Editing Focus

For some types of editing operations, the software recognizes that the changes you are making belong to the subassembly, and not to the top-level assembly. In those cases, the editing focus automatically changes from the top-level assembly to the subassembly.

For other types of editing operations, you need to specify that the changes you are making belong to the subassembly, and not to the top-level assembly. This includes any case where the edits could be successfully applied to either one. For example, you can add an assembly feature hole either to a subassembly, or to the top-level assembly, with different results.

Automatic Change of Editing Focus

If you edit any of the following items that belong to a subassembly, the editing focus changes automatically:

  • Sketch
  • Component pattern
  • Mate
  • Assembly feature (cut or hole)
  • Reference geometry

Similarly, if you edit a feature (the definition or the sketch) of a subassembly component, the software automatically changes to Edit Component mode. References that you make while editing a subassembly component are always made in the context of the top-level assembly, not the subassembly that contains it.

If you add a mate between a subassembly component and some geometry outside that subassembly, the focus changes to the subassembly automatically. The mate is added to the lowest level assembly that contains both components (the lowest common parent).

In the graphics area, when you select a component that belongs to a subassembly and perform a Delete, only the selected component is deleted, not the entire subassembly.

Changing the Editing Focus Manually

You must activate the subassembly to perform these editing operations:

  • Add a component into the subassembly. You cannot add a new component in the context of a subassembly.
  • Add a component pattern, an assembly feature cut or hole, a sketch, or reference geometry to the subassembly.
  • Use dynamic assembly motion on subassembly components. You can fix, float, and move subassembly components when the subassembly is active, to visualize the movement within the subassembly.
  • Add a mate between components of the active subassembly (both at the same level in the hierarchy, or one at a lower level, in a nested subassembly of the active subassembly).
While a subassembly is active, the mates in the top-level assembly that position the subassembly with respect to the top-level are temporarily ignored. Top-level mates are solved again when you return to editing the top-level assembly and click Rebuild .

You cannot add a mate between a component within an active subassembly and a component outside the active subassembly.

To activate a subassembly for editing in context:

Select the subassembly and click Edit Component (Assembly toolbar), or right-click the subassembly icon in the FeatureManager design tree, and select Edit Subassembly.
When you activate a subassembly, it turns blue, and the rest of the assembly turns gray, just as it does when you edit a part. When you edit a component of a subassembly, only the individual part being edited turns blue.
To return the editing focus to the top-level assembly, click Edit Component again, or right-click and select Edit Assembly.