[Rich05]

Is is possible to convert a part with seperate bodies into an assembly?

I can not use derived parts. Each part needs to have a feature tree after conversion.

Thanks R.

[JerryFlyGuy]

Nope, you can export bodies from a single part and then re-assemble them into a seperate assembly [Matt Lombard [sp] call's it "Master Modeling"] but the feature tree just links back to the original "part" model. This is why when you read the 'books' on the subject they recommend taking time to think through your entire model and decide how you plan to model it. In some instances, once you go down one road your stuck [this is one of them, at least as far as I've been able to figure out..]

hth

[Rich05]

Nope, you can export bodies from a single part and then re-assemble them into a seperate assembly [Matt Lombard [sp] call's it "Master Modeling"] but the feature tree just links back to the original "part" model. This is why when you read the 'books' on the subject they recommend taking time to think through your entire model and decide how you plan to model it. In some instances, once you go down one road your stuck [this is one of them, at least as far as I've been able to figure out..]

hth

wow, thanks..

Is it typical for a manufacturing company/fabricator to want individual parts for each and every cut tube and piece of metal. Even when they are given a SW model?

That is the request I am being given. Put every piece of metal on a seperate drawing sheet. from weld tab, to frame tube, Is this industry standard?

If so I need to use top down assemblies exclusively in the future.. and as such would that be goodbye to using the nice weldment extrude features??

Would not that negate using weldments at the part level?

For example,if you make a san rail cage, or airplane frame that is allot of tubes.
\
In order to get the tubes to miter with weldments don't they need to be in the same part? And if all the tubes are in the same part, that would totally scrap breaking them out as seperate parts for the fabricator.

[cam1]

Hi:
That's why we could use Weldments in solid works to generate a cut list....
Weldement behave like an assembly using multi body parts.

regards

[Matt@RFR]

I'm going by memory and I haven't done this for awhile, but it goes something like this:

In your weldment, right click each body and save it as a new part. Put that part in a drawing, dimension it and send it to the shop. Put the weldment with all of its views and dimensions on the first pages of the drawing with all the individual parts on the following pages of the same drawing, and you have the makings of a professional looking print package. Make a cut list and/or a BOM, and you're set.

[JerryFlyGuy]

Matt has it nailed. In this instance you can have your cake and eat it as well. It's not uncommon for companies to want each part on it's own drawing page/sheet. This does help in several ways. ie; the sheet number can match the part number. This allows a very simple system of 'finding the drawings for this part' as they just have to search the part number. It's generally better to have each sheet as it's own file in this instance w/ the file name as the part number.

Hth

[Mike 1948]

I don't do weldments, but I use configurations allot. Could'nt you use the "delete body" command and delete all but the one you need to make a drawing of ? Then make another configuration of another body and make a drawing of it. That way you don't loose your feature tree and all your relations. Just a thought!

Mike

[JerryFlyGuy]

Mike, you could but wow... that'd be alot of work. I've done weldments which have several hundred members in them... thats a delete bodies for each one! I'd much prefer to export the body to a new file.
I've actually done what your talking about [to some degree] on a recent project. I wanted several views w/ the background parts removed, but even 4 delete body functions was enough to drive me nuts, not to mention that it severely slowed down [crashed a few times as well] the software.


There's always more than 1 way to skin a cat but generally there is a 'best' way. This route wouldn't be my first pic if I had other options.

[Mike 1948]

Mike, you could but wow... that'd be alot of work. I've done weldments which have several hundred members in them... thats a delete bodies for each one! I'd much prefer to export the body to a new file.
I've actually done what your talking about [to some degree] on a recent project. I wanted several views w/ the background parts removed, but even 4 delete body functions was enough to drive me nuts, not to mention that it severely slowed down [crashed a few times as well] the software.


There's always more than 1 way to skin a cat but generally there is a 'best' way. This route wouldn't be my first pic if I had other options.

No, I wouldn't do it for several hunderd parts either. But for eight or ten bodies maybe. It all depends on how long the cat will sit still.

Mike