Is there some problem with quick constraints?

[GaretDH]

I assure you, all of the parts on this board are fully constrained, with the exception of the little header floating out there in space. I try to apply a quick constraint between the plane of the header and the plane bisecting the mounting hole shown. See the arrows:



When I click the other plane to see the preview, somehow all of my OTHER constraints get blown up, and they all shoot across the plane to the wrong positions. Also, most of them turn red.



Just previewing the wrong way, you say? No. Flip the constraint preview (the double arrow button) and the *part* rotates, but all the rest of my parts are still blown out of position and errored out.



Cancelling the quick constraint return everybody back to their right positions, BUT, there a kicker: Now something is broken. If I grab and pull on one of those other constrained parts, they all flip out of position again and turn red. It's important to remember that these are not constrained to each other, but to the added planes in that mounting hole down there. If I close and restart the program, everything is locked down again properly.

I'd love to upload the file, but the package is 25.4MB. And only compresses down to 25MB.

 

[GaretDH]

Just for grins I decided to try and quick constrain that same part to the design workspace YZ plane, as shown below. Now, all of those same parts have blown out of position across a *different* plane, but all of their constraints are still black. How is this possible?



Also note: The parts that are blowing out of position are constrained to the added planes I put in the mounting hole shown below. The other parts on the board, which do not move, are constrained to other board features or faces.

 

[Lew_Merrick]

Garet,

There are people here who refuse to use quick constraints. I am not one of them. However, quick constraints are fairly limited and I often have to go back and edit them after placing them in order to select a more appropriate relationship. If you use the full constraint mode (probably not the correct nomenclature) system, you can select the specific relationship you wish without having to go back and edit it. I probably use the go back and edit it technique on something less than 1% of the constraints I apply, so that is a "win" for me.

I would suspect that you have a "tangle" somewhere in your constraints that is causing this FUBAR situation for you. It is really obnoxious when you think you selected one feature and discover that the program grabbed something else. I have that happen about twice as often as having the inappropriate relationship generated by quick constraints.

 

[GaretDH]

I've considered the possibility that I've grabbed the wrong feature when constraining something. I went back to check and I didn't see any issues.

At any rate, in this case I do not see how that should be possible. All of these parts are each *individually* constrained to the same two planes, not to each other. So why should they all move if there's a problem? If I had a case where I picked an edge instead of a plane, or something like that, then why do they all blow up in the same direction, and keep their *relative* (to each other) positions?

It's as though there's something squishy about the assignment of the added planes within that hole. Rotates or flips arbitrarily or something...

 

[GaretDH]

I just tried it again with regular constraints. The same thing happens when I try to preview a constraint that doesn't agree with the rest (mate vs. align, for example). Same thing.

There is something up here, and I strongly suspect it's to do with those planes I added.

 

[indesign]

If possible could you post the assembly package

 

[RCH_Projects]

Are you in 2013, 2014.

What version did you create the assembly in?

 

[GaretDH]

Created initially in 2012, saved in 2013, and opened in 2014...

Since this board can't take uploads larger than a whisper, here's a google drive link:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B08HvX- ... sp=sharing

 

[Ralf]

Hi Garet,

Please take a look: PCIeCarrier-new.AD_PKG 25.4MB

Download -> Save in a separate/new folder -> Alibre-Geomagic Design V2014 -> File -> Package -> Restore -> Restore Files To: ...create a new folder...

 

[GaretDH]

Ralf, did you do something to the assembly? I download and open it and it's acting the same way as before:

 

[Ralf]

Garet,

Sorry it was not the "very" latest version.
But no problem, please insert a 3D Axis,
and then you can use the "Axis" and the "Reference Plane" (TSW_2x2)
to create a Quick Constraint.
.

 

[Ralf]

Quick Constraint
.