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Making External Components Virtual

You can make externally saved components virtual, which breaks the link to the external component file. Existing references are ignored and the component is renamed.

Making Components Virtual While Inserting

You can make externally saved components virtual as you insert them into an assembly.

To make externally saved components virtual while inserting them into an assembly:

  1. Do one of the following:
    • Create a new assembly document by clicking New (Standard toolbar) or File > New .
    • In an existing assembly, click Insert Components (Assembly toolbar) or Insert > Component > Existing Part/Assembly .
  2. In the PropertyManager, under Options, select Make Virtual.
  3. Under Part/Assembly to Insert, select or browse to a component and click to place it in the graphics area.
    The software warns you that making a component virtual breaks the link to the external file.
    You can suppress the message by selecting Don't ask me again if you know that you will always choose the default response. To restore a suppressed message, click Tools > Options > System Options > Messages/Errors/Warnings , and under Dismissed messages, select the message you want to restore.
  4. Click OK.
    The component is added to the assembly as a virtual component.

    In the FeatureManager design tree, square brackets around the component name indicate that the component is a virtual component.

Making Components Virtual After Inserting

You can make externally saved components virtual after you insert them into an assembly.

To make externally saved components virtual:

  1. Right-click one or more externally saved components and click Make Virtual.
  2. If you are making a subassembly virtual, select one of the following in the dialog box:
    Option Description
    Make only the subassembly virtual Makes the subassembly virtual, but keeps its child components linked to the external files.
    Make the subassembly and all child components virtual Makes the subassembly virtual and makes its child components virtual.
    Copies of the components are saved internally in the assembly file and links to the external component files are broken.

    In the FeatureManager design tree, square brackets around the component name indicate that the component is a virtual component.



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