Preserving Appearances with Derived Parts

If you split a part, you can preserve the appearances that are applied to the bodies that are created when you save the bodies or when you insert the bodies into new parts.

You can also preserve the appearance of a part that you insert into another part.

If a body you save or insert has an appearance at the body level, the software translates the appearance as a body-level appearance in the newly created file. If the original body has an appearance at the face or feature level, the software translates the appearance as a face-level appearance.

The saved or inserted parts are derived parts. If you change an appearance in the original part, the change is propagated to the derived part.

You cannot preserve the appearances of parts when you mirror components to create new opposite-hand version files.

Preserving an Appearance When You Save a Body

To preserve an appearance when you save a body:

  1. In a part, create a sketch to be used to split the part into bodies.
  2. Click Split (Features toolbar) or Insert > Features > Split.
  3. In the PropertyManager, under Trim Tools, select the sketch and click Cut Part.
  4. Under Resulting Bodies, do one of the following:
    • Click Auto-assign Names to have the software name all the bodies automatically.
    • Select the bodies to save under and double-click each body to assign a name.
  5. Click Propagate visual properties.
    The newly created bodies will have the same appearances as the base part.

    If you do not select the option, the newly created bodies do not have any appearances.

  6. Set options in the PropertyManager and click .

Preserving An Appearance When You Insert a Body Into a Part

To preserve an appearance when you insert a body into a part:

  1. In a split part, expand the Solid Bodies folder.
  2. Right-click the part to insert and click Insert into New Part.
  3. In the PropertyManager, under Transfer, click Browse (...) to browse the location for the new part, type a File name, and click Save.
  4. Click Propagate visual properties.
  5. Click .

Preserving the Appearance of a Part When You Insert It Into Another Part

To preserve the appearance of a part when you insert it into another part:

  1. With a part open, click Insert > Part.
  2. In the Open dialog box, locate the part to insert and click Open.
  3. In the PropertyManager, under Visual Properties, click Propagate from original part.
  4. Click in the graphics area to position the inserted part.