Instantiating Flexible Fasteners

You can use Spot Fastener Creation to instantiate flexible fasteners. Choosing fastener references, locations and fastening stacking parts can be done in any order.

This task shows you how to:

See Also
Creating Flexible Fasteners

Specify the Stacking

You can specify the stacking by selecting a bundle. To help you specify it, you can also use Autostacking. For more information, see Specifying a Stacking Using Autostacking.

  1. From the Fastener section of the action bar, click Spot Fastener Creation .
    By default, the stacking selection mode is on.
  2. If Auto Bundle Location is selected, an existing bundle with specified stacking is used for instantiating the fastener. If there is no bundle, a bundle is created. If Auto Bundle Location is cleared, search for a bundle using a search capability. For more information, see Specify Options.
  3. The top area of the dialog box displays the list of the stacking parts. This list is composed of three columns:
    • Pilot: indicates the pilot part. "P" appears in the first row as the first part is always the pilot part.
      Important: You cannot specify as pilot part a part other than the first part.
    • Fastened Parts: indicates the instance names of the selected stacking parts.
  4. In the tree, or in the 3D area, select the parts to define the stacking.
  5. Use the different commands to organize the stacking.

    For more information, see About Organizing Stackings.
    Tip: To locate stacking parts easily, right-click a stacking part and select Center Tree or Refame On.

Locate the Instances

You can select points to locate flexible fastener instances.

  1. Click Points.
  2. Select one of the following:

    • Points
    • Geometrical sets: all the points inside the selected geometric set are considered as fastener locations.
    Recommendation: Select points from a single skeleton for one stacking group so as to obtain one skeleton per stacking group.

  3. Optional: Select Smart Projection.
    Possible correct projections are identified. They are calculated according to the selected stacking parts. For more information, see About Smart Projection.
  4. To exit the geometry selection mode, do one of the following:
    • Click Exit button.
    • Click any stacking parts from Stacking.
    • Click the reference editor to enable the reference selection command.

Specify the Fastener Reference

You can select the fastener reference in multiple ways.

  1. Do one of the following:
    • In the 3D area, select a fastener reference.
    • In the tree, select a fastener reference.
    • If you clicked Reference Editor, the reference selection wizard is displayed. You can then select a reference in session, select a reference from Catalog., or you can search for a reference.
  2. Optional: To verify the reference properties, click View Reference Properties .
    Note: You cannot modify these properties.

Specify Options

  1. Expand the Options frame.
  2. Optional: To project the fastener location on the pilot part, select Project on Pilot Part.
  3. Optional: To restrict the location to selected points, select Restrict to point selection. If this option is cleared, you can select any geometry. In this case, an explicit fastener is created.
  4. Optional: Select Auto Bundle Location.
    An existing bundle with specified stacking is used for instantiating the fastener. If there is no bundle, a bundle is created. If this option is cleared, you must either select a bundle manually, or search for a bundle using one of the following commands:
    • Search from Session : the bundles for the selected stacking are searched in the session.
    • Search from Database : the bundles for the selected stacking are searched in the database.
  5. Optional: Select Allow duplicate stack part selection to be able to select the same part twice in the stacking frame. If this option is cleared, you cannot select the same part again.
  6. Optional: Select a preview mode from this list:

    • K-Vector
    • Technological
    • Axis
    • Reference
    • Thickness
    For more information, see About Previewing Fasteners Instances.

    Selected previews are colored blue.

    Tips:
    • Click any preview to select a fastener preview.
    • to select an additional preview, press Ctrl and select another preview.
    • Clicking in empty space makes the current selection vanish.
    Contextual commands are available on selected fastener previews: .For more information, see About Previewing Fasteners Instances.

    For example, you can select Thickness to preview the thickness computed at the current location for the current stacking.
    The Computed Stacking Thickness Is Displayed in Black.

    Tip: To enforce a thickness value, click the computed thickness value and enter the new value. The enforced value is displayed in yellow. . To retrieve the computed value, click Reset .

Specify the Bundle Location

  1. Expand the Advanced Options frame.
  2. Optional: By default, the bundle is positioned under the common father node. Clear Common father node if you need to use the bundle under the active product node.

Apply Different Colors to the Parts

  1. Optional: Expand Legend.
  2. Optional: Select Activate 3D Coloring to apply colors to the different parts in the 3D area.
  3. Select either of the following:

    • Pilot Non-Pilot : applies the different colors to the pilot part and other parts in the stacking.
    • Primary Secondary: applies the different colors to the parts fastened by the primary fastener and the parts fastened by secondary fasteners.

    The colors are applied according to the color schemed defined. For more information, see About Colored Stacking Parts.