How to slim down assembly?

Make copies of the assemblies and create configs in them based on each sub assembly. This way they could represent sub assemblies.

And then either keep them one file or make multiple as use as desired.

You could also select components in assembly, right click and select make assembly/sub assembly here but that would also mess up mirrored parts/pattern etc.

Hi Kevin,

Have you tried selecting multiple components, Right clicking and choosing "Form new sub assembly"?

Kevin,

Without knowing the ASM's or how they are constructed and how much it relies, if at all, on top down, skeletal parts, virtual parts, etc...

it's near impossible to give you a concrete answer.

The best I can think of, and that you no doubt have thought about too, is instead of adding an ASM and dragging parts into that do it the other way around.

Make copies of the original main ASM. In each copy delete certain stuff so that each new copy of the main becomes an interdependent ASM with no overlap with another copy and then make a new main ASM consisting of those.

I would prefer adding configurations and display states by copying assemblies multiple times in different folders

You didn't ask, but I believe I'd bite the bullet and create new sub-assemblies, and insert and mate them in the main assembly.  Basically start from scratch and fix it right.  You'll probably be glad later that you did.

The big question was raised by Peter De Vlieger -

Without knowing the ASM's or how they are constructed and how much it relies, if at all, on top down, skeletal parts, virtual parts, etc...

it's near impossible to give you a concrete answer.

If there are any parts in your assembly that are built in context, there is no way I would change that assembly, you can loose a lot of references that you should reconnect later if required.  Below is what I would do;

1. Pack & Go the original folder, rename the files and store it in a folder that won't be accessed, but by whoever as access.

2. Take the original sub assembly files and suppress all the components you want to put into a new assembly (this is to test your part references)

3. If there are no rebuild errors (other than Mate errors) you're safe to add these components into a new sub-assembly

4. If you do have errors in one or two parts I would consider deleting those parts "if" there are a lot of features that just turned red, if not delete them and add - insert new component - and reestablish the references in that sub-assembly.

5. If done with caution, it really won't be that bad..

I don't know what your work flow is, but this would have been a really easy fix if you would have started with a Sketch Part inserted into the Sub-Assemblies... - A lot of times we surely can't figure on changing our design intent, can we ??

Kevin Cobussen wrote:

 

After 5 years my manager decided that there are too many parts in a single assembly

So, you have been working on a single assembly file for 5 years? and now your boss thinks the file has too many parts? and he thinks you will get less parts but making bunches of the parts into sub-assemblies? and he thinks that you working for 4 full weeks on this sub-assembly trek is a good use of your time? and Bob's your uncle.

The biggest problem in doing that would be if you have "Any" parts designed in context of another part or any features of the assembly, you will lose references.  Worse yet if you move the components and delete an assembly, then if and when you need to edit the part you will need to break all references before you can edit them. 

What I would do if you have components built in the assembly is to keep the original assembly intact and make new sub-assemblies, by dropping components in and mating..

Have fun