Methodology: Getting Familiar With Templates  

This topic is intended to help you make out the differences between the 3 different kinds of templates available (Power Copies, User Features and Document Templates) from 2 points of views: The mechanisms they use and their contents.

What is the difference between the 3 different templates?

Part Level Power Copy A Power Copy is a template that works at the part level. From a collection of features (geometry, literals, formulas, constraints, etc.), you can create your own collection of features. The result is a Part Design feature or a Shape Design feature that can be reused in the design of another part. The created feature can be saved in a catalog. 
  User Feature A User Feature is a template that works at the part level and that is very close to the Power Copy. Like the Power Copy, from a collection of features (geometry, literals, formulas, constraints, etc.), you can create your own feature. The result is a Part Design feature or a Shape Design feature that can be reused in the design of another part. The created feature can be saved in a catalog. 

The major differences between a User Feature and a Power Copy are the following:

  • It is possible to modify a Power Copy once created BUT it is impossible to modify a User Feature  after its creation.
  • It is impossible to see the internals of a User Feature , which is considered as a "black box".
  • The mechanisms used at instantiation time are different.
Assembly Level Document Template There are 2 different document templates: Part Templates and Assembly Templates.
  • A Part template is a template that references a Part. This template is a feature that is created in the CATPart document itself (very similar to the Power Copy definition) and stored in a catalog. Several part templates may be defined in the same CATPart document.
  • An assembly template is a template that references the root product of an assembly.

The difference between a Power Copy/User Feature and a document template comes from the fact that the Power Copy/User Feature  works at the Part level whereas the Document Template works at the Assembly level.

Creating and instantiating User Features and Power Copies: Mechanisms used  

This section aims at describing the mechanisms used to create and instantiate User Features/Power Copies.

Power Copies: Rely on the Copy/Paste mechanism

User Features: Rely on the Reference/Instance mechanism
  • The Power Copy reference has links to the selected features (Reference Feature in the graphic below.) These selected features are the components of the Power Copy reference.
  • The instantiation of a Power Copy reference is a copy of each of its components (Copied Feature.)
  • After instantiation, there is no link between the copied feature and the reference component.
  • The User Feature  reference aggregates a copy of each selected feature.
  • The instantiation of a User Feature  reference creates a new feature: An instance of the User Feature  reference.
  • After instantiation, the new User Feature can be edited. You can change the value of its published parameters and/or replace its inputs.
  • A change in the reference User Feature does not impact its instances.

  • Creating the Power Copy: In the PktPowerCopyReference.CATPart file, we have a line called Line.1. The Power Copy reference is created by selecting this line and the Distance_to_Point parameter that computes the distance between the line and one of the points of the model.
    Note that there is a link between the Power Copy reference and Line.1.
  • Instantiating the Power Copy: In the destination Part document, we have 4 points: Point.1, Point.2, Point.3, and Point.4. We select Point.1 and Point.2 to create the line and Point.4 so that the formula computing the distance between the line and the point is re-launched: A new line is created and the formula re-computed.
  • Creating the User Feature : In the PktUserFeatureReference.CATPart file, we have a line called Line.1. The User Feature reference is created by selecting this line and the formula (that computes the distance between the line and one of the points of the model) and by publishing the Distance_to_Point parameter.
    Note that the User Feature  is a black box which contains a line, a published parameter. The inputs (the points) and the published parameter are outside the black box.
  • Instantiating the User Feature : In the destination Part document, we have 4 points: Point.1, Point.2, Point.3, and Point.4. We select Point.1 and Point.2 to create the line and Point.4 so that the formula computing the distance between the line and the point is re-launched: A new line is created and the formula re-computed.
    Note that the name of the new User Feature  is UserFeature1.1: It is the name of the reference indexed by 1. This new feature can be edited which means that the inputs and the published parameter can be modified.

Creating and instantiating document templates: Mechanism used

The mechanism used at instantiation is close to the New From mechanism.

Defining the content of a template

Please find below a table listing the objects that can be inserted and those that cannot be inserted into Power Copies, User-Defined Features, and Document Templates.

   

Power Copies

User-Defined Features

Document Templates
Part  

Body  


(If assembled)		 *
PartBody   *
  Sketch *
  Sketch-based features *
  Dress-up features *
  Surface-based features *
  Transformation Features *
  Boolean Operations *
  Advanced Dress-Up Features *
Geometrical Sets/Ordered Geometrical Sets    
Wireframe *
Law *
Surfaces *
Volumes *
Annotations *
Views/Annotation Planes *
Operations *
Constraints
(If the geometry is embedded)		 *
Knowledgeware Features  

*
Space Analysis        
Measure Between *
Measure Item *
Measure Inertia *

* When contained in a Part, all these items can be inserted into a document template.

Working with PowerCopies
Working with User Features (UDFs): Getting Started
Working with Document Templates