Page 361 - Mastering SolidWorks

Chapter 11

Working with Part Configurations

Configurations, also known as simply configs, are variations of a part in which dimensions are
changed, features are suppressed (turned off), and other items such as color or custom properties
may be controlled. Configurations enable you to have these variations within a single part file,
which is both convenient and efficient.
This chapter deals only with part configurations, but assemblies can also have configurations.
Assembly configurations can use different part configurations, among other things. This will
mean more to you as you learn about part configurations. Assembly configurations are discussed
in Chapter 19, “Controlling Assembly Configurations and Display States”.
One example of configurations is having many sizes of a fastener within a single part file.
For example, socket-head cap screws can come in thousands of sizes, and you can very efficiently
reuse the same sketches and features to create all of those sizes based on a table. Configured
parts can also have features that you can turn off and on (suppress and unsuppress, respec-
tively), such as a cross drive or a slotted drive. Changing dimensions and suppressing or
unsuppressing features are the most commonly used techniques available through
configurations.
There is some overlap between the topics of configurations and display states, with colors and
hide/show states being controlled by both methods. When you have the option, always control
visual properties using display states, because they require fewer resources, which means they’ll
be faster. Display states for part documents are covered in more detail in Chapter 5, “Using
Visualization Techniques,” and Chapter 19, “Controlling Assembly Configurations and
Display States.”

IN THIS CHAPTER, YOU WILL LEARN TO:

◆ Control part configurations
◆ Explore design tables
◆ Create a design table
◆ Examine the benefits of using the Configuration Publisher

Mastering SolidWorks, First Edition. Matt Lombard.
© 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Published 2019 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.