Confused about components

[mopar1952]

I'm probably trying to overthink it all but if someone could help clerify this I'd appreciate it.

I create a lot of small, simple parts (bolts, nuts, stamped metal, cut from plate, cut from tube, etc.) and then bring them into an assembly.  I do this because many parts are reused in other assemblys.  Sort of a pull parts off the shelf and assemble method.  What I'm wondering about is should my single parts be converted to components when they are created or should they be turned into components after I insert them into an assembly?   

[keqingsong · Accepted solution]

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@mopar1952 wrote:

I'm probably trying to overthink it all but if someone could help clerify this I'd appreciate it.

I create a lot of small, simple parts (bolts, nuts, stamped metal, cut from plate, cut from tube, etc.) and then bring them into an assembly.  I do this because many parts are reused in other assemblys.  Sort of a pull parts off the shelf and assemble method.  What I'm wondering about is should my single parts be converted to components when they are created or should they be turned into components after I insert them into an assembly?   

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Hey mopar1952, your single parts should be converted into components prior to assembling them with joints. The main different between bodies and components is that when bodies are converted into components, the components each have their own origin planes. Also, when converting a body to a component, that original body gets stored in the new component's sub-structure. 
Does that help? 

[mopar1952 · Accepted solution]

Yes, it certainly does.  That was my thinking all along but I couldn't find any instruction material that stated that in a straight forward way like you just did.  Thanks a bunch.