Inserting Existing Components

This task shows you how to import one or more components into an existing assembly and how to:
  • If you insert a read-only document (a Part for instance) in a product, the read-only flag of this new document is only valid during the current session.
  • If you save this product, close it and reopen it, the read-only information on this Part is not maintained.
Open the ManagingComponents02.CATProduct document.

  1. In the Specification Tree, select ManagingComponents02 and click the Existing Component  icon. The Insert an Existing Component dialog box is displayed.

  2. Select CRIC_TOP.CATPart from the C:\Program Files\Dassault Systemes\B04doc\online\pstug\samples directory and click Open. The CRIC_TOP (CRIC_TOP.1) is created in the specification tree and the Part is displayed in the Geometry area.

  • Depending on the CATIA license you have, you can insert components (with or without Representation) in a CATProduct:

    • CATPart (*.CATPart)

    • CATProduct (*.CATProduct)

    • V4 CATIA Assembly (*.asm)

    • CATAnalysis (*.CATAnalysis)

    • V4 session (*.session)

    • V4 model (*.model)

    • cgr (.cgr; no specific license is required)

    • wrl (.wrl; no specific license is required)
       

  • For below representation types, when you insert them in the Product Structure, embedded components or local references are created internally during instantiation as they don't have any product feature in them:
    ._ps, .3dmap, .3dxml, .asab, .asat, .asm, .asm*, .bdf, .bdl, .brd, .byu, .CATAnalysis, .CATPSLayout, .CATShape, .cfio, .cgr, .dev, .dxf, .gaf, .gbf, .hsf, .iam, .icem, .idf, .iff, .ipt,
    .jt, .mf, .model, .NCGM, .obj, .par,.pdb,.pkg,.prt, .pre, .psm, .sab, .sat, .sda, .sdac, .sdp, .sdpc, .sldasm, .sldprt, .slp, .stl, .STL, .stpx, .stpxZ, .stpZ, .vda, .wcl, .wrl, .x_b, .x_t,
    .xas, .xml, .xmt_bin, .xmt_ixt, .xpr, etc..
  Moreover, under a cgr file, you can insert a component (with or without Representation) such as Product, Part, Component, Model, cgr. For this, you need to right-click the cgr file and select Components > New Component / Product / Part or Components > Existing Components...
If the Part, Product, model or cgr you insert into an assembly has the same Part Number as the one contained in the assembly, the Part Number conflict dialog box appears.

For more information about inserting and saving a component with the same name as another one, please refer to these Infrastructure User's Guide chapters:

  • Document: in a file-based environment, a document is identified by its name and an internal identifier.
  • Saving Existing Documents: if both files have the same UUID (Unique Universal IDentifier), and if one of them is already open, you will not be able to open the other.
If you see this warning when inserting an existing document in an assembly:

This means that the current settings, "Linked Document Localization" in Tools > Options > General > Document, cannot allow the insertion of this document.

To make the insertion of the existing document possible, please modify these Document Location parameters (in Tools > Options > General > Document: Linked Document Localization) so that the next opening of the assembly effectively allows to find back the inserted document.

For more information about these settings, please refer to Customizing > Customizing Settings > General > Document: Linked Document Localization in the CATIA - Infrastructure User's Guide.

Part Number Conflicts When Inserting a Model

  1. Open PartNumberConflict1.CATProduct.

  2. Insert CARBODY.model into PartNumberConflict.CATProduct. The following dialog box is displayed:

There is a Part Number conflict because the new component you insert will be in the same document as CARBODY.model (since the component Body1 is not a document). CARBODY.model is directly under PartNumberConflict1.CATProduct.

This Part number conflicts dialog box provides information about:

  • the Part number generating the conflict.
  • the path of the document generating the name conflict.

You have three solutions:

  • Rename...: click the Rename button and the following dialog box is displayed. You can enter a new Part Number. Click OK.

Click OK in the Part number conflicts dialog box. In the Specification Tree, you can see PLANEBODY.model under PartNumberConflict.CATProduct:

With this Rename option, you create a new reference of CARBODY.model with another Part Number.

  • Reconnect... : click the Reconnect button to reconnect the two entities of CARBODY.model.

Both entities (CARBODY.model) are overlapping in the geometry space. As a consequence, there is only one instance of CARBODY.model in the Basic View window.

  • Automatic rename... : click the Automatic Rename button to have the Part Number changed into CARBODY.1.model.
For our second example, close PartNumberConflict1.CATProduct without saving.

  1. Reopen it.

  2. Insert CARBODY.model into Landing_Gear.CATProduct. There is no Part Number conflict because CARBODY's reference is different from the one of CARBODY in Body1. A new local reference has been created.
For our third example, close PartNumberConflict1.CATProduct without saving.

  1. Reopen it.

  2. Insert CARBODY.model into Body1.CATProduct. There is a Part Number conflict because there is the same Part Number within the same document Body1.

 

Part Number Conflicts When Inserting a Part

  1. Open PartNumberConflict1.CATProduct.

  2. Insert Landing_Gear_Piston1.CATPart into PartNumberConflict.CATProduct.

    The conflict is due to the presence of the same Part Number (Piston) in Piston and Landing_Gear_Piston1. You can Rename (or use the Automatic Rename option) the new instance Landing_Gear_Piston1.

    You have the same conflict if you insert Landing_Gear_Piston1.CATPart into PartNumberConflict1 or in Body1.
If you want to insert the exact copy of this Part, Piston, the following window will be displayed:

You are not allowed to open the same Part in the same document.
For more information, another functionality is available in the Assembly workbench: Inserting an Existing Components with Positioning, in the CATIA - Assembly User's Guide.
 
 

Insert Existing Component or Part Version from ENOVIA V5/ Smart Team
  The Insert Component command allows you to select a document or a part version stored in the database when the VPM Navigator is connected to ENOVIA/ Smart Team. This also allows you to instantiate a stored stand alone Part Version.

To enable the ENOVIA/ Smart Team selection in the Insert component command, follow the steps:

  1. Go to the Tools > Options > General > Document tab.
  2. Select the ENOVIA V5 VPM/ Smart Team option and set it as Allowed.

  1. To run the Insert command, right-click the Product node and select Components > Existing Component.

Note: You can also run the command from Insert menu > Existing Component.

  1. By selecting the command, if you have not already connected to the database, the File Selection dialog is displayed. There is no modification of the previous behavior of the command.

  1. You have connected to the database, the Document Chooser dialog box opens. You can define the source of the CATPart or CATProduct and especially the ENOVIA dialog box appears to allow you to query if the object, the file or another kind of sources is available.
  2. Select the source. In this case select ENOVIA/ Smart Team.



    Check if the selected object is an instance under an ENOVIA/ Smart Team Document and also that the associated part version is not a CATPart. Alternatively, the error message “You cannot insert a component under the selected object” appears.

    The standard VPM Navigator dialog appears to allow you run a query and select the document revision or a part version to insert.

  3. Click Open. The document type is checked and an error message is displayed if the document type is not a CATPart or a CATProduct.

If the document is OK, the selected object is instantiated under the current object in the product specification tree.

  • The Document Chooser dialog allowing to select a CATPart or a CATProduct stored in ENOVIA/ Smart Team is available only if you are connected; it means that you have the VPM Navigator license and you are connected to the database).

  • Once the Tools > Options... setting is done, The ENOVIA V5 VPM/Smart team objects (part version & document revision) are also available for the Replace Component command similar to Insert Existing Component.

  • If the selected object is a Publications Exposed document, a Part Version without a CATPart or a CATProduct cannot be used.

  • When a component is inserted using Existing Component command, a new instance is created under the given product. This newly created instance is rigid by default even if its reference instance is flexible.