Understanding part update and hierarchy

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DougMcK
Posts: 8
Joined: Fri May 19, 2023 2:28 pm

Understanding part update and hierarchy

Post by DougMcK »

New user here with a basic question.

How can I arrange things so that an update of a particular component automatically shows up in multiple instances of the same component in a design?

The overwhelming bulk of my experience is with EDA tools for electronic systems, so I am not familiar with the typical paradigms for this type of tool.

I'm sure this is obvious (once I know how!), but it seems that this must be an essential part of the design for many types of project.

Right now, I'm keeping things simple, and putting stuff together in the "Part" workbench.
Thx
Doug
drmacro
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Re: Understanding part update and hierarchy

Post by drmacro »

DougMcK wrote: Sat May 20, 2023 5:56 pm New user here with a basic question.

How can I arrange things so that an update of a particular component automatically shows up in multiple instances of the same component in a design?

The overwhelming bulk of my experience is with EDA tools for electronic systems, so I am not familiar with the typical paradigms for this type of tool.

I'm sure this is obvious (once I know how!), but it seems that this must be an essential part of the design for many types of project.

Right now, I'm keeping things simple, and putting stuff together in the "Part" workbench.
Thx
Doug
The Part workbench can use any of the tools in Draft workbench. Draft Array tools or, probably, Draft Clone.

There is also the Latice2 workbench.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan: Spock: "...His pattern indicates two-dimensional thinking."
DougMcK
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Joined: Fri May 19, 2023 2:28 pm

Re: Understanding part update and hierarchy

Post by DougMcK »

Thanks for the reply.

Based on your suggestion, I switched to the Draft workbench, used Modification -> Clone to make a copy/clone of a compound part. Then I modifed the original, and the clone did not change.

So, I guess that may be a quick way to make a copy (though colors weren't copied) but it doesn't exhibit the type of behavior I am looking for.

Thx
doug
drmacro
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Re: Understanding part update and hierarchy

Post by drmacro »

DougMcK wrote: Sat May 20, 2023 7:39 pm Thanks for the reply.

Based on your suggestion, I switched to the Draft workbench, used Modification -> Clone to make a copy/clone of a compound part. Then I modifed the original, and the clone did not change.

So, I guess that may be a quick way to make a copy (though colors weren't copied) but it doesn't exhibit the type of behavior I am looking for.

Thx
doug
Since I know (and just tested) that a Draft clone of a Part workbench solid, does follow the changes made to the original solid either I don't understand your desired behavior or one of us doesn't know how to use Draft Clone. ;) I'm guessing I don't know what you want.

Maybe it is my use of version 0.21?
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan: Spock: "...His pattern indicates two-dimensional thinking."
DougMcK
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Joined: Fri May 19, 2023 2:28 pm

Re: Understanding part update and hierarchy

Post by DougMcK »

Hmm, I suspect it's more likely I don't know how to use Draft Clone, but I am using 0.19.

I hadn't realized I'd fallen behind so much since I last experimented with the tool. I'll upgrade and take another look this evening.
Doug
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almanegra
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Re: Understanding part update and hierarchy

Post by almanegra »

DougMcK wrote: Sat May 20, 2023 5:56 pm How can I arrange things so that an update of a particular component automatically shows up in multiple instances of the same component in a design?
I'm guessing that you want to change some parameters (the radius of a circle for example) and this change has an effect on different circles of your part, right?
DougMcK
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Re: Understanding part update and hierarchy

Post by DougMcK »

almanegra wrote: Tue May 23, 2023 6:01 am
DougMcK wrote: Sat May 20, 2023 5:56 pm How can I arrange things so that an update of a particular component automatically shows up in multiple instances of the same component in a design?
I'm guessing that you want to change some parameters (the radius of a circle for example) and this change has an effect on different circles of your part, right?
Right. I'm sure this is a very common scenario, and it certainly is in electronics (or programming of course). Consider the project I'm using, in part, to learn FreeCad:

I want to model the framework to support a few solar panels, so I;
1. draw the bracket that attaches the panel to a tube
2. draw the tube
3. make a new part containing a tube and two brackets arranged correctly.
4. make a new part containing two of the combined tube-and-two-brackets plus a panel all positioned correctly.
5. make a new part containing two of the above parts, described in (4) placed correctly on a main mounting rail.

You can see that there is a hierarchy and the bracket, drawn in step one, shows up a total of 8 times. Now, say I would like to change the bracket, I would like to have that change naturally propagate through the entire design so that I end up with 8 new brackets.
(Clearly there are circumstances in which I would not want that to happen, and want one "special" bracket, but that's not the question at hand).

What is the "official" or most sensible way of approaching this?

Regards
Doug
drmacro
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Re: Understanding part update and hierarchy

Post by drmacro »

So, it is not simply having a parametrized hole, which is what I took from the OP.

You could simply use 8 clones and they would follow any changes to the source.

You could also use one of the assembly workbenches. Then insert the first model into the assembly 8 times.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan: Spock: "...His pattern indicates two-dimensional thinking."
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LVAeronautics
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Re: Understanding part update and hierarchy

Post by LVAeronautics »

DougMcK wrote: Sat May 20, 2023 5:56 pm New user here with a basic question.

How can I arrange things so that an update of a particular component automatically shows up in multiple instances of the same component in a design?

The overwhelming bulk of my experience is with EDA tools for electronic systems, so I am not familiar with the typical paradigms for this type of tool.

I'm sure this is obvious (once I know how!), but it seems that this must be an essential part of the design for many types of project.

Right now, I'm keeping things simple, and putting stuff together in the "Part" workbench.
Thx
Doug
This tutorial video might be of help to you. This guy's channel is highly recommended!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6lMaQiIlKo
"Testing leads to Failure, and Failure leads to Understanding" -Burt Rutan
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almanegra
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Re: Understanding part update and hierarchy

Post by almanegra »

LVAeronautics wrote: Tue May 23, 2023 3:44 pm
This tutorial video might be of help to you. This guy's channel is highly recommended!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6lMaQiIlKo
Agreed!

The next video in that playlist may also help with this case.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZNAOc40Bbg
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