you click the OK check. The parameters, like MASS, are available for notes by typing in a note &MASS:FID_ANALYSIS2.

I've got the syntax worked out. It's "volume = &VOLUME:FID_1388" , where "1388" is the id# of the feature. I started by typing in the name, i.e., "volume = &VOLUME:FID_MASS_PROP_1" and it automatically changes it to the feature id. So I have the volume displayed and updatable in a drawing now.

Strange how this relation doesn't work though. I have a second relation "area=mp_volume("")/thickness", where "thickness" is a parameter set to equal the depth value of the protrusion. So if I divide the volume by the thickness I should get the board surface area. I have a note that says, "surface area = &AREA" but this remains at the same (wrong) value no matter what I change.

But...

I tried out another option. I created a quilt and picked the top surfaces of the 3 (in this case) separate boards comprising the total pcb assembly. (I am trying to display the total real estate of all three boards, in order to compare this configuration to a different assembly with one large board.) These are 3 surfaces in one quilt - these surfaces equal the pcb real estate. Then, thanks to Dave I realise I can save the analysis of analysis>measure>area. The I create a note

Reply to
graminator

messagenews: snipped-for-privacy@r3g2000prh.googlegroups.com...

I can't find any evidence of it either!! So, from the beginning ~ I'm hoping this will work and that you won't require any further modules.

default Quick selection (which mearly displays to screen/disk), click on 'Feature' and green check 'OK'. Notice that the analysis Pro/MAGICally turns up in the model tree as a feature (name it anything you like -- I/m hoping here since you don't have Behavioral Modeling). That's how it should go, anyway.

analysis feature). When you pick the feature and do edit definition to take a closer look, you'll see that, by default, it contains some parameters with values assigned by analysis: Volume, Surf_area, Mass and below, under Datums, some boxes are selectable, to create a cog point or csys that stays with the model and updates with feature changes. Notice if you click the cog_point, that it creates that point when you click the OK check. The parameters, like MASS, are available for notes by typing in a note &MASS:FID_ANALYSIS2.

I've got the syntax worked out. It's "volume = &VOLUME:FID_1388" , where "1388" is the id# of the feature. I started by typing in the name, i.e., "volume = &VOLUME:FID_MASS_PROP_1" and it automatically changes it to the feature id. So I have the volume displayed and updatable in a drawing now.

Strange how this relation doesn't work though. I have a second relation "area=mp_volume("")/thickness", where "thickness" is a parameter set to equal the depth value of the protrusion. So if I divide the volume by the thickness I should get the board surface area. I have a note that says, "surface area = &AREA" but this remains at the same (wrong) value no matter what I change.

But... WORKAROUND TIME ! ! ! !

I tried out another option. I created a quilt and picked the top surfaces of the 3 (in this case) separate boards comprising the total pcb assembly. (I am trying to display the total real estate of all three boards, in order to compare this configuration to an alternative design with one large board.) These are 3 surfaces in one quilt - these surfaces equal the pcb real estate. Then, thanks to Dave I realise I can save the analysis of analysis>measure>area. The I create a note "SURFACE AREA = &AREA:FID_9767" where "9767" equals the feature id of the saved area analysis. Presto - it works!

I would still like to know why my relation doesn't work, though. I might find myself in a situation in the future when I have to use this method and there's no workaround.

Reply to
graminator

BTW thanks for pointing me in the right direction Dave.

Reply to
graminator
Reply to
David Janes

messagenews: snipped-for-privacy@q75g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...

messagenews: snipped-for-privacy@r3g2000prh.googlegroups.com...

Well I can't find any evidence of it either!! So, from the beginning ~ I'm hoping this will work and that you won't require any further modules.

default Quick selection (which mearly displays to screen/disk), click on 'Feature' and green check 'OK'. Notice that the analysis Pro/MAGICally turns up in the model tree as a feature (name it anything you like -- I/m hoping here since you don't have Behavioral Modeling). That's how it should go, anyway.

analysis feature). When you pick the feature and do edit definition to take a closer look, you'll see that, by default, it contains some parameters with values assigned by analysis: Volume, Surf_area, Mass and below, under Datums, some boxes are selectable, to create a cog point or csys that stays with the model and updates with feature changes. Notice if you click the cog_point, that it creates that point when you click the OK check. The parameters, like MASS, are available for notes by typing in a note &MASS:FID_ANALYSIS2.

when you created it), some parameters were created with it called (unless you renamed any) MASS, VOLUME and SURF_AREA). This feature can be identified and invoked by its name or by the ID number (shown in the Model Tree as Feat ID [or it will when you configure your model tree to do so with 'Settings>Tree Columns' and save you settings to a Tree.cfg file]). So &MASS is the parameter name with a colon seperating it from the feature id (FID_) name or number. This is gone into, in some detail, under 'Help>Fundementals>Parameters & Relations'. The "analysis feature" will work, even in Foundation (maybe it's teaser functionality like the "default explode" view which you cannot save?), but more than likely, they've rolled addtional functionality into Foundation, at least bits and pieces of BM, again, maybe enough to give you a taste so you'll buy the real deal (just another $3-6K kiddies!).

So that's just an arbitrary name IOW. It works anyway!

Reply to
graminator
Reply to
David Janes

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