Arranging Bundle Segments in Supports

This task shows you how to arrange bundle segments in supports and propagate the arrangement to one or more other supports in the same route.
  • This functionality applies to multi-branchable documents only.
  • This command cannot be used for retainers and adaptive supports since bundle segments are automatically positioned in these supports and cannot be re-arranged.
 

  1. Click Arrange Bundle Segments  .

    Note: Rotating a support along the support axis does not affect the bundle arrangement. This means, however, that some bundle segments may be positioned outside the rotated support. If this occurs, you can re-arrange segments manually or, propagate the arrangement of an un-rotated support.
    A message appears to this effect when you select this command. Click OK to continue.

    You are prompted to select a support.

  2. Select a support.

    The Arrange Bundle Segments dialog box appears. Bundle segments routed through the selected support are listed.

    The selected bundle segment is highlighted in the geometry area.

    When the Reframe button is clicked, the view point is modified so that the user can rearrange the segments more easily by having a face view of the support.
    When you select the support and click on the Arrange Bundle Segments icon, the view point is modified automatically and at the end of the command, the initial view point is retrieved.

    Selecting the Show advanced parameters check box in the Arrange Bundle Segments dialog box displays the parameters of the bundle segment in the geometry area.This option is selected by default.

    • With Show advanced parameters check box selected.
    • With Show advanced parameters check box cleared.
              
    • If you select a support that has been created previous to V5R17, a warning message is displayed.
    • If you want to convert a support created previous to V5R17:
      • Open the support in the Electrical Part Design workbench.
      • Click Define Support Part in the Electrical Support Definition toolbar.
         
        The following information is displayed informing you of the conversion:
        T        he support does not contain any orientation line. Do you want them to be created automatically now?
      • Click Yes to convert the support. Else click No.
      • Select the Electrical Harness Assembly workbench, and click Arrange Bundle Segments .
         
      • If the selected support has a Published Ref Line (displayed in the specification tree), but the bundle segment point on this support is still a Point on Plane, we identify it as a converted support.
      • Selecting the converted support should automatically migrate the original arrangement to the new model.

  3. Click Reframe to center the 3D view on the selected support and set the support parallel to the screen.

  4. Select the Activate/Deactivate clipping plane check box to better visualize the selected support.

    U and V axes are displayed in the geometry area. The origin of the 2D U,V axis system is positioned on the center of the support. The outer and optimum diameters are also displayed.

    When the clipping plane is activated, a circle is displayed to highlight the cross-sections of each passing segments. These cross-sections will get the color of their irrespective segment.

    When the clipped view is rotated, you can observe that the centre curves of the bundle segments temporarily disappear.
    • The circles representing each segment sections, will have a diameter equal to the diameter of the larger covering protection at the support location.
    • The manipulators move freely in all directions, but the U and V parameters value are still displayed in the 3D as well as in the dialog box.
    • The segment geometries are updated only after clicking the Apply button. This improves the overall performances.

    Outer and Optimum Diameters

    The outer and optimum diameters are displayed to help you.

    • The Outer diameter of all bundle segments routed through the support.
      It is computed as follows: Outer diameter = 2*Max (distance (O, Oi) + Ri)
      where:
      O is the center of the support
      Oi is the center of bundle segment i
      Ri is the radius of bundle segment i

      The outer diameter represents the smallest circle whose center is O that contains all bundle segments routed through the selected support.

      This value is updated each time the U,V parameters are changed.
    • The Optimal diameter is computed as follows:
      Optimal diameter = 1.15*sqrt (sum of ((segment_radius'*2)**2))
      This value takes into account the deformation of bundle segments when tied together in a support.

    Note that protective coverings are not taken into account for computed diameters.

  5. In the geometry area, move the bundle segment to the desired location inside the support.

    Use the green tool to assist you move the bundle segment to the desired location along U and V axes. This tool is positioned on the center of the bundle segment. U, V parameters give the distance of the bundle segment from the center of the support.
    U,V parameters in the dialog box are updated accordingly.
    You can also arrange the bundle segment inside the support by modifying the U,V parameters directly in the dialog box.

  6. Select another bundle segment in the list and adjust to desired location inside the support.

    The entire bundle segment is highlighted in the geometry area.

  7. Repeat as necessary to arrange all bundle segments routed through the selected support.

  8. Click More>> to expand the dialog box.

    The bundle segment arrangement can only be propagated to other supports in the route provided they contain the same bundle segments and are of the same type (i.e. same part number). Supports meeting these conditions are listed in the dialog box. They are also identified by a Propagate ON label in the geometry area. You can choose to individually propagate the arrangement to some of these supports.

    • Propagate ON (green 3D label) identifies supports that can be re-arranged.
      Double-clicking the text toggles the label to Propagate OFF; the support will retain the previous arrangement.

    • Propagate OFF (red 3D label) identifies supports that cannot be re-arranged.

    A contextual menu in the Propagate Arrangement list also lets you toggle the status from ON to OFF and vice-versa.

  9. Optionally, select Propagate to keep the same bundle segment arrangement in all selected supports in the route.

  10. Click OK when done.