Subsequent costing

When you open a component that has been costed previously, aPriori Professional displays the saved cost information for the component in the Cost Object window. .

To display the Cost Object window or edit production, administrative, or quote information, select Production Info, Administrative Info, or Quoted Cost from the Edit menu on the Manufacturing Process panel. 

aPriori provides several ways to update costing when a component changes:

  • auto-costing: Depending on a number of factors and settings described below, aPriori can sense when an object’s CAD information has changed and automatically recost the component

  • Cost buttons (): aPriori provides Cost buttons at various places throughout the interface. Click this button when you want to manually initiate a costing operation.

  • Cost Provides advanced costing options such as costing multiple component scenarios and “deep” costing of children components within assemblies.

 

You can define different scenarios for parts, assemblies, cost comparisons, and roll-ups, and explore the impact of different inputs for the cost of a component. A part or assembly’s initial scenario is the official scenario by default. You can specify another scenario to be the official scenario.

  • The official scenario is the default scenario to roll into an assembly depending on the Tools > User Preferences > Use Official Scenarios in New Assemblies, and if a specific scenario is not otherwise specified.

  • The options are Always, When components exist but no matching scenario, or Never. This official scenario is the one that is costed when you do a “deep cost” operation (Cost> Deep Cost Scenario & Children). This enables you to select a specific component scenario to roll into an assembly or to use the designated official scenario in a specific assembly. In the latter case, changing which scenario for a component is designated as official results in changing which scenario rolls into the assembly.

  • Only one component scenario may be designated "Official". You can use the right-click Switch Scenario feature in the Assembly Details view to choose another scenario for child components other than the official one. Note that subcomponents must be initialized before you can switch scenarios. You can cost all child scenarios, both official and non-official, by clicking Cost> Deep Cost All Scenarios. See Working with scenarios for more information.

  • When you specify that the official scenario of a sub-component is to be used, the Assembly Details display shows that component with parentheses around the scenario name. In the following screenshot, both AP_SHEETMTL_EXERCISE_EL0000 (which has a new scenario that is official) and WELD_SUPPORT_EL0000 (whose original "initial" scenario is official) have been specified to use their official scenarios.

  • Unless a scenario is set to “Inactive”, CAD changes to a CAD-connected part and is automatically picked up when the scenario is costed. However, if there are no CAD changes since the last costing, aPriori does not refresh GCDs in subsequent costings, even if the component is CAD-connected and set to “active”. To refresh GCDs for an inactive scenario you can either:

    • Click the Refresh GCDs button (RefreshGCDs ) on the aPriori toolbar.

    • Select Refresh GCDs from CAD Model from the right-click context menu in the Navigation pane.

Subsequent costing in CAD Independent mode file-connected

aPriori checks the CAD-file for GCD changes done since the current cost was saved. aPriori can only detect the changes that have been saved into the CAD-file.

If aPriori detects no changes in the CAD file, the current costing information is displayed. The icon in the Cost Outputs pane indicates that the cost is current.

 

If aPriori detects changes in the CAD file and if the scenario is not specified to be “Inactive” and One Click Costing™ is as follows:

  • Off: aPriori immediately costs the component and displays the new cost information. (Disabling One Click Costing is the same as enabling auto-costing.)

  • On: aPriori displays the existing cost information, but the Cost Outputs pane is disabled and the icon indicates that the cost is not current. Click to cost the component.

To cost an inactive scenario based on the most up-to-date CAD changes, you must click RefreshGCDs in the aPriori toolbar to refresh GCDs. (But you can always cost an inactive scenario with the existing GCD data.)

Subsequent costing in CAD Independent mode file-disconnected

aPriori has no way to detect GCD changes. The cost information is displayed as current. You are not allowed to perform any operations that require regenerating GCDs.

Subsequent costing in Direct Integration mode

aPriori checks the CAD system for GCD changes done since the current cost was saved.

  • If aPriori detects no GCD changes, the current costing information is displayed. The icon in the Cost Outputs pane indicates that the cost is current.

  • If aPriori detects GCD changes and if the scenario is not specified to be “Inactive”, then aPriori displays the existing cost information, but the Cost Outputs pane is disabled and the icon indicates that the cost is not current. Click to cost the component.

  • To cost an inactive scenario based on the most up-to-date CAD changes, you must click RefreshGCDs in the aPriori toolbar to refresh GCDs. (But you can always cost an inactive scenario with the existing GCD data.)