Project to Sketch

[Jasper]

Why don't parts that rely on Project To Sketch (PTS) for dimensions update automatically when opening an assembly? I have to manually edit the sketch where the PTS occurred in order for the new changes to take effect.

Background: In an assembly, I create a new part based on the dimensions of another part using PTS. The workflow for the new part is: New Part>Project to Sketch>Sketch Plane>Select entities to project>create reference figure>maintain association to original. Then dimension the reference figure, which are driven dimensions, and choose "Parameter" so they show up in equation editor. Then create a sketch figure and set its dimensions to the driven dimensions coming from PTS.

Now if I make changes to the original part while still in the assembly, those changes propagate and I see both parts change accordingly - everything's fine. However, if I leave the assembly and make changes to the original part file, and save/close it, and reopen the assembly, no changes have propagated to the new part(s). To get the dimensions to update, I have to manually edit the sketch where the PTS took place in the new part; as soon as I select "edit sketch", the new part updates accordingly. This means a lot of extra work if critical changes are made outside the assembly workspace. Am I missing something?

Thanks,
PJ

 

[JST]

Yes you are.

It should work either way. I tried it, although I was sure it would work. I can edit one part even with no other assembly or part open, and save it, close it, and then open the assembly it is in. The parts that are set up to follow the changed features will and do all change correctly.

I think you may be leaving a model open. That can cause you to end up saving the old one over the new one, and fouling up the update in the middle.

You want to have all the dependent models closed when you open the (hopefully) revised assembly. If not, the updating can get messed up if you then save the open part model.

 

[NateLiquidGravity]

Another thing to look out for is configurations not updating. For example I've made parts configured to be mirrored as the last feature. The configs are set to only lock un/suppressed and the mirror is the only one that changes. When I edit one configuration farther up the feature list and then roll back down to the the bottom - when I switch to the other config sometimes these changes are not there until I fully regenerate.

 

[Jasper]

I am not leaving any models open and there are no configurations. Please see the attached package as an example of this behavior. A simple assembly with two rectangular shapes; the green one's height and length are dictated by the dimensions of the gray one via PTS. No matter how I try it, it won't update automatically.

 

[lamar]

I would use Global Parameters, (See File) open the assembly then open the Global Parameters and change the dim. to what you want and hit the update Disigns box and it will change your part files. save the assemble and you are done.

 

[Jasper]

I would use Global Parameters, (See File) open the assembly then open the Global Parameters and change the dim. to what you want and hit the update Disigns box and it will change your part files. save the assemble and you are done.

Yes I'm sure that would work, but at this point I want to figure out what's going on with PTS. Hopefully it's just operator error.

 

[DavidJ]

I presume you did use the 'maintain association to source entity' option when projecting to sketch...

May be worth checking if Auto Regenerate in enabled in the assembly (it is by default).

 

[JST]

See if you can change the sizes of holes through "block 1" and have them change in "block 2".

 

[Jasper]

I presume you did use the 'maintain association to source entity' option when projecting to sketch...

Yes.

May be worth checking if Auto Regenerate in enabled in the assembly (it is by default).

Auto Regenerate is enabled.

 

[Jasper]

See if you can change the sizes of holes through "block 1" and have them change in "block 2".

Yes these work fine. But your method is a bit different. You've projected sketch figures, and/or used constraints to place the holes in block2.

I've only seen the behavior I'm complaining about when I project reference figures with driven dimensions, and then try to use those driven dimensions as the input to new dimensions on the new part.

I will see if I get the same behavior after modifying your assembly to use driven dimensions.

 

[Jasper]

See if you can change the sizes of holes through "block 1" and have them change in "block 2".

First, I thank you and everyone for helping me with this issue.

Please see attached pkg. I added some dimensions to your Block1 sketch, then projected those holes onto Block2 sketch in the assembly. I added two slots in Block2 by using those projected dimensions to locate the slots on the center of each hole.
So now, if you open Block1 and make changes to the hole center location dimensions, close and save, and then open the assembly, you would/should expect to see the slots update along with the new locations of the holes in Block2. Except they don’t. At least not for me. And it doesn’t even update if the changes are made within the assembly. Only when you edit sketch3 of Block2 do the slots update. I’ve submitted a ticket but I don’t understand still if it’s just my understanding that’s the problem or the program itself.

 

[TylerDurden]

I think it's a bug.

It's as though a sketch needs to be opened, any sketch, and then the interdesign constraint gets reconnected to the dependent part.

In this version, I made some extra sketches that have no bearing on the geometry... opening one of them, even if it only contains a single point, "wakes up" the other sketches and the part updates.

Regenerate is clicked twice with no effect before opening a sketch in Cyl2.

Notice how sketch <3> and extrusion <2> (and sketch <4>) devolve when the last sketch is edited? That will not happen once the connection is re-established and the last sketch is again opened. :-\

 

[JST]

See if you can change the sizes of holes through "block 1" and have them change in "block 2".

Yes these work fine. But your method is a bit different. You've projected sketch figures, and/or used constraints to place the holes in block2.

I've only seen the behavior I'm complaining about when I project reference figures with driven dimensions, and then try to use those driven dimensions as the input to new dimensions on the new part.

I will see if I get the same behavior after modifying your assembly to use driven dimensions.

No constraints, the holes are from projecting the sketch figures, and extrude cutting. If I used any extra constraints on them, I would expect that to either disconnect them, or simply cause an error from an overconstrained condition, as the constraints come through from the original part.

If NOT using the "maintain association", then I WOULD project them and then immediately constrain them to their default positions.

 

[Jasper]

Got the word from GD support that it is indeed a bug. They said they'd notify me if it is fixed in a future release. They also said the best workaround for now is to use global parameters.

Just wanted to close the loop.