Advanced Assembly

Extension (AAX)
Dave Martin – [email protected]
 Advanced Assembly Extension Overview

The Advanced Assembly Extension (AAX) is an additional module available for

Creo Parametric. When most people think of AAX, they think of Top Down
Design (TDD). However, AAX provides additional functionality beyond TDD.

This presentation will review the functionality available from Top Down
Design, as well as additional capabilities provided for general assembly
modeling and Options & Variants.
Top Down Design
Advanced Assembly Extension
 Notebooks
• Notebooks document a product or assembly’s
Design Intent.
• Notebooks contain important dimensions and
parameters that affect multiple components in
an assembly.
• Notebooks can also contain images, notes,
tables, symbols, and balloons.
• Models are connected to Notebooks using the
Declare command.
• Then you can write Relations that define local
dimensions as a function of Notebook
parameters.
• Notebooks are retrieved into session whenever
a model declared to them is retrieved,
ensuring the model always has the latest
values.
 Skeletons

• Skeletons are special kinds of part models that

contain geometry that drives multiple
components in an assembly.
• Skeletons can contain surfaces, curves, planes,
axes, points, and coordinate systems.
• Geometry is communicated from a Skeleton to
target parts using Data Sharing features such
as Copy Geometry, Shrinkwrap, and Merge/
Inheritance.
• By sharing geometry from the Skeleton to
target parts, updating the Skeleton can
propagate changes to multiple components.
 Motion Skeletons

• Motion Skeletons are used to apply Top Down

Design techniques to mechanisms –
assemblies in which components can move
relative to each other.
• A Motion Skeleton is an assembly, whereas a
standard design Skeleton is a part.
• Motion Skeletons contain:
• A 2D sketch
• A Ground component
• Body parts with connections for the defined
motion
Data Sharing Features

• Data Sharing Features allow you to reference geometry

from one component to another.
• Data Sharing Features include:
• Copy Geometry
• Publish Geometry
• Shrinkwrap
• Merge / Inheritance
• Data Sharing Features are preferable to direct External
References because they provide control over
dependencies and updating.
 Reference Scope Control

• Reference Scope Control allows you to limit

the External References that a model can
create, and the External References that can
be made from another model to it.
• The Reference Creation Control dialog box is
available from File > Prepare > Model
Properties and clicking the blue change
hyperlink for Reference and Backup.
• Reference Scope Control can also be defined
via configuration options (File > Options >
Configuration Editor) and session settings
(File > Options > Assembly).
Reference Viewer

• Parent-Child Relationships are a critical method of

building Design Intent into models in parametric
modeling.
• The Reference Viewer allows you to examine Local
References, External References, and Dependencies.
• The Reference Viewer also helps you find and
understand Circular References – situations in which
one model is both the parent and child of another.
• Dependencies can also be broken using this tool.
 Included Components

• The Include command allows you to add a part

or subassembly to the assembly, without
adding the component’s geometry.
• This is useful for laying out the assembly’s
Product Structure, especially before you are
ready to locate components in the assembly.
• Included components appear greyed out with
dashed boxes around the glyph (symbol) in the
Model Tree.
• Use Edit Definition to define constraints in
order to bring the component’s geometry into
the model.
General Assembly Functionality
Advanced Assembly Extension
 Interchange Assemblies

• Interchange Assemblies facilitate replacing

components with one another in design
assemblies.
• Members of Interchange Assemblies can be
both parts and assemblies.
• Reference Tags define what geometry is
equivalent to each other for use in
assembly constraints.
• Create using File > New > Assembly >
Interchange (subtype).
• Configurable Modules are very closely
related to Interchange Assemblies.
Inheritance Features

• Inheritance Features are a one-way associative

merge of all the features from another model,
with the ability to vary items from the source
model.
• Inheritance Features are great for making one-
off variations without using Save As or Family
Tables, and documenting different
manufacturing steps (e.g., as-cast, as-
machined).
• Varied Items include Features, Dimensions,
Parameters, and References.
 Drawing Representations
• Drawing Representations are the equivalent of
a Simplified Rep for a 2D production drawing.
• Drawing Representations allow you to control:
• Which models, sheets, and views are retrieved
and displayed.
• Updating of tables.
• Where the drawing opens (sheet, view, or
saved view).
• In a drawing, Representations are created and
applied from the Tools > Utilities > Drawing
Representation command.
• Drawing Reps can be accessed upon retrieval
in the File > Open dialog box and using the
Open drop-down list and Open
Representation.
Assembly Pro/PROGRAM
• Pro/PROGRAM allows you to create new
design variations by turning a model’s
regeneration cycle into an interactive process
where the user can provide new values.
• Prompts are added to the INPUT section of a
model’s program.
• In the RELATIONS section, dimensions and
parameters are driven by the values of those
inputs.
• In the Main Body you can:
• Execute lower-level programs (parts and
subassemblies).
• Add IF THEN statements to the body of the
program.
• Replace components with Family Table
instances.
Pro/PROCESS for Assemblies

• Process Assemblies document the step-by-step

instructions for putting a product together.
• Process Assemblies include both the End Item as
well as Fabrication Units (e.g., tooling and fixtures).
• Process Steps can be Assemble, Disassemble,
Reassemble, Reposition, and General.
• To define a Process Step, you also specify the
components, Simplified Rep, and Explode State.
• Process Assemblies are then documented in 2D
production drawings.
• Somewhat similar to MPMLink for Manufacturing
Process Planning on the Windchill / PLM side.
Options and Variants
Advanced Assembly Extension
 Configurable Modules

• Configurable Modules are assemblies that

contain Variants – parts and assemblies – that
represent different choices in a Configurable
Product.
• Created via File > New > Assembly >
Configurable Module (subtype).
• Reference Tags define what geometry is
equivalent to each other for assembly
constraints.
• Configurable Modules are very similar to
Interchange Assemblies.
 Configurable Products
• Used in the Configure To Order (CTO)
manufacturing strategy.
• Configurable Products are special assemblies
that contain design subassemblies, design
parts, and Configurable Modules.
• Configurable Products are also known as
“Overloaded BOMs” since they contain all
possible components reflecting all possible
customer choices.
• Created via File > New > Assembly >
Configurable Product (subtype).
• In order to configure Variants – new assemblies
generated from user choices – the Options and
Variants module is needed.
 Thank You!
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