Importing multple parts in Assembly at a time.

There are ways to make component placement more efficient. One way is to pattern components, if there is a pattern in a reference component that they can follow. Another way is to use Repeat a component with Wildfire 'Edit>Repeat'. The last way does not involve component placement at all, rather a substitute called 'Bulk items'. In part mode, you create a bulk item part, add it as many times as needed in the assembly, do not place it, yet, it appears as a component, with a total, in a BOM. There is no way in Pro/e to tell the program to add 50 of a particular part, en masse. This is largely due to the fact of needing component references for placing parts. It is also due to the fact that users, myself included, like being able to see how each fastener fits. The graphics allow a quick check of sizes and lengths of fastener vs. hole which is often useful in catching mismatches.

David Janes

I just went for advanced assembly option and used repeat. If I use pattern it is not it possible to move each instance independently unless there is a symmetry. Isn't it? . Thanks again!

Another slightly helpful feature for assembling components, etc.. is 'interface sets'.

I don't know about WF, but in v2001 when you 'enable component interfaces' set to 'yes', you can save placement picks in the part file for faster mate placements in assembly.

For example, a bolt might use the major OD (> I just went for advanced assembly option and used repeat. If I use

Can you give me the step by step procedure for that? where can i find that option?

Yes and no. In the standard dimension driven pattern, postion is linked to pattern increment and may not be moved independently. However, most patterns may be converted to table patterns where table locations, not a pattern increment, drives hole placement. When driven by a table, hole locations are independent and the table may be edited to place holes just about anywhere.

I've been using Wildfire for a while now and, as many things are so much simpler in WF, I'm starting to forget the cumbersome ways it was done earlier. But, if I'm not mistaken, pattern table creation was a two or three steps: create the pattern as dimension driven, redefine it to be table driven with 'To table' and then edit the table with 'Modify>Table'. But it may also have been changing in 2001, so I won't vouch for this procedure.

The neat thing though is that reference patterns (feature or component) don't care whether the pattern they're referencing is dimension or table driven. They follow just as well either way. The only thing that will through a reference pattern is deleting an instance so that a referencing feature or component loses it's reference.

David Janes

I have tried to find examples of this feature with no success. I am currently evaluating WF by using a student licence, but when editing the config.pro file, the option 'enable component interfaces' cannot be searched for, although the editor accepts the option as valid.

My only suggestion is to apply this option, and then try it. I don't remember where I found out about it (may this ng). I an send you a specific Pro-e v2001 file that has interface sets defined for component placement, if you like.