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FIGURE 11.8

Inserting a new envelope into an assembly

You can create envelopes on the fly with extrude or revolve features, and if you use an existing part as an envelope, you can use any part you can create in SolidWorks. Once in the assembly, the envelope displays in the graphics window as a transparent light-blue part, and in the assembly FeatureManager as an Envelope folder, as shown in Figure 11.9.

FIGURE 11.9

An envelope in the assembly

The two options that the Envelope function was meant to work with — Select Using Envelope and Show/Hide Using Envelope — are shown in Figure 11.10. You can access these options by right-clicking the Envelope folder in the ConfigurationManager window.

FIGURE 11.10

Using Envelope options

If you are familiar with the Envelope functionality from several releases ago, you will remember that it used to be part of the Advanced Show/Hide tool, which has been changed into the Advanced Component Selection dialog box, discussed in Chapter 7. Component selection also includes a Volume Select function that enables you to create a rectangular volume on the fly that works very much like an envelope.

Because of the special properties of envelopes with regard to the BOM and mass properties, users have developed many alternate uses for them. Most of these uses are now obsolete, or nearly obsolete, because you can set the mass of a part to zero and exclude it from the BOM using direct options.

Summary

Assembly features can be quirky, and are often used for specialized or niche applications. Having this functionality available just gives you another tool in your toolbox for solving design and documentation problems.

Chapter 12: Using Parametric Links in Assemblies

In This Chapter

Using assembly equations

Linking values and global variables

Copying sketches between parts in an assembly

Transferring information using the Insert Part feature

SolidWorks enables users to create parametric links between parts in the assembly with a variety of tools, including equations, link values, global variables, and derived sketches. These options have some considerations when compared to their counterparts used in part documents, mostly around the ideas of file management and keeping the links up to date through changes to the filenames.

In addition, whenever changes in one model affect another model, you need to use extra care to make sure that you get the changes you want.

This chapter assumes that you already have an understanding of equations, link values, global variables, and derived sketches in parts. It only adds information related to assemblies, or links outside individual part files.

Using Equations in an Assembly

Assembly equations work mainly like part equations, but with some additional complications and considerations. For example, one of the additional features of assembly equations is the ability to drive the dimensions of one part from another part. The syntax is slightly different for this application, as shown in Figure 12.1. Overall, issues with equation order and using driven dimensions on the right side of the equation are the same between parts and assemblies. You can open the Equations dialog box by right-clicking the Equations folder in the assembly FeatureManager, and selecting either Add Equation or Edit Equation. If the Equations folder does not appear in the assembly FeatureManager, then you can turn it on by selecting Tools⇒Options⇒FeatureManager⇒Equations. If it is set to Automatic, you need to change the setting to Show.

FIGURE 12.1

An assembly equation driving one part from another

Tracking external references

Notice the “->” symbol after the Equations folder in the Assembly FeatureManager. This means that there is an external or in-context reference in an equation. An external reference means that an aspect of the part is dependent upon something outside of the part. This has file management implications because you must maintain the names of the files so that they always recognize the other