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Driving Design Tables from an Assembly

Hi,

I'm a novice with 2003 - I would like to drive a dimension in a part design table from a dimension derived from an equation in a master assembly.

For example take a simple gusset

My part design has a number of configurations for thickness, width, length, suppressed/unsuppressed end conditions. I would like to drive the length dimension in this DT from a reference dimension from another part.

Currently, I have an equation at the assembly level which equates this dimension to the reference dimension in the part. However, the DT changes the dimension for ALL of the parts, so that other references for a part at the assembly level lose their length dimension.

Do I need to create $configurations? This seems unreasonalbe because I would need to create a configuration for each instance and eliminate the benefit of the table.

Can I refer to other parts in a DT? ie have a dimensional equation such as:

=dim1 @ sketch1 @ part1 or whatever the proper construct is.

Thanks for your help.

MMW NH, USA

Reply to
KWSchneider
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Design tables only interact wih dimensions from the document they reside in. If the design table is set to accept changes from the model, it can read the value of a driven dimension within that document. Of course, this would only update when you open the design table for that part, not with every rebuild.

One possible way to do what you're trying to do is to make an equation for each configuration, then suppress the equations for the other configurations. I don't remember if 2003 supports this from the DT.

How complex of a relationship are you trying to create? Can you accomplish what you want using VB functions in equations (IIF(), etc)?

Reply to
Dale Dunn

I'm trying to develop a automated configurator for a fabrication that varies its geometry based on process conditions. A simple analogy would be a rectangular tank that changes its size based on volume, thruput and other operating conditions.

Ultimately, I'll drive a dimension sketch for each wall from these variables and from these wall sketches, I'll need to drive the support structure including quantity and size of gusset, location etc, size of support pads for mounting, manhole location, overflow location, nozzle size and location, and other parameters that are driven by the geometry of the wall sketches/parts. Some of these are independent of the geometry so they are not a problem but those with geometric dependence need to be inter-related from each wall part/component.

Perhaps, I should do this another way, and I'll be glad to try alternatives.

MMW NH, USA

Reply to
KWSchneider

Sounds like you're having fun.

Another trick you might be able to employ is to create a dummy sketch full of line segments whose lengths are controlled by the DT. Then build your equations using these values from the dummy sketch. When the DT updates the values in the dummy sketch, the equations is SW should all update.

Reply to
Dale Dunn

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