Need help copying/mirroring assembly

[toyguy]

I have created a complex equipment assembly in Desktop. Within it is a sub-assembly which contains just shy of one hunderd parts. I need to create 3 more instances of the sub-assembly within the main assembly. How can I do this??
(I hope the answer is not "one part at a time", which is what I found in the Help file)

thanks!

 

[slkchicken]

If you want to create an actual instance you can do this by right-clicking on the sub-assembly you want to instance and in the pop-up window selecting "copy". Also; you could in your assembly catalog find the sub-assembly to instance right click on it and go to "instance" in the pop-up window. However remember with a instance any change you make to one you make to all. If you have to make a change or might have to make a change to one of the instances, e-mail me and I'll try to give you some insight on what's been working for me.

Good luck!!
kkowalsk@hotmail.com

 

[smcadman]

Your title says copying/mirroring, but you didn't mention mirroring in your post. You cannot mirror a sub-assembly in MDT. As you feared, you would have to re-instance and re-constrain the parts in a new sub-assembly.

Flores

 

[wpsmoke]

For MDT6 (and worked for me in MDT4) Since mirroring an assembly is not permitted in Mechanical Desktop, here's a little quick and easy workaround that usually fits the bill. Highlight all items in the assembly (this may also include any AutoCAD objects) so that the grips are visible. Make any one grip hot by clicking on the grip. Now right-click, and select 'Rotate' from the context menu. Enter 'C' (for COPY) at the command line, then 'B' (for Base Point). Now select a point on screen that lies on the line about which you want to mirror your assembly. Enter '180' for the number of degrees and hit 'Enter' again.

What happened for me is that copies (or instances) of the parts where made but, for 180 degrees they mirrored in the "wrong" plane. By using 0 (or 360) degrees or just Ortho On and physically swinging them around, you can drop them back onto themselves then use M (for MOVE) to just move them far enough apart from the originals to produce the mentally intended mirror effect.

Cheers
Aussie John