Chapter 30: Using Imported Geometry and Direct Editing Techniques
FIGURE 30.18Move Face features put some geometry in double jeopardy — it can be changed from two different places.
Combining direct editing with imported geometry
Regardless of any argument against using direct edit tools on native SolidWorks data, there can be
no such argument against using them on imported data. Direct edit tools may have their limita-
tions, but when dealing with imported geometry in SolidWorks, your choices are limited as you
see from the following:l Direct edit toolsl (^) Cut and add modeling
l Manual surfacing tools
l (^) FeatureWorks deconstruction
When faced with these options, direct edit tools look like the safe choice. The big problem will be
that if the part is covered with fillets, you may not be able to change much. In cases like that, you
might use a combination of tools, such as FeatureWorks to remove fillets, and then direct edit to
make changes.
Handling imported data with FeatureWorks
FeatureWorks is not part of the scope of this book because it is a part of SolidWorks Professional,
and the book is limited to SolidWorks Standard. FeatureWorks is an add-in that rebuilds imported
solid models as feature-based models. It can recognize and rebuild features automatically, or semi-
automatically with you guiding it through the process.