by Luke Davenport
Welcome back! This is Part 2 of my 3 part Blog on iLogic View Representations!
Question: Can you use iLogic to automatically create and update view reps based on a particular Part Number (or section of a Part Number) you specify?
Answer: Why yes, yes you can.
Part 2 – Updating the View Reps Automatically
I’ve pasted 2 iLogic rules below again. When either rule is pasted into an assembly and run, it will look for any view representations that have been automatically created (see above picture for the naming format it looks for) and updates all the visibilities within them in turn (as many view reps as it finds). Again – we’ve got 2 rules instead of 1 because you may have created the view reps using the ‘Create Contains’ rule (in which case use the ‘Update Contains’ rule), or the ‘Create Begins’ rule (in which case use the ‘Update Begins’ rule). –Watch the video from my last blog if this doesn’t make sense! Either of these methods will work totally fine in isolation. Otherwise the iLogic rules are identical.
Here’s what the ‘Update Contains’ rule will do when it is run (in sequence);
1) Find any existing view reps with a name that starts with ‘Contains’
2) Update the visibilities within these in turn – also update the quantities in view rep title.
3) Inform user how many view reps have been updated.
As always I’ve recorded a wonderfully helpful video
In part 3 of this blog I’ll answer this question:
Can we automatically (AND UNOBTRUSIVELY!) check whether view rep updates are required and give the user a choice to update them or not?
Enjoy!
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‘iLogic code starts here;
‘Update Contains’ Rule;
'define current document
Dim openDoc As Document
openDoc = ThisDoc.Document
Dim oAsmCompDef As AssemblyComponentDefinition
oAsmCompDef = openDoc.ComponentDefinition
Dim oViewRep As DesignViewRepresentation
Try
'Activate a writeable View Rep (master view rep is not writeable)
oAsmCompDef.RepresentationsManager.DesignViewRepresentations.Item("WIP View Rep").activate
Catch
'Assume error means this View Rep does not exist, so create it (will be deleted at end)
oViewRep = oAsmCompDef.RepresentationsManager.DesignViewRepresentations.Add("WIP View Rep")
End Try
i = 0
'Populate ExistingViewRepsArray from existing view reps
For Each oViewRep In oAsmCompDef.RepresentationsManager.DesignViewRepresentations
If oViewRep.Name.Contains("Contains") Then
oViewRep.Activate
oViewRep.Locked = False
i = i+1
'Create string for current contents of view rep (this is located inside the view rep name so needs to be pulled out.
CurrentRepName = Mid(oViewRep.Name,11,Len(oViewRep.Name)-12-((Len(oViewRep.Name))-((oViewRep.Name.Indexof("(")))))
oOccCounter = 0
oSubOccCounter = 0
'look at all of the components in the assembly
Dim oCompDef As Inventor.ComponentDefinition = openDoc.ComponentDefinition
'define the first level components collection
Dim oCompOcc As Inventor.ComponentOccurrence
'define the next level components collection
Dim oSubCompOcc As Inventor.ComponentOccurrence
'Turn off the visibility of parts in the top level assembly that don't contain the specified text string (StrInput1)
For Each oCompOcc in oCompDef.Occurrences
If oCompOcc.Suppressed = False Then
If oCompOcc.Name.Contains(CurrentRepName) Then
oCompOcc.Visible = True
oOccCounter = oOccCounter+1
Else
oCompOcc.Visible = False
End If
'Turn off the visibility of parts in the next level assembly that don't
'contain the specified text String (StrInput1)
For Each oSubCompOcc In oCompOcc.SubOccurrences
If oSubCompOcc.Suppressed = False Then
If oSubCompOcc.Name.Contains(CurrentRepName) Then
oSubCompOcc.Visible = True
oSubOccCounter = oSubOccCounter+1
Else
oSubCompOcc.Visible = False
End If
End If
Next
End If
Next
'Rename View Rep to include component counts
oViewRep.Name = ("Contains '" & CurrentRepName & "' (Qty: " & oOccCounter & _
" Top Level, " & oSubOccCounter & " Sub Comps)")
'lock the new view rep
oViewRep.Locked = True
End If
Next
Try
'Delete WIP view rep
oAsmCompDef.RepresentationsManager.DesignViewRepresentations.Item("WIP View Rep").delete
Catch
End Try
'Return view to Home view
ThisApplication.CommandManager.ControlDefinitions.Item("AppViewCubeHomeCmd").Execute
If i=1 Then
MessageBox.Show(i & " View Rep Has Been Updated", "Success!")
Else If i>1 Then
MessageBox.Show(i & " View Reps Have Been Updated", "Success!")
Else
MessageBox.Show("No 'Contains' View Reps Exist" & vbLf & vbLf & "Please Create View Reps First!", "Failed")
End If
‘------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Start of ‘Update Begins’ Rule;
‘Note I must subscribe to Luke Davenport’s blog – it’ll change my life.
‘http://www.cadlinecommunity.co.uk/Blogs/lukedavenport/Default.aspx
'define current document
Dim openDoc As Document
openDoc = ThisDoc.Document
Dim oAsmCompDef As AssemblyComponentDefinition
oAsmCompDef = openDoc.ComponentDefinition
Dim oViewRep As DesignViewRepresentation
Try
'Activate a writeable View Rep (master view rep is not writeable)
oAsmCompDef.RepresentationsManager.DesignViewRepresentations.Item("WIP View Rep").activate
Catch
'Assume error means this View Rep does not exist, so create it (will be deleted at end)
oViewRep = oAsmCompDef.RepresentationsManager.DesignViewRepresentations.Add("WIP View Rep")
End Try
i = 0
'Find next view rep that needs updating
For Each oViewRep In oAsmCompDef.RepresentationsManager.DesignViewRepresentations
If oViewRep.Name.Contains("Begins") Then
oViewRep.Activate
oViewRep.Locked = False
i = i+1
'Create string for current contents of view rep (this is located inside the view rep name so needs to be pulled out)
CurrentRepName = Mid(oViewRep.Name,9,Len(oViewRep.Name)-10-((Len(oViewRep.Name))-((oViewRep.Name.Indexof("(")))))
oOccCounter = 0
oSubOccCounter = 0
'look at all of the components in the assembly
Dim oCompDef As Inventor.ComponentDefinition = openDoc.ComponentDefinition
'define the first level components collection
Dim oCompOcc As Inventor.ComponentOccurrence
'define the next level components collection
Dim oSubCompOcc As Inventor.ComponentOccurrence
'Turn off the visibility of parts in the top level assembly that don't contain the current view rep name
For Each oCompOcc in oCompDef.Occurrences
If oCompOcc.Suppressed = False Then
If Left(oCompOcc.Name,Len(CurrentRepName)) = CurrentRepName Then
oCompOcc.Visible = True
oOccCounter = oOccCounter+1
Else
oCompOcc.Visible = False
End If
'Turn off the visibility of parts in the next level assembly that don't contain the current view rep name
For Each oSubCompOcc In oCompOcc.SubOccurrences
If oSubCompOcc.Suppressed = False Then
If Left(oSubCompOcc.Name,Len(CurrentRepName)) = CurrentRepName Then
oSubCompOcc.Visible = True
oSubOccCounter = oSubOccCounter+1
Else
oSubCompOcc.Visible = False
End If
End If
Next
End If
Next
'Rename View Rep to include component counts
oViewRep.Name = ("Begins '" & CurrentRepName & "' (Qty: " & oOccCounter & " Top Level, " & oSubOccCounter & " Sub Comps)")
'lock the new view rep
oViewRep.Locked = True
End If
Next
Try
'Delete WIP view rep
oAsmCompDef.RepresentationsManager.DesignViewRepresentations.Item("WIP View Rep").delete
Catch
End Try
'Return view to Home view
ThisApplication.CommandManager.ControlDefinitions.Item("AppViewCubeHomeCmd").Execute
If i=1 Then
MessageBox.Show(i & " View Rep Has Been Updated", "Success!")
Else If i>1 Then
MessageBox.Show(i & " View Reps Have Been Updated", "Success!")
Else
MessageBox.Show("No 'Begins' View Reps Exist" & vbLf & vbLf & "Please Create View Reps First!", "Failed")
End If