Creating Factory Assets

Follow this procedure to author factory assets:

Note: Before authoring a component as an asset, ensure that the model is fully designed and modeled. All parameters that control different model sizes or configurations must be named before authoring. You must also enable the Key column check box for these parameters in the Parameters dialog box.
1. On the ribbon, click Factory tab Factory Launch panel Create Asset . Model a part or assembly from scratch, or import the model you wish to author as an asset.
2. Click Create Asset tab Factory Assets panel Asset Builder . The Asset Builder ribbon displays.
3. The Key Parameters browser appears in the graphics window displaying all named parameters. The parameters have a check mark if they were selected for export in the Parameters dialog box. Select the parameters that define the different models. For example, a conveyor can have different lengths, widths, and heights.
4. Click Landing Surface. The Landing Surface dialog box appears.
5. Select a planar face or work plane.
6. Click the Flip direction button to change the Z-axis direction, if necessary.
7. Click the Insertion point button to optionally select a specific insertion point. The insertion point can be a vertex, work point, or sketch point. A small gold sphere represents the insertion point you select.
   Tip: If you are planning on publishing the asset in 2D for AutoCAD Factory use, choose your insertion point carefully as it can be used to accurately place the asset into a 2D layout.
8. Enter a Plane Offset value, if desired.
9. Click the Show coordinates button to turn the 3D origin indicator on or off.
10. Click Preview to view the model in the placement orientation.
11. Click OK to define the landing surface and close the dialog box.
12. Click Define Connector and select a planar face, vertex, midpoint, endpoint, hole center, work point, or work plane on the component. The connector point triad appears on the point you select.
13. To flip the triad axis, right-click on the triad and select Flip axis from the pop-up context menu.
14. When you are finished setting the location or axis direction of the connector point, right-click and select OK from the pop-up context menu. The connection point is represented by a green sphere.
15. Click Asset Properties to add additional information about the asset such as author information, key words for searches, and project related information. This is an optional step.
    Note: Fields in the Summary and Project tabs of the Asset Properties dialog box will already be populated if these properties have been previously defined using iProperties.
16. Click 2D Sketch to make changes to the 2D version of the asset. This is an optional step. See Editing the 2D Representation When Publishing an Asset for details.
17. Click Connector Class Properties if you want to define connector class and property values for the asset. This is an optional step.
18. To create two or more variations of the asset, click Asset Variants. This is an optional step.
19. Click BIM Exchange to define MEP Connectors. This is an optional step.
20. Click Publish Asset.