Solid w/in a solid help

I have a solid that I need to create another solid on top of. Think of it
as putting a cover over a bottle yet I need to at some point cut holes in
the cover and still show the original bottle through the hole. How can I
create a solid and retain it as one " piece " then drape a shape over it and
still see the interior part ? Hope I explained it OK. TIA.

 

I had considered that but the shell I am putting on the first part has to
line up fairly accurately to components of the first part. I am playing
around with creating one body from the first part and adding it to the
second part.

 

Multi-body part?

Ken

 

Just some background. We use SW only for external ID work so this is just a
bit over the usual requirements for us.

Went through SW help and tutorial and really came up empty. All we need to
do is to open up an already defined part, add a shape around it, and be able
to save that new shape as a totally separate body from the original part.
That way ( I think ) I should be able to cut holes in the new part up to the
surfaces of the old part..

 

Is it proprietary? If not, post it (or sned an email) and I'll have a
go at it. It sounds like you are on the right track:

1.) Make your "original" part the base in an assembly.
2.) Create a new part with references back to the "original" part.
3.) Construct the new part.

This is really very easy - takes longer to describe it than it does to
do it!

Mike Tripoli

 

Gee I wish it wasn't proprietary.

The assembly route is a good solution. I am looking for a way to sketch on
top of an existing body and retain the original body intact.

 

I am looking for a way to sketch on

You can... No offense, but you haven't created parts in an assembly
(<groan> top down vs. bottom up...)? I've just recently started using
references (and I'm willing to bet I'm doing it wrong) but here's what
I've been doing. PLEASE, anyone, don't hesitate to correct me or point
out an easier route.

1.) Make an assembly with your first part as the base.
2.) In the assembly: Insert>Component>New part
It'll prompt you to save (if you haven't), and choose a name
for your new part.
3.) Pick a plane (or part face) to start with. You're base part will
"go wireframe". Here's where I may differ from what other people do.

In this new sketch, I pick all the references I think I might use
(you can add more later). I choose the edges, features, what have you,
and "Convert entities".

Some continue to build "in the assembly". I'm not smart enough for
this, so I deselect "Edit Component".

From the feature tree, open "part 2".

4.) With the new part open, you can work from the "first sketch"
(changing non-used but referenced lines to construction lines). Do
whatever extrudes and such you need. This new part is referenced back
to the base part now, so you can "extrude" up to surfaces, etc. in the
base part assembly.

That's pretty much it.

Like I said,this is the basics; it's easier to do this than write it!
Plus, as I said, I've just recently begun doing this myself (top down)
and still don't have all the details right... but it's working!

We handle proprietary things all the time (NDA first)... if you get
stuck, let's do an NDA and have at this thing!

Mike Tripoli

 

Excellent ! Perfect ! Thank You !

 

Great. Thank You. It always helps me to see it versus stumble through the
help files.