Advanced Components: Training Guide
Advanced Components: Training Guide
Advanced Components
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TopSolid'Design - Advanced Components
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TopSolid'Design - Advanced Components
Contents
Parameterization and Intuitive Components ..................................................................................................... 1
On-the-fly parameterization ..................................................................................................................................... 1
Family with codes ..................................................................................................................................................... 2
Family with optional drivers and thumbnail images................................................................................................. 4
Publishings and local wizard ..................................................................................................................................... 6
Inherited and local processes ................................................................................................................................... 8
Predefined drafting ................................................................................................................................................. 12
Properties ...................................................................................................................................................... 29
Creating and assigning a user property .................................................................................................................. 29
Using the properties ............................................................................................................................................... 30
Notes ............................................................................................................................................................. 38
On-the-fly parameterization
Open the Bumper (Start) document and add the following parameters to the part.
If the parameter already exists (this is the case for the second 8mm dimension), you can select a parameter directly
from the drop-down menu.
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TopSolid'Design - Advanced Components Parameterization and Intuitive Components
Open the buggy assembly named Buggy 4WD OpenRC. Include the family in this document using the drag-and-
drop operation and select the desired code.
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Parameterization and Intuitive Components TopSolid'Design - Advanced Components
From the Entities tree, right-click on the Parameters folder and create a Boolean parameter. Enter the
following values.
From the Operations tree, press the Ctrl key and select the Fillet 2 and Pocket 2 operations, and then right-
click on the selection and select Folder.
Rename the folder Lighter version and condition it by right-clicking on the folder and selecting Others >
Condition. Adjust the condition settings as shown below.
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Note: Make sure that you check the Apply recursively option, which saves you from conditioning the operations
below the folder manually.
Once you have confirmed the operation, the folder and all the operations contained in it are marked with the
symbol (?), which means that the operations are conditioned.
From the family document's Entities tree, drag the D, E and F parameters to the Drivers > Optional Drivers
folder.
Note: TopSolid allows you to add thumbnail images to easily identify each parameter.
To do this, right-click on the Optional Drivers folder and select Drivers Image.
From the training folder, select the Thumbnail for family.png file, and then for each parameter draw a box
around the corresponding area.
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Save the family document and return to the buggy assembly. Edit the bumper inclusion and change the
optional drivers.
Note: The optional drivers allow you to create, from a company's standard model, a unique copy for your specific
application. You can also easily detect incompatibilities in parameterization that make the model invalid, without
making changes to the generic document.
Return to the Bumper generic document and create a frame by point and 2 directions from the
Construction tab.
Note: To ensure a uniform orientation of the frames in our example, the Z direction will always be vertical and X
will be oriented towards the front of the buggy.
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TopSolid'Design - Advanced Components Parameterization and Intuitive Components
Right-click on the frame and select Others > Publish Frame in the Selection section.
Select the Tools > Create Wizard command to create a wizard and add a Frame on Frame constraint
between the publishing and the absolute frame.
Include and position the bumper on the chassis again by clicking on the published frame of the chassis.
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Inherited processes
Inherited processes allow you to inherit the process of a component used in the assembly, for example a screw.
This is the simplest and quickest method, but it cannot apply to all scenarios because you are forced to use
assemblies.
Create an assembly named Equipped bumper and include the Bumper family in this document. Insert two
hexagon socket countersunk head screws ISO 10642 M4 x 12.
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From the Tools tab, select the Processing Parts command in order to inherit the screw processes.
Include and position the equipped bumper in the buggy assembly. The process for the screws follows.
Note: The disadvantage of this method is that you are forced to use an assembly. Here, we have lost the bumper
parameterization; it would have been necessary to create a family of the assembly. This method is not
recommended for a part.
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Local processes
Local processes are used to create a part process or an assembly process. Local means that the process is linked to
the document.
Open the Bumper part document and create a process using the Tools > Create Process command.
Create the following martyr shape.
On this part create two smooth holes that are concentric to the bumper's countersunk holes.
Next create the following collision shape. Since there is no collision between the bumper and the chassis,
TopSolid is not able to determine which part must be drilled.
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Declare the martyr shape using the Tools > Operator command.
Click on Drilling 1. In the Detection Options dialog box, activate the Shape option, select the cylindrical shape,
and then uncheck the Part option. This option indicates to TopSolid that the part itself will collide with the
shape to operate, which it is not our case. Repeat the operation for Drilling 2.
Include and position the Bumper family in the buggy assembly. The chassis is drilled.
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Predefined drafting
The final step in creating an intuitive component is to generate the related drawing. The goal is to save the user of
the component from having to systematically recreate the drafting even if the dimensions/codes change.
In order to save time when setting the dimensions, display the annotations of the front view. To do this, right-
click on the front view and select the Projected Annotations command.
Note: As the component is parameterized, you have to define areas on each view. When resizing the bumper,
TopSolid will adapt the scale and recenter each view.
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Select the View > Layout Sketch command and dimension the sketch as shown below.
Confirm the sketch and launch a view layout optimization using the View > Optimize view layout command.
The views are replaced according to the layout sketch.
Declare the drawing as a predefined drawing using the Tools > Predefined Drafting command.
From the folders Exercise 1 - Parameterization and intuitive components > Predefined draft application, open
the Predefined draft chassis assembly document and include the Bumper family.
Modify the code and the drivers if necessary.
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Right-click on the assembly document's tab and select the Multiple Draftings command. Confirm the
assembly document.
The Template column contains the components that have an existing or predefined drafting. For the other
components, the template that will be used is specified.
In the Options tab, select the Specified folder option for the parts and components, and then select the
destination folder where you want the generated drawings saved by clicking the button. Create a sub-
folder named Draftings in the Exercise 1 folder. Check the Open after creation and Update exist draftings
options.
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Once you have confirmed the operation, you should end up with the following result.
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Part/Assembly Function TopSolid'Design - Advanced Components
Part/Assembly Function
Previously we saw that predefined draftings, processes and wizards can be added to parts/assemblies.
The functions will allow you to quickly assign similar processes/wizards to several components (part or assembly).
In our example, the bumper will always be mounted in the same position and will always have the same mounting
type, whatever the range or type.
Draw the following sketch. Make sure that the sketch is positioned correctly in relation to the absolute frame
since this frame will be used to position the function later.
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TopSolid'Design - Advanced Components Part/Assembly Function
The next step is to publish the elements that will be common to all bumpers:
- the positioning of the bumper (frame)
- the positioning of mounting holes (frames)
- the diameter of holes (parameter)
From the Entities tree, open the Frames folder, and then right-click on Absolute Frame and select the
Others > Publish Frame command.
Publish the parameter A. To do this, open the Parameters folder, and then right-click on A and select the
Others > Publish Real command.
Always from the Assembly tab, select the Define Destination command to add the Chassis function as the
destination.
Confirm the positioning, and then save and close the wizard document.
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Part/Assembly Function TopSolid'Design - Advanced Components
Retrieve the diameter of the drillings (A) using a relay parameter. To do this, go to the Entities tree, right-
click on the Parameters folder and select the Others > Real Relay Parameter command.
Create two drillings on the two frames of the function. For the diameter, use the parameter A.
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TopSolid'Design - Advanced Components Part/Assembly Function
Declare the operator using the Tools > Operator command. Make sure that you select the collision shape
and uncheck the Part option.
Providing a function
From the b - Bumper > Range 1 folders, open the part document named Bumper Range 1.
Provide the Bumper function either by dragging it from the PDM, or using the Tools > Functions > Provide
Function command.
TopSolid creates a new Functions folder in the Entities tree and a Provided Function operation in the Operations
tree.
Fill in the fields as shown below.
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Part/Assembly Function TopSolid'Design - Advanced Components
Save and close the part document, and then update the Bumper Range 1 family document.
From the c - Function application folder, open the Chassis + Bumper assembly and include the Bumper Range 1
family.
The bumper is automatically positioned on the chassis. In the case of several chassis, you should have selected the
destination chassis.
Once you have confirmed the operation, the processes are performed.
You can also assign a function on an imported part.
From the Bumper > Range 2 folder, convert the Bumper Range 2 - Parasolid document, and then open the part
document and provide the function again. You will have to create the required frames manually as shown
below.
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Advanced Parameterization
In this exercise, we will look at other types of parameters with some practical examples. For this exercise, we will
be working in the Exercise 3 - Advanced parameterization folder.
Table parameter
From the a - Table parameter folder, open the Chassis part document. We will parameterize openings in the
chassis which will adjust according to the chassis thickness (parameter B).
A sketch manages all the pockets. The openings of this sketch are adjusted according to the parameter A.
From the Entities tree, right-click on the Parameters folder and select the Others > Table Parameter
command. This parameter will make a value change based on another value.
In the Name field, enter the name of the new parameter, and in the Source
field type B (thickness). Complete the table with the values shown opposite.
Note: The interpolation will affect the intermediate values. The linear
interpolation will make the parameter vary between the source values. For
example, if B=7.5, then C will be equal to 5.
The left and right linear interpolation will work with increments.
For B=7.5:
- Left constant: C=6
- Right constant: C=4
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From the Operations tree, move the Table Parameter (C) operation between the Modeling folder and the
sketch 3.
Edit the parameter A which allows the openings to vary and enter C in the Value field.
Options on part
TopSolid allows you to manage operations using a drop-down menu. To do this, we will use enumeration
documents that make it possible to create options on a component or to activate/deactivate several batches of
operations easily without creating a family. Here, depending on what you choose in the enumeration document,
the chassis will be more or less light.
In the b - Options on part folder, create a new Enumeration document from the Special tab and rename it
Lighter chassis.
Complete the table as shown below.
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From the b - Options on part folder, open the Chassis with options part document.
From the Entities tree, right-click on the Parameters folder and select the Others > User Enumeration
Parameter command.
Select the Lighter chassis enumeration, rename the parameter D and select the None value.
From the Operations tree, create three folders named Stage 1, Stage 2 and Stage 3, and then drag the pocket
operations to the appropriate folder as shown below.
Set conditions for the folders. To do this, right-click on a folder and select the Others > Condition
command.
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Note: The user enumeration parameter can be defined as a driver in a family document.
Options on component
We saw earlier that options and variants can be created on a part. In the following exercise, we will create options
and variants with sub-assemblies, with the aim of designing a wheel for which you can change the dimensions (tire
and rim), the type of tire and the type of rim.
In the c - Options on component folder, create a new assembly document named Wheel.
Open a family of tires (c - Options on component > R Tire) and rims (c - Options on component/Spoked rim).
To drive the tire/rim type, create a family parameter. To do this, use the Construction > Parameters > Other
Parameters > Family Parameter command, and then enter the following values.
To drive the tire + rim dimensions, create a new User Enumeration Parameter, select the Wheel diameter
type, enter a name and select 18 in the Value drop-down list.
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In order to link the user enumeration and both families, we will use switch code parameters. To do this, select
the Construction > Parameters > Other Parameters > Switch Code Parameter command and create the
following two parameters.
Note: This parameter will allow each line of the user enumeration to match to a code available in the selected
family.
Include the Spoked rim family in the assembly. Edit the inclusion and match the document to the family
parameter and the code to the switch code parameter.
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Create a new family document from the Wheel assembly and define the Tire and Rim family parameters and
the Wheel diameter user enumeration parameter as drivers.
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TopSolid'Design - Advanced Components Properties
Properties
The properties are characteristics that appear in all the PDM's documents (part, assembly, drafting, etc.). There are
two types of properties:
- Standard properties (name, part number, author, etc.): These are TopSolid's original properties. You can
access them by right-clicking and selecting the Properties command on any document of the PDM. In
a document, they can also be found in the Entities tree's Parameters > System Parameters folder.
- User properties: These are the custom properties created and assigned by the user. You can access them by
right-clicking and selecting Properties > User properties tab on any document of the PDM. In a
document, they can also be found in the Entities tree's Parameters folder.
Properties can be used and managed in all documents. Here are a few common examples:
- Drafting (title block, text, etc.)
- Bill of material (columns)
- Search module (grouping, sorting, search, etc.)
- Filter (selection by property)
The Domain field classifies and groups the user properties when they are applied.
The Parameter field must indicate a parameter created in the user property. The nature of the parameter will
depend on the user property.
The objective is to allow the user to specify a place of production for his parts.
From the Entities tree, create a Text parameter (the name and designation do not matter), and then select
the text parameter in the Parameter field.
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Create a new Part document. Assign the Production place user property by selecting the Construction >
Parameters > User Property command, and then add a place.
Bill of material
Create a new Bill of material document from the Buggy 4WD OpenRC assembly. Add a User column by
right-clicking on a column and selecting Add Column. Select the Production Type property in the User >
Advanced Components > 1- Project management > User properties section.
Filter
Create a new Filter document from the Advanced tab and rename it Printed parts filter. Select the
Production Type user property, the Equals operator and the 3D printing value.
Open the Buggy 4WD OpenRC assembly and drag the filter into it. Adjust the following settings.
Search module
Open the search module. To do this, right-click on the title bar of a window and select Searches.
In the Searches window, create a new Search document using a blank template.
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In the Type field, check the Part option only, and then click the Apply button.
Indicate that the search must be carried out in the current project.
Select the Production Type property, the Equals operator and the 3D printing value.
Note: You can refine the search by specifying a project, a library or even a folder.
Refresh the search. The results are displayed in the Search Results window.
Note: The results can be grouped by material. To do this, add a Material Name column and drag it to the grouping
area. The structure of the tree will be maintained in the search document.
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TopSolid'Design - Advanced Components Parameterization with Geometrical Drivers
When using the cable, you will just have to specify the orientation of the connector 1, the wire path and the
orientation of the connector 2. For this exercise, we will be working in the Exercise 5 - Geometrical drivers folder.
Create a new assembly named Cable, and then draw the following sketch.
Select the Construction > Directions > Direction command and create the first direction driver by selecting
the Z axis.
Repeat the operation with the X axis.
Select the Construction > Profiles > Profile command and create the profile driver by selecting the sketch.
Note: The complexity of creating components with geometric drivers is that you must never hook on the absolute
frame, but only on geometries that will be used for driving operations. Hide the sketch to prevent any error.
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Create two frames on profile on the profile's ends. For the first frame, select the orientation 1 and for the
second frame select the orientation 2. These frames will be used to position the connectors.
Insert the first connector named XT60 male connector using the following positioning constraints.
- Axis on point between the published axis of the connector and the frame 1.
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- Plane on plane between the connector's internal face and the YZ plane of frame 1.
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Save the part document and create the family. Define the two directions and the profile as drivers.
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Open the Buggy 4WD OpenRC - Cabling assembly and create the connection between the two connectors using
a 3D sketch.
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Notes TopSolid'Design - Advanced Components
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