Creating Fastener Annotations Automatically

This task shows you how to automatically generate a fastener annotation during the fastener creation or edition (In our scenario, we have automatically created a fastener annotation during a spot point creation).

Open the ABF_AllTypeFast_02.CATProduct document.

  1. Select the joint body Joint body.1_BiW in the specification tree.

  2. Click BiW Welding SpotPoint from the Welding toolbar.

    The BiW SpotPoint Fastener Definition dialog box opens.

  3. Specify the type of annotation you want to use.
    By default,     None is selected.

    • None: The BiW fastener annotation will not be created.

    • Manual: The BiW Fastener Annotation creation command will be automatically launched after clicking OK in the BiW SpotPoint Fastener Definition dialog box. You can set the annotation parameters.

    • Automatic:(as in our scenario) The BiW Fastener Annotation associated to the created or edited fastener will be automatically created after clicking OK in the BiW SpotPoint Fastener Definition dialog box. Each field of the created annotation is automatically set from:

      • the ABF user preference file i.e. BiW Fastener Annotation parameters will be set from the customization of the last created BiW Fastener Annotation.
        For example, if the Field 1 of the previous created BiW Fastener Annotation was set to ID-Process Type, then the Field 1 of the next BiW Fastener Annotation automatically created, will display ID-Process Type of the associated fastener.

      • if no ABF user preference file already exists (i.e. no previously created annotation), then the default BiW Fastener Annotation customization specified in the GBF_STD Standard File for the Field Fi is used, where i=1,…, 4.
        For example, the default parameter set to Field F1 for a BiW Fastener Annotation through the GBF_STD Standard File is JEID (specified between <>) or the first specified parameter.
        For more information on customizing the GBF_STD Standard File, refer to Customizing the BiW Fastening Application Standard File.
    • In this case:
      • No ABF preference file exists because no fastener annotation was previously created.
      • The customization of BiW Fastener Annotation for frame Fi where i=1 …, 4 is specified through the GBF_STD Standard File:
    The annotation creation option selected during fastener creation is stored in the user preferences. For the next fastener creation, the default chosen annotation creation option is automatically set from the user preferences.

  4. Click OK.
    The Fastener Annotation associated to the created fastener is automatically created and the parameters are set from the GBF_STD standard file customization:
    Field 1    : displays ID
    Field 2: displays Robustness
    Field 3: displays Geometry Flag
    Field 4: displays Diameter
    Field 5: displays Joint Part instance names

    It also appears in the specification tree under the Annotations Set.x node. You can notice that an annotation plane is created too.

  • If the annotation plane is not activated before BiW Fastener Annotation creation, an annotation plane is automatically created by default parallel to xy plane.

  • If the Repeat object after OK option, (which is available only with the Along Curve and the From Curve On Surface options) is selected during the manual/automatic creation of fastener annotations:

    • The annotation for the reference fastener is automatically created, in case of automatic creation.

    • The BiW Weld Fastener Annotation dialog box is displayed for the reference spot point, in case of manual creation.

    • The BiW Fastener Repetition dialog box is then displayed for creating the fasteners.

    • The BiW Fastener Annotations of the repeated Fasteners are further created with the same parameters as that of the reference Annotation (the Annotation associated to the reference).

  • The annotation Welding symbol is automatically set when the fastener annotation is associated to a Welding Resistance SpotPoint Fastener.

  • Depending on the selection of Create Datum Parameters in the BiW Tools toolbar the automatic annotation creation is affected in the following way:

    • If the icon is not activated during automatic annotation creation the created BiW Annotation remains associative with the fastener.

    • If the icon is activated by a single click (not permanent datum mode), then only the fastener is isolated and the BiW fastener annotation remains associative to the fastener.

    • If the datum mode is activated by a double-click (permanent datum mode), then the fastener and its associated BiW fastener annotation are isolated (the BiW fastener annotation is not associative with the BiW Fastener). Therefore, modifying the fastener location or fastener parameters has no impact on the datum annotation.