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CAD tip CAD tip # 8927:

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If you need to exclude some parts (e.g. entourage) from calculations of the total mass, COG or inertial moments of your assembly (3D model), set them as "Reference".

Components marked as a Reference are not taken into physical calculations (as if they have null mass, zero material density) and they may not be listed in the BOM.

Select the non-participating components in the assembly browser, right-click and choose BOM structure > Reference. Alternatively you can use the dialog "Bill of Materials" (Assemble > Manage > Bill of Material) and the column "BOM structure". After you change this setting, recalculate the new, lower net mass (weight) of your assembly using Manage > Update > Update mass.

If you need to display reference parts in drawing views with a continuous, non-dashed linetype, in the dialog "Drawing view", in the tab "Model state", choose the parameters "Reference data":"As parts" and "Hidden line calculation":"All bodies".

Another option is to manually overwrite the mass of the entourage subassembly or part with the zero value (0):

InventorInventor2013
100% *CAD
20.11.2012    27692×  
applies to: Inventor · Inventor 2013 ·

See also:
Tip 14117:Recoloring of Inventor assembly parts - random, by material, by mass or other property (T4I)
Tip 12627:How to override weight of an assembly component in Fusion 360?
Tip 11211:Mass change of units in the whole Inventor assembly.
Tip 11034:Mass property depending on the current LOD in an Inventor assembly.
Tip 10219:Can Autodesk Fusion 360 make use of multicore CPUs?


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