DriveWorks Pro 23

How To: Name And Write Rules For Mating To A Face, Plane, Axis or Coordinate System (KB17072701)

How To: Name And Write Rules For Mating To A Face, Plane, Axis or Coordinate System

This topic shows how faces, planes and axis are named in SOLIDWORKS, and how rules are built in DriveWorks that refer to them.

Named faces, planes or axis are required when using the following Generation Tasks:

• Create Angle Mate - Named Face or Plane
• Create Coincident Mate - Plane only
• Create Concentric Mate - Named Face or Axis (only one reference can use an axis)
• Create Coordinate System Mate - Coordinate System
• Create Distance Mate - Plane only
• Create Profile Center Mate - Named Face only

File Names used in Mate References

We strongly recommend that File Names of components being mated do not contain a . (dot).

For example:

Bracket.LeftHand

If this cannot be avoided ensure the Windows Explorer setting to show File name extensions is applied on each machine that can generate models.

Please see Info: SOLIDWORKS System Options - Windows File Explorer for more information.

Naming A Face

To name a Face of a part in SOLIDWORKS:

1. In the SOLIDWORKS graphics area, right click the Face to be named.
2. Expand the menu and select Face Properties.

   

3. In the Entity Property dialog enter a name for the Face
4. Click OK and save the model.

Naming A Plane, Axis or Coordinate System

Planes, Axis and Coordinate Systems are given a name at the point they are created, this can be changed if required:

1. Click on the Plane, Axis or Coordinate System to be renamed in the SOLIDWORKS Feature Manager.

   

2. Enter the new name once the original name is highlighted.

Referencing Faces, Planes, Axis and Coordinate System

The address of the Mate Selections can be determined by manually mating the same entities in SOLIDWORKS, note the addresses given in the Mate Selections window.

Replace each part of the address with the required result as given in the following sections.

The name of any component is required to be the name given when DriveWorks generates the model.

References In The Assembly The Generation Task Is Applied

Plane or Axis

To reference a plane or axis that exists directly in the assembly to which the Generation Task is applied enter the name of the plane.

For example:

"Front Plane"

Or

"Axis1"

Named Faces

A named face can only exist in a part with geometry, so has not been included in this section.

Coordinate System

To reference the Origin coordinate system that exists directly in the assembly to which the Generation Task is applied enter "Point1@" and the name of the origin coordinate system.

For example:

"Point1@Origin"

To reference a coordinate system that exists directly in the assembly to which the Generation Task is applied enter the name of the coordinate system.

For example:

"Coordinate System1"

References One Level Deep

To reference a face, plane, axis or coordinate system in a direct child of the assembly the mate is created in, the format is as follows:

Plane, Face, Axis or Coordinate System@Model-1@Assembly

Where:

1. Plane, Face, Axis or Coordinate System is the Plane, Face, Axis or Coordinate System Name.

   When using the origin coordinate system see Coordinate Systems above.

2. Model-1 is the generated model name and instance number (replace 1 with the actual instance number).
3. Assembly is the generated assembly name the mate is being created in.

   Including the @Assembly reference is optional for one level deep references.

For example:

"Front Plane@MyPart 9999-1@MyAssembly 9999"

• The generated model name must include the instance number, even if there is only one instance of the component in the Assembly.
• The instance number must include a dash, for example: -1

This format is valid when the reference is a direct child of the assembly the mate is created in (one level deep).

References Two Levels Deep

To reference a face or plane, in a grandchild of the assembly the mate is created in, the format is as follows:

Plane, Face, Axis or Coordinate System@Sub-Assembly-1@Assembly/Model-1@Sub-Assembly

Where:

1. Plane, Face, Axis or Coordinate System is the Plane, Face, Axis or Coordinate System Name.

   When using the origin coordinate system see Coordinate Systems above.

2. Model-1@Sub-Assembly - is the generated model name and instance number (replace 1 with the actual instance number) and the parent generated sub-assembly name.
3. Sub-Assembly-1 - is the generated sub-assembly name and instance number where the grandchild exists (replace 1 with the actual instance number).
4. Assembly - is the generated assembly name the mate is being created in.

For example:

"Front Plane@MySubAssy 9999-1@MyAssy 9999/MyPart 9999-1@MySubAssy 9999"

• The generated model name must include the instance number, even if there is only one instance of the component in the Assembly.
• The generated sub-assembly name must include the instance number for the first sub-assembly reference, immediately after the Plane, Face or Axis name.
• The instance number must include a dash, for example: -1

This format is valid when the reference is a grandchild of the assembly the mate is created in (two levels deep).

Further Levels of Depth

Further levels of depth are built by inserting the parent and child name in the appropriate position, as follows:

Plane, Face, Axis or Coordinate System@Sub-Assembly-1@Assembly/Sub-Sub-Assembly-1@Sub-Assembly/Model-1@Sub-Sub-Assembly

Where:

1. Plane, Face, Axis or Coordinate System is the Plane, Face, Axis or Coordinate System Name.

   When using the origin coordinate system see Coordinate Systems above.

2. Model-1@Sub-Sub-Assembly - is the generated model name and instance number (replace 1 with the actual instance number) and the parent generated sub-sub-assembly name.
3. Sub-Sub-Assembly-1@Sub-Assembly - is the generated sub-sub-assembly name and instance number (replace 1 with the actual instance number) and the parent generated sub-assembly name.
4. Sub-Assembly-1 - is the generated sub-assembly name and instance number (replace 1 with the actual instance number) where the grandchild exists.
5. Assembly - is the generated assembly name the mate is being created in.

For example:

"Front Plane@MySubAssy 9999-1@MyAssy 9999/MySubSubAssy 9999-1@MySubAssy 9999/MyPart 9999-1@MySubSubAssy 9999"

• The generated model name must include the instance number, even if there is only one instance of the component in the Assembly.
• The generated sub-assembly name must include the instance number for the first sub-assembly reference, immediately after the Plane, Face or Axis name.
• The generated sub-sub-assembly name must include the instance number for the first sub-sub-assembly reference.
• The instance number must include a dash, for example: -1

This format is valid when the reference is a great grandchild of the assembly the mate is created in (three levels deep).