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Master models and Envelopes....another question

I asked previously in another post how to set up a master model

3d space for a large assembly and extract working assemblies from it.

The answer to my post was to use envelopes in conjunction with advanced select.

This looks like a great solution.

The master model is going to be large, its a small aircraft.

Is it possible to make a smaller model with say a 3d full size wireframe and associate its 3d space with the master model?

The aim is not to have people having to open a huge assembly with its associated wait time to have to make the envelopes.

I would like them to be able to make an envelope on a much smaller model but still get all the correct parts loaded into the subsequent working assembly.

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Reply to
Phil Evans
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Good Question. Over the last 8 months I have been exploring having the envelope transmit all critical design info between the top level assembly and all subassemblies/parts for those critical relations. The envelope=The Layout. This is not the master model - it is stuff cribbed from the master model (in-context relations). Each subasm starts with the envelope as an inserted part (acutally an inserted envelope so it doesn't mess with mass properties and BOM, though it is almost always just planes and sketches) and each subasm and it's components is driven by the envelope's relations.

In my tests this stategy seems to be pretty solid, but in my work there is usually only a handful of critical relations between levels

- 20-30 or so, if that.

So, though I have not yet had a problem, I can't say anywhere that lawyers might troll that it is safe enough to keep people from crashing into the ground. For instance, i have not run studies on rebuild behavior ( does an equation in one of the top-level components

- that drives a crtitical relation referenced by the envelope - update correctly when doing a Ctrl+Q on the subassembly with the envelope and its referencing parts in it? I'm skeptical, but for me it is an acedemic excercise. For you, it means saving some time on design vs spending a ton of time in court and possibly losing everything you own in a lawsuit. These are the types of things I would test vigorously on a dummy assembly if I were in your shoes. Envelopes are cool, and SWx relations are very cool, but when lives or money is involved I always want to know that I have run every test that I reasonably could before comitting to a design path.) Ed

Reply to
Edward T Eaton

Ed,

You bring up a couple of good points. I am finding rebuild behaviour in assemblies with in-context features to be somewhat spotty. This is definitely something that needs more investigation. And I think this is something SW has been changing from release to release without much fanfare.

I don't generally use envelopes that are parameter driven. They are just ordinary models and usually surface based so I can bring them into parts as well.

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