Interfering Edges in Views

In complex assemblies, mated parts often interfere with each other due to press fits. The result is that one or more edges may not be calculated. The Display Interference Edges option detects and displays interfering edges in drawing views.

Independent Detail Views

You can make the display properties of a detail view independent from its parent view. The physical geometry in a detail view always reflects the geometry in the parent view, but you can change the display properties of the detail view, such as color and visibility, without affecting the parent view.

Independent Pattern Instances

You can make one or more instances in a pattern independent. This allows you to vary the size of one or more features in an otherwise identical pattern. When you make a pattern instance independent, the pattern instance is copied and the original instance is suppressed so you can reclaim it.

AutoCAD Solids Editing

You can edit AutoCAD 3D solids in Mechanical Desktop using AutoCAD commands. Mechanical Desktop features on the base feature (3D solid) are temporarily suppressed during editing and are restored when you update the part.

The Convert Option in AMNEW

You can convert local AutoCAD solids, blocks, and nested blocks to parts so you can work on them in Mechanical Desktop. The Convert option preserves the drawing views, annotations, part references, and dimensions attached to the AutoCAD solids.

Export to a Template

While externalizing a part or an assembly, you can specify a template file as the destination for the output. The part or assembly definition is copied into the specified template file along with any hard referenced settings. If these settings conflict with the template file, the settings in the template file take precedence.

Export Drawing Views

You can export 2D drawing views at true scale (1:1). You can export an entire layout, or selected views to either a new file, or to another layout in the current file. You can flatten 3D entities by exporting them to paper space and convert splines to arcs and lines as they project in 2D.

Mass Properties

The functionality for the AMPARTPROP and AMASSPROP commands is replaced by the AMASSPROP command. This command allows you to calculate mass properties for both assemblies and parts. You can select the parts that you want to include in mass properties calculations. You can view the selected parts with input lists and graphics highlighting, and you can edit their material definitions.

Thread Features

You can create internal and external thread features, and either specify properties for the thread or extract standard thread sizes from an editable external file. When performing interference checking with other solid bodies, the threaded portion of a shaft is ignored so proper interference can be evaluated for screw connections.

Browser Enhancements

You can use the Browser to externalize and localize parts and assemblies, as well as to restructure them by cutting and pasting. You can use the tooltips in the Browser to get helpful information. You can also expand and collapse all nested items in the Scene and Drawing tabs.

Hole Sizes and Notes

You can specify custom or standard hole sizes in both English and Metric units. This data is stored in an editable external file that includes pitch sizes and associated diameters. The data that defines a hole is stored in the hole feature itself, and can be extracted when you create hole notes.

Scenes

You can explode external subassemblies and change the visibility of parts within external subassemblies. You can also edit multiple tweaks simultaneously and you have increased control when editing tweaks.

Work Plane Dialog Box

You can use the right-click menu to directly access the Equation Assistant and various input options from the Work Plane dialog box.