2009

When you hover the cursor over an assembly constraint in the browser, the
constrained components are temporarily highlighted in the graphics window.
Selecting the constraint in the Assembly browser highlights the geometry in
the graphics window until you click again in the graphics window or the
browser.
Editing Constraints
You can edit assembly constraints two ways.
Workflow overview: Edit constraint values by selecting in the browser
1 In the assembly browser, select an assembly constraint.
The offset or angle value is displayed in the edit box at the bottom of the
browser.
2 Enter a new value in the edit box, open the drop-down list to select recent
values, or use the Measure tool to find a value.
Workflow overview: Edit constraint values in the Edit Constraints dialog box
1 Right-click a constraint in the assembly browser, and then select Edit
from the menu, or double-click a constraint in the assembly browser.
2 On the Edit Constraint dialog box, edit any of the constraint parameters
displayed.
You can change the selected geometry for one or both components, change
the solution, and revise the offset, angle, or depth value of the constraint.
Under certain conditions, the constraint type can be changed without losing
the current selections. For example, you can change a mate constraint between
two planar surfaces to an angle constraint. The OK button is not available if
you select a new constraint type that cannot be applied.
Tips for Managing Assembly Constraints
■ Start constraining components by mating planar faces. Add tangent,
angular, and flush constraints later.
■ Apply constraints after features are stable. Avoid constraints between
features that might be removed later in the design process.
154 | Chapter 8 Placing, Moving, and Constraining Components