How to constrain harness assemblies into a larger overall assembly?

[whotmeworyagain]

I have a large cabinet of five separate bays, containing electronic equipment. I am looking for directon in constraining individual cable assemblies in this cabinet.

I guess what I am trying to find in my Inventor books that I cannot find is how to:

(a) create additional coordinate systems in my cable models to which I can constrain my end connectors after they are first constrained to mating geometry in a larger assembly - or group;

(b) set up a common origin in each and every one of the many cable models that is placed in space at the same point as the origin of the larger group, so that whenever [anyone] goes to place one or more cable assemblies in the larger group, they constrain themselves using this origin in space that is placed equal to the origin in the larger group.

In other modeling software I've used, this was accomplished by placing your connectors to mating geometry (solenoids, pigtails on components, PCBs, etc. Then, you create coordinate systems [in your cable model] for the connectors you just constrained to other geometry. You then re-constrain yur connectors to the new coordinate systems you've placed in space. This way, the cable model is wholly independent and does not reference to external geometry.

Whew!

Any ideas, direction, hints... Edited by: whotmeworyagain on Feb 2, 2009 3:00 PM

[JDMather]

>Any ideas, direction, hints...


Are you using Inventor Routed Systems or Professional?
Create the harness within context of the assembly.

Search your hard drive for pdf files - there is one named something like Routed Sys get started.

This is an advanced topic and probably is best learned through professional training.

[whotmeworyagain]

JD:

Thank you for your suggestion. I am using Inventor Professional. Just was peeking at assemblys and contexts in the "Essentials, Volume 1" manual. This looked like single assemblies and not sub-assemblies into larger groups, but will read it again.

Thank you from NC NASCAR country!

[whotmeworyagain]

JD: To use better lingo, I am looking for my cable subassemblies to be automatically placed in the larger assembly [cabinet] with respect to the larger assembly's origin...I'm re-reading pp232-240 in the essentials volume one book.

Cheers!

[JDMather]

On your hard drive
AI_RoutedSys_2009_GetStart.pdf

Help>Learning Tools>Skill Builders - 5 tutorials.


http://store.autodesk.com/DRHM/servlet/ControllerServlet?Action=DisplayProductDetailsPage&SiteID=adsk&Locale=en_US&Env=BASE&productID=107847900

http://www.augi.com/education/auhandouts.asp?page=726

[Anonymous]

"Any ideas, direction, hints...
"

Subassemblies?

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[mcgyvr]

The harness assembly MUST be created in the top level assembly.

Step1-create your harness file and save it.

Step2-Drop all connectors into your model and then drag them into the harness assy in the model browser.

Step3-constrain all your end connectors to existing geometry from the top level assy.

Step4-Add wires/segments,etc.. and route as needed.



Now if you need to use this harness in another top level assembly that is fine "AS LONG AS" all your connectors,etc..are in the exact place as the top level assy you modeled the harness in. Any change in connector position and its essentially start over from step1 again..



My biggest problem with cable/harness is that you cannot create the harness outside of the top level assembly (and set max length on each wire) and then move the segments around in the top level and its routing information is maintained in the top level assy file.. For example let say I want to model a harness for a hard drive to mother board connection that will be used in multiple computer cases with different locations for the harddrive and mother board. I would like to be able to create a new harness (outside of any other assembly) and add my 2 end connectors and create the ribbon cable and I set its max length as 12"..I want to be able to drop that same harness into 50 different assemblies and move the position of the end connectors around and only get an error when I have exceeded that 12" max length..But all ribbon cable routing would be maintained in the top level assembly so that I can simply have 1 harness file and the top level assembly remembers its routing so that another top level assembly can have the exact same harness assy file but routed in many different configurations.. (sure would be nice and a HUGE..HUGE improvement over the existing workflows) Edited by: mcgyvr on Feb 2, 2009 12:43 PM

[mcgyvr]

seems use draft functionality doesn't work on this message board...

Edited by: mcgyvr on Feb 2, 2009 12:44 PM

[whotmeworyagain]

Good afternoon from NC, Mcgyvr!

My driver behind my starting this string is that I don't want external references in my harness assemblies. I don't want to have to open up the whole darned top assembly just to see my harness.

When my background is opened up by someone in the future, and they want to retrieve and insert - say - only the fiber optic cables. I want the cable dot.iam assemblies to "default" to the top level assembly [background] ORIGIN.

I'm finding ti strange this software does not seem to allow creation of coordinate systems in space in harness assemblies to constrain the connectors.

Thank you for your suggestions on build order - I am using that order - I'm just not sold on constraining connectors, back shells, bushings, lugs, etcetera that are down in the harness level of the Model Tree to geometry outside [the harness assembly]. Try and open the harness assembly alone later and "ping!" - you have external references warnings - I think.

[Anonymous]

Can you pack and go a representative complete assembly, along
with the version you use?

Information on uploading large files is found
here:

href="http://teknigroup.com/support/Inventor/Howto.html">http://teknigroup.com/support/Inventor/How...

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Dennis Jeffrey, Autodesk Inventor Certified
Expert
Autodesk Manufacturing Implementation Certified
Expert.
Instructor/Author/Sr. App Engr.
AIP 2008 SP2, AIP 2009-SP1
PcCillin AV
HP zv5000  AMD64 2GB - Geforce Go 440, Driver: .8185
XP
Pro SP3, Windows XP Silver Theme

href="http://teknigroup.com">http://teknigroup.com

[MaxU77]

 mcgyvr, Count me in with your biggest problem about C&H.

Me to expected some ability to trace some pre-created  "wiring" through the several assemblies.

Autodesk, beware, there are already two of us! 🙂

If every C&H is to be done within the top assy only then it makes impossible to perform most models in strict compliance with production sequence which just can't be good.