PartDesign Workbench/id

PartDesign workbench icon

Introduction

The PartDesign Workbench uses a feature based methodology. A component is represented by the Body object container. The Body defines a local coordinate system and contains the cumulative features that define the component. Most features are based on parametric sketches and are either additive or subtractive. For example, the Pad tool adds the extruded sketch to the developing solid, the Pocket tool subtracts the extruded sketch. Each feature is cumulative and builds on the result of preceding features. It is also possible to use primitives (Cylinder, Sphere, etc.) as well as solids created outside the Body as features.

See the feature editing page for a more complete explanation of this process, and then see Creating a simple component with PartDesign to get started with creating solids.

The Part Workbench provides an alternative constructive solid geometry (CSG) methodology for building shapes. For a detailed discussion of the Part Workbench versus the PartDesign Workbench see Part and Part Design.

Tools

The Part Design tools are all located in the Part Design menu and the PartDesign toolbars that appear when you load the PartDesign Workbench.

Part Design Helper Features toolbar

  • New Sketch: creates a new sketch on a selected face or plane. If no face is selected while this tool is executed, the user is prompted to select a plane from the Tasks panel. The interface then switches to the Sketcher Workbench in sketch editing mode.
  • Attach Sketch: attaches a sketch to geometry selected from the active body.

Part Design Modeling Features toolbar

Additive tools

These are tools for creating base features or adding material to an existing body.

Subtractive tools

These are tools for subtracting material from an existing body.

Boolean

Part Design Dress-Up Features toolbar

These tools apply a treatment to edges or faces.

Part Design Transformation Features toolbar

These are tools for transforming existing features.

Additional tools

Some additional tools available in the Part Design menu:

Context menu

Obsolete tools

Preferences

Tutorials

Examples

For some ideas of what can be achieved with Part Design tools, have a look at: PartDesign examples.