Organizing Geometry in Components

There are two main ways to design mechanical products: top-down and bottom-up approaches. It is also possible to add mechanical structure to existing geometry (designed in BricsCAD or imported from another source).

BmNew command is called to create a new document for a new mechanical component.

Bottom-Up Design

With bottom-up approach users start to design a product with detailing its low-level component. These components are then grouped into higher-level components. The process is continued till the very top component (corresponding to the product itself) will be designed.

The main command for bottom-up design is BmInsert, which is used to insert an existing component into the current drawing.

Top-Down Design

With top-down approach users start to design a product with defining (but not detailing) its first-level components. Each component is then refined in more details by defining its sub-components. The process is continued till all low-level components will be defined and detailed.

BmForm command allows to create a new subcomponent for an existing component.

Adding Mechanical Structure to Existing Geometry

BricsCAD users can add component hierarchy to any existing drawing created in BricsCAD or imported from a different CAD format.

BmForm converts a selected set of geometric entities to a subcomponent of the current drawing.

Changing Mechanical Structure

During design process users may realize than a particular component should be moved up or down in the component hierarchy.

BmForm command forms a new subcomponent for the current drawing that will contain a selected set of component.

BmDissolve deletes a component and moves all its subcomponents to the level of the dissolved component.

Using Standard Hardware

Standard hardware (screws, nuts, washers, bearings, etc.) can be considered as a mechanical component.

BricsCAD supplies a huge library of standard hardware (more than 30,000 details of different size). Users can significantly increase the design performance by using standard parts.

BmHardware inserts a standard part into the existing component.

Assembly Constraints

Assembly constraints are ordinary 3D Constraints, which link faces and edges of bodies that represent the components of an assembly. 3D Constraints can link not only top-level components, but also any their subcomponents.

Widoczność komponentu

A particular component of a complex product can be invisible due to other components surrounding it. For example, a piston is invisible inside a cylinder block. To make such component visible users may hide some other components.

Users can hide any subcomponent inserted into the current drawing or any its subcomponent on any level of nesting.

There is also a possibility to make a component transparent to visualize it in wireframe model.

BmHide hides a particular subcomponent.

BmShow unhides a hidden subcomponent.