Configurations

Configurations allow you to create multiple variations of a part or assembly model within a single document. Configurations provide a convenient way to develop and manage families of models with different dimensions, components, or other parameters.

To create a configuration, you specify a name and properties, then you modify the model to create the design variations you want.
  • In part documents, configurations allow you to create families of parts with different dimensions, features, and properties, including custom properties.
  • In assembly documents, configurations allow you to create:
    • Simplified versions of the design by suppressing components.
    • Families of assemblies with different configurations of the components, different parameters for assembly features, different dimensions, or configuration-specific custom properties.
  • In drawing documents, you can display views of the configurations you create in part and assembly documents.
You can create configurations using any of the following methods:
  • Create configurations manually.
  • Use design tables to create and manage configurations in a Microsoft Excel worksheet. You can display design tables in drawings.
  • Use the Modify Configurations dialog box to create and modify configurations for commonly configured parameters.

Custom properties created in design tables or the Modify Configurations dialog box are automatically added to the Configuration Properties tab in the Properties dialog box.