Controling Hole Wizard Features with design tables

I am trying to use smart components to control holes related to
components (ie socked head cap screws.) The company I work for uses
UG primarily and for screws we use "subtraction solids" to make the
holes for the screw. This gives us a gaurantee that if we change the
screw size our holes will also change. This is proving to be a
difficult task to match in solidworks.

I believe that I once read design tables were supposed to let us
change hole types by specifying the hole type (ie 1/2-13 tapped hole).

Does anyone have Ideas related to this?

Thanks

Bama

 

I believe that I once read design tables were supposed to let us

Unfortunately, Hole Wizard sizes are not configurable, with or without a
design table. You can create a separate feature for all the sizes you may
need, and then suppress all that a configuration doesn't need, or you can
abandon the wizard and create your own hole to control with a design table.

Since you plan to use a design table you can take advantage of lookup
tables in Excel to ease the pain. Make a table of hole parameters, then use
the HLOOKUP() or VLOOKUP() formula functions to pull values from your hole
table into your dimension values. This way you don't lose mate references
to the hole either. Matt Lombard did a user goup presentation a few years
back that would help, if you're not sure how to do that. A Google search
should turn that up.

 

For mainly fasteners:
If you have the "Toolbox" add-in you may want to look at "Hole wizard" or
"Hole series" holes and "Smart Fasteners".
Although the "holes" drive the fastener size in this case. If you "edit" a
Holes Series in a assembly it will update the 2 or more parts affected by
the hole and the fastener, nuts, washers, etc, based on the new size hole.
See the help menu.
It works, usually, but as in any case "your mileage may vary"

Mike