Placing Components

You can quickly position components and create their impacts, on one or several Component Specifications or Form Ejection Component Reservation.

For an easier reading, in the text below Component Specification stands for Component Specification or Form Ejection Component Reservation.

Note: Although several methods are proposed, most users start from the Content Chooser or the Catalog Browser on the context toolbar.

See About Place Components for more details.

The stages in this procedure are as follows:

Place a Selected Component

You can automatically position a selected component on an Component Specification and create the corresponding impacts and/or cuts.

  1. From the Component Use section of the action bar, click Place Components .
  2. Select a Component.
    It is identified in the 3D area.
  3. Alternatively, select one or several Component Specifications, a reference in a search result list and Place Components from the context toolbar.

    All capabilities of the context toolbar described below are available.

  4. On its context toolbar, select and select a target element.

    Note: The connection move is always performed from the selected element to the target element. Be careful to select them in the right order. The context toolbar is available only inside the active object context.

    All the compatible Component Specifications found on the target element are displayed.
  5. Select the required Component Specification.
    The selected Component is positioned automatically on this Component Specification, with a rigid mechanical constraint between the Hook and the Component Specification.
    Note: If there is only one compatible Component Specification on the target element, the Component is positioned automatically on it (no need to select the Component Specification).
  6. Once the Component is positioned, drag the Robot that appeared on the Component to apply an offset, or rotate the Component.
  7. If Adaptive Components is started, see Reconnecting Adaptive Components in the Context.

    Adaptive Components is started if:

    • You have selected an Adaptive Component with features with external references or isolated features.
    • The Adaptive Component has been saved and can be duplicated (New Reference).
    • Automatic Reconnection at Component Selection has been previously selected in Adaptive Components.

Retrieve a Component (Search or Catalog) and Place it on a Component Specification

You can retrieve a Component from the Content Chooser or the Catalog Browser on the context toolbar, position it on a selected Component Specification, and create the corresponding impacts.

The search can be made easier by preparing both the Component Specifications and the Components of your project.

  1. Prepare the Component Specifications as explained in Defining Component Specifications.
  2. Prepare the Components as explained in Editing the Dimension Properties of Components.
  3. Select the Component Specification on which you want to position a Component.
  4. Select to search a Component.
    Depending on the preferences, a filtering is done on the type then the dimensions, based on information contained in the Component Specification:
    • Expected type
    • Diameter
    • Width
    • Height
    • Length
    • Thickness

    Only Components of the expected type and dimensions are proposed.

    Notes:
    • If the Component Specification has been defined with nominal dimension values, Components with those nominal values are proposed.
    • If the Component Specification has been defined with a range of dimension values, Components within that range are proposed.

  5. Alternatively, select to select a Component in a catalog.

    Important: Filtering is done according to active Preferences Smart Mechanical Components: General.

    Be aware that Filter on Dimensions requires that a mapping between the Component Specifications or the Form Ejection Component Reservations and the catalog chapter of the Components has been done in Data Setup.

  6. Once the Component is selected, proceed as explained in Place a Selected Component.

Use the Context Toolbar

The next commands are proposed according to the selection.

  1. On the context toolbar, select:
    • Reverse to invert the Z-Axis of a preview, and create the instance of the Component in the opposite direction.
    • New Instance .
    • New Reference .

      If the Component has Isolated Features, Adaptive Components is automatically started.

    • On Selected Component Specification to place the Component only on the selected Component Specification.
      • With New Instance: Inserts a new instance of the selected Component on the selected Component Specification.
      • With New Reference: Inserts a duplication of the selected Component on the selected Component Specification.
    • All Compatible Component Specifications to place the Component on all the selected Component Specification.
      • With New Instance: Inserts a new instance of the selected Component on all the selected Component Specifications.
      • With New Reference: Inserts a duplication of the selected Component on all the selected Component Specifications. Modifying one duplication does not modify the others.
      Tip: Click the preview of a proposed position to de-activate it. No instance of the Component is created on de-activated previews.
      Note: Do not remove the first instance nor the first Component Specification of the pattern.
    • All Compatible Component Specification - Single Duplication to duplicate the selected Component once and inter an instance of this duplication on each compatible Component Specification. Modifying one instance modifies all the others.
    • Create Assembly Pattern with Component Specifications Pattern to create an associative pattern and place the Component on all positions of the pattern. If the pattern is modified (positions or number of instances), update of instances is automatic (They are moved or instances are added).
      Tip: Click the preview of a proposed position to de-activate it. No instance of the Component is created on de-activated previews.

      Edit the Assembly Pattern to reactivate previews.

    • Impacts
    • No Impact
  2. Select one or several Component Specifications and a Component and choose Populate with Selected to instantiate the reference (Component) on the selected Component Specifications.
  3. Select several Component Specifications then or to populate them.

    Filtering is not proposed. The Components are instantiated. Place Components is started.

  4. Select an already populated Component Specification then or to replace the current component by another.
  5. Select Adaptive Components .

    See Reconnecting Adaptive Components in the Context.

    • The UI Active defined before starting Adaptive Components define the context used for automatic reconnection (Change the UI Active if all required publications are not found).
    • Left-click the selector to select another Adaptive Component.

      Changes on the first Adaptive Component are kept.