split part absolute nightmare

HI everyone,

I've has a nightmare with the split part tool, and would love some help. I
have apart which is split into four separate parts, which are then put into
a couple of sub assemblies in another assembly. I have made revisions to the
parts, and saved new assemblies, ensuring that I update the assembly
references and everything goes up a revision number.

I've now had to go back and edit the original part that was split up, and my
split comand doesn't reference the new revisions of my subsiduary parts, and
what's even worse is it's got confused with which part should be called
what. Now my derived parts are all wrong, and if I edit the split command to
try and re-create the reference I will overwrite my other parts, which have
many subsequent features - which I would hae to do ALL OVER AGAIN.

So I'm basically in a right mess as I cant find anyway to get the correct
reference back without destoying my hours of hard work......

For future reference, does anyone know how to keep the split-part feature
updating with the names of the new-references parts if you create new
revisions?

Many thanks,

Lee

 

Did you (A) create your other parts DURING the split part command, or did
you (B) split your part into multiple bodies, insert that entire part into
the child parts and delete the extra bodies in the child part before going
on with adding features?

If you performed option A, I can not help you. I have been preaching that
split part is a disaster for a long time, and I hope for your sake that I am
terribly wrong. The first time I tried it the resulting assembly failed
just like you described, and I refused to use it again precisely because I
knew I could get into a position like you are currently in.
I do have an idea for a workaround, but it I need to think about it for a
while... if no one else steps up, I'll take a crack at it

If you did option B, all you have to do is edit the delete bodies in the
child parts and, in my experience, everything will rebuild OK and you will
be up and running right away.

Either way, good luck.
-Ed

 

I came to the same conclusion using the A method. Don't remember
exactly the details, but it had to do with changes and filenames....

 

I don't think its as bad as everyone is saying. I think you can get back
to where you want to be. I've just done a big project using the split
feature, and yeah, it's a pain in the ass, and kind of quirky, but it
does work.

First, did you put the revision level in the file name? If you did, then
shame on you, you deserve what happened. ;op If not, then I apologize
for assuming you did something that obvious.

However it happened, it sounds like the file names for the parts are no
longer what they were when you assigned them in the Split feature. All
you've got to do is change the part names back to what the Split Feature
thinks they should be, close everything down, then reopen the part with
the split feature in it, then open the split out parts and assemblies.
If you do that, the base body of the split out parts will update and the
subsequent features will be applied to the updated base body. In fact, if
you take an unrelated existing part, and name it what the Split Feature
is looking for in the same location, SW will put the split out body into
the unrelated part, and adopt the part as its own.

Don't do it the other way around. If you change the file name in the
Split Feature, it will overwrite the parts and you WILL lose all your
additional features.

As far as the split parts changing names, well, I think that's unlikely
(unless you changed the number of bodies coming into the split feature).
What's more likely is that the way the tag things are set up is very
confusing, and you very often can't tell which body you are naming until
after its done. The leaders for the tags usually point to a spot right
on the boundary of different bodies, which means you have a 50/50 chance
of naming it the right name.

Anyway, this is all kind of confusing and convoluted, and I swore a lot
before I figured out how it works. I tested the method outlined above on
something simple, and it does work.

matt

 

If you edit the parent part before the split, and any changes cause the
bodies (solid and surface) leading into the split feature to change, how
have you found it to react? I have had child parts, without changing their
file names, mind you, completely lose their link to thair parent part - with
no error shown!. I have also had child parts that lag one revision behind
the parent part at all times (still scratching my head over that one). And I
have not been able to resurrect the link through file name switcheroos
because none of the file names changed. Any experience/insight there?

 

If I dont put the revision level in the file name, then the part stays as
the same name and how do I revert back to an earlier version if it doesn't
all work out? Is there some automatic revision feature in SW that I dont
know about?

 

Exactly - you go in and edit the tree above the split part feature, and if
your not lucky then bang, things go mental, and the derived parts all go to
pieces.

Even if you hide a body before the split, this can cause SW to lose it.

 

Yeah, that's what I meant by "(unless you changed the number of bodies
coming into the split feature)". I only deal with solids with the Split
feature because, well, I guess because it uses surfaces to split, but
won't split a surface out to a separate file.

What I've done when the number of solid bodies changes is to make the
change, then wait and see how it will determine a name for that body, and
which part it assigns the new combination of bodies to. (Don't get me
going on multibody naming problems) Then if necessary, change the file
name in the split feature, close everything down, rename the split out
part to the new name, open the original part, and the split out part will
update.

Is it beautiful? No.

I haven't seen that, and wouldn't expect it unless files were moved or
renamed. Don't know what to tell you there.

Sometimes a ctrlQ encourages things to synch up. Sometimes I close down
all the parts except the original, edit the definition of the Split
feature, green check out of the split feature, then open the parts. I
think that has cured any non-synched problems I have seen.

I did a set of bathroom fixtures for a company where the original designs
came from marketing, and engineering had no clue how to make them, so I
designed everything (like a double towel bar fixture) as a single part.
Then as engineering got involved, I started breaking the parts out. I
had to get creative when some of the parts were reused, like a single
screw-in finial used in 4 places on the finished product. In those
situations, I only split out the parts I needed and used assembly
techniques to place the additional parts where they needed to be.

There were 7 fixtures in each collection and 6 collections, so probably
200 piece parts. I wasn't going to draw each part individually and then
wait for the engineers to say that they wanted these parts combined,
those parts split, to cast this one differently, etc. Split technique
was the best way to approach the design.

The main problem with this came when I had other people start helping me
to do the details, like mounting holes, setscrew holes, etc. Everyone
else had a difficult time (or simply refused) working with my split out
parts. Especially when the engineers changed their minds and wanted
things assembled differently.

Also, the customer wanted fully detailed prints, which is where most of
the project time was wasted. If you like to insert model dimensions,
split features are not for you.

Just be aware of the possible downstream problems with getting other
people to work with your data and making drawings.

matt

 

Yeah, that's a problem. You can't keep doing things the way you're doing
them, you can see what problem that causes.

PDMWorks or any other SW integrated pdm app would allow you to return to
old revisions.

If you want to do it manually, make folders for parts with different rev
levels and move the parts to folders. This will be messy too.

If you need to get access to old rev levels, I definitely recommend a PDM
application. Renaming files causes problems with assemblies and incontext
references. Split parts create incontext-type references.

good luck

matt.

 

I'm currently working with a split feature with two child parts. I went
through several revisions of the parent and several of the children, without
a problem.
The split feature was not made in the context of an assembly but all 3 parts
(parent and childs) are placed in the same assembly, where the childrens
gets more features. The parent part is not visible because the split feature
consumes the bodies so it not in the way. I hid it in the BOM.
Is it because they are not looking in a closed file that they all updates
correctly? Everything that's referenced in a way or in another is open when
I work on these parts.

Marc