How to extrude a hole through multiple components?

[karl]

I'm designing a box (Head v4) to hold some PC components (USB ports, power button, etc.).  I've also designed two brackets (Left bracket and Right bracket in Brackets v5) to mount the box to something.  I've drawn two circles on the outside of Left Bracket which I'd like to extrude through it, both sides of Head v4, and Right bracket to create mounting holes for screws.  I figured extruding the holes this way would ensure proper alignment.  My problem is that I can only extrude through the brackets, even though I select Cut mode and Extent type "To object" and select the outer face of Right bracket; Head v4 is unaffected (see video).  

I assume this is due to Head v4 being linked.  It occurs to me I can break the link and maybe then I could extrude through Head v4, but if I later make changes to Head v4 in its original file, those won't be reflected in Brackets.  Is there a solution other than to create the brackets as part of Head v4?  Am I even making sense?  Thanks for any tips.

On a different, but related, note, there are a number of other files in this project that may be related to my issue.  I've only included the most obvious two because I only know how to export individual files, not how to share an entire project.  How can I do that in the future?

[Drewpan]

Hi,

The idea of a Linked file is that you make changes to the original file and it will update across multiple other files. If

you modify a linked file in a Design it will not "back link" to each time you update it will revert back to the original

linked file. If you break the link then the file will become "just another Component" but will no longer update to the

master linked file.

Your method of cutting holes in multiple components is fine otherwise. If you look at the extrude panel when it is

set to Cut there will be a drop down menu at the bottom allowing you to select which actual bodies you want to

include in the cut operation.

Cheers

Andrew

[John_Wright]

Try adding the external parts by using "Insert Derive" rather than " Insert component". This allows you to do opperations (Cut, join etc) to the derived parts in the model space that are not "sent back" to the orginal file.

[karl · Accepted solution]

I decided the only way to get what I want is to create the brackets inside the same file as the head.  That solved my problem anyway.