Organizing CAD Models for Design Automation

The purpose of a design automation system is to control different aspects, or parameters, of your CAD models. These could be dimensions, features, component instances, and more. Creating a truly powerful and profitable automation requires a good number of parameters. Keeping track of these parameters can get tricky, so some CAD model organization techniques are in order. 

When you work within the design automation system’s user interface, you build your own fields, controls, variables, and calculations. You then tie these to CAD through named parameters. Whether you’re considering the CAD name (you are properly naming all of your driven dimensions and features, right?!?!) or the so-called “pretty name” within your automation system, it can become confusing remembering which component “SocketHeadCapScrew<21>” refers to.

Let’s take a look at one CAD model organization technique for SolidWorks that can help alleviate some of this confusion and make the associations more manageable – the Feature Manager Folder. SolidWorks allows you to add folders in both part and assembly models. These folders can group features in parts, assembly features in assemblies, or components in assemblies. These folders become increasingly useful when it comes to assemblies with many many instances of the same component.

Consider hardware and fasteners as an example. Perhaps a design has between six and twelve instances of a screw (depending on the selected design options) for handles, another two to ten for the hinges, another six to eight for the flange, and so on. Keeping track of which screws go where and in what order can be difficult. By putting them in Feature Manager Folders (we typically group by usage, so the corresponding bolt, washer, and nut are in the same folder), it is much easier to keep track of specific instance and how they are associated with particular design automation rules. And with a simple click, you can collapse the folder, creating a more compact Feature Manager that is easier to navigate.  The image to the right shows an example of the SolidWorks Feature Manager Tree with Feature Manager Folders organizing some hardware and fasteners in an assembly model.

Design automation requires a good bit of planning, and in many cases, significant organization as well. This is just one of a number of best practices worth employing as you create CAD models to be used in design automation.  If you have questions about this CAD model organization technique, or are interested in learning about other design automation best practices, please contact us.

Tags: best practices, CAD, CAD model, DA best practices, Design Automation, feature manager tree, SolidWorks