Fundamentals > Working with the Model > Layers > Layer Items > To Add External Components to Layers
  
To Add External Components to Layers
You can add external components to top-level assembly layers. External components are located below the first level of the top-level assembly. For example, components within a subassembly are considered external components. You can either add all external components to the top-level layer or add external components to sub-model layers.
 
* You cannot add external components from one branch to another branch of an assembly structure.
Two methods to add external components to top-level layers are available.
Click and then click Item Selection Prefs > Favor Current Layer. Select the Favor Current Layer checkbox to automatically add all selected sub-level components to the top-level layer.
To individually add external components to the top level layer:
1. In the Layer Tree, right-click the layer to which you want to add items. The shortcut menu appears.
2. Click Layer Properties in the shortcut menu. The Layer Properties dialog box opens.
3. Select an external component to include in the top-level layer from the graphics window or Model Tree, or use the search tool. The Place External Item dialog box opens listing layers of the sub-assembly to which the component belongs.
4. Select Place component on current layer to add the selected external component to the top-level layer. Otherwise, select one or more layers of the sub-assembly model and then select one of the following options to include the components so they become local to that sub-assembly:
Place item on selected layers—Places the selected component on all layers in the active model selected in the dialog box and closes the dialog box.
New Layer—Creates a new layer in the active model and places the selected component on this new layer.
Ignore Item—Ignores the selected component.
Ignore All—Ignores all the selected components that are outside the active model.