Just a quick sanity check. Tell me if there's a better way of doing what I did.
I have a shell of 4 panels welded together that needs to be machined post welding.
So my approach was to go in the same order in CAD- create parts, build the assembly, then "machine" it with Extrude/cut, put holes in, etc.
But apparently with external components - I can't. It won't let me extrude cut, says there are no target bodies to cut or intersect.
With internal components it does it no problem. But I don't want to break link with external components.
So I do "Derive" of the whole assembly, I derive bodies of 4 panels from the assembly into a new part. And lo and behold - I can now "machine" it with Extrude and it retains parametric compatibility with the original parts, meaning if I update the part and then update the assembly - it all propagates into derived design.
My only problem is that I now have an assembly whose only purpose is to serve as a source for Derive. Which is not ideal from data handling perspective and will be very confusing to everyone but myself to work with when I get hit by a car or deported to Russia.
Also I don't have the ability to work on a part from the assembly with Edit in place. Which sucks.
Is there a better way of doing what I did? Namely have a traditional bottom-up assembly that also lets you cut it without weird workarounds? And if not, is it something worth introducing?
