6.0

Editing Assemblies | 433
Editing Assemblies
Design or specification changes require most assembly designs to be docu-
mented and edited frequently. You modify parts, rearrange parts and features
in the hierarchy of the assembly tree, and change or delete constraints.
Because the parts and assembly are parametric, changes are fast and updates
are immediate.
Editing an external part definition automatically changes the assembly
model wherever the part is instanced.
Editing External Subassemblies
The process for editing external subassemblies and combined parts is much
like the one for editing external parts. To begin, you activate the subassembly
by double-clicking it in the Browser or entering information on the com-
mand line. When external files are active in the ref-edit state, they are not
available for simultaneous use by others.
The active subassembly retains its color on the screen, while other geometry
is dimmed. Non-active instances of the active subassembly dim one-half as
much. This indicates which instance is active and reflects all of the instances
that will be updated as a result of the change.
When active, you can edit the subassembly. The editing operations take place
as if the active subassembly was an open document. You alter subassemblies
by adding or removing components, changing constraints, adding new fea-
tures, or restructuring the assembly. Newly created non-part based geometry
such as surfaces and wires are created in the master assembly until made part
of a component.
You can save your changes to an external subassembly file in several ways.
■ Use an option in AMUPDATE to commit the changes to the external file.
■ Activate a part or subassembly that is contained in another file and, in the
resulting dialog box, commit to changes.
■ Activate another subassembly that is external to the active subassembly.
■ Save the assembly and choose either to not save changes or to save the
pending changes to any external files.