Virtual Parts - Materials

Anonymous · ‎06-26-2013

I'm using virtual parts in an assembly for some of the elements that I don't need any visual representation for. I'm trying to control the material property using ilogic. I'm using the same snippet I would use for a typical .ipt ,iproperties.materialofcomponent("part:1"). This code doesn't seem to have any effect on virtual parts. the rule runs with no errors, but does nothing. I can manually change the material by right-clicking in the model browser, but I'm trying to automate using ilogic. Is there an alternative way of driving the material that may work for a virtual component?

jdkriek · ‎06-27-2013

Note sure there is a specific shortcode for doing this, but I'm oldschool 😉

If you only have one VirtualComponent or know it's occurrence in the Assy:

Dim oAssDoc As AssemblyDocument: oAssDoc = ThisApplication.ActiveDocument
Dim oAssDef As AssemblyComponentDefinition: oAssDef = oAssDoc.ComponentDefinition
' Define Comp Def
Dim oVirt As VirtualComponentDefinition
' Which Occurrence
oVirt = oAssDef.Occurrences(1).Definition
'Change Material
oVirt.Material.Name = "NameOFYourMaterial"

Or you can specify the name and loop through the Assembly:

Dim oAssDoc As AssemblyDocument: oAssDoc = ThisApplication.ActiveDocument
Dim oAssDef As AssemblyComponentDefinition: oAssDef = oAssDoc.ComponentDefinition

' virtual component
Dim sName As String: sName = "VirtualComp"

Dim oOccurrence As ComponentOccurrence
	For Each oOccurrence In oAssDef.Occurrences
		' Look for virtual components
        If TypeOf oOccurrence.Definition Is VirtualComponentDefinition Then
        	' Look for name match
            sNameS = Split(oOccurrence.Name, ":")
            If sName & ":" & sNameS(1) = oOccurrence.Name Then
                ' Define Comp Def
                Dim oVirt As VirtualComponentDefinition
				oVirt = oAssDef.Occurrences(1).Definition
                ' Change Material
                oVirt.Material.Name = "NameOFYourMaterial"
            End If
        End If
    Next

Jonathan D. Kriek
MFG Solutions Engineer
KETIV Technologies, Inc.

Anonymous · ‎07-01-2013

The code you sent where the occurance is known worked.I have the virtual components creating themselves automatically, so I won't be able to predict very easily which occurance I need. The loop idea would be ideal for what I'm doing, but I'm having trouble making it work. I'm getting an error (see below). Also, maybe you can help with another related issue. The virtual parts I'm creating are based on features in a single part. Need to loop through all features in a specific part, determine one at a time whether the feature is active and (if it is active) extract the feature's name. Any thoughts?

Error in rule: Rule36, in document: A_EB_bfd1door_cabinet_V2012_Concept.iam

Unable to cast COM object of type 'System.__ComObject' to interface type 'Inventor.VirtualComponentDefinition'. This operation failed because the QueryInterface call on the COM component for the interface with IID '{D4652AC1-D4B9-4D65-8C2B-942D74411B1C}' failed due to the following error: No such interface supported (Exception from HRESULT: 0x80004002 (E_NOINTERFACE)).

jdkriek · ‎07-01-2013

Edit: Nevermind, I can't replicate that same error...

Even with no Virtual Components it should just do nothing...

Jonathan D. Kriek
MFG Solutions Engineer
KETIV Technologies, Inc.

Anonymous · ‎07-02-2013

I did put my component name into the "Virtual component" area. I placed a message box into the "IF" statement displaying the virtual component name. That seemed to work, so it is finding the name. The section labeled "'define Comp Def" is where it gets stuck. Not sure if it matters, but i am running Inventor 2012.

jdkriek · ‎07-02-2013

The code is working fine in 2011-2013, but I think I may see what you are doing diffrently.

You are adding the Virtual Component through AddVirtual? Which would return a ComponentOccurrence.

So we should be doing Dim oVirt As ComponentOccurrence

Try this:

Dim oAssDoc As AssemblyDocument: oAssDoc = ThisApplication.ActiveDocument
Dim oAssDef As AssemblyComponentDefinition: oAssDef = oAssDoc.ComponentDefinition

' virtual component
Dim sName As String: sName = "VirtualComp"

Dim oOccurrence As ComponentOccurrence
	For Each oOccurrence In oAssDef.Occurrences
	' Look for virtual components
		If TypeOf oOccurrence.Definition Is VirtualComponentDefinition Then
			' Look for name match
			sNameS = Split(oOccurrence.Name, ":")
			If sName & ":" & sNameS(1) = oOccurrence.Name Then
				' Define Comp Def (As Occurrence)
				Dim oVirt As ComponentOccurrence
				oVirt = oAssDef.Occurrences(1).Definition
				' Change Material
				oVirt.Material.Name = "NameOFYourMaterial"
			End If
		End If
	Next

Jonathan D. Kriek
MFG Solutions Engineer
KETIV Technologies, Inc.

Anonymous · ‎07-02-2013

Maybe getting somewhere, but still stuck.... It didn't work as is. It didn't seem to cooperate with with component occurence definition. I commented it out and tried some things below. It seems like it works in that if I insert the material into a message box immediately after assigning it appears correct, but when i right click on the virtual component to check it still shows as default. Also still shows as default on the BOM. Any thoughts?

Dim oAssDoc As AssemblyDocument: oAssDoc = ThisApplication.ActiveDocument
Dim oAssDef As AssemblyComponentDefinition: oAssDef = oAssDoc.ComponentDefinition

' virtual component
Dim sName As String: sName = "Right_Side"

Dim oOccurrence As ComponentOccurrence
	For Each oOccurrence In oAssDef.Occurrences
	' Look for virtual components
		If TypeOf oOccurrence.Definition Is VirtualComponentDefinition Then
			' Look for name match
			sNameS = Split(oOccurrence.Name, ":")
			If sName & ":" & sNameS(1) = oOccurrence.Name Then
			MsgBox(oOccurrence.Name)
				' Define Comp Def (As Occurrence)
'				Dim oVirt As ComponentOccurrence
'				oVirt = oAssDef.Occurrences(1).Definition
'				' Change Material
'				oVirt.Material.Name = "Solid Wood"

				oAssDef.Occurrences(1).Definition.Material.Name = "Solid Wood"
				MsgBox(oAssDef.Occurrences(1).Definition.Material.Name)
			End If
		End If
	Next

jdkriek · ‎07-03-2013

Wierd, the code above works fine on my end.

See if this works. Start a new blank assy and run this rule on it.

Dim oAssDoc As AssemblyDocument = ThisApplication.ActiveDocument
Dim oAssDef As AssemblyComponentDefinition = oAssDoc.ComponentDefinition

' Virtual component
Dim sName As String = "TestThis"
Dim oMatrix As Matrix = ThisApplication.TransientGeometry.CreateMatrix

' Create a virtual
oNewVirt = oAssDef.Occurrences.AddVirtual(sName, oMatrix)

' Set the material
oNewVirt.Definition.Material.Name  = "Solid Wood"

Jonathan D. Kriek
MFG Solutions Engineer
KETIV Technologies, Inc.

Anonymous · ‎07-03-2013

Weird, if i place it in a new assembly, it works fine. Here's the entire rule I'm using to create the virtual components. Maybe there's something in how I'm creating them giving problems. In this code its looking at features in a single part, testing whether the feature is active and creating a virtual component.

Dim oAsm As AssemblyDocument = ThisDoc.Document
Dim oMatrix As Matrix = ThisApplication.TransientGeometry.CreateMatrix

deleteall = New String(){"PUB_Left_Side", "PUB_Right_Side", "PUB_Top_Stretcher", "PUB_Top_Rear_Stretcher", "PUB_Full_Subtop", "PUB_Back", "PUB_Shelf_Hardwood_Edge", "PUB_Toe_Kick", "PUB_Right_Toe", "PUB_Left_Toe", "PUB_Rear_Toe", "PUB_Flush_Toe", "PUB_Sink_Apron", "PUB_Adjustable_Shelf"}

For Each element In deleteall
	Try
		Component.InventorComponent(Replace(element, "PUB_", "") & ":1").delete
	Catch ex As exception
	
	End Try
Next

addactive = New String(){"PUB_Left_Side", "PUB_Right_Side", "PUB_Top_Stretcher", "PUB_Top_Rear_Stretcher", "PUB_Full_Subtop", "PUB_Back", "PUB_Shelf_Hardwood_Edge", "PUB_Toe_Kick", "PUB_Right_Toe", "PUB_Left_Toe", "PUB_Rear_Toe", "PUB_Flush_Toe", "PUB_Sink_Apron", "PUB_Adjustable_Shelf"}
occur = 0
For Each element In addactive
	Try
		If Feature.IsActive("toplevel_notes", element) = True Then
			Try
				occur = occur + 1
				Dim oOcc As ComponentOccurrence
				oOcc = oAsm.ComponentDefinition.Occurrences.AddVirtual(Replace(element, "PUB_", ""), oMatrix)
				Dim oCompDefVirtual As VirtualComponentDefinition = oOcc.Definition
				iProperties.Value(Replace(element, "PUB_", "") & ":1", "Custom", "Component_Width") = Parameter("toplevel_notes", Replace(element, "PUB_", "") & "_Wt")
				iProperties.Value(Replace(element, "PUB_", "") & ":1", "Custom", "Component_Length") = Parameter("toplevel_notes", Replace(element, "PUB_", "") & "_Lt")
				iProperties.Value(Replace(element, "PUB_", "") & ":1", "Custom", "Component_Thickness") = Parameter("toplevel_notes", Replace(element, "PUB_", "") & "_Th")
				iProperties.Value(Replace(element, "PUB_", "") & ":1", "Custom", "Part_Description") = Replace(Replace(element, "PUB_", ""), "_", " ")
			Catch ex As exception
			MessageBox.Show("Error in assigning " & element & " properties", "Warning!")
			End Try
		End If
	Catch ex As exception
		MessageBox.Show("The feature named " & element & " was not found.", "Warning!")
	End Try
Next

a virtual part if active.

jdkriek · ‎07-03-2013

I am now seeing exactly what you are seeing and I have a solution!

Dim oAssDoc As AssemblyDocument = ThisApplication.ActiveDocument
Dim oAssDef As AssemblyComponentDefinition = oAssDoc.ComponentDefinition

' virtual component
Dim sName As String = "Right_Side"

Dim oOccurrence As ComponentOccurrence
	For Each oOccurrence In oAssDef.Occurrences
		' Look for virtual components
		If TypeOf oOccurrence.Definition Is VirtualComponentDefinition Then
			' Look for name match
			sNameS = Split(oOccurrence.Name, ":")
			If sName & ":" & sNameS(1) = oOccurrence.Name Then
				MsgBox("We found the right one")
				' Define Comp Def
				Dim oVirt As VirtualComponentDefinition 
				oVirt = oOccurrence.Definition
				' Change Material
				oVirt.Material.Name = "Solid Wood"
				MsgBox("Mat is " & oVirt.Material.Name)
			End If
		End If
	Next

Jonathan D. Kriek
MFG Solutions Engineer
KETIV Technologies, Inc.

Anonymous · ‎07-05-2013

We're past the error now with the revised code, but two problems I'm seeing now.... First, as its written the code should be only controlling one of the virtual components. For some reason it is assigning the property to all of my virtual components. Second, when I launch the bill of materials, the virtual components are no updated to match what shows when I right click on them to see the iproperties. Any thoughts?

Also, I'm a beginner at this stuff, so just double checking.....

The begining starts as Dim oAssDoc As AssemblyDocument = ThisApplication.ActiveDocument

If the item running this code were a child component in a much larger assembly would it still work properly. Plan is to have this rule triggered at times from a parent assembly.

Thanks again for all of your help.

jdkriek · ‎07-08-2013

Ok, I am pretty sure I've worked through the issues you are seeing.

The key is here:

' Change Material
oVirt.Material = oAssDoc.Materials.Item("Solid Wood")

So the updated code would be:

Dim oAssDoc As AssemblyDocument = ThisApplication.ActiveDocument
Dim oAssDef As AssemblyComponentDefinition = oAssDoc.ComponentDefinition

' virtual component
Dim sName As String = "Right_Side"

Dim oOccurrence As ComponentOccurrence
	For Each oOccurrence In oAssDef.Occurrences
		' Look for virtual components
		If TypeOf oOccurrence.Definition Is VirtualComponentDefinition Then
			' Look for name match
			sNameS = Split(oOccurrence.Name, ":")
			If sName & ":" & sNameS(1) = oOccurrence.Name Then
				MsgBox("We found the right one")
				' Define Comp Def
				Dim oVirt As VirtualComponentDefinition 
				oVirt = oOccurrence.Definition
				' Change Material
				oVirt.Material = oAssDoc.Materials.Item("Solid Wood")
				MsgBox("Mat is " & oVirt.Material.Name)
			End If
		End If
	Next

Jonathan D. Kriek
MFG Solutions Engineer
KETIV Technologies, Inc.

Anonymous · ‎07-08-2013

That worked!!! Thank you for your time & effort.

jdkriek · ‎07-08-2013

Glad that worked for you 😉

Jonathan D. Kriek
MFG Solutions Engineer
KETIV Technologies, Inc.

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Virtual Parts - Materials

Virtual Parts - Materials

Virtual Parts - Materials