How to handle this family of parts

You have a bunch of parts.

They all are similar, but have some different lengths that can range within an interval.

You want to be able to place these parts in your assemblies and get the correct parts list. 

Using a “normal” ipart is not an option, because the parts can differ of small length increments within the interval, and the ipart will end up with a very large number of rows.

The custom ipart seems like the best solution for this.

You can create an ipart with three rows and define the lengths columns as Custom Parameter Columns.

 

When you insert the ipart in the assembly, you can specify the desired values for the lengths.

 

By the way, if you want to include the length values in some iproperties of your parts, as, for instance the Part Number, this is not a solution, because, when you insert the part in the assembly, specifying the length values, the equation in the Part Number property field doesn’t update accordingly.

 

In this case, the solution is publishing the custom ipart in an user CC library, setting the lengths columns as key columns.

 

Then editing the Family Table, you can edit the Part Number column properties and set an expression as, for instance, the one in the image below.

 

So, when you need to insert the part in one assembly, you can do it from the Content Center, selecting the option “As Custom”, specifying the desired values for the lengths and saving the file in the desired location with the desired name.

 

The Part Number property of the file will be set correctly.

 

In case, later on, you need to edit the part you have published, you can open one member of the family with the command Open from Content Center and the option “As Custom”.

 

Make your changes and save the file.

Then, in the CC Editor, select the user library in the Library field, select the family, right-click, Replace Family Template, and select the file you have modified.

 

Ale

Comments

[Ken]

Thanks heaps for your tutorial on this part of custom content centers.

I was struggling to get the length to be a variable ("As Custom") you could select before placing the part into an assembly.

Works perfect and thanks again.