Assemble with Planes

[ramazan_gokd]

It would be great for me to be able see planes of current assembly or part to be assembled, when we use constrain command. It this possible? It's not hard accordoing to images... Planes can appear temporarily, when mouse marker is on the part or maybe pressing some button. Because sometimes it can be very hard to find planes of parts or current assembly can't it? 

 

 

 

[WillL84]

Just open the drop-down for the part, open the Origin folder and select the plane. When you have the Constraint dialog box open if you hover the mouse pointer over whatever axis or plane you want it highlights on the part. You can't see the mouse pointer in the image but it's hovering over the "YZ Plane" and as such the YZ Plane for that part is highlighted green.

[ramazan_gokd]

Thank you for your request. It's still a good idea to be able to use planes of current assembly instead of find from browser or origin directory. Because we constantly use these planes. Similarly, planes of parts to be assembled is so too...It can be annoying work to everlastingly try to find them. Right?

[CStilesCARE]

I've been trying to transition to using JOINTS wherever I can (rigid joint can be really useful), but, when I need to use constraints, I use the method mentioned by @WillL84 very often, rarely having any trouble finding work planes and such.

That being said, I'll still add a vote to this, because it'd still save a little time to have the option to temporarily show work planes or similar for just selected part/component while constraint window is open.

There is one thing that can make finding browser node features faster though, if you don't already do it:

• When in an assembly, if you want to find planes for a single part (especially when it's within a sub-assembly), before opening the constrain window, change your selection priority from "component priority" to "part priority", select the desired part, then right-click and select "find in browser" from the menu (likely in the top "marking menu" section) and it'll pop the selected node to it in the browser window. Then just expand the node until the desired work features are visible.
  • I actually added the "part priority" and "component priority" commands to my ctrl+right click marking menu in assemblies so it's super fast to change between them. Search for "priority" if you want to do similarly.

If that's still a bit slower than you'd like, another great option is to create a View Rep in parts and/or assemblies (maybe called "Show WFs" or similar) where you turn-on some or all work-features needed for constraining. Then, if you need to see them, just activate that view rep to show them, do your constraining, then change the view rep back to turn them off again.

[ramazan_gokd]

Thank you for your comment, solutions and requests, CStitesCare. I've already been using JOINTS, find in browser and view reps. You're of course right. But this reuqirement is a little different. I think it should exactly and temporarily work.

[swalton]

@WillL84 

Searching for origin features in a small assembly with one or two nested levels is ok.  The challenge with the current workflow happens when the assembly has a few thousand components across 7-10 nested sub-assembly levels.  

I'd love to have an easier way to get to the origin workfeatures on a component at the bottom of my model tree and then go back to the top-level assembly.  It could be as simple as enabling the Find-In-Browser command while in the Constraint Command.

[ramazan_gokd]

Hello, Swalton

Firstly, thank you so much your support and comment. Can you show me, how do you do this "I'd love to have an easier way to get to the origin workfeatures on a component at the bottom of my model tree and then go back to the top-level assembly.  It could be as simple as enabling the Find-In-Browser command while in the Constraint Command."? I'd like to try it.

[swalton]

@ramazan_gokd 

The Find-in-Browser command is available in the RMB menu when a component is selected in the graphics windows.

[ramazan_gokd]

I'd thought that you'd mention from a new option. I've been already using "find in browser" command. I shift the priorty of part or component sellection and use it right click menu. But it is not a coincidence that "find in browser" is avaible. We can fix our right click menus as per our personal usages.

[swalton]

The change I suggested is to make the Find In Browser command available while the Constraint command is running.  I am not aware of a way to configure Inventor to work that way out-of-the-box.

[ramazan_gokd]

Yes this is a solution too. But why do you need to use find in browser button during constraint command? You want to see work planes of to be assembled. Right ? These planes can be temporarily showed as I mentioned.

[swalton]

I might want to use some of the user-created workfeatures in my constraint.  The origin shortcuts are good, but limiting.

[richterBKSAC]

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@ramazan_gokd  schrieb:

It would be great for me to be able see planes of current assembly or part to be assembled, when we use constrain command. It this possible? It's not hard accordoing to images... Planes can appear temporarily, when mouse marker is on the part or maybe pressing some button. Because sometimes it can be very hard to find planes of parts or current assembly can't it? 

 

 

 

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I agree it would be great to have such an option built in to Inventor. I think your suggestion to temporarily show the workplanes of an preselected part might be a good solution. The option with a button requires a selection of the part/s first, because the constraint command isnt't tied to a selected part.

That's why I created a small ilogic form with 3 buttons to handle the workplanes issue. Now I can hide/show all workplanes,  only the IAM workplanes or the workplanes of the parts I selected first. It's not great, but it safes me a lot of time scrolling through the tree.

[ramazan_gokd]

Thank you your comment richterBKSAC. Your solution is very good idea in order to be able see these plane during the connstr...

[richterBKSAC]

Of course I can share it. I'm also no expert in programming, so if you or anybody got some improvements I'm glad to hear them.

Put each code in a rule and add them to a ilogic form.

Warning: Test it in a safe environment first

'hide all visible workplanes

Sub main()
	Dim actDoc As Document
	Dim IAM_planes As WorkPlanes
	Dim plane As WorkPlane
	Dim IAM_Occ As ComponentOccurrences
	Dim IAM_OccItem As ComponentOccurrence
	
	actDoc = ThisApplication.ActiveDocument
	actDocType = ThisApplication.ActiveDocumentType

	

	actDocType = ThisApplication.ActiveDocumentType

	'check if active Document is an IAM
	If Not actDocType = kAssemblyDocumentObject Then
	    MsgBox("Please open an assembly.",,"Error")
		Exit Sub
	End If

	IAM_planes = actDoc.ComponentDefinition.WorkPlanes
	
	'check if the IAM has any occurences yet
	If Not actDoc.ComponentDefinition.Occurrences.Count = 0 Then
	    IAM_Occ = actDoc.ComponentDefinition.Occurrences
	Else
		MsgBox("Assembly has no Occurences yet",,"Error")
		Exit Sub
	End If
			
	'hide the IAM Workplanes
	For Each plane In IAM_planes
	    plane.Visible = False
	Next
	
	'hide the Workplanes of the Occurrences 
	For Each IAM_OccItem In IAM_Occ
	    For Each plane In IAM_OccItem.Definition.WorkPlanes
	        plane.Visible = False
	    Next
	Next

End Sub

 ...

'show the assembly workplanes

Sub main()
	Dim actDoc As Document
	Dim IAM_planes As WorkPlanes
	Dim IAM_workplane As WorkPlane
	
	actDoc = ThisApplication.ActiveDocument
	actDocType = ThisApplication.ActiveDocumentType
	
	'check if active Document is an IAM
	If Not actDocType = kAssemblyDocumentObject Then
	    MsgBox("Please open an assembly.",,"Error")
		Exit Sub
	End If
	
	IAM_planes = actDoc.ComponentDefinition.WorkPlanes
	
			
	For Each IAM_workplane In IAM_planes
	    If IAM_workplane.Visible = True Then
	        IAM_workplane.Visible = False
	    Else
	        IAM_workplane.Visible = True
	    End If
	Next

End Sub

...

'show/hide the workplanes of the currently selected occurrences

Sub main()
	Dim actDoc As Document
	Dim IAM_planes As WorkPlanes
	Dim plane As WorkPlane
	Dim IAM_Occ As ComponentOccurrences
	Dim IAM_OccItem As ComponentOccurrence
	Dim selected_Occs As SelectSet                
	Dim selected_stor As ObjectCollection
	Dim selected_Occs_Arr As New ArrayList()         
	
	actDoc = ThisApplication.ActiveDocument
	actDocType = ThisApplication.ActiveDocumentType

	'check if active Document is an IAM
	If Not actDocType = kAssemblyDocumentObject Then
	    MsgBox("Please open an assembly.",,"Error")
		Exit Sub
	End If

	IAM_planes = actDoc.ComponentDefinition.WorkPlanes
	
	'check if the IAM has any occurences yet
	If Not actDoc.ComponentDefinition.Occurrences.Count = 0 Then
	    IAM_Occ = actDoc.ComponentDefinition.Occurrences
		selected_Occs = actDoc.SelectSet
	    selected_stor = ThisApplication.TransientObjects.CreateObjectCollection
	Else
		MsgBox("Assembly has no Occurences yet",,"Error")
		Exit Sub
	End If


    ' check if anything is selected yet
    If Not selected_Occs.Count = 0 Then

        'save selected Occurrences for reselection
        For Each IAM_OccItem In selected_Occs
			selected_stor.Add(IAM_OccItem)
        Next
        
        'iterate through the selected Occurrences and save the .FullFileName in the arrarylist
		'Note
		'if you show/hide the workplanes of one occurrence it effects all duplicates of that occurrence. So you only need to show/hide it once.
		'The arraylist makes sure to do that
		
        For Each IAM_OccItem In selected_Occs
			
			If Not (selected_Occs_Arr.Contains(IAM_OccItem.Definition.Document.FullFileName)) Then
            	selected_Occs_Arr.Add(IAM_OccItem.Definition.Document.FullFileName)
				
				For Each plane In IAM_OccItem.Definition.WorkPlanes
                    If plane.Visible = True Then
                        plane.Visible = False
                    Else
                        plane.Visible = True
                    End If
                Next
			End If 
     	Next
    Else
        MsgBox ("Please select an occurrence/s.",,"Error")
    End If
	
    'reselect the previously selected occurrences
    selected_Occs.SelectMultiple(selected_stor)
    
	'delete the Arraylist for reuse
    selected_Occs_Arr.Clear
	
End Sub

[ramazan_gokd]

Thank you very much richterBKSAC. We will try these codes in no time. Good luck.

[CStilesCARE]

@richterBKSAC Good job on taking the plunge into iLogic code. It can be really powerful and can do almost anything if the proper code can be created for it!

It's an interesting idea for a simple form/rule to turn on and off work-plane visibility and I can see it being somewhat useful for working with "rough" models that don't have any established View Reps.

However, there are a few things that would prevent me from using it in its current form (or letting others I work with use it):

1. It ignores View reps, so running it would both alter the active IAM-level View Rep and remove associativity on any components it changes visibility of (if it was associative). Liberal use of this tool could easily decimate well-designed IAMs with thoughtfully added View Reps (and potentially drawings of said IAM) costing possibly many hours of work to fix.
2. It iterates through occurrences, but then changes visibility on all occurrences of said part. This may be unwanted when you just want to show the planes for a single occurrence out of a large number, but then have your screen flooded with planes.
3. My iLogic is rusty, but it looks like it doesn't distinguish between work planes. Does that mean it will turn on all work planes, including origin ones? Could be nice to add a section on form to specify what type of planes to alter, or even add options for axes and points.
4. Other than the first rule (which just hard-sets all planes to off), the rules switch visibility of planes from its current state to the other. So, if an IAM or component has some planes already on, the rules will just constantly switch which are on or off (I'm guessing that's why the 1st rule was created).

[ramazan_gokd]

We've tried to work the codes. Programme closes or opens all work planes. It can be progressed. But all of these can be temporary solutions. 

It would be really great if Inventor has orijinaly these functions in it.

[richterBKSAC]

@CStilesCARE  Thank you for your feedback!

Reading your comments made me realize that, as you noticed, that my code is "tailored" to my needs.

I should have mentioned it before and hopefully you( @ramazan_gokd ) didnt ruin anything in your assemblies.

1.  
2. as far as I know if you show one plane of an occurrence all the other occurrences of that part show as well. 
3. you are right, it doesn't distinguish between origin workplanes and user workplanes, because Inventor doesn't distinguish as well. You'd have to make that distinction by workplane name
4. That's true and could be a hassle. I think @ramazan_gokd  idea to temporarily show the workplanes when you hover over a part when using the constraint command would be a good thing, because as we discovered you can't account for all the custom requirements of every user.

best regards

Matthias

[ramazan_gokd]

You are welcome Matthias (@CStilesCARE), I thank you for your support, feedback and efforts too. I hope Autodesk to developt this function by your supports and feedback.

[lance6]

I wonder if you have used this button highlighted below.

Sometimes it is quite useful. 

However it would be nice if it could find the part/assembly in model browser of the selected item and possibly be able to activate either the Origin planes, work planes or a combination, even if its temporary or the View has these items turned off, at least during the constraint feature is being used.

Not sure how apart from the Component vs part selection to select one from the other while using the constraint feature 

Sort of a combination of the requests above

Can be quite difficult to search through a large assembly - like when assembling a walkway/staircase to find the correct workplane.

Note: Using Origin work planes and centerline wherever possible has saved me hours of work, when things are changed by customer, great for stairs/treads/FG parts etc