Constraining a component workplane to a sub-assembly workplane

[keithjk]

I posted a similiar post to work plane visibility but the scope of the project has changed.  The goal is to insert a component into an assembly and then contstrain it to a sub-assembly within the assembly.  The code below works fine up to the point of adding the mating contstraint.  I have placed a remark in the code where the error occurs.

I have also added a screen shot of the browser in my assembly drawing. I hope that gives some insight to the structure of it.

Thank you....

Private Sub InsertPart(ofile As String, selectedWP As String)

'declare some variables

Dim doc As Inventor.Document = Nothing

Dim wpFound As Boolean = False

Dim oAsmCompDef1 As AssemblyComponentDefinition

doc = oInventorApp.ActiveDocument

oAsmCompDef1 = doc.ComponentDefinition

' Set a reference to the transient geometry object.

Dim oTG As TransientGeometry

oTG = oInventorApp.TransientGeometry

' Create a matrix.

Dim oMatrix As Matrix

oMatrix = oTG.CreateMatrix

' Set the translation portion of the matrix so the part will be

'positioned at the co-ordinates

oMatrix.SetTranslation(oTG.CreateVector(0, 0, 0))

'place an instance of the component

Dim oOccurrence As ComponentOccurrence

oOccurrence = oAsmCompDef1.Occurrences.Add(ofile, oMatrix)

'make sure the user work plane setting is on

oAssemblyDocument.ObjectVisibility.UserWorkPlanes = True

'Get the plane from the selected part and make sure the work plane is turned off

Dim oPartPlane1 As WorkPlane

oPartPlane1 = oOccurrence.Definition.WorkPlanes.Item("XZ Plane")

oPartPlane1.Visible = False

'find the assembly work plane (this is where the component will be placed).

Dim oAssemblyPlane1 As WorkPlane = Nothing

For Each oOcc As ComponentOccurrence In oAsmCompDef1.Occurrences

If oOcc.DefinitionDocumentType = DocumentTypeEnum.kAssemblyDocumentObject Then

oAsmCompDef1 = oOcc.Definition

Dim wpOccurrences As WorkPlanes = Nothing

wpOccurrences = oAsmCompDef1.WorkPlanes

Dim wp As WorkPlane = Nothing

For Each wp In wpOccurrences

If wp.Name = selectedWP Then

wpFound = True

oAssemblyPlane1 = oAsmCompDef1.WorkPlanes.Item(wp.Name)

'now constrain the component to the assembly work plane

Dim oAsmPlane4 As WorkPlaneProxy = Nothing

oOccurrence.CreateGeometryProxy(oPartPlane1, oAsmPlane4)

Dim ConstraintMate As MateConstraint

'///// THIS IS WHERE THE ERROR OCCURS //////

ConstraintMate = oAsmCompDef1.Constraints.AddMateConstraint(oAssemblyPlane1, oAsmPlane4, 0)

'now exit the loop

Exit For

End If

Next

End If

If wpFound = True Then

'exit main loop if work plane was found

Exit For

End If

Next

'update the view

oInventorApp.ActiveView.Update()

End Sub

[Anonymous]

I have not tried it, but what I noticed is that your oAssemblyPlane1 object is a WorkPlane and should be a WorkPlaneProxy

And also, you should not try to assign you mate contraint to a variable, it is not used afterward. Try to replace

ConstraintMate = oAsmCompDef1.Constraints.AddMateConstraint(oAssemblyPlane1, oAsmPlane4, 0)

with 

Call  oAsmCompDef1.Constraints.AddMateConstraint(oAssemblyPlane1, oAsmPlane4, 0)

This is what I can notice from your code, but, like I said, I did not tried it.

Hope this can help

[Balaji_Ram]

Yes, I tried Keith's code snippet by changing the code to use proxies for both the part plane and the sub-assembly plane as Pierre rightly pointed out.

The mate constraint does get created.

Since both the workplanes are not in the assembly context, the proxies will be required.

Regards,

Balaji