updating sketches automatically in an Assy

[3DJohn]

Hello hopefully someone can help,

I am using the weldment profile feature to make a simple assembly with vertical and horizontal extrusions. It is my understanding that the benefit of using a weldment profile is that it will automatically update in an assembly when the individual sketch is changed in it's respective part drawing. So far I am unable to get this to work. If anybody has any information on the best way to get this to work (the automatic update), I would be greatly appreciative.

Also if weldment profiles are not auto updatable in assemblies, then what is? I've tried blocks and run into similar problems. Thanks so much for any help.

John

John,

Weldment sketches should automatically update for you and so should everything else within the assembly. Are you working with large assemblies? If so, there is a Tools-Option in SW 2006 that suspends automatic rebuild when working with large assemblies. I think this option is in earlier releases as well.

Look at your settings in Tools-Options-(System Options Tab)-Assemblies. There you will be able to set the threshold of components before it is considered a large assembly and select options you want or don't want when the large assembly mode is active.

Best Regards,
Jon

[3DJohn]

I do not have the Large Assembly option turned on, so this shouldn't be the problem.

This is a post from another forum:
"Unfortunately, weldments do not update automatically even when rebuilt to reflect the changes in the profile sketch. In order to update the structural members it is necessary to edit the feature, change the profile and then change back to the desire profile to update the member."

Does anyone else disagree with this or know a way around it? We are going to start a big project using weldments, but if I can't find a solution to this I'm thinking about not using weldments.

[phinneas55]

When you say that you update the sketch do you mean the profile itself or the sketch defining the profile's path? If you change the sketch that defines the paths, such as the dimensions in a 3D sketch, your assembly should update automatically. However, if you change the weldment profile itself (say, from an I-beam to a C-channel) you will have to redefine some mates in the assembly. If you only change the size of the profile, 1" tube to a 2" tube, the mates should update just fine.