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CatProduct to CatPart with link?

Dear all,

I have a project that is built bottom up. In other words, I have the components with detail, but need to size a frame that holds these components. What I am trying to find out is a way to use already assembled components (so already CatProducts) in order to size my final part, the frame.

I have no idea how to do this best, but after plundering through the internet, I thought what could work is to make a CatPart_fromProduct of the CatProduct that I then can copy into my new CatPart(the frame). However I do not manage to setup an active link between the CatPart_fromProduct and the CatProduct. Additionally, the parts in the CatPart_fromProduct do not seem to be constrained! Like when I use the compass, I can still change the individual parts from their position!

Anyhow, any help or suggestions would be much appreciated. There must be a straightforward way to do such a basic task. Thanks!
 
Hello all,

I am trying to do the following: I have a few components that I have exact dimensions of, and I need to assemble them to a frame (so a bottom up approach). The frame needs to be sized so that it can hold all of these components correctly. I am not sure how to do this the smart way.

So far I have prepared my components and already assembled them to subproducts. I would now like to take this subproduct and use it to size my new part.

An idea I had was to convert the subproduct to a part (CatProduct -> CatPart), which I can then copy into my new part and use it to size my new component. However I do not find a way to keep an active link between these files, which sucks.

So yeah, there must be a smart way of doing this... Kinda like in real life, where I can take the component, and with a pen draw onto a board to design the frame.

Looking forward to your suggestions!
 
I would not convert the assembly into a part.

Instead, I would insert a new part into the assembly. This new part would be the frame. Then with the assembly open and displayed, I would make the Frame part the work object, and model it so it fits around all the other parts. (this is called "contextual design")
 
Oh! This is great! I had seen this before, but not in this context, and thought it was bad practice to create a part within an assembly. (First create the part, then make product.)

For those that will arrive to the same problem as I did, here a nice video that helped me understand: https://youtu.be/up-tXksJTS8
 
Thanks for sharing the video - it does a much better job showing how to design new parts based within the context of the current assembly of parts
 

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