More about the Creation of PowerCopies

A powercopy is a set of features (geometric elements, formulas, constraints and so forth) that are grouped in order to be used in a different context, and presenting the ability to be completely redefined when pasted. This topic provides you with the information you need to create a powercopy.

The following are discussed:

Related Topics
Creating Power Copies

Recommendations


  • As far as possible, minimize the number of elements making up the Power Copy.
  • Once your power copy is created, do not delete the referenced elements used to make up the Power Copy.
  • Avoid access to sketch sub-elements.

Sketches:


  • Before creating your power copies, make sure that your sketch is not over-constrained.
  • It is preferable not to use projections nor intersections in your sketch if you want to use your sketch in a Power copy.
  • Avoid constraints defined with respect to reference planes.

If you are using positioned sketches:

Generally speaking we recommend the use of positioned sketches instead of sliding sketches.


  • If you are using positioned sketches, constrain your geometry with respect to HV absolute axis.
  • Avoid constraining elements with respect to external references such as faces, edges, reference or explicit planes.

If you are using sliding sketches:

  • When defining Power copies including sliding sketches, use profiles constrained with respect to edges or faces rather than to planes. Additionally, set the Create geometrical constraints option off before sketching.
  • Generally speaking, it is always preferable to use profiles both rigid and mobile. Make sure that your sketch is iso-constrained (green color). You can use non-iso-constrained sketches, but it will be more difficult to understand and control the result after instantiation.
  • Avoid constraining your 2D elements with respect to HV absolute axis. The result you obtain after instanciating the power copy could be unstable. Actually, you cannot control the position of the origin of the absolute axis nor its orientation.


  • Constrain elements with respect to external references such as faces, edges, reference or explicit planes:

Knowledgeware:


  • Formulas are automatically included if you select all the parameters.
  • For complex design, integrate knowledge rules.

Managing inputs :


  • Always rename your inputs to help the end user to understand what he needs to select.
  • A formula is automatically included in a Power Copy definition when all its parameters are included. Otherwise, i.e. if at least one parameter is not selected as part of the Power Copy, you have to manually select the formula to make part of the definition. If you do so, all the formula parameters that have not been explicitly selected are considered as inputs of the Power Copy.
  • Note that when including parameters sets containing hidden parameters in a Power Copy, the hidden parameters are automatically instantiated when instantiating the Power Copy.

Preview:


  • In a document, create only one Power Copy reference. It is not a technical restriction, but there are at least two reasons for this: the cost of an instantiation will be smaller in the document is smaller. The end user can more easily understand the feature to be instantiated.
  • Put in 'show mode' only the input and the result (to help the end user to understand what he needs to select).
  • Use colors to differentiate inputs (put transparency on results for example).
  • Choose a pertinent viewpoint before saving the document reference, default viewpoint in preview during instantiation will be the same.

Hybrid Design

In hybrid design environments, bodies that underwent boolean operations are located below the nodes corresponding to these operations. Consequently, they cannot be selected to define a powercopy. If, for example, you try to select Body.5 as an input element making up a powercopy, a warning message displays warning you that because Body.5 is aggregated into Assemble.3, you cannot select it as an input component.