SpeedPak creates a simplified
configuration or instance
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
the performance of many operations.
You can create a SpeedPak instance instead of a SpeedPak configuration.
With a SpeedPak instance, the referenced model does not change. You cannot use a
SpeedPak instance in other assemblies. A SpeedPak instance may increase the file size of
the parent assembly.
When you make changes to an assembly,
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
only
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
that
your customer plans to reference in their vehicle model.
- Send them
only
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 that
are 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 tool
is not supported.