

The type of mate depends on what buttons you click in what order. The plane you select coincides with the Front Plane of the new part.Īfter you select the front plane location, SOLIDWORKS goes into Edit Component mode and it starts a new sketch on the Front Plane. SolidWorks now prompts you for a reference plane, without really telling you. Go to System Options > Assemblies > Save new components to external files.) (You can change a setting so that new parts are not virtual, which means you have to select a filename after creating one. You create a new one by selecting Insert > Component > New Part / New Assembly or by clicking these buttons in the Command Manager: You can only use virtual components in assemblies. You can recognize them by the circumflex symbol: part1 ^assembly2. Virtual components are assembly components (parts or subassemblies) that you can quickly add, edit and delete. How to add a new virtual part or assembly When you should not use virtual components.

