More Ways to Deal With Options

Along with simplified reps, another popular but equally poor technique for dealing with options is to put a component on a layer and blank it. Although not visible, the component is still in memory and therefore using up precious computer resources. Layers certainly will not speed up working with large assemblies.

There are, however, two methods—family tables and copy (new in 2000i2)—that work well because they essentially use a variation of the same model. Family table instances can be swapped automatically because all the constraints needed to assemble any instance, as well as all the constraints needed to assemble other components to that instance, are the same as the original. The replace By New Copy option replaces the original with a copy, named on the fly, which can be modified.

Both methods do have the limitation of exchanging similar structure. On the one hand, family table instances can be difficult to track and rename. And on the other, making a copy does not have a provision for easily swapping the original back in.

In our original example, a failure occurs when replacing the bracket to which A.ASM is assembled. Constraining the new bracket is not the problem. Instead, the problem is that the component being swapped has something assembled to it (a child). A replacement tool will quickly address the crisis. Interchange assemblies can be used to identify all the constraints required to swap a given component and—even more significantly— to identify the constraints to reroute the children of that component.

Our objective is to replace the upper left BRACKET_POST.PRT with NEW_POST-BKT.PRT. The process involves creating an inter-change assembly with the original part placed as the first component. The new part is then packaged as a functional component. You can use the system to automatically identify and tag assembly references. This is critical because you must identify the assembly in which all possible constraints can be identified. In our example, the CABINET subassembly would only identify the constraints needed to assemble BRACKET_POST.PRT, but the ABC assembly would also account for the constraints needed to assemble BRACKET_ABC.PRT to BRACKET_ POST.PRT. Each auto tagged reference is then equated to a reference in the optional part. Replace can now be used to exchange the new bracket for the old one.

There is a final consideration that many ignore. The interchange assembly is not saved in this process because it is only being used to solve a very specific problem. Info, Global Ref Viewer reveals, however, that each part that was placed in the interchange assembly has an external parent. You should remove all traces of this process. Simply delete this reference using the Interchange option under the Part Set Up menus. (See sidebar for complete instructions.)