Creating and Using a Component Family

You can create a Component Family from a 3D Part containing a design table. A Component Family proposes dimensional variants of the Component during positioning. You can also select a reference from a Component Family without using a catalog.

This task shows you how to:

Before you begin:

Either:

  • Import a V5 component (containing a design table) using FBDI.
  • Or create a Component in 3DEXPERIENCE and define several dimensional variants in a design table.
Note: The first column of the design table should be named Ref and contain strings of characters characterizing the dimensional variant.

Create a Component Family

You can create a Component Family while defining or placing a Component, or from a context menu.

  1. From the Component Definition section of the action bar, click Define Component .
    If the 3D Part contains a design table and is not already a member of a Component Family, Generate associated Component Family is displayed.
    Note: If you select a Component from a Component Family, Generate associated Component Family is replaced by the name of the Component Family.
  2. Select Generate associated Component Family and validate the Component definition.
    A Component Family is created and associated to the current Component, which becomes the generic model of the Component Family.
  3. Alternatively, select a Component defined without creating the Component Family.
    1. In its context menu, select Create Component Family.
    The Component Family is created without starting Define Component.
  4. Alternatively, in Preferences, select Define Component during Place Component.
    1. From the Mold Design section of the action bar, click Place Components .
    2. Select and position an undefined Component containing a design table.
    The Component Family is generated at the automatic definition of the Component.

Search and Place a Component from a Component Family

You can select the generic model or a resolved reference from a Component Family and place it on a Component Specification.

  1. Select a Component Specification and start Place Component from the context menu or from the action bar.
  2. Search for a Component.
    • At first, as no element of the Component Family has yet been resolved, the result of the search contains only the generic model.

      For example, searching "prd:*M*" results in CapScrew_M.

    • After you have placed several Components of the Component Family, the generated Component references appear in the result.

      For example, searching "prd:*M*" results in CapScrew_M, M5x10, M6x10.

      Note: The title of the generated Component reference is also found in the first column of the Component Family.

  3. Select either a resolved Component reference, or the generic model.
    The Component reference is instantiated on the selected Component Specification.

Select a Dimensional Variant of a Component

You can select a dimensional variant of a Component while you position it.

  1. Start Place Component and search and select a Component from a Component Family.
  2. From the context toolbar select Change dimensions from Component Family.
  3. Select a dimensional variant in the Component Family table.

    Resolved Components are marked in green, unresolved ones are marked in white.

    1. Use the arrows in the column headers to filter the variants.
    2. Click Apply to see the result in the 3D area.