2009

The mechanical structure tools include:
■ A browser interface for structured 2D mechanical design, where parts,
assemblies, views, and folders containing associated data are organized,
structured, and managed. Standard parts are automatically organized and
managed in the browser. All components are accessible through the browser
for many functions, and filters can be set to control the type and level of
detail of information displayed.
■ Folders in the browser are used for capturing elements of design for reuse.
These elements provide all of the associative instancing benefits of
components, but do not register as items in the live BOM database. They
can contain geometry.
■ All geometry remains selectable and editable at all times using familiar
commands in open workflows. Workflows for structure can be bottom-up
(recommended), middle-out (the most flexible and common workflow),
and top-down (not the primary workflow).
Associative Design and Detailing
The browser is used to manage and reuse data in both the design and detailing
drafting stages. Many functions can be performed in the browser, including
the following:
■ You can instance components and assemblies multiple times. The live
BOM database in AutoCAD Mechanical keeps track of the quantity of each
part or assembly used.
■ Changes made to an associative instance of a part or assembly, associative
component, assembly detailing view, or a standard part or feature are
automatically reflected in the other instances.
■ Folders, components, and individual views of components can be reused
as needed. They maintain full associativity with each other.
■ Annotation views can be created for components and assemblies to fully
document the design. Changes made to geometry result in associative
dimensions being updated to reflect the change.
6 | Chapter 1 About AutoCAD Mechanical