When working in an assembly, is there any way to select a part or sub-assembly in the graphics window? Currently you select a face on a component which highlights it in the browser, then you must go to the browser and select the part to launch or edit. A similar action is required for sub-assemblies (I am aware of the RMB select for sub-assemblies, but again you must go to the browser to launch.)
Other cad systems have selection filters that help with navigating large assemblies without scrolling through hundreds of items in a browser. A selection filter for component priority (whether it is a sub-assembly or part), then a part priority (if you want to reach through a sub-assembly), then feature, face, body, sketch saves a lot of time when reviewing a large assembly. It seems strange that Solidworks has the ability apply a selection filter down to a weld caterpillar symbol, but skips the big ones.
Is there an easy way to accomplish this in SW 2011?
Anthony Fettig
You can open a sub from the graphics area.
But first, let's start from the beginning. If you left-click on something in the graphics area, then the upper LH icon is the one to click to open the part that you clicked on. If you right-click on the same thing, then the same upper LH icon is available to open the part. If the thing you click on is part of a sub assy, then a right-click menu should give you the option to Select Sub Assembly. If you choose that, and if the part you clicked on is part of more than one sub assy, then you get another pick box that asks for you to select which level of sub to open. All this makes perfect sense.
But if the part you initially right-click on is part of only one sub assy, then when you click on Select Sub Assembly, you don't get that new pick list as there is only one sub that it belongs to, therefore no need for it. So it would be obvious that you should be able to open the sub at that point, and you can. The problem is that your selection set now includes the sub that you told it to select AND the face that you originally right-clicked on. Remember, a right-click on something adds it to your selection set. This makes sense in that a right-click menu is context sensitive and therefore must a selection in order to open the proper menu for you.
So, here's the process.
1. Right-click on a part and in the menu click on Select Sub Assembly.
2. Hold the Ctrl key and left-click on the same face that you originally right-clicked on - this will deselect it.
3. Then right-click off of any part and the context sensitive menu that now comes up will include the option to open that sub assy as that's all that you now have selected.
The reason things are a bit more obvious when the part is part of more than one sub is because the selection of the sub out of that dialig box deselects the initial face for you.
WT