Add Comparison Part : Options and Results

Access: Open this function from one of the following locations:

Select Tools > ECO Tools > Add Comparison Part from the menu bar.
Right-click the All ECO root folder in the ECO Tree and select Add Comparison Part.
Right-click any of the ECO# folders in the ECO Tree and select Add Comparison Part.

Add or import a part containing an ECO.

This function brings in the ECO part (the part containing the ECO that is received from the customer) and enables you to perform comparisons. In addition, this function enables you to create a new ECO folder in the ECO Tree if you haven't already done so.

In a typical system development cycle, the specification or the implementation is likely to change during engineering development or during integration of the system elements. These last-minute design changes are commonly referred to as Engineering Change Orders (ECOs) and affect the functionality of a design after it has been wholly or partially completed.

Note: Default ECO comparison colors are defined in the Preferences. The colors set in the Preferences are given to any new comparison. Changes in the ECO dialog do not affect the Preferences.

Required Step 1

The Cimatron Explorer is displayed. Pick the ECO part received from the customer.

Required Step 2

Pick the reference part; the part with which the ECO part will be compared. This is usually the previous ECO part or the master part.

The following parameters are initially displayed:

By Ref. Part

This is a toggle option that enables you to choose how to position the ECO part. This toggle option in only available when the option Don't Add ECO Folder and Comparison is selected - see below.

By Ref. Part

Choose a reference part. The positioning and scale is based on the part.

If there is a single work part or a single ECO part, the system automatically selects it. If there are no parts in the system, the Manual option is displayed grayed out.

By default, this option is grayed out when the Add ECO Folder and Comparison option is selected and is only available when the option Don't Add ECO Folder and Comparison is selected - see below.

Manual

Manually select and position the part. When this option is selected, the positioning options are displayed. These are the same positioning options as those for Add Component.

This option is only available when the option Don't Add ECO Folder and Comparison is selected - see below.

Scale

The scale that is used when adding the reference part. This can either be generated automatically by the system or manually entered.

When generated automatically (using the By Ref. Part option above), this is taken either from a scale feature in the reference part (if one exists) or from the Shrinkage Factor in the Mold Layout tab of the Setup dialog.

When the Manual option is selected above and the ECO part is positioned manually, you must know the scale used in the mold before positioning the part.

The default value is 1.

This parameter is not displayed in the DieDesign environment; see the Use Original Part parameter below.

Use Original Part

This toggle option Use Original Part / Create Import Copy Part is only displayed in the DieDesign environment.

Use Original Part	This option places the original part in the assembly. This is the default option.
Create Import Copy Part	Imports the part from another *. elt file without its features and is incorporated into the current part.

Add ECO Folder and Comparison

This is a toggle option Add ECO Folder and Comparison / Don't Add ECO Folder and Comparison, that enables you to decide whether or not to add an ECO folder (for the new ECO part) and to create an automatic comparison between the added (ECO) part and the previous part or master part.

Add ECO Folder and Comparison

Add a new ECO folder in the ECO Tree (for the new ECO part) and create an automatic comparison between the added (ECO) part and the previous part or master part. A master part may be used part if the previous ECO part does not exist (if this is the first ECO change).

When this option is selected, the following options are displayed:

New ECO Folder Name

The default name of the new ECO folder. Click this parameter to edit the folder name.

Previous Modification: Select Component

This parameter enables you to select the previous modification part; this is usually the master part or the previous ECO part. This parameter has the following "modes"following "modes":

Previous Modification: Select Component	When the parameter is displayed in red, this means that the system cannot automatically identify the correct part and you are prompted to select the part.
Previous Modification: <component_name>	When the parameter is displayed in purple (with the selected component's name), this means that the system has automatically identified and selected the part.
Previous Modification: <component_name>	When the parameter is displayed in black (with the selected component's name), this means that the part was manually selected.

Note: If the system finds that there is a previous ECO part but it is located in a different location, the parameter Previous Modification: Select Component is not filled automatically and remains displayed in red. The reason for this is that since the parts are in different locations the Actual Change folder (see below) does not find any similar faces.

Don't Add ECO Folder and Comparison

Do not add a new ECO folder or create an automatic comparison. When this option is selected, the By Ref. Part toggle parameter becomes available - see above.

Optional Step 1

Set the offset and rotation parameters.

Optional Step 2

Pick a UCS to position the component

Press OK or Apply in the Feature Guide to complete the function.

If the Add ECO Folder and Comparison option was selected above, an ECO folder is added and a comparison is created between the added (ECO) part and the previous (or master) part. This comparison is created under a folder called Actual Change (under the relevant ECO folder). See the example below.

In this example, the following were created:

ECO#1 folder that represents an ECO that is received from the customer.
Actual Change folder containing the comparison between the previous ECO (or the master part) and the ECO part received from the customer. In this example, the master part is Simple-Master-Copy (a copy of the master part) and the ECO part is Simple-ECO1-Copy (a copy of the ECO part).

Some functionality may be dependent on the product package. Contact your Reseller if you require a license.