Componenti e Parti di Componenti

A component is a named group of entities, that can be inserted in a drawing with the BmInsert command. Components can be parametric: e.g. windows and doors, in a BricsCAD BIM and standard mechanical components in BricsCAD Mechanical.

Any .dwg file can be used as a component. The same component can be inserted once or several times into one or more other components. When the component is modified, all inserts of the component will reflect these changes automatically. Components cannot self-reference.

A component insert is a named entity. The default name of a component insert is composed of the name of the component and the serial number of the insert. Internally a component insert is represented either as a reference to an anonymous block or as an external reference.

Properties of inserted components, including their parameters, can be edited in the Mechanical Browser and Properties panel.

Componenti esterni e locali

Components can be either local or external. A local component is stored in the .dwg file with the assembly as an anonymous block. An external component is defined in a separate .dwg file and represented by an Xref or as a local copy stored as an anonymous block. When the corresponding .dwg file is modified all inserts of external components can be updated using the BMUPDATE command or the Mechanical Browser context menu. If you use external components in your assembly, always remember to transfer all related files when you want to share your model.

Il comando ETRANSMIT crea un unico pacchetto contenente il file di disegno e tutte le sue dipendenze, ad esempio: riferimenti esterni, immagini, file dei font, file di configurazione del plotter, tabelle stili di stampa e file di mappaggio dei font.

È sempre possibile convertire una componente locale in uno esterno e viceversa.

To edit a local component, it first needs to be converted to an external component using the BMEXTERNALIZE command. Alternatively, you can use the BMOPENCOPY command to open a copy of a component, edit and save it. Then use the BmReplace command to replace the original with the copy.

È possibile scegliere il tipo di inserimento predefinito per il componente: Locale o Esterno. Per modificare il tipo selezionarlo nel Navigatore Meccanico e selezionare Componente locale o Componente esterno nella proprietà Inserisci come.

Dependant on the value of BMAUTOUPDATE, inserts of external components are updated automatically on opening the assembly document or manually with the BmUpdate command. You can change this value in the Settings dialog:

Convert components

Eseguire una delle seguenti operazioni

• Click Switch Component to External () or Switch Component to Local on the Assembly ribbon tab. The tools are also available from the Assembly toolbar and in the Assembly menu.
• Right-click on the component insert in the Mechanical Browser and select Switch to External or Switch to Local in the context menu.
• Hover your mouse cursor over a component insert in a drawing window and select Switch to External () or Switch to Local in the Assembly Modeling command group in the Quad.
• Digitare BmExternalize o BmLocalize nella barra dei comandi.

When you convert an external component to a local one, the .dwg file with the component definition is not deleted but future changes will not affect your assembly.

È sempre possibile distinguere tra inserimenti di componenti locali () ed inserimenti di componenti esterni () dalle loro icone nel Navigatore Meccanico

Componenti Parametrici

You can make parametric changes of inserted components at the assembly level. A component is considered parametric if it contains at least one 2D or 3D dimensional constraint or an associative array with an expression.

You can control if a particular component parameter will be available for edit in a drawing that contains the inserts of these components (at the assembly level). To do that, select a parameter in the Mechanical Browser and change the value of the Exposed field in the properties grid of the parameter:

Le opzioni sono:

• Off: Hides the parameters at the assembly.
• On: Makes the parameter visible at the assembly level.
• Auto: Hides all parameters with values controlled by expressions and exposes all other parameters.

You can associate units with a parameter. If you assign a value, directly or via an expression, to a component parameter at the assembly level, it automatically converts from drawing units of the assembly drawing to the units of the parameter. Values assigned to unitless parameters are not converted.

By default, all parameters are unitless except parameters of dimensional constraints and parameters, which are used as expressions for dimensional constraints. BricsCAD automatically assigns drawing units to such parameters.

Modificare i parametri di un elemento di un componente parametrico

Quando un componente parametrico viene inserito in un modello, è possibile modificare i parametri nel Navigatore Meccanico o nella Barra delle proprietà.

L'inserimento del componente si aggiorna immediatamente in base al nuovo valore di un parametro. Si noti che questo non modifica la definizione del componente parametrico, che consiste in un file di disegno separato. Di conseguenza, nello stesso modello possono essere presenti più inserimenti dello stesso componente parametrico, con valori diversi per ciascuno dei loro parametri:

Modificare un parametro nel Navigatore Meccanico

1. Espandere il nodo Parametri del componente.
2. Selezionare il parametro.
3. Nella sezione Parametro, digitare un nuovo valore nel campo Espressione.

   

Modificare un parametro nella barra delle proprietà

1. Selezionare il componente nel disegno.
2. Espandere il gruppo di impostazioni Parametri.
3. Digitare un nuovo valore per uno dei parametri disponibili.

   

Replace Components

To replace component inserts with another component, use the BmReplace command. Only top-level inserts can be replaced.

1. Eseguire una delle seguenti operazioni

   • Fare clic su Sostituisci Componente () sulla barra multifunzione Assemblaggio. Lo strumento è anche disponibile sulla barra degli strumenti Assemblaggio e nel menu Assieme.
   • Right-click on the component insert in the Mechanical Browser and select Replace... or Replace all inserts... in the context menu.
   • Hover over a component insert in a drawing window and select the Replace tool () in the Quad.
   • Type BmReplace in the command bar. The File open, dialog displays.

2. Select a .dwg file for the replacement component and press the Open button.
   You are prompted: Replace file for all similar inserts [Yes/No] <Yes>:

3. Eseguire una delle seguenti operazioni
   • Sì: sostituisce tutti gli elementi con lo stesso nome.
   • No: sostituisce solo l'elemento selezionato.

Note: Parameter values that are shared between the replacement component and the replaced component are copied automatically.

Components, blocks or external references?

Components are based on blocks and external references (xrefs) but the behavior of components is different. An external component is linked to a file, much like an Xref, but an external component can be represented by either an Xref (BMINSERT acts like XATTACH) or by a local anonymous block (BMINSERT acts like INSERT).

I componenti possono essere constituiti da singole parti o assiemi complessi:

• Part: composed of entities only; no inserts of subcomponents.
• Assembly: composed of entities and subcomponent inserts. Even when the subcomponents are removed, the assembly status is kept.

When an external component is a part and its parameters are not modified, the component is inserted as an Xref. This is listed in the External References section of the Drawing Explorer dialog. Xref layers have a 'file_name' prefix.

When an external component is an assembly, it is inserted as a local anonymous block. All its layers are merged with the layers of the main document and no prefix is added to the layer name.

Convert blocks and external references

Drawings with blocks and external references can be converted to mechanical assemblies: block references are converted to inserts of local components and external references are converted to inserts of external components.

1. Eseguire una delle seguenti operazioni

   • Fare clic sullo strumento Inizializza struttura meccanica () nella barra multifunzione Assemblaggio. Lo strumento è disponibile anche nella barra degli strumenti Assemblaggio e nel menu Assieme.
   • Type BmMech in the command bar.

2. You are prompted: Name for new mechanical component <test>:
   Type a name for the mechanical component or hit Enter to accept the current name or the default Component_1 name.

3. You are prompted: Convert blocks and external references to mechanical components? [No/Yes] <Yes>: Hit Enter to convert blocks and external references to mechanical components.

I componenti meccanici possono essere convertiti in blocchi e riferimenti esterni.

1. Eseguire una delle seguenti operazioni

   • Click Remove Structure tool () on the Assembly tab of the Ribbon. This tool is also available in the Assembly toolbar and in the Assembly menu.
   • Digitare BmUnMech nella barra dei comandi.

2. You are prompted:
   Warning: this command removes all mechanical structure from the current document. Proceed? No/<Yes>:
   Hit Enter to:

   • Convertire i componenti esterni in riferimenti esterni (Xrif).
   • Convertire i componenti locali in blocchi.

Funzionalità basate su componenti

A feature is a physical constituent of a part with engineering significance. Examples of features are holes, ribs, slots, pockets, forms. If applied to a 3D solid, a feature removes and/or adds geometry. To create your own features use the BricsCAD component extension technology.

An extended component has BC_SUBTRACT and/or BC_UNITE layers. When you use the BmInsert command to insert such a component on the face of a 3D solid the target solid is modified as follows:

• All 3D solids on the BC_SUBTRACT layer of the component are subtracted from the target 3D solid.
• All 3D solids on the BC_UNITE layer of the component are united with the target 3D solid.

All faces created after Boolean operations form a component-based feature. They are updated when you move the component insert or when you modify any parameters. When the insert is deleted, the target solid is healed. Adjust the target 3D solids with the BmLink command.

Some examples of parametric component-based features are included with BricsCAD. You can use them as samples to create your own features.

Assign physical materials to components

You can assign a physical material to a mechanical component. If a mechanical component does not have an assigned material, it will inherit the material from its parental component. If the parental component does not have an assigned material, the material of the nearest component, will be used. As a result, the same material can be assigned to all components that have a common parent.

1. Selezionare il nodo principale nel Navigatore Meccanico.
2. Select the Material property and press the Browse button ( ).

   

3. In the Physical Materials dialog select a material from either the In Project or the In Library list.
   Materials that are chosen from the In Library are copied to the In Project database automatically.
4. Fare clic sul pulsante OK per assegnare il materiale selezionato al componente.

Per rimuovere il materiale dal componente:

1. Selezionare il nodo principale nel Navigatore Meccanico.
2. Select the Material property and press the Clear button (X).

Insert a component with a physical material

When you insert a mechanical component in a model, all its materials are copied to the material library of the model. If a material with the same name already exists in the target model, this material will be used instead. As a result, the properties of the material in the target model are used. This replaces the properties of the material from the inserted component.

Note: Materials that are copied to the document material library will not be erased in Undo operations.