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By default, the first component inserted into an Assembly is "Fixed" in place (and no, there isn't any way to turn this off). Assuming you placed the component by clicking in the graphics area its placement will be more or less random. Instead of this, what I recommend for the future, and what I do 90% of the time, is to select the component, but then instead of clicking in the graphics area click on the green check mark at the top of the "Insert Component" property manager.


This will place the component with its three primary planes aligned with those of the Assembly. Sometimes, of course, neither of these will put the component where you want it. In those cases right-click on the component in the tree and select "Float" from the drop-down. Now it's free to move however you wish, and/or Mate it like you would any other component.

@Glenn Schroeder,
I made the case that the first component inserted should be mated automatically as the default. To me fixing parts is an advanced setting that should only be used by experienced users in certain circumstances. Having it be the default way to add parts (and only the first part) is confusing to new users, and can cause problems because it's not fixed to a certain location, as you point out just clicking in space places it, (not good).
I'm curious how much trouble the default behavior has actually caused?

mattpeneguy wrote: ↑Fri Apr 23, 2021 6:35 am @Glenn Schroeder,
I made the case that the first component inserted should be mated automatically as the default. To me fixing parts is an advanced setting that should only be used by experienced users in certain circumstances. Having it be the default way to add parts (and only the first part) is confusing to new users, and can cause problems because it's not fixed to a certain location, as you point out just clicking in space places it, (not good).
I'm curious how much trouble the default behavior has actually caused?

(Cue...flame war.) Fixing has real benefits over mates in some cases. In fact, some VARs recommend mating everything until you get it where you want it, then deleting all the mates and fixing everything. Rebuild time goes way down. Of course this only works if you know for a fact that nothing will change.

I prefer the current behavior. Click in the graphics area to drop component before applying mates, or click OK to fix at origin. If I forget not to click OK, I will create an origin-origin mate using "align axes", delete it, and fix it. If it's always going to be at the origin, WHY use a mate? There really is no purpose.

@mike miller,
I think we can continue this discussion as long as we both agree that you're wrong.

Don't they now have the freeze bar for performance, if that's the concern?

Oh and I'll just add...here's a quote:
"We're finished with the design, we won't need to be making any changes."
-- people proven wrong

Kidding aside we have an asm that was done 17 years ago, and we just found an error. Now it was done in 2d and shop modified to work, but the point is removing mates in a case like that could burn you.

Also, if you are having performance issues because of mates, maybe you are doing something wrong?
What would make this even more moot is to just mate everything to the origin and split your asms into subasms for performance.

I just don't understand why SW thinks I need the software to fix the first component. If I wanted it fixed, I will fix it. If I want it mated, I will mate it. Now I have to float the first component, even if I'm going to mate it back in the exact same position.

I'm sure this solves some problems for the new user who has no idea what he is doing, but for the rest of us it is just one more step (albeit a small one) when making a new assembly.

mattpeneguy wrote: ↑Fri Apr 23, 2021 7:03 am @mike miller,
I think we can continue this discussion as long as we both agree that you're wrong.

Don't they now have the freeze bar for performance, if that's the concern?

The freeze bar doesn't affect assemblies. And the performance hike he was talking about was the rebuild time for mates. With everything fixed = less rebuild

I went down that path for a while. I created a configuration where everything was properly mated, then created a sub configuration where everything was fixed. It definitely improves load times, but is a PIA every time you have to make a change in that assembly.

As an FYI extension to the OP, if the parent assembly has two or more configurations, then the Float menu will have a sub-menu from which you are to select which configuration(s) to apply the float command: to all configurations; to only the current configuration or to one or more specific configurations selected from a list of all configurations. EDIT: Because this dialog's purpose is multi-selection, you don't need to hold down CTRL for more than one selection:

KevinC wrote: ↑Mon Feb 07, 2022 9:43 am As an FYI extension to the OP, if the parent assembly has two or more configurations, then the Float menu will have a sub-menu from which you are to select which configuration(s) to apply the float command: to all configurations; to only the current configuration or to one or more specific configurations selected from a list of all configurations.

Thank you for posting. That feature is new to SW2022, so wasn't available when I wrote the above post.

Glenn Schroeder wrote: ↑Mon Feb 07, 2022 10:43 am Thank you for posting. That feature is new to SW2022, so wasn't available when I wrote the above post.

I don't know when this capability was first added, by my screen shots are from SW2019 (I'm not on 2022 yet, just 19, 20, 21):

KevinC wrote: ↑Mon Feb 07, 2022 12:36 pm I don't know when this capability was first added, by my screen shots are from SW2019 (I'm not on 2022 yet, just 19, 20, 21):
image.png

I owe you an apology. I didn't read your post as closely as I should have. I thought you were referring to the new feature that puts a column for selecting to Fix or Float components on the simplified design table you get when you right-click on the component and choose "Configure Component" from the drop-down.

Glenn Schroeder wrote: ↑Mon Feb 07, 2022 2:02 pm I owe you an apology. I didn't read your post as closely as I should have. I thought you were referring to the new feature that puts a column for selecting to Fix or Float components on the simplified design table you get when you right-click on the component and choose "Configure Component" from the drop-down.


image.png

No apologies necessary...and I do like how SW has improved this config table.

Glenn Schroeder wrote: ↑Thu Apr 22, 2021 5:08 pm By default, the first component inserted into an Assembly is "Fixed" in place (and no, there isn't any way to turn this off).

Surprisingly enough, it depends on what mode the assembly is opened in. For example, if the assembly was opened in LDR mode, the fixed condition will not be applied when you drop the component in the graphics area.

I am on the fence with this, I sometimes like that it's fixed, when it's a simple assembly and I don't think things are going to change to much. A lot of times I will float the part and then mate it, but this is a few extra steps, but can really help if I am not sure of the parts order I want in my assembly, which can effect rebuilds in larger complicated assemblies.