Hello,

I have a question regarding combinatorial explosition of the number of configurations. The explanation below is a simplified version of my situation but the whole problem is captured.

Imagine I have a part which is a square box. It initially has 2 configurations: 'hole' which has a hole in the center and 'plain' which has no hole.

I now want to insert 6 instances of this part in an assembly:

   * 3 instances with 'hole'

   * 3 'plain' instances

In each series there are 3 instances and I want each instance to have a different edge length. This means that I will have the following instances:

   * size 1, with hole

   * size 2, with hole

   * size 3, with hole

   * size 1, plain

   * size 2, plain

   * size 3, plain

Does it mean I will need to create 6 different configurations of my part?

Isn't there a way to say that the part has 2 parameters (size and hole presence) and that for each instance created we need to specify the parameters?

I am asking that because if I add another parameter (say I add a shaft to my box, and the new parameter is the length of the shaft) and this length can take 5 sizes then combining the different possible values of my parameters have me create 3 * 2 * 5 = 30 configurations.

This is beginning to be impossible to manage, no? How do you normally handle these situations guys?

Thanks,

AR.