Creating an Engineering Connection

You can create an engineering connection between components in order to define their relative positions and degrees of freedom. This task shows you how to create .

Before you begin: Open an existing assembly containing 3D shape representations.
Related Topics
About Engineering Connections
Creating an Engineering Connection with Smart Positioning
Engineering Connection Definition
Engineering Connection Definition Dialog Box
Engineering Connection Assistant

  1. Click Engineering Connection .

    The Engineering Connection Definition dialog box appears.



    Important:

    The Engineering Connection Assistant toolbar appears.

    These options help you to select/show relevant or irrelevant components to a regular engineering connection, to use constraints in an engineering connection in order to position components.

    The assembly looks like this.



  2. Select the face as shown on Jack_Pad.1.

    The Engineering Connection Definition dialog box is updated:

    • The first selected element is recognized as a plane in the support list.
    • Jack_Pad.1 is the element which will be repositioned during the PLM update.



    The selected element is highlighted and the 3D shape is displayed in transparency.

    Important:

    Because the Shade Affected option is on the 3D shape is displayed with shading.



  3. Select the face as shown on Jack_Frame.1.

    The Engineering Connection Definition dialog box is updated:

    • The second selected element is recognized as a plane in the support list.
    • The created constraint is Contact by default, according to the selected elements.
    • The engineering type is deducted from degrees of freedom in the engineering connection, here: Planar .



    The constraint is applied and Jack_Pad.1 has been repositioned during the PLM update according to the engineering connection orientation.



    The engineering connection is created in the specification tree:


    • Under the active product: ASD_13241FE_02.
    • Under the Jack_Pad.1, the element which can be repositioned during the PLM update according to the engineering connection orientation.



  4. Select the line as shown on Jack_Pad.1.

    The Engineering Connection Definition dialog box is updated: the first selected element is recognized as a line in the support list.



  5. Select the line as shown on Jack_Frame.1.

    The Engineering Connection Definition dialog box is updated:

    • The second selected element is recognized as a line in the support list.
    • The created constraint type is Coincidence by default, according to the selected elements.
    • The engineering type is deducted from degrees of freedom in the engineering connection, here: Prismatic .



    The constraint is applied and Jack_Pad.1 has been repositioned during the PLM update according to the engineering connection orientation.



  6. Click Lock/Unlock Engineering connection type .

    The Engineering Connection Definition dialog box is updated:

    • The engineering type is locked .
    • The created constraint type is Coincidence by default, according to the selected elements.
    • The engineering type is deducted from degrees of freedom in the engineering connection, here: Prismatic .



    The engineering connection name and icon are updated in the specification tree.



  7. Click OK in the Engineering Connection Definition dialog box.

    The Prismatic.1 engineering connection is created.

    Important:

    While the Positioning Mode option is on , no engineering connection is created although you click OK in the Engineering Connection Definition dialog box.