Distance for move (copy) from user params and editing the distance later on.

[chris]

Working on a design where I have the overall height/width/depth in user params.

I had modelled a component - and then used move function (select component and check for copy) to create a new instance of that component the "depth" distance away.

Later on - I changed the depth in params and the copied component did not move.

Do moves/copies using params not update when they change?

Then - I wanted to go into edit feature to see what distance it was actually set to (and to try to set it to the correct one) - but - I can't get the  feature to give me any form of edit feature. All the other features in the timeline do - but not anything to do with a move/copy.

Can they be edited?

[lichtzeichenanlage]

Hi, AFAIK the move tool is not part of the parametric design concept. If you want to assemble things, you might want to use the joints features. 

[chris]

OK. That's a shame - this was the first sub-component (a rectangular frame of 4 beams) that is then used 4 times in the design to create the structure that other parts are placed in/on/around.

I had approached it like this:

1) Create a vertical beam (extruded rectangle along the z-axis).

2) Copy that vertical beam a given distance away on the y-axis (here I'd used the param name)

3) Join the top with a spreader bars (extrudes from bean 1 to beam 2).

4) Copy the spreader bar from top to bottom

That then worked out the lengths of the spreader bars for me and created 2 components (each with 2 instances) so that I can drag them into a drawing with component count in the parts table).

I guess I could define each beam and spreader bar as separate standalone components, duplicate them and place them with joints. Means defining things like the spreader bars as being of length: depth - (2* barThickness) etc.

If that works (as in updates when I change params) then I'll try it that way.

Shame - means starting from scratch - but - was not too far in so that's doable.

[lichtzeichenanlage]

I'm a beginner and I'm not sure if I understand everything, but if you copy/moved your components (not bodies) and moved them into position everything should be fine. Move is not bad, just does not follow the parametric design. You just should assemble everything via joints.

[laughingcreek]

The first type of move isn't parametric, but the next 2 (see pic) This is by design.  can't remember about the last 2

The move tool is on occasion necessary, but the vast majority of the time it will be better to position objects with different methods.

[chris]

That's good to know.

I think I'd used rotate and point to point mostly - but the first one was a translation on the free move dialog - shame - if only I'd hit the second one before entering it 😞

Do you know if point to point is also parametric? 

[lichtzeichenanlage]

@laughingcreek: Thx for pointing out the details.I'm mostly using the move tool for components and wasn't aware that's parametric. And it looks like it's parametric for bodies but not for components. Or it's a bug (I don't think so)