Hi 

This is the most complex assembly design I have attempted in my career, so apologies for any naïve assumptions

I am currently working on a parametric modular CAD model for a new lift system, currently working on the car assembly which consists of two sub assemblies - Cabin and Sling. The cabin design needs to be adaptable enough to meet several different standard sizes, as well as bespoke sizes. Further down the line I will also be developing a shaft model which size will be driven by the same parameters as that of the car assembly, but also other parameters such as floor sizes, door location etc.

I have attempted to create the modularity and drivers using a mixture of SSP (Skeleton Sketch Part) linked to a design table that allows for not only the listed size parameters but also the ability for bespoke inputs, and multiple configurations for each standard size type.

This works fine to certain level of the assembly. As you can see from below the SSP driving the overall size of the assembly, each size configuration generates successfully:

However, in the next level up where I have assemled the same sub assembly to that of another (the sling), the generation breaks up, with the SSP following each configuration size but the individual parts in the assembly failing to follow completely. It fails a different way every time, sometimes worse than other

Has anyone else come across this, and or has any ideas of how to fix this?

I would also be happy to hear of other design techniques. I would in an ideal world like one design table on the top level assembly that control the sizes and inputs for all the components but I cant at this point see how i would do it. Similar to the model in the youtube video below.

SolidWorks - elevator - lift.mp4 - YouTube 

I have attempted it with an SSP on the top level that is then 'derived' to all the parametric sub assemblies within in the model, but the design table only seems to update that of the SSP on the top level and not the derived sketches. 

Any help or advice would be much appreciated.