Creating an In-Place Component
Both Inventor and SolidWorks allow you to create parts on the fly when you are working in an assembly. However, Inventor handles it better. Let me explain why...
The scenario is usually this...you are working in an assembly and realize you need a bracket or other part. You want the bracket to fit properly, so it is easiest to leverage the features of existing parts to make sure it fits properly.
In Inventor, you go to Create New Part. You are then prompted with a small dialog where you can assign a part name and even set the template you want to use for the part creation. You are then prompted to select a face or plane to start your part. You can enable or disable to automatically ground your new part to the selected plane at the time of creation. If you forget to uncheck the constrain part box, you can always unground the part later and apply the necessary assembly constraints.
Now, you may decide to rename the part later or assign a new part number, but that will be handled the same way it is for any existing part using Design Assistance or using the SaveAs feature.
The part file is automatically saved in your active project location.
In SolidWorks, you go to Insert New Part. You are then prompted to select a face to start your first sketch. No dialog box, no prompts...a Virtual Part is created. It is automatically given a name ~Part#### and uses the default template. A fixed or in-place constraint is automatically added. This isn't so bad, you think. Once you have the part in a serviceable condition, you rename it and save it to your project location. You think Life is Good.
However, I recently did a check of my project location and found almost 2,000 virtual parts. I had set my project location as the default location to place virtual parts, so every time I created an in-place component, the initial file was saved and placed in the project. The file sizes were relatively small, but it all adds up and becomes garbage to be cleaned out.
Now there are a couple of ways SW could fix this. 1) When the user first goes to rename or saveas the virtual component, he could be asked if the original file should be deleted. 2) Use the IV method and pop a small dialop upon part creation and get a name or part number, etc.
So, if you work in SW and use the in-place component method, check your drive for virtual parts...and make clean-up of accrued virtual parts a part of your regular maintenance schedule.
