SpeedPak creates a simplified
configuration of an assembly without losing references. If you work with
large and
complex assemblies, using a SpeedPak configuration can significantly improve performance
while working in the assembly and its drawing.
Improvements in assembly performance are most noticeable in very
large and complex assemblies.
A SpeedPak configuration is essentially a subset of the parts, faces,
reference geometry, sketches, and curves of an assembly. Unlike regular configurations,
where you can simplify an assembly only by suppressing components, SpeedPak simplifies without suppressing. Therefore, you
can substitute a SpeedPak configuration for the full assembly in higher level assemblies
without losing references. Because only a subset of the parts, faces, reference
geometry, sketches, and curves are used, memory usage is reduced, which can increase
performance of many operations.
When you make changes to an assembly, such as adding, deleting, or
moving components, the changes are not automatically incorporated into the SpeedPak
configuration, even when you rebuild the assembly. You must manually update the
SpeedPak configuration to incorporate the changes.
When to Use SpeedPak
Use SpeedPak when you want to
insert a complex large assembly into a higher level assembly, especially if you want
to see the entire SpeedPak assembly, but need to mate and dimension only to
relatively few locations.
You can also use SpeedPak to facilitate file sharing. The SpeedPak
information is saved entirely within the assembly file. Therefore, when sharing an
assembly, you can send just the assembly file. You do not need to include component
files.
For example, suppose you design an engine assembly, and need to send
it to your customer's design team so they can insert it in their vehicle
design.
- Create
a SpeedPak configuration of the engine assembly, including all the faces,
bodies, reference geometry, sketches, and curves your customer plans to
reference in their vehicle model.
- Send
them just the engine assembly file. You do not need to send files for any of the
engine component parts.
- The
customer inserts
the
engine assembly file into their vehicle assembly file. They can add mates and
dimensions to all the items you included in the SpeedPak definition.
SpeedPak in Drawings
When you dimension SpeedPak configurations in drawings, you can only
dimension to edges included in the SpeedPak, which are shown in black. Edges not
included in the SpeedPak are shown in gray. When you print the drawing, all the
lines print in
black unless
you select Color / Gray scale in the
Page Setup dialog box.
Exporting to DXF/DWG files is not supported for SpeedPak
drawings.
In a
drawing,
when you create a bill of materials for an assembly whose active configuration is a
SpeedPak configuration, you can include columns for other configurations in addition
to the SpeedPak configuration.
In an assembly document, when you create a bill of materials for an assembly
whose active configuration is a SpeedPak configuration, you can include only the
active SpeedPak configuration in the BOM.
You can use
the
Balloon
(Annotations toolbar)
tool
to add balloons to all items in a SpeedPak assembly, but the
Auto Balloon
toolis
not supported.