To help you modify component placement in a factory layout design, it is helpful to learn about the various tools on the Factory tab. These tools enable you to change position and orientation of components that are already placed on the factory floor.
The following commands can be accessed from the Relationships panel on the Factory tab.
- Set Landing Surface
- Reposition
- Connect
- Constrain
- Assemble
- Align
- Expose
Set Landing Surface
In cases where an asset has not been authored (such as inserting an external model into a factory layout), you can use the Set Landing Surface command to define a landing surface so the model snaps to the floor or other surface. Also, some assets and external models can be placed in more than one orientation. Although the primary orientation is defined, you may wish to rotate it for certain applications.
Reposition
The Reposition command helps you accurately position single or multiple components on the factory floor. A triad is provided for selecting axes or planes to reposition components in a translational or rotational manner.
Connect
Use the Connect command to manually connect connection points that are in close proximity to each other.
Constrain
The Constrain command creates constraints that determine how components in an assembly fit together. As you apply constraints, you remove degrees of freedom, restricting the ways components can move. You can assign maximum, minimum, and resting position values to specify the allowable range of motion for a constraint.
Assemble
The Assemble command creates constraints which control the position of assembly components. You can apply Mate, Flush, Angle-Directed, Tangent, Insert, and UCS constraints using a mini-toolbar in the graphics window.
Align
The Align command lets you align multiple components in various directions and orientations, based on a selected reference component. The Align dialog box consists of four sections that are used for aligning and distributing components: Selection, Align Position, Align Orientation, and Distribute.
- Selection Selects a reference component and components to align to it.
- Align Position Allows you to align a specific boundary box edge or center of a selected component to a boundary box edge or center on a reference component.
- Align Orientation Allows you to orient the X or Y axis of a selected component to the X or Y axis of the reference component.
- Distribute Lets you align components horizontally or vertically based on their left edges, center points, or right edges. The alignment occurs between the selected components, and does not use a reference component. Distribute also aligns components so that they can be equally spaced along horizontal or vertical intervals.
Expose
The Expose command displays unconsumed (unused) connectors in a layout or sub-layout. Once the connectors are exposed, you can place connected assets between sub-layouts.