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How to save large assembly without saving every subassembly and parts

Question asked by Ryan Schultz on Jun 19, 2012
Latest reply on Oct 9, 2015 by Mustafa Bgr

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This will be easy to answer, I'm sure....I have received top-level assemblies for many COTS components that I will eventually be putting together in a final top-level assembly. How do I save the COTS assemblies without having to go through and save every part, subassembly, and parts in subassemblies?

Attached is a file of one of the COTS assemblies which I don't know how to save. I would just like to be able to save the assembly file and have it be able to open everything/keep it's references without saving every component...

I hope I've explained this well enough.

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CSXQ-25-24.stp.zip197.3 KB

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Anna Wood Jun 19, 2012 4:00 PM
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Have you tried to save the SolidWorks file after importing the step file? What is not working for you when you do that?

Cheers,

Anna
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Kelvin Lamport Jun 19, 2012 4:25 PM
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After opening the file, you could make all the parts and sub-assys virtual, and then save the assy. All references to the original files (which will be created when opening the STP file) will be broken.

Why don't you want to save the original components?
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Wayne Tiffany Jun 19, 2012 4:27 PM
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Or, if it's just a reference for you, then save the assy as a part file. You then have one multi-body file for that ref part. This is what we do for car bodies, etc. Make sure you select the option for external parts only or all parts to keep it as solids. Otherwise you get all surfaces - ok if that's what you want.

WT
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- Ryan Schultz @ Wayne Tiffany on Jun 27, 2012 4:47 PM
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  When I save the assembly as a part file...well, it doesn't seem to really save. The file apears only as a Local File in the directory I saved the part in...Any pointers?
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Ryan Schultz Jun 19, 2012 4:53 PM
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Thanks for the replies.

-The problem with saving the imported step file as an assembly file is that the parts in the subassemblies don't get saved, so when I open the assembly later, there are a lot of parts missing.

-I've heard of the virtual idea, but have never done it. I might try that. Does it keep the mates in the assembly? I do not want to save every individual part because it's not worth the time in this case and other reasons relating to my company's drafting policies.

-I've thought about the idea of saving it as a part file, but I would like to use mates.

So, does saving virtually save parts of subassemblies and keep mates?
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- Wayne Tiffany @ Ryan Schultz on Jun 19, 2012 5:33 PM
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  Not sure what you mean by COTS, but I opened the file you posted and it looks like a shelf assy on rails. So your thought is that you want to move the shelf in and out along the rails and that's what you want to use mates for? The other way to do that if it's a multi-part file is move body. That would also let you pull it in and out to make a couple configs or something. It won't, however, let you drag it back and forth as you could in an assy with a limit mate on the shelf.
  
  If the assy is what you really want, then based on your other comments I agree with the virtual parts path. Virtual parts act just like regular parts, mates and all, they just reside in the assy file, not outside it in a separate file. That also means that you can't detail them separately in a drawing, but I don't think that's a problem with this assy.
  
  WT
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  - Ryan Schultz @ Wayne Tiffany on Jun 19, 2012 5:55 PM
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    COTS is an acronym my company uses for "components off the shelf" or parts that we purchase or don't make in house. I should have stated that in my original post. I brought up the COTS issue originally to try to show that I wouldn't need to do any editing or anything to the part files. Thank you all for you help, I'm going to go the virtual route.
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  - Daen Hendrickson @ Wayne Tiffany on Jun 19, 2012 9:14 PM
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    Wayne,
    
    COTS (Commercial Off-the-Shelf) is a common acronym in military / government contracting refering to readily available commercial unmodified "black box" type items:
    
    Network switch,
    LCD Projector
    Keyboard
    
    Ryan,
    
    We use this approach all the time for COTS items in our library. Keeps the file maintenance to a minimum. As Wayne indicated, virtual parts do have limitations if you need to detail them or track them in some PDM systems.
    
    Our examples are:
    
    Server Cabinets
    Electronics Enclosures (Box, Lid, Screws)
    We use it to make quick truck loading plans as we can build virtual stacks of boxes on pallets.
    
    Daen
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- Kelvin Lamport @ Ryan Schultz on Jun 19, 2012 11:11 PM
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  -The problem with saving the imported step file as an assembly file is that the parts in the subassemblies don't get saved...
  They do on my computers.
  
  So, does saving virtually save parts of subassemblies and keep mates?
  Mates will not be imported from a STP file. You will have to manually apply them.
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Ryan Schultz Jul 11, 2012 11:58 AM
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When I save the assembly as a part file...well, it doesn't seem to really save. The file apears only as a Local File in the directory I saved the part in...Any pointers?
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- Mustafa Bgr @ Ryan Schultz on Oct 9, 2015 6:41 AM
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  I have a model which in order to do simulation in ABAQUS , I saved it as *.stp format in Solidworks. But when I import it in ABAQUS , instead of solid model , so many surfaces are being imported?
  Is there a way?
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How to save large assembly without saving every subassembly and parts

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