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In an Assembly Fix All Parts From A Part Studio Relative to Each Other

christopher_graham586christopher_graham586 Member Posts: 47 ✭✭
in Using Onshape
I often need to import a part studio with many parts into an assembly and then use a few mates in the assembly to relate the entire set of imported parts as though they were one object. 

However imported parts from a studio come in detached and need to be joined with assembly mates before the collection can be moved as a unit.  It can be a lot of unnecessary work to create all these mates just so I can move this sub assembly as a unit.  "Fixing" a collection of parts in place retains their relationship without the need for mates but then they can't moved at all.

Is there a way to do the equivalent of a "relative fix" where a group of parts are selected and can be defined to maintain a fixed relationship among themselves?  Then this aggregate could then be positioned by mates to any of its parts.

I don't really want to flatten the parts from the studio into a single part because I want them to retain their other properties such as color.
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  • michael_mcclainmichael_mcclain Member Posts: 198 PRO
    Use the ''group" mate in the assembly. Bring in a whole part studio, fix one part, then group all other parts to that one fixedfpart. No need to individually mate every part in this case.
  • christopher_graham586christopher_graham586 Member Posts: 47 ✭✭
    Thank you!  That will save me a lot of time.  Somehow I had overlooked that feature.
  • Cris_BowersCris_Bowers Member Posts: 281 PRO
    @christopher_graham586 As Neil mentioned, but with a picture.
    After inserting your parts into the assembly, select the group icon (highlighted), then select all the parts you want to be grouped together. They will then maintain the relationship they had upon insertion without having to add all the extra mates.

    If creating a separate rigid subassembly in a different tab, you would fix the initial part inserted, then group all the parts the same way. You can then use that subassembly in other places without having to go through the process of inserting all those parts and grouping them everytime.

  • NeilCookeNeilCooke Moderator, Onshape Employees Posts: 5,912 image
    edited March 2019
    @christopher_graham586 be aware that if one of your parts in your Part Studio changes and that subsequently moves the location of one of the other parts in your group, the assembly will now be wrong (the group command is a one-time thing). You can remove the moved part from the group and mate it manually afterwards.

    EDIT: If all the parts come from the same part studio this does not apply.
    Senior Director, Technical Services, EMEA
  • vicente_lacerdavicente_lacerda Member Posts: 6 EDU
    michael_mcclain said:
    Use the ''group" mate in the assembly. Bring in a whole part studio, fix one part, then group all other parts to that one fixedfpart. No need to individually mate every part in this case.
    Tnx a lot! Same problem solved, after lots of hours mating every single element!!
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