Simplified Representations
You can use simplified representation (or simp rep) tools to simplify an assembly by excluding components in a particular representation or substituting one component (CAD part or assembly) for another. Additionally, simp reps allow you to control the amount of data retrieved for a component. So for any given component, you can retrieve all data, just the geometry (no feature information by all surfaces and edges are represented) or just graphics (just a wireframe representation of the component). For example, when working with a very large assembly, you may find it useful to create a simplified representation that only contains the component in a small section of the assembly. This enables you to simplify your working environment significantly, and reduce the number of files that you need to download, while still including critical geometry.
Additionally, simplified representations improve the regeneration, retrieval, and display times of assemblies, enabling you to work more efficiently. You can use them to control which members of an assembly the system retrieves and displays. This lets you tailor your work environment to include only the information of current interest to you. For example, to speed the regeneration and display process, you can temporarily remove a complicated subassembly that is unrelated to the portion of the assembly on which you need to work.
Simplified representations are stored within the master assembly file, so if you are modifying a simplified representation, then you must have the master assembly file in session.
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Bear in mind the following when using simplified representations with a Windchill system.
• Simplified representations only need to download the subset of files that are required by the simplified representation, thus speeding up operations that require file transfer (such as Download and Check Out).
• When several users are working concurrently on an assembly, any changes made to the simplified representation definition requires a checkout of the top-level assembly. The consequence of this is that although many people can work on the assembly simultaneously, only one person at a time can be modifying the simplified representation definition. To overcome this restriction, consider using external simplified representations (external sim reps), described in the following section.
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An external simplified representation is a presentation of a master assembly stored as a separate assembly model (whereas the simplified representation is stored in the master assembly file). An external simp rep contains particular components of the master assembly or their simplified representations. You can create multiple external simplified representations of a master assembly, each corresponding to a different area of the assembly and each at a different level of detail. You can include low-level components without top and intermediate level assemblies and allow multiple users to work simultaneously. External simplified representations avoid the risk of accidental modifications to top-level assemblies.
All the components included in an external simplified representation are the same as those in the master assembly. Therefore, it is not necessary to propagate modifications made to the external simplified representation or master assembly. All modifications to external simplified representations are automatically reflected in the master assembly.
External Simplified representations are supported by Windchill. This allows you to check in the external simp rep file to the Windchill database, retrieve an external simp rep assembly, and create (in Creo Parametric) an external simp rep "on-the-fly". The ability to use external simp reps allows multiple users to work on the same assembly without checking out the master. Users can work on their simp reps, which can be particularly useful for large assemblies. Each user can check out only what is needed and download the rest.
The concept of an external simplified representation is supported by the Design Context object, a representative structure that can be derived from an existing CAD assembly or from a Configuration Context object. A configuration context is derived from a part structure.