CAD Forum

Hello everyone,

I am currently using Solidworks 2020 and was wondering if there is a function to automatically mate (Ground and Root) parts in an assembly, based on their sketch position (as sketched in a mastersketch/part).
Before I used inventor. Inventor had a specific button dedicated to grounding and rooting parts. This ensured that when I created loose parts from one sketch part, and dragged them into a (new) assembly, I could simply click 'Ground and Root' to ensure the loose parts were positioned on the same location as in the mastersketch part.

Thanks in advance for your answers!

If all the parts come from the same master part, then when you insert them into the assembly, just drag them on to the assembly origin.

First, if you add parts to an assembly and you want them to lock origins, click the green OK checkmark immediately. Clicking outside of the box will place the part in that location. (I know, it's not intuitive but you'll have to talk to SWX, not me.) If you click OK, the part will orient and lock to the assembly origin using no mates but rather being in a fixed state (not really a relationship because it doesn't show up in the tree).

If you forget to do this, the quickest way to lock origins is by selecting the part origin feature and the assembly origin feature and choosing coincident mate. This is a special "sub-specie" of coincident mate that gives you the option to align axes, which you want. Next, check the box at the bottom called "Use For Positioning Only". This does not create an actual mate, instead it just moves the part to that location and leaves it un-defined. Finally, exit the mate dialog and fix the part in that exact location.

It sounds complicated but it's really not. Also, you can choose to leave a coincident mate between origins instead of fixing that part in space if that appeals to you for some reason.