Hello
An assembly can be saved in part format (*. PRT) with 3 possible options (outer faces, outer components or all components)
Can someone tell me what this SolidWorks capability is used for and who uses it?
Thank you
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Hello
In fact, we use external sides when we want to protect our design and send it to customers:
They can see the external appearance, use it to put it in a more general layout (with other machines or in a modelled factory) but have no access to the internal design at all.
External components allow the design to be hidden "a little".
In fact, the choice between these two options depends on the trade, for us in special machines, sometimes "external faces" do not allow to have a correct result and there are problems with the display of certain surfaces. But for a fully integrated or waterproof assembly, for example, that's enough.
All the components allow you to have the totality, useful if you don't want to hide the design and make cross-sectional views!
For more options, the Defeature tool was later developed:
http://help.solidworks.com/2012/French/SolidWorks/sldworks/HIDD_DVE_DEFEATURE_3_KEEP.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-O4dGqihWA
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Hi Alain,
I use this possibility quite regularly, and almost only with the first and last option.
The "outer faces" option, I use it when I HAVE to send a 3D to the outside of my box, so in general to see the volume of the equipment and so that the customer can check passages. I use this option because I can very easily get a file that is difficult to use if it were in the hands of a competitor. You have probably already tried the option, the resulting file is with a lot of missing surfaces. Having already received them, it's not a joy to work with!
The "all components" option, I use it for commercial parts for example. Cylinders which are sometimes in assemblies of several parts (cylinder, front flange, rear flange, rod, piston, screw, ...), geared motors which are assemblies of about ten parts, ... So, for my cylinder, my rod assembly and my body assembly, I save them in parts, to make an assembly of only 2 parts. And my geared motor becomes a single multi-body piece. With all this, it allows you to limit the number of files to manage.
There you have it! :)
Edit: Ah, answer from .PL in the meantime!
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Hello
To complete the previous answers, including for internal uses, when you only need a footprint, the external faces or components options also allow you to have files that are lighter in size and to handle.
It avoids having to load the whole design with the constraints, ... and risk inadvertently altering a part.
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