I've been using Solidworks for 4 years now, but only on my own projects and assemblies internal to the company. We have a standalone computer, no PDM, and I have just gotten an assembly made by someone else. It has about 1100 components stuffed into sub-assemblies of the main assembly. I'm wondering if there is a workflow as to how you go about trying to understand the design intent of the person? What all the mates are and how one part is referenced by other parts? I tried to change one hole size and found so many errors in the assembly that I quit the part.
David Meyers
All I can say is Wow.... I don't think there are clear cut answers from us here on the forum, without being able to see what you're talking about..
First thing I would do is open the Main Assembly and then open the Top Sub-Assembly and suppress all the components, then I would start at the top of each part and unsuppress the top part and see how it's made and how it could possibly be connected to the other components. Then I would follow that sequence to study every part that is used in the Main Assembly.
Understanding someone else's madness can be very frustrating and time consuming, enough that it would tempt me to start over.
I and others would love to help out with your project, however to go into more depth, we need material to look at or work with before we could give you really good advice. Plus many of us have our own Workflow/Process and it does make a difference on the end product as well..
Wish you the best..