Monday, March 10, 2008

Creating a Top-Down Assembly

Creating a Top-Down Assembly

Path: Insert | New Part

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Use this to ...

  • Create an assembly without all of the components in place. This allows you to start the product design of a component from scratch.
  • Create new components in an existing assembly. This allows you to consider size, space, or interference limitations.

Prerequisites

  • You should be in the Assembly Design workbench.

Process: Creating an Assembly Using Top-Down Techniques

1. Select File | New. The New dialog displays.

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2. Select Product from the list and click OK to create the assembly.

3. Edit the properties of the assembly to specify the part number, revision level, and description.

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4. Refer to the next process, Creating a New Component Using Top-Down Techniques to create components in this assembly.

Process: Creating a New Component Using Top-Down Techniques

1. Select Insert | New Part. CATIA prompts you to select a component to add the new part to.

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2. In the Specification Tree, pick the product. The new part is added to the Specification Tree and displays in the Graphics window. Since this is the first part, the part's origin is automatically positioned at the assembly's origin.

3. Edit the properties of the part to specify the part number, revision level, and description.

4. Add a second part to the assembly. Select Insert | New Part. CATIA prompts you to select a component to add the new part to.

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5. Pick the product name in the Specification Tree. Select where to locate the origin of the new part.

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6. The new part is added to the Specification Tree and displays in the Graphics window.

7. Edit the properties of the part to specify the part number, revision level, and description.

8. Pick a new part in the Specification Tree, then expand it. Double–click on the Part to begin modeling in context of the assembly. (Make sure you pick the part and not the instance of the part.)

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Options

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New Part: Origin Point

Allows you to define the position of the new part's local origin.

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Yes
Places the new part in the assembly with the new part's local origin at the same position as the origin of an existing part in the assembly.

No
Places the new part in the assembly with the new part's local origin at the assembly's origin.

Tips

  • It's wise to keep track of your parts by renaming them as you add them to the assembly.
  • After creating new components, you can reposition them using constraints.

 

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