Solid w/in a solid help

How about doing this with separate parts within the context of an assembly?

jk

I had considered that but the shell I am putting on the first part has to line up fairly accurately to components of the first part. I am playing around with creating one body from the first part and adding it to the second part.

I may not be entirely clear on what you are trying to do, but you can reference the new shell to multiple parts in the assembly and make it as accurate as necessary.

Multi-body part?

Ken

I have two advices:

1. Use SW Help
2. Training courses at your VAR

This is basic stuff to do with allmost any 3D modelling software... you can either create a multibody part, or better and smarter yet, make an assembly, where you can make references to the original part to the "shell" part...

Just some background. We use SW only for external ID work so this is just a bit over the usual requirements for us.

Went through SW help and tutorial and really came up empty. All we need to do is to open up an already defined part, add a shape around it, and be able to save that new shape as a totally separate body from the original part. That way ( I think ) I should be able to cut holes in the new part up to the surfaces of the old part..

Is it proprietary? If not, post it (or sned an email) and I'll have a go at it. It sounds like you are on the right track:

1.) Make your "original" part the base in an assembly. 2.) Create a new part with references back to the "original" part. 3.) Construct the new part.

This is really very easy - takes longer to describe it than it does to do it!

Mike Tripoli snipped-for-privacy@jfww.com

Gee I wish it wasn't proprietary.

The assembly route is a good solution. I am looking for a way to sketch on top of an existing body and retain the original body intact.

Here,

this is using the insert part method

You can... No offense, but you haven't created parts in an assembly ( top down vs. bottom up...)? I've just recently started using references (and I'm willing to bet I'm doing it wrong) but here's what I've been doing. PLEASE, anyone, don't hesitate to correct me or point out an easier route.

1.) Make an assembly with your first part as the base. 2.) In the assembly: Insert>Component>New part It'll prompt you to save (if you haven't), and choose a name for your new part. 3.) Pick a plane (or part face) to start with. You're base part will "go wireframe". Here's where I may differ from what other people do.

In this new sketch, I pick all the references I think I might use (you can add more later). I choose the edges, features, what have you, and "Convert entities".

Some continue to build "in the assembly". I'm not smart enough for this, so I deselect "Edit Component".

From the feature tree, open "part 2".

4.) With the new part open, you can work from the "first sketch" (changing non-used but referenced lines to construction lines). Do whatever extrudes and such you need. This new part is referenced back to the base part now, so you can "extrude" up to surfaces, etc. in the base part assembly.

That's pretty much it.

Like I said,this is the basics; it's easier to do this than write it! Plus, as I said, I've just recently begun doing this myself (top down) and still don't have all the details right... but it's working!

We handle proprietary things all the time (NDA first)... if you get stuck, let's do an NDA and have at this thing!

Mike Tripoli snipped-for-privacy@jfww.com

Excellent ! Perfect ! Thank You !

Great. Thank You. It always helps me to see it versus stumble through the help files.