Managing Design Changes

You can manage design changes by replacing the impacted design by another.

Before you begin:

  • The Manufacturing Cell must have been propagated at least once.
  • Impacted relations are rerouted automatically only if there are links pointing to publications.

  1. Open the PPR Context where you need to manage design changes.


  2. Check there are links pointing to the publications of the geometry.

    When a geometrical element is selected, Machining Operations are automatically linked to the publication of the geometry (if any).

    1. Go to the Geometry tab of the Machining Operation dialog box. In the context menu of the sensitive icon select Analyze
      The Publication Name appears in the Geometry Analyser dialog box.

    2. Or select Edit > Links & Relations
      Links to publication are found under Set:

  3. The first possibility is to replace the 3D Part containing the part to machine (Shape To Machine Product35604) by another 3D Part containing the new design.
    1. Double-click Shape To Machine Product35604
      You are now in the VPM Physical Editor.
    2. Right-click Shape To Machine Product35604 and select Replace / By Existing in the context menu that appears.
    3. Select Automatically reconnect in the dialog box.
    4. Select another 3D Part from the session or search one.

      In our example we have selected Part2_Product35603, with publications having the same names as the original design.

    Each link pointing to a publication of the part is rerouted automatically to the new publication, with identical name.

  4. The second possibility is to replace a complete Setup Assembly product (here SetUpAssembly_A).

    Important: The automatic reroute works only on links pointing a publication defined at the Setup Assembly product level. When a publication is defined at part level, a new publication (of this publication) must be created at product level.

    1. Double-click SetUpAssembly_A
      You are now in the VPM Physical Editor.
    2. Right-click SetUpAssembly_A and select Replace / By Existing in the context menu.
    3. Select Automatically reconnect in the dialog box that appears
    4. Select another product from the session or search one.

      In our example, we have selected SetupAssemblyB, with publications having the same names as the original design.

    Each link pointing to a publication of the product is rerouted automatically to the new publication, with identical name.

  5. When a manual reconciliation is needed:

    Note: This happens when automatic reconciliation fails (or is not requested) or when the replacement is done outside of the PPR Context, geometry links of operations being seen as Not found

    1. Select Edit > Links & Relations and the Manufacturing Program.

    2. Use the Reconnect Assistant that appears to fix the broken links.