I use the single part multiple body modelling method almost on a daily basis. My experience is that it gets me to a complete finished assembly that much quicker, pre-empt most potential issues with clashes, it can be modelling to a common origin making placement into larger assemblies easier and best of all, it limits the use of constraints. The one drawback though is Inventor does not recognize that some bodies are actually the same, just used more than once and therefor when you use the "Create Components" function, you end up with each of these similar parts being treated as different parts with different part numbers.
It would be great if a method can be developed where one can identify in the base component, which bodies are the same, and when the components are created, it is then treated as multiple instances of the same part. That will speed up the design process, it will create a simplified BOM which in turn will increase fabrication efficiency.
Please vote for this idea.
