Chapter 17: Using Assembly Tools
IN THIS CHAPTER
Assembling without mates
Interfering options
Using Assembly Xpert
Defeaturing in assemblies
Using Sensors
Aligning holes
Working with large assemblies
SolidWorks assemblies enable you to take advantage of several tools aside from the standard and best known functionality. The tools covered in this chapter are general tools that have wide application throughout assembly topics.
Placing Parts without Mates
Assembly mates are great tools, but they aren't the only tools for placing parts in an assembly. Sometimes, you might need to place parts without applying a mate, such as when you are setting up an animation, and the mate would prevent the animation from working correctly. You might also want to place a part and allow motion of the part it is placed relative to while making sure the part itself remains stationary.
In a perfect world, assembly mates are well controlled and easy to understand. But in reality, sometimes things happen that you cannot account for. If you build an assembly without mates (with the parts simply positioned in space using any technique that works), the parts are guaranteed not to move unless you accidentally move one.
Note
A setting found at Tools⇒Assemblies enables you to turn off the click-and-drag method to move parts. It requires you to click a toolbar button to enable the cursor to move parts. If you have parts in your assembly that are placed with nothing holding their location, clicking parts puts ...
