Good morning all,

My question is kind of a multi parter so I can get a better handle best practices.  If I suppress some thing, be it a feature, part or sub-assembly; does SW still have to process that?  What about configurations?  Are toolbox fasteners just parts with a bunch of configurations, where SW has to process each length of a screw when only one length is used?

The reason I ask is, say I was to create a part for a window I was including in an assembly.  One of the top frame sections would be the same as the bottom section with the exception that the bottom would have some weep holes in it.  Typically we would use hole wizard to make 2 weep holes in one end, then repeat it for the other end, and then pattern one of those ends to get the required number for the middle of the run varying the number based on the length. 

Now once my assemblies start getting bigger my system lags out hard.  I realize it is probably A LOT to do with how I create my parts, sub-assemblies & assemblies; so I am trying to fix that.

With my top/bottom frame example, I am not sure the best way way of doing this.  Should I create a configuration so I have one with and one without weep holes?  It is my understanding that SW has to process all of the configurations.  So if I have one configuration without weep holes on top and another one with weep hole on the bottom, SW has to process both config's on top and both on bottom.  Processing the same part 4 times for 2 parts.

Now if I just did the same part without doing configuration but suppressed the 2 hole wizard features and the pattern that SW would ignore the suppressed features and not process them at all.  Is that right? The problem I would then have to deal with is the B.O.M. would show 2 identical parts rather than identifying the difference.  On this part it would be simple to remember but I trying to figure out best practices in general and may of our parts get more complicated.

I know thats kind of winded but I hope I explained what I'm trying to figure out and why.

Joe