Copying & Pasting Features? 1

[Guest0527211403]

Hi Folks,

I've got a model of a casting that I'm bringing into my company's BOM system. For reasons specific to our company's purchasing system, we don't use configurations to refer to the "as-cast" and "as-machined" state. The process here is to build the cast model complete with machining allowances, and then to insert this part into a new model and cut away the material to be machined (so that the as-cast and as-machined have unique part numbers).

I have a casting model that happens to have the machining features in the same model. When I created it I was not fully up to speed on the workings of the purchasing system (I'm fairly new here).

What I'd like to do is to somehow maintain these machining features by "copy-pasting" them into the new model. All of the machining features reference a few critical sketches and planes. I'd like to somehow "paste" these features into my new model, and specify the new planes and sketches that the features should look to for their references. In my pro/e days, I used to be able to do this using "Paste Special/Advanced Reference Configuration" tools.

Is there something similar in Solidworks?

Thanks in advance!

 

[ArtL]

Mr JUST One way is to "save as" "copy" with new #. Then erase or delete whats not needed for the machined copy of your part.

 

[Guest0527211403]

That is an option, but I'd like to maintain a link between the machined model and the casting if that is at all possible.

Chances are I'll have to re-do the features for now (to meet my current deadline), but knowing how to copy-paste groups of feature from old reference sets to new reference sets would be great in the future.

 

[JamesMcD]

Why can't you create two assembly files, one saved as the part# of the as-cast part, the other as the part# of the machined part. Both assemblies will have a single instance of the same model inserted into them, but in the "machined" assembly the part will be configured (gasp) with the machined features turned on. The drawings that the purchasing system cares about will be of the two "assemblies", not of the part model itself. This way you maintain a link between the two states, and the drawings can point to separate files, not different configurations of the same file.

 

[ShaggyPE]

Another option is to create a "library feature." In a library feature, you can gather all of your machined features and save them off to a library. You could then go to other parts and insert the library feature. For your task there will probably need to be some clean-up, but it should be better than re-modeling the machining features.

Do a SolidWorks help search for "library feature." That will point you in the right direction.

-Dustin
Professional Engineer
Pretty good with SolidWorks

 

[jassco]

Hi, justkeepgiviner:

Use "derived part" for your as-machined.

Best regards,

Alex

 

[ShaggyPE]

The derived part is basically the process the company is doing... the OP unfortunately added the cut features to the original part and wants a good way to add them to the derived part.

Also, regarding the "library feature" once you add it to the derived part, you can dissolve it, so it will look like all of the features were just added properly.

-Dustin
Professional Engineer
Pretty good with SolidWorks

 

[Guest0527211403]

Thanks, Dustin.
That's just the sort of trick I was looking for!

 

[sdb999]

All good ideas, or you can cut/paste the features and sketches following your first hunch.