Assembly Design > Top Down Design > Data Sharing > Copy and Publish Geometry Features > Publish Geometry Features > About Publish Geometry Features
  
About Publish Geometry Features
A Publish Geometry feature contains independent local geometry references. External references are not allowed. The created feature is not a copy of selected geometry. It is a consolidation of multiple local references that can be copied to other models. When you create a Copy Geometry or external Copy Geometry feature, you can reference a Publish Geometry feature. With a single selection, you copy a local collection of model geometry to other models as a single entity. This makes it easier to copy the same geometric references to other models and allows an efficient way to control the use of references.
Publish Geometry features capture design intent. With Publish Geometry features you can:
Specify component geometry for use when design group members copy geometry from that model.
Predetermine the geometry to be referenced by a Copy Geometry feature.
Define interfaces.
Reduce the possibility that designers will select incorrect geometry to create driven models.
 
* When a Publish Geometry feature fails, a Copy Geometry feature referencing the Publish Geometry feature will also fail.
You can create a Publish Geometry feature in part, skeleton, and assembly models. If you create a Publish Geometry feature in the context of an assembly, you must select the reference geometry in the source model. For example, if the feature is created in the top-level assembly, only top-level assembly surface features and datums can be referenced. You cannot reference geometry from the components of the assembly. Similarly, if a Publish Geometry feature is created in a part component by activating that part within an assembly, all geometry references must be selected from that part component.