Rorschach,

Wish I could help a fellow Texan with this, but I don't have any familiarity with the software package. I assume you've tried the manufacturer? Maybe there's an export or backup function that will let you make a duplicate (but different) file set. Failing in that, you might have to create some kind of script to do it.

Logan

Go to ptcuser.org and sign up on the member portal. They have e-mail exploders for a variety of topics such as modeling, assemblies, drawing, surfacing, mechanica, mechanisms, admin, etc. To use the exploder, you send an e-mail to on address for one of the topics, and the system forwards it to all subscribers for that topic.

If your models and assemblies were created using proper top-down design practices, then what you are trying to do should not be difficult. Unfortunately, I have not been on Pro-E for a number of years, so I hesitate to give any specific instructions.

Are all the detail drawings in one multi-sheet file or does

each part have its own drawing file?

Each part and/or assembly model has an associated drawing that goes with it. this is a large assembly with multiple sub-assemblies.

I do not have Windchill so when I make copies I do

it using the "Save a Copy" command and follow the steps below.

From what I remember, Windchill should have an option to "duplicate objects" or "dependancies". I think you have to also have all the drawings in session.

Using Save A Copy with Assemblies:

When you save a copy of an assembly, you have the option to copy any or all members of the assembly. However, you must copy and rename any components that have external references.

Click File > Save A Copy, then enter a new name for your assembly and click OK. The Assembly Save A Copy dialog box opens. It provides a convenient way to provide new names for the desired assembly components. You can reuse the original component or define a new name for the new copy of the original component. These new components are saved to the same directory as an assembly copy. Reused components stay at their original location.

If a family table is used with your assembly and you set the configuration file option allow_save_as_instance to yes, you are given the option to save your assembly as a family table instance. If you set the configuration option to no, the option of saving a family table instance is not available. The only choice is to save your assembly as new, independent assembly. The recommended method of creating table instances is within the family table dialog box and not with the configuration option.

The source assembly is shown in a tree-like structure so you can see its hierarchy of components. By default each component is selected to be reused. To provide a new name, the user must select components and specify "New Name" in the drop-down menu or click Generate New Names.

For each component, you can choose to give it a new name or to reuse the component in the source subassembly. If a subassembly is chosen to be renamed, all components in that subassembly can also be renamed using the default new name or remain as "unused". If you change all components to "new name", change the subassembly to "reuse", and then back to "new name", the status of the components change automatically to "new name". If a subassembly is reused, then all components in that subassembly are reused.

When you copy an assembly, you can copy any or all of the components that make up the assembly.

In the Rule section of this dialog box, you can establish a rule for a renaming convention. The default renaming convention is the old name appended with a default suffix. You can change the suffix and apply it to selected components. You can also create a template for other renaming conventions including a suffix or prefix.

To input a suffix for component name generation, type the suffix in the Use Suffix box. Change components to "new name" to add this suffix.

Note: Click the right mouse button in the tree-like section to view the pop-up menu. To select multiple items to be resumed or renamed, hold down the CTRL key and then click components or subassemblies.

Good luck.

yes, it has that function, but when i tried that I got a javascript null pointer exception error. when I try to duplicate it using pro/E, the models copy over but not the drawings.

Somewhere, under "Options", a parameter named "save drawing with object" has to be set to "both".

Just checked that. it is.

use the back-up feature........

back up every .drw to a new directory, all of the associated .prt & . asm will be backeup up automatically also. surpressed items in assemblies will NOT be backed up)

close ProE or erase everything out of memory. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT or else you will start overwritting things you do not want to change in the originals

set your working directory to the place that you backed up everything into.

make sure that you have all pertinent (linked .drw, .prt, .asm) open BEFORE you start.. if you can't have everything open at once becasue of memory restrictions, just make sure that you have the next higher level .asm open.

then on the parts that are changing, start opening and renaming the files to what you want the new parts to be called,

have a list of what the orignals were named in case you inadvertantly changed something and forgot to have a linked .prt or .asm open and get an error that it does not exist

once everything is renamed, just start making changes to the parts that are affected.

after you are done, back up everything to where it should be

it may not be the most elegant, but it works, i do it all the time..

send me a PM if you want to chat offline

good luck