Origins hack

[mtriffon]

I am a very wet behind the ears newbie but understand that origins can't be moved.  I also understand that they are critical.  The last design I did required the importation of several step files, so first, a question:

Do the origins get created at the time of import?  If so does the placement affect this origin?

Possible hack:

Generally this hasn't been a problem but I recently had an issue.  While pondering, I started to clean up the file and I dragged a component body into another component in such a way that the dragged body seemed to adopt the origin of the parent component.

Is this possible?  Is it desirable?

[Anonymous]

the origins are fixed. you have to start sketching from that point if required.

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

Hey there @mtriffon

Yes, the origin point is always fixed and will be one point where axis X, Y, Z intersect. They are unique for every component you make.

Now for the second issue, dragging a component into another would create an assembly where both components have origin folders containing origin planes, but on the top level you have the origin folder of the assembly, which is the general origin of your new file.

An assembly have it's own origin but the components get to have their origin planes too which you might need for referece, etc.

Hope this helps!

[etfrench]

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@Anonymous wrote:

the origins are fixed. you have to start sketching from that point if required.

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Sketching can start anywhere on the sketch plane.  There is no requirement to start from an origin.

[TrippyLighting]

If you want to fully define a sketch you'll have to either:

1. Reference the sketch origin. In many cases that will align with one of the origin axes, if you sketch was created on existing geometry then it might not, or

2. reference projected entities, which show in the sketch in purple color

What I mean with referencing is a combination of dimension and /or constraints that provide and anchor point for the new sketch geometry.