SolidWorks® 2011 Parts Bible

CHAPTER 19

Modeling Multi-Bodies

IN THIS CHAPTER

Creating models responsibly

Leveraging multi-body techniques

Learning how to use multi-bodies

Understanding how to manage bodies

Working with multi-body data

Working with multi-bodies tutorial

SolidWorks allows multiple solid bodies within a single part at the same time. There are many uses for this type of functionality, but it can also sometimes cause problems that you need to be aware of. This chapter aims to help you take advantage of the benefits of multiple bodies while avoiding some of the potential traps.

You could work with SolidWorks in such a way that you would never need to use multiple bodies inside a single part, ever. Almost everything that average users normally do can be done with a single solid body and without any knowledge of multi-body functionality whatsoever.

However, to access some more powerful functionality, and options that offer more flexibility, multi-body modeling is necessary. In fact, if you want to move on to surface modeling, multi-body knowledge is mandatory because in surface modeling, multi-body is the default.

Multi-body modeling is the gateway from basic solid modeling mainly described in the book up until now into the more advanced functionality that follows. The gateway can lead in two directions: it can lead to more power, more flexibility, more options, more advanced functionality, or it can lead to sloppy, bad habits that could get you or those who work with your data into some modeling ...