About Simplified Representations

7/14/2017 About Simplified Representations
About Simplified Representations

Pro/ENGINEER provides assembly tree-based tools for managing large assemblies. Simplified representations control
which members of an assembly the system brings into session and displays. You can create multiple simplified
representations for an assembly, each corresponding to an area or level of detail of the assembly where individual
designers or groups are working.
You can use simplified representation tools to simplify an assembly by excluding components in a particular representation
or substituting one component (part or assembly) for another. Substituting enables you to simplify your working
environment significantly, while still including critical geometry.
Simplified representations improve the regeneration, retrieval, and display times of assemblies, enabling you to work more
efficiently. You can use them to control which members of an assembly the system retrieves and displays. This lets you
tailor your work environment to include only the information of current interest to you. For example, to speed the
regeneration and display process, you can temporarily remove a complicated subassembly that is unrelated to the portion
of the assembly on which you need to work.
Simplified representations enable you both to conceptualize your design and to simplify the representation of complex
assemblies. Simplified representations support both top-down and bottom-up assembly design approaches.
The top-down design approach starts with creating envelopes (or space claims) for components in an assembly, then
building detailed parts and subassemblies to fit the various envelopes. For example, in an automotive design you might
create envelopes for the engine, transmission, and many other complex subassemblies. As each department creates
detailed designs of its subassembly, you can substitute the fully detailed subassembly for the corresponding envelope.
The bottom-up approach starts with a complex assembly and simplifies it. One simplified representation could serve as the
"table of contents" for the design by substituting a lower level simplified representation for each subassembly. Another
simplified representation might exclude portions of the design to focus on specific areas.
The By Rule dialog box provides a collection tool for specifying the components to be included into or excluded from the
current simplified representation. Using the By Rule options, you can filter components by rules, including zones, model
names, geometric size, geometric distance, parametric expression, skeletons of the assembly.
The Definition Rules dialog box allows you to create a simplified representation and also to set up the behavior of
simplified representations in advanceby defining rules and conditions. The system remembers the rules and conditions, so
that the filter's selection has the ability to update parametrically. Simplified representations created by definition rules
automatically update parametrically upon retrieval and regeneration according to changes made to the model. These
simplified representations accurately reflect the rules specified, as the design changes.
Simplified representations are available in Assembly, Manufacturing, Part, and Drawing modes, as well as in
Pro/MOLDESIGN, Pro/CASTING, and Pro/PROCESS for ASSEMBLIES. The name of the active simplified representation
appears in the Assembly window as a label, in the form SIMPLFD REP: name.
In Part mode, use simplified representations to simplify the geometry of a part by including or excluding individual features,
defining a work region to include only the areas of interest on the part, or copying part surfaces to create a surface
"envelope."
In Drawing mode, create multiple views of an assembly using different simplified representations. You must specify the
simplified representation before adding a view.
Types of Representations
There are three main types of simplified representations: master representations, graphics representations, and geometry
representations. Designate which representation appears, using the Retrieve Rep command.
Graphics and geometry representations speed up the retrieval process of large assemblies. All simplified representations
provide access to components in the assembly and are based upon the Master Representation.
You cannot modify a feature in a graphics representation, but you can do so in a geometry representation.
Assembly features are displayed when you retrieve a model. Subtractive assembly features such as cuts and holes are
represented in graphics and geometry representations, making it possible to use these simplified representations for
performance improvement while still displaying on screen a completely accurate geometric model.
You can access model information for graphics and geometry representations of part models from the Information menu
and also from the Model Tree. Because part graphics and geometry representations do not contain feature history of the
part model, information for individual features of the part is not accessible from these representations.
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7/14/2017 About Simplified Representations
· The Master Representation always reflects the fully detailed assembly, including all of its members. The Model Tree lists
all components in the Master Representation of the assembly, and indicates whether they are included, excluded, or
substituted.
· Graphics representations contain information for display only and allow you to browse through a large assembly quickly;
however, you cannot modify or reference graphics representations. The type of graphics display that is available
depends on the setting of the save_model_display configuration option the last time that the assembly was saved:
Þ wireframe-(default) The wireframe of the components will appear.
Þ shading_low (shading_med, shading_high)-A shaded version of the components will appear. The different
levels indicate the density of the triangles used for shading.
Þ shading_lod-The level of detail will depend on the setting in the View Performance dialog box (access this
dialog box by selecting View > Performance).
Assembly and part files store graphical and geometrical data in separate sections of the files. This division of the data
allows partial retrieval of the file and thereby improves retrieval performance.
The configuration file option save_model_display controls the amount of graphical data stored in the assembly and
part files. By default, the system always stores wireframe data in both parts and assemblies. The system always
stores wireframe data for parts. The only information that the system saves in the assembly .asm file is the display
setting of components that are intersected by assembly features. The system also saves the tessellated data for the
low, medium, high and lod options. The display setting at the time the assembly is saved is stored in the part and
assembly files.
For example, Assembly A has component P1, which is intersected by an assembly feature. When you save Assembly
A, the graphical display of part P1 is stored within the assembly file A. Component P1 also has its nonintersected
graphical display stored in its part file. When you retrieve a graphics representation of an assembly with assembly
features, the system retrieves the assembly file with all its data, including assembly feature intersections. The system
opens the part file and retrieves its relations, parameters, and graphical data. The system then displays the intersected
graphics, that is, the graphical data from the assembly file, and has access to the parameters, and so on.
The graphics representation displays the assembly features only if newly saved. It also displays only what was last
saved with the assembly file. If parts have been modified outside the context of the assembly, the intersected display
of the part is not updated until the Master Representation of the assembly is retrieved and then saved again with these
changes.
· Geometry representations provide complete geometry for components and require more time to retrieve and use more
memory than the graphics representations. You can use them to remove hidden lines, obtain measure information,
and accurately calculate mass properties. You can also reference them when working with assemblies. For example,
you can assemble a component and mate it to a geometry representation of another part.
When the geometry representation of an assembly is retrieved, the intersection geometry is "placed on top of" the
geometry retrieved from the part files of the intersected components. The same functionality is available for these
intersections as is available for intersections with master representations. The geometry representation feature
intersections can be referenced for the placement and creation of components and features. Unlike graphics
representations, geometry representation intersections update to changes made to the assembly (but not changes
made to the part), such as dimension modification, feature redefinition, change in component placement, and so forth.
Also, intersections can be added or removed from part geometry representations, and new features can be created
that intersect the part geometry representations.
While in a simplified representation, the system applies changes to an assembly, such as creation or assembly of new
components, to the Master Representation. It reflects them in all of the simplified representations (Pro/PROGRAM
processing also affects the Master Representation). It applies all suppressing and resuming of components to the Master
Representation. However, it applies the actions of a simplified representation only to currently resumed members, that is,
to members that are present in the BOM of the Master Representation.
Note: Simplified representations saved prior to Release 18.0 may not access all current simplified representation and
assembly functionality.
See Also
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