Solidworks Assembly issue!!

[Davi]

Hey guys, i'm relatively new to the Solidworks world and am reading a lot about it. Anyway, I'm doing an Assembly and i inserted two parts, now i want to change the length of only one part but when i change one, the other one changes as well.


I only want the dimensions of one of them to change, how can i do this?


Thanks,


David!

 

[Mihail]

Your problem sound strange for me.
Are the parts sketches related in any way ?
I.E. You define a part using the sketch from another one ?

And WELCOME TO THE FORUM !




Edited by: Mihail

 

[Davi]

Thanks for the reply Mihail!


The part sketches are related, the two parts are the same thing, allow me to explain:


I inserted two of the same part in an assembly, so now i have two identical parts. but now i want to change only one of them. when i change one, the other one changes as well


How can i change the dimensions of one part without affecting the other one?

 

[Mihail]

Sorry Davi, but the answer is NO. No, you can not do the job. Why ? Because you have only one part (not 2 as you see in assembly). I'll try to explain that as well as I can with my (poor) english:
You are the designer engineer and make a draw for a part (i.e. a door). then you send your drawing to the factory. They give you a lot of doors using the same draw. of course, the doors are identical. If you make a new drawing and send it to the factory, the workers make new doors but... again identical.
The solution is to make TWO drawings (for 2 different doors).

In SW two different doors means TWO different parts or TWO different configurations for the same part.
I recommend you (for the beginning) to use 2 parts.

So:
1)
Open your part
SAVE AS this part with a different name.
Make an assembly using this parts.
Now you can change individual dimensions. The parts are no more related.

OR

2)
Define part 2 from the beginning and make the assembly using that 2 parts.

Let me know if you solve the problem.

good luck !

 

[Mihail]

Append
If you SAVE AS your part check AS COPY check box from the Save As window.

 

[Davi]

Ok dude! i'll try this method.

Thanks


but i think this is something solidworks should check into for the next installation of their program

 

[Mihail]

No. SW do ok the job.
Take a look to CONFIGURATIONS (see SW help) and you change your mind. .
I didn't mentioned that in my previous post(s) because you say that you are new to SW.
Using configurations is the best choise for your problem.
Good luck !

 

[Davi]

Cool!!

Checked out the configurations and it was just what i needed, Thanks a mil Mihail, by the way, where and how did u learn to use SW?

 

[Mihail]

I need to bend some sheets. And it is a hard work to do that manually . So I ask my friends for a CAD program. They say all SW. This was the start.

For the beginning I solve the SW tutorials (see HELP menu). Then, from this forum. I ask and the SW guru answer.
It is a very good forum and the guys are very very VERY kind. If they know, they answer at any question.

If you can, bay SolidWorks Bible by Matt Lombard. It is the best book I read.
And use internet to find good tutorials.

Good luck again !

 

[Davi]

yeah i got the SolidWorks Bible 2007 and it's really good, Thanks!

 

[dsupplier]

double click on the part and edit the extrusion length