CAD Forum

Is there a guide / best practice for library feature creation somewhere?

I ask for the following reason: A few weeks ago jcapriotti showed me a great solution to a library feature problem. -> https://www.cadforum.net/viewtopic.php?p=20912#p20912

While analyzing his solution, I noticed that he didn't use the base plane at all.
Every SWX tutorial uses "base plane", but if jcapriotti doesn't do that, I'm sure it's for a reason.

I'm sure there are more tricks like this that are not mentioned in the help, and that you will find out only with time.

I suppose it depends on what you want to accomplish. I would start by saying do not put horizontal or vertical relations in your sketch, make them parallel and perpendicular, minimize external relations in the sketch, and make sure external relations you do use are not consumed by feature.

@Hansjoerg It really depends on the situation. I normally try to use relations as far as possible.
I added a different version for your groove library feature. You don't need any sketch or plane to add it. Just select the edge of your shaft. It mostly uses relations. It can still be improved and corrected based on the way you need it to be.

I don't think there's a best method to do something. Each method has its own privileges.

A follow up question on this:

Is it possible to dimension to different entities?
I.e. sometimes I want to dimension to an edge, sometimes to a sketch line, sometimes to an axis
having three different configurations for this is super painful & does not work because the amount of configurations is ^n.

Any ideas?

Some tags for people that (I think) are well versed in this topic:
@jcapriotti
@Tera
@HerrTick

berg_lauritz wrote: ↑Tue Sep 20, 2022 11:38 am A follow up question on this:

Is it possible to dimension to different entities?
I.e. sometimes I want to dimension to an edge, sometimes to a sketch line, sometimes to an axis
having three different configurations for this is super painful & does not work because the amount of configurations is ^n.

Any ideas?

I don't see a way to do it. The reference must be replaced with the same type of reference. Do you have examples of multiple reference types for the same library feature?

I just posted an example of this on another thread but thought this would apply here as well.
Take a look.
Input is always appreciated.

Bryan O wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2024 8:02 am I just posted an example of this on another thread but thought this would apply here as well.
Take a look.
Input is always appreciated.

Do the hole quantities need to change if the base plate changes size?

Yes but I allow that to be changed manually.
As a rule, the spacing is no less than 12 no greater than 18 but there is a fudge factor there.