Can you model parts or assemblies in context of other assemblies?

james_french

Can you model parts or assemblies in context of other assemblies?  For example, make planes or dimensions for parts in relation to other parts in an existing assembly?

Jake_Rosenfeld

Absolutely!

https://cad.onshape.com/help/Content/in-context.htm

Tony_C_

If you're creating parts that need to be updated I've found it best to create them in your top level assembly.

I create a lot of pipe and if I was to make a sub assembly with 2 fittings say with a slider mate and pipe between them the ICE looks at their position in the sub assembly, not the top assembly. 

I make my sub assembly with the fittings and mates only and then add my piping in last in the top level assembly. 

james_french

So if you change the position of the fittings do you have to manually change the pipe lengths, or do the update with new lengths based on how they are defined in the assembly (say extrude up to surface of another part or linked to a sketch in the assembly).

Tony_C_

james_french said:

So if you change the position of the fittings do you have to manually change the pipe lengths, or do the update with new lengths based on how they are defined in the assembly (say extrude up to surface of another part or linked to a sketch in the assembly).

If you create the ICE pipe in the top level assembly the only manually thing you'd need to is right click on the ICE part and select "update context"

Just make sure you never manually move the ICE part. Always move the part it's associated with and update the context.