For this week’s topic I want to discuss why we would want to use external ilogic rules vs just putting the rules locally inside of the file. The simple answer to that is for flexibility of running something that is not needed on every file, or a rule that could be run on files that already exist.
The first step to creating an external ilogic rule is to create/add a standard directory where you want to store your external ilogic rules. This is in the Tools tab – Options panel (expanded) – iLogic Configuration. Simply click the + to add a directory to the list.
iLogic Configuration
Once that is added, you’ll see the folder show up in your External Rules tab. Right clicking on that folder will allow you to Create New External Rules.
Create New External Rule
Now what kind of rule might we add? I’ve used this before to create User Parameters if they aren’t already in the document.
Checking and then Creating Parameters
In this code, it checks to see if the parameter exists and then creates it if it doesn’t. We could just copy/paste the Try section as many times as we need to keep checking/adding as many User parameters as we might want.
Another good use might be if you had spare part kits or component packages that you want to throw in to your assembly on the fly. In this example, I have two assemblies that contain different configurations of virtual components as a kit, so there is no need for constraints. I just want to bring these kits in to the assembly, so I have the BOM info from those kits. When you run the rule, it will ask which Kit you want, then pull that in to your assembly.
Creating Assembly Kits
Virtual Parts inside of the Assembly Kit
These are just a couple of examples of what we can do with external ilogic rules. If you set them up on the network, all users can load that directory and take advantage of external ilogic rules.
External Rules
I hope this helps see where you can use external ilogic rules and as always, please leave a comment or questions below. Finally, if you’re already using External rules, please comment below and share! It’s always great to see how others are using the tools! - Dan Hunsucker
Do you use any of these tips and tricks in your daily workflow? Feel free to brag about your success in the comments!
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