SolidWorks 2010 Bible

Part III: Working with Assemblies

which is essentially a 3D sketch in the assembly with special properties. The Layout feature is

described in more detail later in this chapter. Assembly layout sketches are covered in more detail

in Chapter 12.

Multi-body modeling

Multi-body modeling, like in-context modeling, is a powerful technique with positives and nega-

tives. If you model what will later turn out to be separate parts together in a single part, you can

avoid in-context modeling altogether. It is not recommended that you replace assemblies with

multi-body modeling for a number of reasons, such as limitations of multi-body techniques for

common assembly operations like dynamic assembly motion and interference detection. Used judi-

ciously, multi-body modeling can help you save time making models that hold up well to changes.

Multi-body modeling is discussed in depth in Chapter 26, along with a direct comparison to assem-

bly modeling and a justification for why you shouldn’t replace assemblies with multi-body parts.

Dealing with the Practical Details of

In-Context Modeling

Figure 16.1 shows a simple box with the sketch of a simple top for the box. Notice in the

FeatureManager that two parts are listed as the top and base. The .050-inch offset is creating a

sketch in the top part that is driven by the edges of the base part. This simple assembly demon-

strates the in-context process in the sections that follow.

FIGURE 16.1

The top of the box being built in-context