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Solid Edge Tips & Tricks: Assembly Item Numbers

Find out how, in Solid Edge ST3, to ‘drive’ components item numbers in a BOM (bill of materials) on 2D drawings from the 3D assembly.



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SOLID EDGE TIPS AND TRICKS FROM GTAC

How do you place a dimension to a theoretical intersection of two elements in Draft or a sketch?

The placement of such dimensions can be done but there are two things that one should be aware of before placing them:

  1. You must use the “Distance Between” command.


Note: The Smart Dimension command cannot place such dimensions.

  1. The Intersection option of IntelliSketch must be on.


Once the two are true, with the Distance Between command selected, move the mouse over the first element so it highlights, then move it over the second element so it highlights. You do not need to select anything yet. Now move the cursor near the theoretical intersection of the two elements. You should see the intersection indicator appear. Click. This is the first point on your “Distance Between” command and then Move the mouse to the second point you want to dimension to and click. The dimension is placed as desired.

Can I do a Batch Conversion of Draft Files to PDF format?
This is possible by using the delivered macro ‘batch.exe’ as of ST3.

How do I save an Animation to video?
In the Animation Editor, look one row down from Save. There you will see the button “Save As Movie”. This will save your animation as an AVI.

Why am I getting a “No Translator Available” error when trying to open a .stl file in ST3?
This will happen if the default file open option is set to Synchronous instead of Ordered.

Why does a thread placed on a cylinder look stretched?
The thread is actually a .jpeg image wrapped around the cylinder, and gets distorted when the cylinder is lengthened or shortened. To adjust this distortion, go to View > Styles > Faces Styles > Thread > Modify > Texture. Here you can adjust the X and Y Scale, X and Y Offset, X and Y Mirroring, Rotation Angle, and Weight.

Why is the include option “Maintain associativity when including geometry from other parts in the assembly” grayed out?
This is usually caused by having Inter-Part Links to other assemblies.

How can I turn on/off the automatic prompt for file properties the first time I save a file?
You can turn On/Off the automatic prompt for file properties the first time a file is saved by setting the “Prompt For File Properties” value to True/False in the Options.xml file.

How can text be saved to place in other draft files?
One way is to create a symbol library containing the text that can then be placed into draft files as needed.

How can I increase the text size in a parts list?
This is controlled with a Table Style, where the text can be modified. Once this style is applied to the parts list, then the parts list will inherit the text size from the Table Style.

Susan Cinadr

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This article first appeared on the Siemens Digital Industries Software blog at https://blogs.stage.sw.siemens.com/news/solid-edge-tips-tricks-assembly-item-numbers/