Part VI: Using Advanced Techniques
material in a separate file for manufacturing purposes. Computer Numerical Control (CNC) soft-
ware operators generally do not want parts that need to be machined separately given to them as
multi-body single parts. To apply materials to bodies, right-click the body in the Solid Bodies
folder and select Material.FIGURE 26.24Using the Display Pane to control multi-body Display States
Caution
Some features exclude bodies if the bodies are hidden when you edit the feature. Be careful of this, and be sure
to show all the bodies that are used in a particular function before you edit it. For example, if a body is hidden
and you create a new extrude that touches the hidden body, then the new body does not merge with the hid-
den one even if the Merge option is on. If the hidden body is then shown and you edit the second body, then
the bodies will merge upon the closing of the second body. n
Deleting bodies
I have already mentioned that you can delete bodies using the Delete Solid/Surface feature, and
that this feature exists in the tree of the part. This feature used to be called Delete Bodies.
Delete Solid/Surface does not affect file size or rebuild speed. In fact, I find it difficult to come up
with examples of when you should use it, other than the situation already mentioned with the Rib
feature, or if a throwaway body somehow remains in the part. Some people use this feature to
clean up the organization of the tree, which could be useful if there are many bodies in the part.
Other users insist on keeping the tree free of extraneous bodies and immediately delete bodies that
have been used. To me, this technique replaces one kind of clutter with another, and means that
tools that should be available to you (solid or surface bodies) are not available unless you reorder
the Delete Body feature down the tree and/or roll back. In any case, this is really a matter of per-
sonal working style and not of any great importance.