Using bodies as reference geometry

[Anonymous]

I have been assembling Vex VRC components and have run into a small problem. Each metal part has a square hole with no center. At first i used work points to constrain the parts together but this really cluttered up the work environment with lots of dots. So i am currently using bodies with center holes set to 0% visibility. This can mess with renders and i was wondering if you can use bodies solely as reference geometry or wire frames and keep the object visibility at 0%? Here is my current file. Im sure there is an easier way thanks for the input 

[lichtzeichenanlage · Accepted solution]

Edit the source designs. For smaller parts you can add custom origins with Assemble -> Joint Origin. This might be (???) to much work for the larger parts with lots of theoretical origins but do you know that you can use sketches as origins? So you can add sketches to your source design to provide custom origins. 

Of course you could simply not using the holes and just offsetting your joints. 

[TrippyLighting]

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@lichtzeichenanlage wrote:

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Of course you could simply not using the holes and just offsetting your joints. 

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That's what I would do. The distance between the holes is a known constant and could be a user parameter, then one can just use a multiplier in the joint offset.

[lichtzeichenanlage]

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@TrippyLighting wrote:

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@lichtzeichenanlage wrote:

. 

Of course you could simply not using the holes and just offsetting your joints. 

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That's what I would do. The distance between the holes is a known constant and could be a user parameter, then one can just use a multiplier in the joint offset.

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After native origins I'm using offsetting my joints mostly, followed by adding sketches. I know that using Assemble -> Joint Origin might be the cleanest way to do it (because it's integrated best in the UI) I don't like the handling. If we could dimension and pattern the origin it might be different. 

Edit: I've missed to mention As-Built-Joints that I'm using often, too. But those don't come into play here.