Is there any way to show a component's feature tree while placing/constraining it in an assembly? I know you can show the component in its own window, but that window does not have a feature tree. Also, I've noticed that if you are placing a component that already exists in the assembly it will show a feature tree. My instincts lead me to believe there is a config.pro option that will show the feature tree whether or not the component is already in the assembly. I've looked for such an option, but no cigar. Any help is appreciated.
There is not any way that I know of. The component is not added to the Model Tree until Component Placement has been closed (wf2*).
If you are trying to get at a blanked or hidden feature there are a couple of methods that I know of that might help a bit ...
_ Unhide All in the separate component window. _ If you've put features on layers you can switch the Layer Tree to the component being placed (yep, even if no other instances have been placed) and show them or select them for placement reference from there.
> Also, I've noticed that if you are placing a component > that already exists in the assembly it will show a feature > tree.
Hmm. I tried to recreate this, but couldn't. I guess I was mistaken.
Thanks for the other tips, though. I have been able to constrain pretty much any component without much trouble using the same procedures, but there are times when access to the feature tree would be nice. Sometimes I'm just not in the mood to weed through a bunch of planes/axes/pts/csys when I already went to the trouble of naming them something meaningfull. Thanks for the help, though.
Regarding your first question, about a configurable option to show the in situ component's feature tree, no, sorry, there is none. The tree, for assembly, has never been "context sensitive": it does not and never had changed based on which is the focus ~ assembly or component being assembled. It has always displayed just the assembly component tree. I agree that it ought to display both and in side-by-side windows. And, even if working in a single assembly window, the the tree should be vertically split between the assembly's component tree and the component's feature tree while focus shifts as you switch from assembly to component.
The only thing I can suggest that might ease the pain and disappointment slightly is the Search function. This will locate features and allow you to pick them, even if they are hidden or on blanked layers. And it lets you do this at any level of the assembly, including in the component you are placing. It's like a very eleborate 'pick from list' that shows you stuff that's not even visible on the screen, like your specially named datums. And it doesn't require that you plan 3 steps ahead to make sure your model is 'prepped' for assembly. It's maybe not as handy as the model tree and picking features from there but it actually started life as the model tree search function and in 2001, I think it was actually located within the Settings menu. Based on increasing use of and familiarity with the Search function, I'd say it's one of the sharper tools in Pro/e. In some cases, it's the most efficient selection method, in others, it just adds to your selection repertoire and choice of methods. If you haven't already done so, make its serious acquaintance. That small effort will pay big dividens.
Just realized a small tidbit. I mentioned earlier in this thread that I had seen ProE show the feature tree of a component being placed when it was a component already in the assembly. I couldn't reproduce this at the time, but now I know why. The feature tree is only shown if you copy and paste the part. Nothing fantastic, but every little bit helps.
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