How to insert an existing part file into a new template with new settings?

[David Watson]

Is there a way to substitute a new template (with different System Options, Design Properties, dimension settings, etc.) for one in an existing part or assembly file? Or to think about it differently, is there a way to copy an existing part or assembly into a new template with different settings? Thanks.
Regards, Dave

 

[DavidJ]

I don't follow. What are you wanting to achieve from this? What exactly do you mean by template? Template usually refers to 2D drawing, is your question about that, or something else?

 

[David Watson]

David, in order to be efficient and only have to do things once I open new part, sheet metal part, assembly, and drawing files and then set all of the System Options, Design Properties, dimension settings, etc., that I care about, and then save those files, empty of any design content, as template files. When I want to make a new part, for instance, I open my part template and do a Save As to the new part name. Now suppose that a company with thousands of design files wants to update their standard settings on those older files to new standards, so as to reuse older files, but with the new standards, and do it with a minimum of labor. To update every file setting by setting would be very time consuming, and therefore costly, not to mention tedious and error-prone. Computers are very good at doing repetitive chores rapidly. Does Alibre Design Expert have any provision to update/modify files as I have described? And if so, how? Thanks.
Dave

 

[albie0803]

What sort of settings in parts and assemblies are you talking about?
Sheet metal has thickness parameters.
With drawings, if your model is in inches and you want the drawing in mm then using a mm drawing template will automatically dimension in mm.
I don't think there is a way to automatically change the template a drawing uses. If this field is open to the API then maybe a script could be written but wiser heads than mine will have to answer that.

 

[David Watson]

Albie, just as an example, under Design/File Properties (v25) there are quite a few settings under Units and Dimensions, not that all of them need to be edited. But it is time consuming to have to go through and update each and every file to try and achieve uniformity. I haven't tried it yet but I am planning to see what happens if I try and "Copy with Base Point" into a new part template file. Dave

 

[David Watson]

Well, that failed. There is no "Copy with Base Point" in the part mode, and trying to copy and paste the design tree of one part into a new one built on a different template didn't work. So I suppose that what I want to do probably can't be done. Does anyone have any other ideas? Thanks. Dave

 

[HaroldL]

If you are changing drawings you can edit the sheet properties and change the drawing format template. There will be a prompt to update the dimension and layers, etc.


Copy with base point only works when copying sketches. So, unless there is the possibility for a script to be written to make the changes, I think you're left with having to manually edit the properties for each part to the new ones.

 

[DavidJ]

David - I'm still not sure that I follow exactly what circumstance or changes you are referring to. I struggle to see that the properties of a part or assembly would change because of some new company standard. Perhaps a material might change due to non-availability of the original, likewise supplier or vendor for purchased items.

If 2D drawing requirements change, then as Harold has pointed out, the template can be switched - that may still need a little tidying in some cases. If the 2D drawing requirements for dimensions change, the part/assembly files do not need to change - it's all done in the drawing file. The drawing template carries dimension styles with it.

It may be possible to arrange a script to do your needed part/assembly updates - difficult to say for sure without a specific example of what's required.

 

[HaroldL]

I could see how a parts' material or finish could change for some reason like cost savings or overall design changes. In that case it would require a new part number and part file in order to edit/assign the new part material properties. So a SAVE AS may be the easiest way to make those changes

 

[simonb65]

I could see how a parts' material or finish could change for some reason like cost savings or overall design changes. In that case it would require a new part number and part file in order to edit/assign the new part material properties. So a SAVE AS may be the easiest way to make those changes

.... and for many, many part files, this could be automated using AlibreScript or the API.

 

[DavidJ]

From an engineering perspective I'm cautious about doing 'bulk' changes of design properties, that tends to go against principles of change control. Could be very difficult to defend if a bulk change on many parts included a detrimental change on something critical.

In some cases it might be appropriate to review/approve changes to a family of designs as lines in a table and then bulk implement.

Harold makes a good point that as a minimum the revision (number or letter) for the design should change, and often a new part number would be assigned (practices differ by industry).

For archive & traceability purposes a PDF of the part drawing, and/or some copy or export of the 3D part file should be saved prior to making changes.

 

[NateLiquidGravity]

Well, that failed. There is no "Copy with Base Point" in the part mode, and trying to copy and paste the design tree of one part into a new one built on a different template didn't work. So I suppose that what I want to do probably can't be done. Does anyone have any other ideas? Thanks. Dave

This really confuses me. What could you hope to transfer? From what to what? And don't say you want to transfer "the template".

 

[David Watson]

Harold, I believe that you have answered the basic question. Knowing that the drawing template can be changed and the settings updated helps. I don't think that even the last version of SolidWorks that I used (2011) had the capability about which I was inquiring, but it doesn't hurt to ask. Thanks to everyone for the input!
Regards, Dave