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User-defined parameters? (#4789)
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MadOverlord  
#1 Posted : Thursday, August 8, 2013 3:53:32 PM(UTC)
MadOverlord

Rank: Junior Member

Joined: 4/13/2013(UTC)
Posts: 6
I often have parts with multiple features that have common dimensions (such as a hole diameter).

AFAICT, right now if I decide to change the hole diameter, I have to go and change all of them individually. Is there a way to associate dimensions of objects (even features of different solids)?

I searched the VC8 manual and noted a reference in the expression parser to [param] elements, which implies that there should be a way to set a named constant and then refer to it later, but I can't see any way to do this.

PS: on a total side-note, there are occasionally times when a negative countersink (a countersink diameter smaller than the hole diameter) is handy, but VC8 does not permit this. An example would be when you're designing a printable part with a hole that will be tapped (or self-tapped by the screw), and you want an interior cavity to capture some of the shavings.
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zumer  
#2 Posted : Thursday, August 8, 2013 10:15:17 PM(UTC)
zumer

Rank: Senior Member

Joined: 11/4/2007(UTC)
Posts: 515

Was thanked: 1 time(s) in 1 post(s)
Linear duplicates, linear arrays and polar arrays of solids can be made associative to their parent, so they'll update if the parent's edited (even if the child's been booleaned subsequently), but there's not a way to constrain or use block instances inserted, as some programs do. Perhaps you might be able to use xrefs to do something similar, but I don't know. You can achieve your 'negative countersink' by subtracting an inverted cone, which could also be a child object for propagated editing.

But, since this is a 'suggestions' forum, and since mirror copy already has provision for "linked mirror", it would make sense to have an alternative or toggle option key, or a check box if translate or rotate is invoked, for associative copies, so that the duplicate and array dialogues don't have to be invoked and closed off afterwards at all.
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