Optimization and Reference Parts
A reference part is a duplicate of a design part that maintains a two-way association with the design part. Various Creo Parametric manufacturing modules, such as Mold Design and Dieface, create reference parts for use in developing manufacturing tools.
You define manufacturing features like mold runners and sprues using the reference part as a basis instead of the design part. This approach allows Creo Parametric to maintain a record of tooling features separate from the design part.
The associativity between the design part and reference part enables Creo Parametric to dynamically update manufacturing tools created through its manufacturing modules. In other words, if you alter your design part, you simultaneously change the reference part and the manufacturing tool built from the reference part.
With this in mind, be aware that Creo Simulate changes the shape of any associated manufacturing tools at the same time that it changes the shape of your part. If Creo Simulate changes aspects of your design that define manufacturing tool features, the manufacturing tool may no longer be valid.
For example, when you use Mold Design to create a mold and you define one of the runners as Point-Surface, Mold Design places a runner between a datum point and the specified part surface. If Creo Simulate then eliminates the surface as part of an optimization, the runner will have lost its placement geometry and the mold will no longer be valid.