I would like to create a part family from a supplier's 3D files. I have different dimensions of a product, I downloaded the 3Ds of each of these dimensions. I would like to make a part family by simply using the delete function to display only the body corresponding to the configuration.
However, with this, the surfaces do not necessarily correspond between the configurations. This implies that when using in an assembly, if I change my configuration I lose the associated constraints.
The alternative would be to redesign the parts and set up the sketches, but this requires a significant amount of work. Is there a solution to specify common surfaces to solidworks? Or another trick that allows me to do what I want?
For having applied your solution, on some library pieces, here are the disadvantages:
Constraints that are lost, very heavy parts (we load all the bodies instead of a single body with piloted ribs), big difficulties on days when you have to add a missing configuration
Honestly, I would have to do it again, I prefer to waste a little time and configure the pieces by redesigning them as we did for the vast majority of our library pieces. The constraints that follow when changing configurations are only happiness, even if the time investment at the beginning is indeed more important.