Control which body is which when using "Split Solid"

[patrickberry]

I really enjoy using Multi-Body Parts to create subsequent assemblies, such as when creating a cover set for a product from a single shape.  However a problem I have run into repeatedly involves using "Split Solid". 

The command takes a body and splits it to create 2 new bodies (body A becomes bodies B and C).  This normally works good, but an annoying failure may occurr when you make subsequent shape edits (such as using a sketch with new edges to create the extrusion) upstream from the split command.  When the EOP recalculates it is very likely to flip which side of the split was each solid.  This then causes all downstream features to attach to the wrong body as well as making derived components connect to the wrong body.

Here's an example, I created a basic box shape by extruding a rectangle then split it horizontally to create a "Top Cover" and "Bottom Cover".  If, later in the design, I decide that the shape of the box needs to be a cylinder and I change the sketched rectangle to a circle.  When the split is rerun it will still split the solid but it may make what had previously been the Top Cover the bottom half and vice versa.

I've also had the same problem when I've had to create a new split surface.  This forced the split to recalculate and resulted in swapping "top" and "bottom".

What I would like to see is something that either allows you to assign a body to a particular side of the split or allow you to flip the split outputs.  Another option would be to have the user toggle the normal direction of the split surface.

[ic198]

Yes Inventor DEFINITELY needs this- it is so frustrating when changing the splitting object and Inventor arbitarily swaps which body is which, and so all downstream work needs to be reassigned.

[DRoam]

Currently, if we “Trim” a solid, we can pick the “keep” side and the “non-keep” side, and afterwards, Inventor retains the name of the original solid for the kept side.

However, if we “Split” a solid, we don’t get to pick a “master” side and a “non-master” side, and Inventor apparently deletes the original solid and replaces it with two new solids (one for each side), thereby completely losing the original solid (and its name).

This means that ALL downstream features of the solid become sick, not just the ones that would have been on the “non-master” side of the Split.

It would be much better if we could chose a “master” side for the split and a “non-master” side, just like when doing a Trim, so that the master half is retained as the original solid and only the non-master side is created as a new solid.

[DRoam]

Duplicate/related idea: Retain original solid and its name after a Split

[DRoam]

Duplicate/related idea: Control which body is which when using "Split Solid"

[patrickberry]

Yep, this is exactly what I've been asking for.  As it stands now I avoid using the Split Solid command unless I can't avoid it.