Frame Generator browser

Uses the Assembly browser to organize and manage frame entities.

When you insert the first frame member, a prompt is displayed with the option to save the skeletal model as an assembly before you continue. When you save the skeletal model as an assembly, a folder is created in the project workspace with the name of the frame assembly. A second prompt displays to specify the name for the frame assembly. When you click OK to confirm the name of the frame assembly, an assembly node is added to the browser structure. The frame is designed in this assembly.

Browser structure of frames

Assembly - top level

File created to manage the structure of the frame assembly and the frame members.

Frame assembly - under machine assembly

The level under which all frame solving occurs. Created automatically when you insert the first frame member. Only one frame assembly can be included in a machine assembly.

Promote and demote commands are available on the context menu within the frame subassembly or the top assembly. Use them to create logical breakdowns of frame assembly structure. See the Context Menu section following.

Frame Reference Skeleton - under the frame assembly.

Created as a repository for a 3D sketch or skeleton for the frame design.

Frame Member - under the frame assembly

Added as frame members are created. A child node is added under each related frame member for each end treatment as you apply it, along with the custom property CUTDETAIL(n). Cut details are used to produce manufacturing notes in a cut list:

End Cap

 Miter

 Notch

Corner Joint

 Trim/Extend

 Lengthen/Shorten

Reuse

An icon displayed next to a node in the browser indicates the element is sick. When you pass the cursor over the node for the sick element, a tooltip explains the reason for the sickness.

Context menu for frame members

In the browser, right-click a frame member and choose from the options:

Promote Frame Generator Components

Moves the component to a grandparent target within or above the Frame assembly. If the target location is within the Frame assembly, the component is promoted in the structure.

If a frame member is promoted out of the frame subassembly, a new instance of the frame member is created and promoted. The end treatments remain, but they are no longer a part of the Frame Generator solve. The original frame member is removed from the frame subassembly.

End treatments in members that remain in the Frame assembly, which had references to members that were orphaned, are removed.

Demote Frame Generator Components

Creates a frame member. Enter a file name and location for the new frame member, and then click OK. You can specify an existing assembly as the new file location. The dialog box verifies that the target assembly is a child of the Frame assembly. It places the child at the end of the component list under the target assembly.

Edit with Frame Generator

Opens the Change dialog box, allowing you to make edits to frame components.

Find in Window

In the graphics window, zooms to the element selected in the browser.

How to

Links to the procedure that describes how to create frame members.

Delete with Frame Generator

Removes the selected frame member occurrence.

Removes the path in the frame reference model.

Context menu for end treatments

In the browser, right-click an end treatment node and choose from the options:

Edit with Frame Generator

Starts the Edit dialog box, allowing you to enter new values to edit the selected end treatment.

Delete with Frame Generator

Deletes the end treatments from the selected frame members.

Delete Half of the End Treatment

Deletes the end treatment from a single selected frame member, and leaves the end treatment on the remaining frame member intact. You can delete all associated end treatments from one member at a time with Delete Half of the End Treatment.

Isolate/Undo isolate

Isolate turns off visibility of components. If an end treatment node is selected, turns off visibility of all components except the frame members with the end treatment. If a frame member node is selected, turns off visibility of all components except the selected frame member.

Undo Isolate, instead of Undo, restores visibility of components to the pre-isolation state. It also keeps intact those operations performed in the isolated state. Available after you isolate end treatments.

Find in Window

Select one or more objects in the browser, right-click and select Find in Window. The selected objects are found, zoomed, and centered in the graphics window.