Parametric 3D models can be linked to Liftdesigner parameters to automate assembly. You can do this using an Excel file or by direct mapping in the Drive External CAD Model Window.
Prerequisites
A CAD model (Inventor, SolidWorks, or Creo) already added to the project.
A parameter mapping file for that CAD model: an Excel file (
.xls/.xlsx) listing the CAD model's parameters (name, current value, unit) that you want to drive from Liftdesigner.Knowledge of which Liftdesigner Project tree parameter should drive each CAD parameter. See the component parameters tables.
Using Excel Parameter File
Steps
Select the CAD model and open the mapping wizard.
Select the loaded CAD model in your project, then click Assign in the Parameter Mapping ribbon group on the CAD Models tab. This opens the Drive external CAD Model wizard.
Select the parameter file.
Click Plus and choose the Excel parameter file for this CAD model. Continue to the next step.
Step 1 — Map each CAD parameter to a Liftdesigner parameter.
In the Excel file, click edit mapping to open a spreadsheet-style table of the CAD model's parameters (name, equation/value, unit). For each parameter you want to drive from your project:
- Click its cell, then click Select Mapping Parameter. In the Project tree dialog that opens, browse to the Liftdesigner parameter that should control this value and click OK. A mapped cell is marked green.
- To combine more than one Liftdesigner parameter into a single CAD value, enter a formula in the cell instead, referencing the mapped cells — for example=A10+2*A11.
Step 2 — Review and finish.
Check the list of assigned mappings and click Finish. Now the mapping is complete. There are three ways to run the automation: each time a value changes, always or never.
Run the automation mapping.
To adapt the 3D CAD model according to the mapped parameters, click Run now. The file will be opened, updated via the external CAD program, and reloaded into Liftdesigner.
TIP: If you want the file to remain open in the external CAD program, select the 'Keep CAD Files Open' option in the Options → User Settings → Update Requirements window.
Using Mapping Window
This method allows the mapping of rules using different Liftdesigner parameters instead of mapping each cell to a single parameter.
Steps
Select the CAD model and open the mapping wizard.
Configure the mapping.
Click on edit mapping. The Rule Editor window will open to create a rule or directly map a Liftdesigner parameter.
Select the target parameter.
If the CAD model war parametric created, the existing parameters will be listed.
Run the automation mapping.
Result
The CAD model's mapped dimensions now match your Liftdesigner project. From now on, whenever you change a mapped dimension in your project, select the CAD model and click Update in CAD (Parameter Mapping group) to push the change through — the model's geometry updates, and if its author built in configuration-switching rules (e.g. the model automatically switches from one configuration to another past a size threshold), the correct configuration is applied as well.