Method

 

 

 

 

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A method document defines a sequence of multiple commands to automate modeling tasks, resulting in significant time savings for repetitive modeling processes.

 

Creation stages:

 

  1. Create a new document (such as Part, Assembly, etc.) and create operations you want to replicate.

  2. Create a new Method document from the Advanced of the New Document command.

  3. Declare its generic document from the Tools > Generic Document command.

  4. From the Geometric Generics, Parts, Generics ... folders of the entities tree, drag and drop the desired elements into the Drivers folder.

  5. Make sure that the Operations folder has been properly completed.

  6. Save your document.

 

 

 

  • TopSolid does not create a link between the method and the document in which it is included.

  • The Operations folder is automatically completed with all the operations (including their construction history) performed on the entity dragged into the Drivers folder.

  • Attributes of entities within the generic document (such as colors, line thickness, etc.) are preserved upon applying the method.

 

 

  • If an existing entity in the Operations folder is dragged into the Drivers folder, it will be automatically removed from the Operations folder. However, in this scenario, an operation that was necessary for constructing the element just added to the drivers (such as a sketch) will remain in the operations folder. And if it relies on an element that is also a pilot, it will be reconstructed applying the method. Since this reconstruction is unnecessary (as its back reference is a driver), it is possible to avoid it by basifying its geometry in the generic of the method. As a result, it will be automatically removed from the operations of the method and thus not produced (see examples below).

  • The folders created in the operations tree of the generic will be recreated upon applying the method.

 

 

  • The Method document will remain invalid until its generic document is defined and at least one driver is declared.

  • The method replicates operations as they were created in its generic document. If entities are attached to the absolute frame, the same will apply when using the method.

  • The method does not manage deactivated operations.

  • The method does not take into account the position of the Modeling Stage cursor of the Operations tree. Although this cursor is lowered, the operations created by the method will always be placed at the top of the tree.

  • Certain operations cannot be managed by a method. In such cases, the method document remains invalid. Selecting the invalidity icon displays a message listing these unsupported operations, which are highlighted in red in the Operations folder within the entity tree.

  • Parameter handling in Drivers or Optional Drivers of a method:

    • If a parameter is placed in the Drivers folder, TopSolid will use the value entered by the user without recreating the parameter.

    • If a parameter is placed in the Drivers or Optional Drivers folder and is used in the expression of another operation, you will need to specify a parameter name when applying the method (a warning message will be displayed in this case during method application).

    • If a parameter is placed in the Optional Drivers folder and its value is not provided during method application, TopSolid will recreate this parameter (TopSolid will create as many parameters as there are inclusions of the same method, incrementing the parameter name with a suffix).

    • If a parameter is placed in the Optional Drivers folder and its value is provided during method application, TopSolid will use the value entered by the user without recreating the parameter.

 

 

 

Use:

 

  1. Create a new document compatible with the method you have created (for example, you cannot use a method with a Part generic into an Assembly document)

  2. Choose the command Tools > Apply Method or drag and drop the method document from the project tree..

  3. Fill driver(s)

  4. Validate.

 

 

  • No preview will be displayed when using a method.

  • If, during the use of a method, an operation fails (because it cannot be constructed), the method stops and does not perform subsequent operations.

 

 

 

Example of method creation/use:

 

We want to create a method with the following operations:

  • A pocket.

  • 4 tapped hole around this pocket.

  • A through spot facing hole.

 

To simplify the positioning of these operations, we will use a constrained frame.

 

  1. Create a new part document containing an arbitrary shape.

  2. Place a constrained frame on its top face

  3. Create a sketch on the XY plane of this frame, with the origin at the frame's origin and its Y-axis as the vertical direction.
  4. Create a parallel profile to this sketch and declare these 4 segments as construction elements.
  5. Make a pocket from the inner profile.
  6. Create a drilling group from the 4 vertices of the parallel profile (with a tapped hole diameter of d_tapped_hole=8mm).
  7. Create a spot facing hole from the constrained frame, using the bottom face of the pocket as the starting face (with spot facing diameter of d_spot_facing=20mm and hole diameter d_spot_facing/2).

 

You also have the option to create machining processes documents to associate colors with the operations. Note that the coloring operation is not managed by the method.

 

  1. Create a new Method document and set the part document as the generic document.

  2. From the entities tree, drag Shape 1 from the Geometric Generics folder into the Drivers folder.

  3. Also, drag Frame 1 into the Drivers folder (you will notice that it is automatically removed from the Operations folder).

  4. Drag the parameters d_tapped_hole and d_spot_facing from the Generics folder into the Optional Drivers folder.

  5. By double-clicking on these drivers, you can add a designation (text that will be displayed in the dialog when applying the method).

  6. Save your method document.

 

  1. Create a new part document and create an arbitrary part within it.

  2. Drag and drop your method document or use the Tools > Apply Method command.

  3. Select the shape and place the constrained frame dynamically.
  4. Modify the driver parameter values if necessary.
  5. Validate the dialog.
  6. Repeat the method application as needed.

 

We observe that the operations are recreated in the operations tree. They can be modified at will (for example, to change the dimensions of the pocket).

Depending on the data entered for the drivers, observe the result in the Parameters folder of the feature tree (see the driver management in the box above).

 

 

 

 

Example of creating and using a method with entity to basify to exclude it from method operations:

 

Method for creating, in an assembly, the housing of one part within another.

 

  1. Create a new part assembly document.

  2. Create an arbitrary block envelope.

  3. Create a sketch on the top face of this block envelope (with dimensions larger than the block envelope).

  4. Change its attributes to a yellow color.

  5. Create an in-place part and extrude the yellow sketch in the Z- direction.

  6. Create a sketch on the top face of the block envelope and project the edges of this face (gray sketch).

  7. Make a trim by profile operation between the gray sketch and the in-place part.

 

  1. Create a new Method document and set the assembly document as the generic document.

  2. From the entities tree, drag the block envelope from the Geometric Generics folder into the Drivers folder.

  3. To be able to select the part you want to trim, also drag the part from the Parts folder into the Drivers folder.

We can see that the sketch that was used to create this part remains in the operations folder. Keep it in this state.

  1. From the entities tree, drag the block envelope from the Geometric Generics folder into the Drivers folder.

  2. By double-clicking on these drivers, you can add a designation (text that will be displayed in the dialog when applying the method).

  3. Save your method document.

 

  1. Create a new assembly document and create 2 parts, one inside the other.

  2. Drag and drop your method document or use the Tools > Apply Method command.

  3. Select the small part as the driver for the block envelope.

  4. Select the large part as the part to modify.

  5. Validate.

 

The trim has been successfully applied, but the yellow sketch from the generic part appears because it is constructed on the block envelope, which is a driver of the method.

It is unnecessary and clutters the assembly.

 

 

  1. Go back to the method’s generic document.

  2. From the Sketches folder of the entities tree, right-click on the yellow sketch and select the Sketch > Others > Basify command.

  3. Open the method document and observe that this sketch is no longer present in the operations folder.

  4. Save the method document.

  5. Apply this method again in an assembly and notice that the yellow sketch is no longer created.