Using the System Assignment Assistant

You can manage item to operation assignments using the System Assignment Assistant. You can also manage fastener assignments using the assistant.

The assistant is a tool for defining assignments through a manipulation of products or fasteners, but the created links are actually between items and operations. It provides a way to visualize items through products and fasteners.

Before you begin: Open your session data in Process Planning.
See Also
About the System Assignment Assistant
Multi-Assigning and Unassigning Items Using the Assistant
  1. From the Authoring section of the action bar, click System Assignment Assistant and select a system.

    The System Assignment Assistant dialog box appears.

  2. Click a source and destination system/operation from the right-hand and left-hand system/operation lists.

    If you select the command, the dialog box disappears allowing you to select a system or operation in the System Editor. It reappears when a selection is made.

    The System list initially opens with Not Assigned. The list of systems is filled automatically.

    You can select a system for assignment/unassignment of products (or parts) and fasteners. If Not Assigned option is selected, all the products and fasteners that are not assigned to any system are listed.

    The Operation list shows the operations that are running on the system.

  3. Click the Show Lower Scope Objects check box to display items from lower scopes.
  4. Use the 3D Preview to display the products and fasteners in 3D viewers, which offer zoom and pan capabilities. Right-click in the viewer to access a context menu:
    • Show in Context: Assigned products are displayed in transparent mode and selected products are displayed normally. Otherwise, all products linked to the selected system and operation are displayed.
    • Show Only Selected: Only selected products are displayed. Otherwise, all products linked to the selected system and operation are displayed.
    • Reframe: The view is reframed after each assignment. Otherwise, the current view is kept.

    The products that are listed for a selected system are the products that are worked by the underlying system. All the operations of a system are used to calculate the list of products available to the system.

    Products are implemented by an item. Items are assigned to systems through their operations. The products are implemented by a system through the operations of the system.

    Some products that have not been implemented by any item. These products will not be listed in the Products column.

    Individual fasteners are displayed. The fasteners for the system are calculated in a similar way to the products.

    Assign products and fasteners using the lists in the corresponding part of the dialog box.

  5. Use the find parts options:
    • Find Parts Joined by Selected Fasteners option: Selected fasteners and all joined parts are highlighted in the viewer and lists.
    • Find Parts Linked to Selected Parts option: When you select a part, all joining parts are highlighted in the viewer and product list:
    The products that are displayed are based on the selected system. If Not Assigned is selected, then the products that are not assigned to any system are displayed.

    The arrow push commands and are used to assign and unassign products to the system. Multi-Selection is possible.

    The Assigned and Selected fields display the number of assigned and selected products.

    When the assignment is made, a link is created between the item implementing the product and the operation clicked in the Operation list. This creates the assignment between the product and the system.

    The assignment also creates a Loading operation to implement the item linked to the selected product.

    To break the assignment, remove the implement link between the operation and the item implementing the product. This way the product is unassigned from the system.

  6. Use the find and check fasteners options:
    • Find Fasteners Joining Selected Parts option: Selected parts and all joining fasteners are highlighted in the viewer and lists.
    • The Find Fasteners Linked to Selected Parts option: Selected parts and all linked fasteners are highlighted in the viewer and lists.
    • Check the Status of Assigned Fasteners option: Status icons are displayed in front of each fastener string in the list.

      When all parts linked to the fastener are assigned to the system where the fastener is located, the status icon is a green check mark.

      When a few parts linked to the fastener are still unassigned to the system where the fastener is located, the status icon is a red cross mark.

    Fastener assignments to a system are done in a similar way as for products. However, fastener assignment creates:
    • A Point Fastening operation to implement the Fasten step linked to a selected fastener.
    • A Curve Fastening operation to implement the Fasten step linked to a selected bead fastener.
    • A Remove Material operation to implement the Remove Material step linked to a selected fastener.

    Diameter, Category, and Depth lists offer the ability to filter the fasteners displayed in the fasteners list by diameter, category and/or depth. The depth filter is useful when the assigned item is a Remove Material step.

    A Filter list is available to filter fasteners available on one side of the assistant with respect to the system clicked in the other side. In this way, you can list only those fasteners that are assignable. The options are as follows:

    • All Fasteners: all fasteners assigned to the selected system are visible
    • Assignable Fasteners: fasteners that are valid to assign to the other system are listed. Valid fasteners are all fasteners joining parts that are assigned on the other system (directly and indirectly assigned).

    Note: The filter on the left filters the left fasteners list according to system selected on the right. The filter on the right filters the right fasteners list according to system selected on the left. If Not Assigned is clicked in the left System list, then the right fasteners filter is disabled (and vice versa).
  7. Click Close when the assignments are complete.