T-FLEX Parametric CAD. Fundamentals. 2D Design

Basic Fundamentals and Concepts of Working with Assemblies
BASIC FUNDAMENTALS AND CONCEPTS OF WORKING
WITH ASSEMBLIES
Introduction
Any drawing can be inserted in other drawings in T-FLEX system. For example, you can insert the drawing
of the title block template into a part drawing, or, say, a drawing of a bolt into an assembly.
A T-FLEX CAD drawing is called fragment when inserted into another document. The drawing obtained by
using fragments will be referred to as assembly drawing. The assembly drawing keeps only a reference to
the original fragment file. Modifications in the fragment file propagate on the respective component in the
assembly drawing.
Creation of drawings using fragments brings significant benefits in various cases. Firstly, this simplifies the
process of creating complicated drawings, since you can create portions of such drawing first, and then join
those. The design workflow of separate fragments can be completely independent, or, alternatively, be
conducted in the assembly context, using the associative relations between the fragments and the assembly.
Separating the assembly drawing into fragments corresponding to separate parts makes the assembly drawing
fully represent the actual assembled mechanism. This approach also provides maximum automation to
creating bills of materials of the assembly drawing, and delivers the complete set of detail drawings.
Secondly, the use of assembly drawing supports reverse propagation of parametric modifications to any of
the assembly parameters from the assembly to its contributing parts. This feature instantly yields a full set of
part drawings satisfying those modified parameters. Thirdly, fragments can serve for representing frequently
used drawing elements. Standard library elements can also be handy as fragments. For example, the title
block template drawing can be added to a part drawing. You could also create special detailing elements to
add to drawings.
Effective use of fragments in T-FLEX assembly drawings relies on the following fragment characteristics:
As any T-FLEX CAD elements, fragments can be attached
to various elements of the assembly drawing, including
other fragments. This allows coordinating fragment position
modifications with other drawing elements relocations.
Since fragments are parametric drawings, they dimensions
upon assembling are calculated according to the desired
parameters of the assembly drawing. Note that the same
fragment file can be used in the assembly document
multiple times with different parameter values. This feature
is especially beneficial when using libraries of standard
elements.
Once assembled, fragments often overlap each other and the
image of the assembly itself. T-FLEX CAD allows setting
up automatic hidden line removal upon fragment
overlapping.
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