Electrical Harness Installation  

This page deals with the Harness Management options:

Bundle Segment Creation

Geometrical bundle is mandatory

If this option is selected, it means that you need to create a geometrical bundle prior to defining a bundle segment.

By default, this option is selected.

Work with one multi-branchable per geometrical bundle

If this option is selected, only one multi-branchable document can be created within a geometrical bundle: a single part contains the full harness, reducing the size of the document, the number of contextual links and consequently the update time.

However to take advantage of the ENOVIA configuration management, this option needs to be cleared if you want to manage the effectivity at a more detailed granularity level: the branch.

Select this option if the configuration management does not need to be done at the level of each branch, but at the level of a set of branches created in a single document.

By default, this option is not selected.

Use customized display for geometrical bundle naming rule.

When this option is not selected, the name is geometrical bundle.

If this option is selected the naming rule uses the default name corresponding to the option set up in Infrastructure  >  Product Structure  >  Nodes Customization tab, for the Product instance, reference loaded item. This means that during the geometrical bundle creation, its name is not overwritten.

Refer to the Infrastructure User's Guide Customizing section.

By default, this option not selected.

Bundle segment color

Use the chooser to define the bundle segment color at creation.

Hide Internal harness geometry

If this option is not selected, ElecRouteBody and its sub-elements (FlexCurve, bundle segment profile, etc.) are displayed in the specification tree.

By default, this option is selected.                                                                                 

Bundle Segment Naming Rule

Bundle segment (#PN#)

If this option is selected, the bundle segment name shows like this in the specification tree:

It is the default value.

Parent-bundle segment (#PN#)

If this option is selected, the bundle segment name shows like this in the specification tree:

Bundle Segment Connection

Geometrical link

If this option is selected, when the selection is completed, the bundle segment is extended to the second point selected (which is either a bundle segment extremity or a bundle connection point).

By default, this option is selected.

Automatic link to new bundle segment

If this option is selected, the electrical connection is created at the same time as the bundle segment.

By default, this option is selected.

Bundle Segment Disconnection

Remove geometrical link at unlink

If this option is selected, when a bundle segment is disconnected from a connector, the geometrical link is also removed and the bundle segment geometry is modified to its last but one definition point.

By default, this option is selected.

Keep unused branch points/Prompt user for deletion

When a branch is unlinked or deleted, if a branch point is no longer used, the system may keep it or prompt the user for deletion. This happens when:

  • the branch point is removed from the route definition of the branch
  • the branch is unlinked from the branch point with the Unlink command
  • the last connected branch is deleted using the Delete Special contextual menu.

By default, this option is set to Keep unused branch points.

Contextual Links

For the first option to be taken into account, you must first change options located in the Part Infrastructure > General > External References frame:
  • select the Keep link with selected object option, otherwise no external references will be created.
    By default, this option is not selected.
  • clear the Use root context in assembly option. If not, the links will be created to the root of the assembly.
    By default, this option is selected.

Keep link with selected object

The object created from the selection will or not keep the link according to this option. This option can take three values:

  • Always:  always creates the external reference links.
    It is the default value.

  • In geometrical bundle: creates external reference links only if the selected object is part of the geometrical bundle of the bundle segment.

  • Never: always creates a local copy of the selected object with no associativity.

Forbid selection outside current geometrical bundle

If this option chosen, the selection of points, supports or devices which do not belong to the current geometrical bundle for bundle segment routing is forbidden.

By default, this option is not selected.

Bundle Segment/Support Link

Use publications to recognize adaptive supports

In visualization mode, when the part document is not loaded, an adaptive support is recognized as such if the ELEC-SUPPORT-RADIUS parameter is published. To take advantage of this option, you need to publish it manually.
Refer to Part Design User's Guide: Using Tools: Publishing Elements.

If this option is not selected, or if the parameter is not published, the support is not seen as adaptive.

By default, this option is selected.

 

Use parent instance name in geometry name. Effective only when data is retrieved from database

This option is available only when CATIA is connected to VPM V4 or ENOVIA V5.

With this, you can add the name of the aggregating parent product or component in the name of the geometry. For more information, see Electrical Harness Installation > Interoperability > ENOVIA V5 Interoperability Using VPM Navigator > Updating the Bundle Segment-to-Support Link.

By default, this option is selected.

Bundle Segment Profile  

Circular profile/Any profile

If Circular profile is selected, the user interface is the same as before (up to R14), for bundle segment creation.

If Any profile is selected, the ability to manage profiles is activated: when the user creates a bundle segment, the rib is replaced by a loft representation. More or different options are available in the dialog boxes for Branch Definition, Bundle Segment Definition and Profile Management.

This option only works for bundle segments within multi-branchable documents.

By default, Circular profile is selected.

Keep the greatest value constant
These four options are used to know how to update the parameters of the profile when the profile area is directly modified or updated after wire routing.

If this option is selected, the greatest value:

  • between height and width value for rectangular profile
  • between major and minor axis value for an ellipse

remains unchanged: only the other value is updated accordingly.

By default, this option is selected.

Keep the smallest value constant

If this option is selected, the smallest value:

  • between height and width value for rectangular profile
  • between major and minor axis value for an ellipse

remains unchanged: only the other value is updated accordingly.

Keep the ratio constant

If this option is selected:

  • the height/width ratio for rectangular profile
  • the major axis/minor axis ratio for an ellipse

remains unchanged: both values are updated at the same time and keep their ratio constant.

Do not recompute values

If this option is selected:

  • neither the height value/width value for rectangular profile
  • nor the major axis value/minor axis value for an ellipse

are updated.
Important: If the Set Area Constant check box is selected in the Profile Management dialog box, then the Do not recompute values option is ignored, and section parameters are updated as per Keep the ratio constant option.

Bundle Segment Computation  

Allow system to use a smaller bend radius value
In Standard algorithm mode, if the algorithm does not converge, the flexible curve is switched to a standard spline.

If Allow system to use a small bend radius value is selected, and the standard algorithm does not converge, the bend radius is optimized to keep the flexible curve and ensure a curve of better quality. Keeping a flexible curve (a specific electrical curve) lets you manage slack, work in Length mode and ensures good integration with Electrical Harness Flattening. 

By default, this option is cleared.

Standard algorithm

If Standard algorithm is selected, the standard algorithm is used for bundle segment creation.

By default, this option is selected.

FLEX algorithm

If this option is selected, the FLEX computation algorithm is used, giving a more realistic shape to the bundle segments. This option is only available if a FLEX Physical Simulation license is present.

  • Balance between performance (P) and accuracy (A)

    The slider allows you to choose the balance between the calculation time (P) and the accuracy (A).

    This option only works for bundle segments within multi-branchable documents.

    The default position of the slider is shown above.

  • Tolerance (%) in Constrained Length mode

    This option is used for Constrained Length mode only.

    The spinner lets you set a tolerance value: it represents the percent tolerance permitted between the initial and final bundle segment length.

    The default value is 1 (Real type).

Note: In Constrained Length mode, the default accuracy is set to a very high value in order to respect bundle segment length better. The value set for the balance slider is not taken into account.

Feedback for Branch

Warn user when Branch is collapsed
If this check box is selected, you are warned about collapsed branches. A warning message informs you that the bundle segment has collapsed.

Avoid the repetition of warning message when building curve
If this check box is selected, the unnecessary warning messages will not appear when building curve.
The warning messages will not be repeated if the curve is already built using dichotomy algorithm or if the flexible curve is already broken.

By default, this option is not selected.

Visual feedback on segment centercurve

If curve is not electrical
If this check box is selected, the centre curve of the erroneous bundle segment is highlighted with the color selected in the Display Color drop-down list. A warning message informs you that the standard algorithm has failed, and the electrical curve will be switched to regular spline.
The Warn user when Branch is collapsed check box should be selected in order to display this message box.

If bend computed radius does not respect input bend radius
If this check box is selected:
  • the centre curve of the erroneous bundle segment is highlighted with the color selected in the Display Color drop-down list
  • the erroneous branch is flagged in the specification tree

If bundle segment is collapsed
If this check box is selected:
  • the centre curve of the erroneous bundle segment is highlighted with the color selected in the Display Color drop-down list
  • the erroneous branch is flagged in the specification tree

Change also segment color
If this check box is selected, the erroneous bundle segment along with the centre curve, is highlighted with the color selected in the Display Color drop-down list. The erroneous branch is flagged in the specification tree.

Visualization for Local Slack

Display Slack for all Bundles

If this option is selected, it enables you to see where the slacks have been added in the entire harness, for all the portions of branches in design mode in the session, when the command Local Slack is activated. Through this, you can have a quick and global view of the places where the slacks are added in the whole harness.

By default, this option is not selected.
 

Specific Symbol for Points when adding Local Slack

If this check box is selected, you can choose a particular color and symbol for the points when adding Local Slack. This enables you to quickly identify the points where slack is added on the branches in design mode in the session.

The point symbol is changed when the command Local Slack is active and replaced by the one specified in the settings Specific Symbol for Points when adding Local Slack . After the command, you can modify the symbol for the point.

Note that, when no slack is added to the branch or Ignore Slack option is checked, the default color and symbol will be applied to the point.

By default, this option is not selected.