SolidWorks 2011 Parts Bible - Matt Lombard [158]
I will start with the example of a simple block. A fully dimensioned block has three dimensions. Make sure that you have manually created at least two configurations. Double-clicking a model face opens all the dimensions, and double-clicking one of the dimensions opens the familiar Modify dialog box. Figure 11.6 shows that there is a small difference in the Modify dialog box. It now has a drop-down list where you can specify whether this change applies only to this config, to all configs, or to specified configs. If you select specified configs, then a dialog box shown on the top in Figure 11.16 appears, where you can select which configs this dimension change applies to.
FIGURE 11.16
Specify Configurations supplies a list of configs from which to choose
Once you are finished, you can toggle back and forth between the configs by double-clicking each of the configs in the ConfigurationManager. Although this is simple, if you forget to change the drop-down list from the All Configurations setting to either the This Configuration or the Specify Configurations setting, then you apply the change to all of the configurations. This shows that building a configuration manually is fine for a few simple changes, but it can become unwieldy if you are changing more than a few dimensions in this way. You would then have to remember which dimensions were changed to what. As you can see, using design tables is a better method for multiple dimensions.
Controlling suppression
Suppressing a feature is just like turning it off; the feature appears as grayed-out text in the FeatureManager. With configurations, you can suppress a feature in one config and unsuppress it in another. Also, while a feature may be suppressed, the sketch associated with it is not necessarily suppressed. When dealing with manual configuration techniques, there are two methods for controlling suppression: manually suppressing features and creating configurations with the appropriate options for the inclusion of new features, which I discussed previously in this chapter.
In addition to the Suppress toolbar button, you can also use the Unsuppress and Unsuppress buttons with Dependents functions. When you suppress a feature, any feature that is dependent on it is also suppressed. If you then use the Unsuppress feature, it unsuppresses only the feature itself. However, Unsuppress with Dependents brings back all the dependent features, as well.
Performance
Suppressing complex features is a great way to improve performance. Experienced users often create a configuration of a part that they use as a simplified config, where patterns, fillets, and extruded text features are suppressed. This becomes more important as you start working with assemblies. For reasons I discuss in the assemblies chapters, it can be a great advantage to make a configuration for each part called “simplified.” You can make a second configuration in template files so that new parts and assemblies automatically have this built in to them.
Generally, SolidWorks users employ a combination of these methods, mainly because configurations are not usually started on a complete model; they are often added when the model is still in progress, and so features are added after the users create the configurations.
On the left side of Figure 11.17, you can see a feature that is alternately unsuppressed and suppressed in the tree. The text and icon for the suppressed feature are grayed out. You can suppress features from the RMB menu on the feature, from the Edit menu, or through a tool on a toolbar. The Suppress button is not on a toolbar by default, but you can find it in the Commands dialog box (Tools⇒Customize⇒Commands), along with the other buttons for the Features toolbar.