Copying, Cutting, and Pasting Move Trajectories

This procedure describes how to copy, cut, and paste a move trajectory.  This task involves copying a move activity within or between process documents,  unassigning the item associated with move activity, and then assigning a different item to the pasted move trajectory.  In this way, a trajectory originally created using one part of an assembly can be assigned to a different part.

This procedure describes how to copy move trajectories using move activities created both in release 9 and prior to release 9.  The procedure has four sections:

This procedure assumes that you have at least one move activity already created.

To copy a move activity created prior to V5 release 9, double click on the activity to select it.  The Edit Track dialog box will appear; click OK.  This "converts" the pre-release 9 move activity to a release 9 move activity.

Copying and Pasting within a Process File

  1. Open the process document within DPM Assembly Process Simulation.

  2. On the PPR tree, select the move activity that you want copied.

  3. To copy, use Ctrl+C, or the right mouse button (RMB), then select Copy, or the Edit > Copy menu bar option.

  4. Select the process node on the PPR tree.

  5. To paste, use Ctrl+V, or the right mouse button (RMB), then select Paste, or the Edit > Paste menu bar option.

    The new move activity appears at the end of the process.

  6. Select the new move activity.

  7. Click Unassign an Item.

    The Items dialog box appears.

  8. Select the item and click the Unassign button.

  9. Select the move activity again.

  10. Click Assign an Item.

  11. Select the part you want associated with the move.

    The part name appears in the Item node under the move activity; the part will move along the trajectory (or track) defined for the move activity from which the current move activity was copied.  The move's name will retain the original part name (e.g., MoveCam_Gear.1).  You can alter the move name by:
    • Selecting the move activity, 
    • Using the RMB to select Properties, 
    • Changing the label in the Properties dialog box.
In lieu of using the Unassign/Assign commands, you can select the move activity, use the RMB to get the context menu, and select the Edit Shuttle option.  You can then deselect the current item or items in the shuttle, and select the desired items.

Cutting and Pasting within a Process File
Cutting and pasting within a process file works just like copying and pasting, with the following exceptions:
  • Use the Ctrl+X key sequence, the Cut option in the context menu, or the Edit > Cut menu bar option to cut the activity.
  • You can select a move, drag it to the process node, and drop it, if you want the activity to appear at the end of a process. (To make the activity appear somewhere else in the process, see Editing the Process.)
  • When users place a move activity in a different place within a process, they generally do not want to alter the item associated with the move activity; consequently, steps 6-11 may be omitted, if desired.

Copying and Pasting between Process Files
 
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 When you paste a move activity between process files, you can opt to bring the product data with the move activity (in which case, you are copying both the move trajectory and the item(s) assigned to the move activity), or just copy the trajectory of the move activity.
 
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 To copy the move trajectory, you can use:
  • Drag and drop,
  • Ctrl+V key sequence, 
  • the Paste option in the context menu, or 
  • the Edit > Paste menu bar option to paste the activity. 
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 To copy the trajectory and the product data, use any method of copying other than drag and drop.  In the new process, use the menu bar to select Edit > Paste Special. On the Paste Special dialog box, select Paste with Items and entire hierarchy.
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 In all cases, you are selecting the process node of the second process as the location where you paste the move activity.  The move activity will always get pasted to the end of the process.
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 If you have not used the special paste, you will have an empty shuttle for the move (i.e., no items will be associated with the activity on the process node).  You can associate a part(s) with the move activity in one of three ways:
  • Select a part from the product list, drag it to the move activity, and drop it.
  • Use Assign an Item.
  • Select the move activity, use the RMB for the context menu, select the Move activity object > Edit Shuttle option, and select a part.
If you use a method of copying and simply pasting between processes other than drag and drop, you may get the following message:

This message reminds you that you are not importing the product data when you simply paste the move activity, which is the expected behavior of the simple paste command; it is not notifying you of a true error.

Cutting and Pasting between Process Files
Cutting and pasting between process files works like copying and pasting, with the following exceptions:

Use the Ctrl+X key sequence, the Cut option in the context menu, or the Edit > Cut menu bar option to cut the activity.

You cannot use drag and drop to cut the original move activity from the first process.