Object Relationships

This feature aids the designer in identifying and viewing generic relationships between objects, and is particularly useful for viewing relationships between objects coming from different applications.

The different types of relationship are organized under tab pages:

  • Assembly: shows the product structure tree (parent/children) relationships
  • Groups: shows group/member relationships of logical groupings of objects, such as piping lines and piping spools.
  • Limits: shows objects geometrically limiting the current object.
  • Connections: shows objects connected to the current object.
  • Interference: shows objects interfering with the current object. This is useful for detecting objects that require attention or redesign.
  • Penetration: shows objects involved in a penetration relationship (stored in ENOVIA) with the current object. This tab is only available when the document is opened from ENOVIA.

The tab pages available and the relationships shown in each tab page are controlled by the object selected (the current object).

This tasks shows you how to use the Object Relationships command.

To reduce unnecessary computer processing time when viewing object relations in the Interference tab you will need to make some changes in the Tools  >  Options settings.

Go to Tools  >  Options, select Digital Mockup, DMU Space Analysis then click the DMU Clash - Detailed Computation tab. Change the settings if necessary for Level of Detail, Clash Result and Numeric Result to match those shown below.

Note: The DMU Space Analysis product must be installed to access DMU Clash option pages.
1. With your product open, click the Object Relationships icon .

The Relationships dialog box opens.

In the example, below, the assembly tree expands at the Product level to show the related preliminary design objects.

The Assembly tab displays up to three levels: parent, current object and children.

In the preview pane, you can zoom and rotate the image just like in the geometry area. The Reframe Main Window button updates the geometry area with the preview viewpoint.
2. Double-click an object to view its relationships.

The various tabs will become active only when the selected object supports that kind of relationship, for example, if it is a type of object that can have limits.

In the example below, a deck has been selected to view Limits. In the Visualize column, toggle the Y/N to show or hide an object in the preview pane.
An object can be selected from the geometry area, the specifications tree, or from the assembly tree or via the preview pane in the dialog box.

In any tab page:

  • Select an object to highlight it.
  • Double-click to view the tree structure.
  • Right-click to access the contextual menu and display properties or hide / show the object.
  • Use Previous Object and Next Object buttons to revisit the history of objects and tab pages viewed since the command was started.
     
3. Click the Interference tab to display objects that clash (intersect) with the current object. You can filter the list by selecting All Type, Contact or Clash.

Note: Only basic geometric objects, not assemblies, can be analyzed for interferences.

Select the Hide connected objects check box to hide objects with known connections (i.e. listed in the Connections tab) and not display them in the Interference tab list.
4. Click the Connections tab to display connected objects. 

Take some time to experiment with the several combinations of tab selection, object type and filter selections and observe the available information.
5. Click Close when done.