Examples: Methods of Working with Imported Geometry
Methods of working with imported geometry follow:
Use the Geometry as Imported
You can use the imported geometry as is with standard parts that do not change because:
• They come from a standard library, for example, bolts or brackets from a library of existing parts.
• The part is the responsibility of another department or company, for example, a style surface from the Industrial Design department.
You can:
• Use the imported geometry as the basis for additional features.
• Replace geometry with updated versions.
• Place the imported geometry in assemblies.
• Reference the imported geometry for component creation or placement, or both, component creation and placement.
• Place the imported geometry in a drawing.
If you must modify geometry extensively or often, you can modify the imported entities non-parametrically or parametrically to recreate the entire model.
Modify Geometry Non-parametrically
Changes such as altering the bend angle of a wireframe bracket or moving a snap mount on a surface model are straightforward. If the geometry does not require frequent updates, parametric behavior may not be necessary. You can use the geometry as imported or as is with standard parts.
Recreate Entire Model Parametrically
You can recreate the entire part. This way, the entire part is parametric, with the advantages of associativity capturing design intent, and feature-based design.
Create or Recreate Important Geometry Only
If you require to often modify certain portions of the geometry, you can recreate only those portions or create solid features based on only some of the geometry. For example, a Legacy part used as a housing for electronics may need to attach to many different versions of the product. Recreating the geometry of the snap mounts only provides parametric functionality, like placement based on product version and family table functionality, for only the important geometry that changes often.