how to break references after mirror ?

[davidcarr]

Hi,
I have a left and right hand component that I've created using the mirror command. I need to make changes and add features to the "left hand" component that will not exist on the right, but I can't figure out how to break the link between them so that the changes aren't made to both sides. is there a way to do this without re-creating the left side component from scratch?
Thanks

 

The Mirror Part feature doesn't allow you to break its
references.
There are several workarounds, however. One of them is to
save the mirrored part as a copy (File/Save As/click the
Save As Copy Check Box)with a different name and then use
this new part for future modifications.
Please keep in mine that you won't have the feature tree to
change existing features, you can only add new features to
this part.
Hope this will help you out.

SW-Darkness

 

[SBaugh]

Is this in an assembly or are you talking about a sketch of a part? Scott Baugh, CSWP
credence69@REMOVEhotmail.com

http://www.3dmca.com

http://home.insightbb.com/~scott.baugh/

*When in doubt always check the help*

 

[BBJT]

You can create a configuration and make your changes. Just make sure that the mirrored version is pointing at the config that did not change. I remenber that there were some catches with this in versions earlier than 2001Plus but 2001Plus seems to handle it pretty well.

You can also break the link between the two by right-clicking on the mirrored version in the tree and selecting break references. The only problem with this is you are left with a dumb solid with no features. BBJT CSWP

 

[DennisD]

Configurations are a great way to approach this problem. Another is to use the Base Part approach. Go to the SWX help to learn more about the base part. There are usually several solutions to any problem. Depending on what you are doing, it may be best to use configurations, base parts, assembly/sub-assembly techniques, etc.

I would recommend against breaking references for the mirrored part. You just give up so much. Before doing this I would think that the configuration or the base part approach would yield much better results.

- - -Dennis D.

 

[APPENG]

A very good question indeed... Just why is it that you would like to break the references to the mirrored part?

If you want a "standalone part" without any external refs, the simplest and most painless thing to do is to create the mirrored part, and export it as a parasolid. Close the mirrored part without saving the changes, and import he parasolid file. Seeing as what solidworks does is essentially the same thing (it gives a parasolid representation of the parent part with no history) Then the only thing that you will lose is the ties to the original part no changes in the parent part will propigate to the exported/imported model.

If you just dont want the changes to propigate, then just lock the references in the mirrored part.

Regards,
Jon
jgbena@yahoo.com

 

[davidcarr]

Thanks for all the responses. its a component molded in two halves, both sides have features that the other doesn't. I'm in the process of trying all of the suggestions to see whats going to work best for me. I've currently re-ordered the features and rolled it back so that theres only common elements, mirrored the component and saved it as a copy. I can see that using configurations is a good solution too.
Thanks again.......

 

A quick note, I feel this is one of the weaker features in SW. SDRC's approach of not tying a part to a reference part I have always thought as a better method. The general use of built-on reference parts is a bad idea. You end up having to tote around lots of files if you use this method. Another thought, don't build references with assembly. Again this leads to difficulties with moving files about. My best practics as I teach it is don't be lazy or fooled...the idea of using referenced geometry sounds good but it is more often than not a foundation of sand.
I hand one client where a designer used a base part that by the time he was done required the toting around of five models, very messy.