SolidWorks 2010 Bible

Chapter 18: Working with Library Features

FIGURE 18.12

The completed library feature placed on a part

Creating a library feature from an existing part

When creating a library feature from an existing part, you use essentially the same process, but it is

somewhat more difficult to achieve the correct results. It is best to remove all the features that do

not either form the base feature or go into the library feature itself. This can cause many broken

references. Most parts are not modeled with creating a library feature in mind, and creating library

features with effective references, as I mentioned earlier, is like a chess match and requires some

forethought. It may be better to use a different technique, such as creating a new part with only the

base feature. You can then Ctrl+drag the desired features from the existing part to the new part, set

up the rest of the library feature, and save it with a *.sldlfp extension.

You can also create a library feature by dragging and dropping, although there are some limitations

with this technique that seem to override the convenience. However, there is a workaround for the

biggest limitation. If you select faces from features and drag them into the lower Design Library

window, then an Add to Library PropertyManager interface appears to enable you to start creating

a library feature. The Add to Library PropertyManager interface is shown in Figure 18.13. You

must select the features from the flyout FeatureManager. This is the source of one of the limita-

tions. In the example, the plane cannot be selected by this method. The work-around for this is to

complete the feature without the plane, right-click the icon in the Design Library window, and

then select Open. With the library feature open in its own window, right-click the plane feature

and select Add to Library; that individual feature is then added.