How could I change the configuration a drawing view is based on?

[netcp]

The title says it all, i often must do drawings from parts or assemblies which are slightly
different. I use configurations for that but couldnt find a way to avoid the complete redraw
although the drawing is in fact 99% equal. With larger assemblies this waste hours of time
which should be a simple task.
Same problem is with BOMs the configuration seems not to be changeable.

 

[DavidJ]

Correct - configurations are not changeable for drawing or BoM. Any methods that claim to do so risk introducing problems.

 

[MikeHenry]

Does Alibre ever plan to support configurations in drawings? A different brand of CAD that I use supports that and I've found it useful on occasion. In one case, I have ~20 different configurations for a particular part and it would be a PITA to manage 20 different drawings.

 

[HaroldL]

How did or do you use configs in drawings with the other brand of CAD? Don't you still need to create a drawing for each configuration?

With Alibre you can already select a configuration when you insert a part/assy into a drawing. Doesn't this work for you?


Here's a quick sample of a part with three configurations on one drawing sheet.


Unless you mean something else.

 

[NateLiquidGravity]

@HaroldL
Imagine if you could fully dimension one configuration on one drawing sheet then save as the drawing (or copy the sheet) and then simply change the configurations for the associated views (with reprojected views happening automatically) and then dimension the changes and fix the title block.

 

[netcp]

Correct - configurations are not changeable for drawing or BoM. Any methods that claim to do so risk introducing problems.

To bad, hoped at least for a workaround.
It feels so stupid to do the same work again and again. So much waste of time.
I think it would be really worth the effort to include this function in Alibre.
So the idea of configurations is not thought through to the end.

 

[netcp]

@HaroldL
Imagine if you could fully dimension one configuration on one drawing sheet then save as the drawing (or copy the sheet) and then simply change the configurations for the associated views (with reprojected views happening automatically) and then dimension the changes and fix the title block.

That's exactly what I want to do.

 

[HaroldL]

So you make a drawing of config #1 then switch to config #2 and update dims, etc. What do you do with the drawing for config #1? And how do you manage any changes for different configurations., This sounds like there would be a lot of extra work for drawing change management.

The only thing that came close to that process was how, at my old workplace, we would create drawings for a family of enclosures. We started using a system called Tacton to create the multiple sizes of enclosures in the family. It took some time to set up but it saved hours when it came to creating all the documentation for them.



Design Automation for Manufacturing |

 

[albie0803]

If you could do it, create config 1 drawing, do a save as and change it to config 2, do a save as and change it to config 3 etc.
Any change in the config and you just update the relevant drawing.

 

[HaroldL]

Any change in the config and you just update the relevant drawing.

Doesn't the part get rev bumped also, then do the other drawing need to be updated to keep the part/drawing revision level relationship straight?
So part A, rev A, all config drawings at rev A.
Modifying config 5 the part is now rev B. What, the only drawing to be revised is the one for config 5 to rev B? Now all the other drawings are related to part rev A which is replaced by part rev B? Sounds confusing.

 

[netcp]

So you make a drawing of config #1 then switch to config #2 and update dims, etc. What do you do with the drawing for config #1? And how do you manage any changes for different configurations., This sounds like there would be a lot of extra work for drawing change management.

Why should this be extra work? Config #1 stay at it is or will be updated if necessary. Config #2 is a variation of config #1 but is a separate product with the need of its own dokumentation, for e.g. manufacturing drawings, assembling drawings or BOMs.

#1 and #2 differ often only in the measurements or a few holes, parts more or less. Small things but the documentation must be done completly new.

Of course I could do a save as of drawing #1 and do then the changes for #2, but in that case I dont have the advantages of configurations during the design process to simple aktivate a different configuration in an assembly to test different things.
Also I could easily activate features which prove beneficial in #2 also in #1 or I make #3.

I think a lot of companies have variations of a product always with the same basic structure.

 

[netcp]

If you could do it, create config 1 drawing, do a save as and change it to config 2, do a save as and change it to config 3 etc.
Any change in the config and you just update the relevant drawing.

Yes, that would be nice

 

[netcp]

The only thing that came close to that process was how, at my old workplace, we would create drawings for a family of enclosures. We started using a system called Tacton to create the multiple sizes of enclosures in the family. It took some time to set up but it saved hours when it came to creating all the documentation for them.

No i dont request an automation tool. I only want the possibility to use an exiting drawing of a configuration and switch it to a different configuration. Then add the missing or redo the red parts.

 

[MikeHenry]

How did or do you use configs in drawings with the other brand of CAD? Don't you still need to create a drawing for each configuration?

With Alibre you can already select a configuration when you insert a part/assy into a drawing. Doesn't this work for you?
View attachment 35882

Here's a quick sample of a part with three configurations on one drawing sheet.
View attachment 35883

Unless you mean something else.

It's pretty simple in the other CAD - just right click on a drawing view, select the configuration you want from a drop down and the drawing updates all of the dimensions that are common between the 2 configurations. If the views are all children of the parent view they all update. Takes maybe 10-15 seconds.

I can see where an Alibre user that spends most of their day in the product will find it much less onerous too adapt to Alibre's limitations rather than deal with the idiosyncrasies of a new program but as a casual user of Alibre Expert since Version 6 in ~2003, I can say that the effort in learning a new program has paid major dividends for me and that many of limitations and irritations that I've found in Alibre over the years are no issue at all in the "other" CAD program.

I believe that Max and Alibre are trying to correct the deficiencies as fast as they can and wish them success in that endeavor.

 

[HaroldL]

I can see how using configs in the model and being able to select them for drawing views can be a benefit but it isn't always the answer. I do recall data rack project I worked on at my old employ where we used SolidWorks. Initially it was set up to use configurations for the multiple sizes, actually the height of the rack ranging from 600 mm to 2200 mm, There was a EIA pattern of mounting holes in the racks and a configuration for each size change in height. A major issue was that when ever the model needed to be updated it would take several minutes, I mean up to 10-15 minutes because it was updating each and every configuration. The final result was that we created a model for each size and it reduced the update time considerably.

I can say that the effort in learning a new program has paid major dividends for me and that many of limitations and irritations that I've found in Alibre over the years are no issue at all in the "other" CAD program.

I believe that Max and Alibre are trying to correct the deficiencies as fast as they can and wish them success in that endeavor.

Yes, some of the improvements have been pretty amazing and judging from the v25 previews there are more on the way.