"Publishing" Geometry

[zwei]

Personally, I like the idea of "publishing" geometry as this "communicate" to others that I am using the geometry so that other will be more "aware" when they are changing the parent/master part..

As SOLIDWORKS do not have a built in PublishGeometry function like CREO (what a shame ), I ended up using "Offset" surface to "publish" the geometry i needed → InsertPart → Delete/Keep body and keep only the published geometry

There are some limitations though:
1. If the copied surface is not connected, they will end up with multiple surfaces which make it slightly messy when trying to Delete/Keep body in the child part
2. The "offset" geometry is "editable", although very rare, but I had come across situation where someone accidentally edit the offset surface with Instant3D...

I would like to hear about other's opinion regarding whether is there any better way in doing this or how other handling this kind of situation.

[matt]

There are 4 tools to push or pull bodies out of/into a part:

1) insert part
2) split
3) save bodies
4) insert into new part

I've written a lot about body management. Maybe you can search my site. I'm actually camping right now and on my phone in the rain.

[Maha Nadarasa]

I have not yet heard about this "Publishing" Geometry word.

[zwei]

There are 4 tools to push or pull bodies out of/into a part:

1) insert part
2) split
3) save bodies
4) insert into new part

I've written a lot about body management. Maybe you can search my site. I'm actually camping right now and on my phone in the rain.

I am aware of pushing and pulling bodies.
What i am more interested here is the ways to capture the design intent by specifying the geometry that will be referenced by others when they are pulling from the master model.

Happy camping by the way

I have not yet heard about this "Publishing" Geometry word.

It is a terminology used in CREO.

The basic idea about "publishing" a geometry is to capture design intent by:
• Specify component geometry for use when design group members copy geometry from that model.
• Predetermine the geometry to be used by driven model
• Define interfaces.
• Reduce the possibility that designers will select incorrect geometry to create driven models.

[John]

This functionality is also in CATIA.

To get close to this in SWX, I am currently looking at using Envelope Components and switching on the External Reference option to only allow references to be created to Envelope Components. This is the closest I can find, I think this setting only came in SW2020. It prevents references being made to anything except Envelopes so I think it will enhance skeleton methodology by controlling the freedom to create an uncontrolled web of references and the intent is there that anything in the envelope can be considered 'published'.

[AlexLachance]

This functionality is also in CATIA.

To get close to this in SWX, I am currently looking at using Envelope Components and switching on the External Reference option to only allow references to be created to Envelope Components. This is the closest I can find, I think this setting only came in SW2020. It prevents references being made to anything except Envelopes so I think it will enhance skeleton methodology by controlling the freedom to create an uncontrolled web of references and the intent is there that anything in the envelope can be considered 'published'.

Keep external references to a minimum at all times, there are too many undesired side-effects to overusing them and not using them correctly.