Driving a part's dimensions from another part

Hello,

I am designing a model airplane and once completed, I would like to be
able to have a separate part file that I can change certain dimensions
such as wing span, fuselage length etc.... Basically I'd like to be
able to scale the aircraft up or down.

Thus when scaling the airplane, I'd like to have the parts
automatically adjust based on the inputs from the main dimensions using
the equations I have inserted into the various part files.

Is this possible? How?

Thanks!

John

 

Ok, thanks, that sets me down the proper path. What is still
confounding me is how to link the skeleton dimensions to the various
parts I have created. For example, I created a part of the fuselage
box whose dimensions are all driven off a single input/dimension which
in this case happens to be the length. If I change the length of this
part, all the lightening holes and such get bigger or larger as a
percentage of the length based on the equations I have set up. (of
course material thickness is not derived from that input). Thus, I'd
like "length" input to be driven off of the skeleton as a percentage of
the length of the entire fuselage. So could you explain how I can link
the "length" dimension to the overall skeleton length which has been
created in an entirely different part file?

Thanks again!

John

 

I hate to sound like a complete newb idiot...but maybe I am! I just
don't "get" what you just suggested intuitively. What I have done
based on your previous post is create design tables for each part using
excel. Thus I have linked all the crucial equations to one main design
table that holds the overall specifications. This works pretty well
(and is pretty cool by the way...thanks for the tip!). However, the
only drawback is when I change a parameter in the main design sheet,
things don't dynamically update with the other parts. I have to close
all the parts windows up, reopen them and then open the embeded design
sheet. Only then after I hit the rebuild in the assembly window do I
see the results of the whole shebang.

Thinking it would be easier to drive all of the dimensions in the
assembly itself, I have tried to drop a design table intoit but the
autopopulate feature doesn't seem to find anything to populate the
sheet with even if I had removed the design table references from the
parts themselves.

Cheers,

John

 

Hi Dale,

I have, on each part, one dimension that drives every other dimensionf
the part. These 'other' dimensions are based on a formula that is
typically a set percentage of the base dimension.

The base dimension in each part is driven by a design table that I have
also embedded in each part.

In turn, these dimensions are driven off of a master design table I
have created in excel.

So if I change one parameter in excel (I.E. scale %) it will
automatically change all the dimensions down to the equations I have
created in SW. However, this does not happen in "real-time". I
basically have to close the part and reopen it and then choose to edit
the design table for each and then close it. Only then do the changes
get reflected on the screen.

This is ok I guess but there has got to be an easier way? I know how
to do SW equations and formulas in Excel. "in-context sketch
relations" and "envelope part(s)" are new to me.

Thanks!

John

 

Hi Anna,

No I am not THAT John

I am just an individual trying to come up with some of his own designs.

Cheers,

John

 

Wow Anna, that Rasterpus is a beauty. Is it still flying? What was
the final weight?

Here is my very first design, 28% Yak54. Not perfectly scale but I
designed it with a view towards having it as nimble as possible. This
design was also the first time I had utilized any CAD program
(Autocad). I've since discovered Solidworks which obviously is way
better for our needs.

Here's a pic of the Yak:
http://putfile.com/pic.php?pic=5/12619455463.jpg&s=f5
Also a short video of the maiden...the canopy fell off mid flight
though!
http://media.putfile.com/Yak-54-Maiden

Cheers,

John