This blog is Part 5 of a multi-part blog and video series examining the differences of creating a simple bookcase using Top-Down Assembly Modeling and Multi-body Part Design techniques. In this blog, we will examine the methods used to build configurations for the bookcase created using Top-down Assembly modeling techniques. Both versions of the book case have three configurations that change the dimensions and number of shelves for 3-shelf, 4-shelf, and 5-shelf units.
Top-Down Assembly Bookcase Configurations
In order to have configurations of an assembly, there needs to be configurations set up in the assembly itself and, any individual part files that change with the assembly configurations need to have configurations of their own. In the bookcase example, the assembly level configurations change dimensions in the 3D sketch for length and height (the depth is the same for all configurations), and the instances of the pattern for the adjustable shelf changes with the side panel configurations. The only components that need to have configurations at the part level are the side panels. The side panels have a library feature for the adjustable shelf hole-patterns that change with the different panel configurations which then drives the instance counts in the assembly pattern.
The first step I took was to create the desired configurations within the assembly. Configurations are created easily by right clicking in the grey area of the Configuration Manager and selecting Add Configuration. In this example, I renamed the Default Configuration and added two more.
Examine the images below. In the Feature Manager Tree, double clicking the 3D sketch will reveal the dimensions that drive the size of the bookcase. While holding down the CTRL key, select the Length and Height dimension and right click in the graphics area. From the contextual menu select Configure Dimension, (below left image). This will open up the Modify Configurations dialogue as shown in the image below right. As you can see, the Height and Length dimensions are set for the three configurations.
This will drive the size of the bookcase for the different configurations. Since all of the panels are related to the 3D sketch, simply changing these dimensions will change all of the panel sizes. The other thing to address at the assembly level is the pattern for the adjustable shelves for each of the sizes of bookcases. This will require setting up the configurations of the hole-patterns in the Side Panels first.
Refer to the following image. The 5 Shelf configuration is active. Below the Mates folder at the bottom of the Feature Manager Tree is a DerivedLPattern1. The red Design Reference Visualization Arrows show that the pattern is referencing the Adjustable Shelf and the Right Side Panel. It is actually referencing the hole-pattern of the Library Feature part in the Right Side panel to be specific. The idea here is that the Adjustable Shelf panel is patterned in the assembly based on the instance count of the hole-pattern in the Right Side Panel. The component names in the Feature Manager Tree for the Right and Left side panels show configuration names in parenthesis for 5 Shelf configurations. Due to the fact that the Derived Pattern in the Assembly needs the pattern to be defined in the side panels, the individual panel configurations should be defined and the appropriate panel configurations assigned to the correct Assembly Configurations. In the panels, only the hole-pattern needs to be configured because the size is controlled by the 3D sketch in the assembly.
The individual panel configurations for the Right Side Panel are shown in the images below. Notice the 3 Shelf configuration shows the LPattern2 to be suppressed. This is because the 3 Shelf bookcase only has one adjustable shelf represented by the seed instance of the Library Feature Part. The other sizes require a pattern of the Library Feature Part; 2 instances for the 4 Shelf bookcase, and 4 instances for the 5 Shelf Bookcase. Once configurations are created for each of the side panels, each of the Assembly Configurations need to reference the corresponding configurations of the Side Panel. In this example, the assembly configurations are named 3 Shelf, 4 Shelf, and 5 Shelf. I used the same name for the panel configurations so they were easy to match up in the assembly and only the Lpattern instance is configured for the individual panels. As the Assembly configurations are activated, the 3D Sketch drives the sizes of the bookcase and the Derived Pattern of the Adjustable shelf follows the LPattern instances of the side panel configurations.
The above images illustrate how each of the panels are configured. The image displaying the 5 Shelf configuration also shows the LPattern2 feature Property Manager (shown for clarity below as well). Under the Direction 1 group box in the Property Manager, you can see the spacing distance is 12.000in and the instance count is 4. When defining configurations of dimensions or instance counts, look for a small drop down arrow to the right of the dialogue box. (This is highlighted by the red box in the image below).
The icon next to the 12.000in spacing dimension shows All Configurations. The same drop down arrow to the right of the dialogue box for the instance count shows This Configuration. All that is needed to define the panel configurations is to activate a configuration, then edit the LPattern feature and change the instance count appropriately making sure to choose This Configuration. The LPattern feature of the library Feature of the holes is Suppressed in the 3 Shelf configuration, the instance count of the LPattern is 2 for the 4 Shelf panel and 4 for the 5 Shelf panels. Once the configurations are defined in the side panels, return to the assembly and change the configurations of the side panels to match the configurations of the assembly itself. The size of the bookcase changes with the dimensions of the 3D sketch changing with the configurations of the assembly and the shelf patterns change with the Derived Pattern in the assembly being driven by the Lpattern feature changing in the side panel configurations.
The result is a very flexible system of shelves that represent the sizes in our office that I now can use in the office model.
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Stay tuned for more blogs and videos in this series. Topics covered next will be Multi-body part configurations!