Faster mates?

Martin,

They used to have a "defer mates" button that did exactly that.

Mark

unchecking "preview" is the same as the old defer mate option

They used to have a "defer mates" button that did exactly that.

Mark

are you mating the same type of component? like the snap domes? If it is so repetative, then you again may want to look at feature driven patterns. Mate one once, all the others are placed based on the existing pattern.

Or... can you use smart mates + "insert mate reference" to enhance automatic mating when inserting the parts? read up on smart mates in help

If you have made holes using the hole wizard, then when you insert a bolt, you have the option to populate all the holes in one go.

Defer mates... i think it is somewhere there...

I believe they behave as the originating part is - if the original is fixed the patten is fixed, if the original have 1 degree of movement (relative to the pattern). I seem to recall that some dialogue options allow to recreate mates, but I forget for which function that is.

Daniel

Martin,

At

Just link that to a button on your Macro Toolbar, or to access it even faster link it to a "hotkey". Then all you have to do is select the 2 features and the run the macro. The only problem is that sometimes you will need to manually flip the mate from Aligned to Anti-Aligned.

Regarding question #2, I think you need to look at the SW Help on "Feature Driven Pattern" and see if this might help. The best way to describe this is with an example: make a Hole Wizard feature in a part, putting say 4 counterbored holes in the part. Next in your assembly mate one bolt to one of those holes. Now Insert a Feature Drive Pattern using the Hole Wizard sketch as the driving feature...and BAM!!! now there are 3 more fasteners matching the other 3 hole locations. This will automatically update if you move the holes and/or if the quantity of holes changes. *Or* if you made a pattern of holes/features in the part, then all you have to do is mate one component to the first feature and then Insert the Feature Drive Pattern with the part's pattern as the driving feature in the component pattern.

FYI, I make as many holes/features as I can using the Hole Wizard for exactly this reason. If the Hole Wizard isn't applicable to the design, then I pattern the feature. Only as a last resort would I draw the feature multiple times (either in a sketch or in multiple features). This will save lots of mates (and component instances in the Feature Tree) when in assemblies.

Ken

You could also try "Smart Mates", or [Alt] draging your components to create mates.

Ken

Using Macro's you can suppress rebuilds for a time. This may have undesired results because you won't see where your parts are going until you turn the rebuilds back on and rebuild. But it works pretty quickly.

Ok, several replies to you, but something missing.

If you are in SW2003, there is, in fact, a defer mates box to check. In SW2004 or SW2005, the Defer Mates "setting" was reversed - the norm is to defer the mates. So, the way I do things in this situation, is drop the parts in & rotate & position them to an approximate position. The most important thing is that you get them going the proper direction so that coincident/concentric etc mates go the right direction. If you want to see them as you go, leave the preview on. However, sometimes the parts will zoom out of the window because they are way out of position in one direction.

So, assuming you want to zip in the mates quickly, turn off the preview. Select the first 2 things, hit your "m" hotkey for "mates" (presuming you DO have that one set??), click the OK arrow in the flyout toolbar, and then do your next mate. At the end of all the mates, hit "Enter" or click the checkmark in the property manager.

Now, if you want to see each one go to make sure it goes, turn on the preview. If you want to complete each one as you go, click the flyout checkmark, and then hit "Enter" rather than waiting for the system to allow you to click the property manager checkmark. The system will store the Enter hit in the keyboard buffer and apply it as soon as it can. However, for you to click the checkmark, it will not buffer that mouse click - you have to wait for the previous operation to complete

As far as the pattern question, I don't know of anything to add.

WT

Ah yes I forgot to mention one of my favorite hints.

You can use MateRefs without creating mate references in the parts. Say you insert a part with a cylinder that you want to mate to a hole or vice-versa (I know that isn't how it is spelled but you get the point.) Hold ALT down and select one of the cylindrical edges and start dragging you will see the part become transparent. Now drag it to the cylinder you want to mate to. If done right you will see the part you are dragging jump into position. If you let go of the LMB it will mate the part cylindrically and Coincident(Anti-aligned).

You can also get coincident mates in a similar manner going from planar surface to planar surface.

Corey

Corey,

If I recall, without testing it now, you can also change the alignment if you also press TAB at some point in that process - I think before you let the LMB go. or is it after - but I think it is possible to get your part flipped like that, isn't it?

Daniel

You have to let go of alt but not LMB and hit TAB

BTW, using 2005 w/latest SP.

Yes, I've been using the keyboard buffer trick all along. The timings I provided were based on using this entry mode rather than mousing around for every step.

-Martin