About Body Creation
When bodies are created, they are added to the Bodies folder in the Model Tree. They automatically receive default names, but you can rename a body. The same restrictions apply to body names as to all other feature names in the Model Tree.
Bodies are created in several ways:
Create a new empty body
You can create a new, empty body that does not contain geometry. An empty body can contain some information, such as material or relations. It can be used as a placeholder for geometry.
1. Click Model > New Body. The Body dialog box opens.
2. Optionally, type a name to replace the automatically generated name.
3. Click OK. A new body is created. It appears under the Bodies folder in the Model Tree. Its state is No Contributing Features.
Create a body in features that add geometry
When you create or edit a feature that adds geometry, like Extrude, you can choose to add the geometry to an existing body, or as a new body.
1. Open the tool to create the feature, and click the Body Options tab.
2. Select the Create new body check box. The new body name appears in the collector.
3. Define the feature, and then click OK. The feature is created, and a new body that contains the feature’s geometry is created.
Create a body in features that duplicate or bring in geometry
When you duplicate or bring geometry into a model, bodies are created in different ways, depending on the action, and the item selected.
Duplicate geometry—Some actions automatically create new bodies, for example, copying, mirroring, or patterning a body.
Bring geometry into a model—Some actions bring a body with its geometry into the model. For example, bodies are added to the model when you import a model that has bodies.
Automatic first body
Every new model is created with an empty body in it.