Adding a sub assembly in SolidWorks can be a useful way to organize and manage your designs. Sub assemblies allow you to group related components together, making it easier to work with complex models. In this tutorial, we will walk through the steps of adding a sub assembly in SolidWorks.
Step 1: Open Your Assembly
First, open the assembly file that you want to add a sub assembly to. This can be done by navigating to File -> Open and selecting the appropriate file.
Step 2: Create the Sub Assembly
To create a sub assembly, you will need to select the components that you want to include in the sub assembly. There are several ways to do this:
- Select Using Your Mouse: Hold down the Ctrl key on your keyboard and click on each component you want to include in the sub assembly.
- Select Using a Selection Box: Click and drag your mouse to create a selection box around the components you want to include.
- Select Using Filters: Use filters such as component type or name to quickly select multiple components for your sub assembly.
Note: You can use any combination of these methods depending on your preference.
Step 3: Right-click and Add Components to New Sub Assembly
Once you have selected all the components for your sub assembly, right-click on one of them and select Add Components to New Subassembly...
Step 4: Name Your Sub Assembly
A dialog box will appear asking you to enter a name for your new sub assembly. Type in a descriptive name and click OK.
Step 5: Review Your Sub Assembly
Your sub assembly will now be created and added to your assembly. You can verify this by expanding the assembly tree in the feature manager design tree on the left-hand side of the SolidWorks window.
Tips for Working with Sub Assemblies
Here are some tips to help you work efficiently with sub assemblies:
- Editing a Sub Assembly: To make changes to a sub assembly, simply double-click on its name in the feature manager design tree. This will open it as a separate file.
- Display Options: You can control how sub assemblies are displayed in your main assembly by right-clicking on them in the feature manager design tree and selecting Show/Hide Components.
- Moving a Sub Assembly: If you need to rearrange your sub assemblies within your main assembly, simply drag and drop them in the feature manager design tree.
- Merging Two Sub Assemblies: To merge two sub assemblies into one, drag and drop one sub assembly onto another in the feature manager design tree.
Congratulations! You have now learned how to add a sub assembly in SolidWorks. By organizing your components into logical groups, you can streamline your workflow and improve overall efficiency.
I hope you found this tutorial helpful. If you have any further questions, feel free to leave a comment below.