Updating to Using Configurations

[dwc]

As learning to use configurations seemed daunting for just 1 or 2 parts I have make part variants by suppressing features.
As I see the need coming up more often I have decided to kneel into it and configuration use is seeming logical.
My problem, I have a couple of pretty complicated parts with my suppressions to make the variants, that works. But I can't find a way of turning them into parts with configurations without starting over.
How can I tell the system that config<1> is that which is now not suppressed at this moment, config<2> is that which is not suppressed at another moment, etc.
It all works fine when I am making a new part, but with my existing parts I can't get the configs to work, every config always changes the base part too
Google shows me how to make new configs and that works, but never particular my use case.
Thanks in advance for any tips and tricks.
Don

 

[DavidJ]

Set your part (suppressed features) for one variant, that can be config 1 (or name it). Set the config locks such that 'feature suppression' lock is active (set the other locks as you need/wish).

Create config 2 from config 1 and make it active. Change what is supressed until it matches your second variant. You can now switch between variants by changing the active configuration.

Repeat as many times as necessary. As long as the feature suppression locks are set for all configs, altering suppressions in one config won't affect any others.

It is FEATURES that get supressed, not CONFIGURATIONS. Make sure that the feature suppression lock is set for ALL configs including the first one.

 

[dwc]

Thanks David,
That is essentially what I was trying.
In the meantime I know why it wasn't working.
The file I was trying didn't have the features really suppressed, but the dogbone was pulled up.
With the features really suppressed and the dogbone all the way down it works.
Thanks again!

 

[dwc]

Now another question for the experts.
When I look at the Design Explorer of my part with several configurations I see that the features not used in a the current config look like suppressed features.
Is there a way to know if they are config artifacts in the design tree or suppressed features in the current config ?
I appear to be able to unsuppress them at will.
Am I again doing something wrong?

 

[HaroldL]

They look like suppressed features because they are suppressed features for the config you have active. If you don't want to see them you can toggle the display of suppressed features OFF in the View menu.

Also, when naming configurations it helps to give your configurations meaningful names too. So it it easier to differentiate between them.

 

[DavidJ]

'Lock' doesn't mean that you can't unsuppress the suppressed features, it just means that the unsuppressing only affects the currently active configuration (and any where the lock wasn't set).

 

[dwc]

I keep learning, Thanks guys

 

[dwc]

I am still struggling. Maybe I am expecting configs to do something that it doesn't ?
I have a basis part, config<1>. I want any and all changes made in this basis part to be reflected in all the other configs.
I have a config<2> which cuts away half the part (I need to print the part in 2 pieces) this will be the physical part and is used in an assembly.
I have a config<3> which adds support structure for printing to the half part, this is the input for the 3D slicer.

I was able to make this and switch between the configs and all worked.
Now I have made changes in the basis part. They are not being reflected in the other configs.
I do not see anything in the doc explaining this. They always talk of changes in dependent configs not changing or changing the lower levels.
But how do I get the lower level changes to be reflected above ?

Thanks for any help

 

[NateLiquidGravity]

Configs are tricky. I usually only lock "Feature Suppression" in all my configs of a part because I want all other changes to happen in all the configs.


https://help.alibre.com/articles/alibre-help-v26/design-configurations

Think of Locks as what makes the Configuration unique. In essence, locking something makes a copy of it for the exclusive use of a particular Configuration. For example, if a new Configuration will have unique Part Data that you might use to populate a BOM or 2D drawing, you would need to lock Part Data Properties.

Locking an option means that changes relevant to the option that are made to other Configurations will not affect this configuration. If all your variants will have the same part color for example, you should unlock Color Properties because if you do not, you will need to manually change the color properties of every Configuration if you need to update the color.

https://help.alibre.com/articles/alibre-help-v26/create-a-new-configuration

Locks​

For an in-depth overview of the behavior of Locks for each line item, see the table below.

Lock Type	Locked Behavior	Unlocked Behavior
Feature Suppression	Any features added to an active Configuration will be added as suppressed features in each locked configuration. Changes to suppression states for existing features in an active Configuration will be ignored in locked configurations.	Any features added to an active Configuration will also be added to each unlocked configuration. Changes to suppression states of existing features in an active Configuration will also be applied to each unlocked configuration.
Parameter Values	Any parameters added to an active Configuration will also be applied with their initial values to all locked configurations. However, any changes to parameter values will not be applied to locked configurations.	Any parameters added to an active Configuration will be applied with their initial values to all unlocked configurations. In addition, any changes to parameter values will also be applied to all unlocked configurations.
Part Data (General Properties)	Changes to an active configuration's part data property values will be ignored in all locked configurations. Note that the name, number and description fields for the part data will be the same for all configurations. The locks apply to the property values.	Changes to an active configuration's part data properties will be applied to all unlocked configurations.
Color Properties	Changes to the edge or face colors of an active Configuration will be ignored in all locked configurations.	Changes to the edge or face colors of an active Configuration will also be applied to all unlocked configurations.
Reference Geometry Hiding	Hiding and unhiding reference geometry in an active Configuration will be ignored in all locked configurations.	Hiding and unhiding reference geometry in an active Configuration will be applied to all unlocked configurations.
Active Section View	Choosing to activate or deactivate a view of a 3D section view in an active Configuration is ignored in all locked configurations.	Activating or deactivating a view of a 3D section view in an active Configuration also changes the view state of all unlocked configurations.

 

[DavidJ]

As Nate said - where locks are not set, changes in the currently active configuration will apply to all configs.

Can you perhaps share your file (simplified version) with details of exactly what isn't updating.

Most people find configs confusing to begin with - I know it took me a while to get comfortable with how it all hangs together.

You can 'unlock' one or more configs temporarily to allow edits elsewhere to apply

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