Originally Posted by
cwilliamrose
The bolts and other hardware items in the design library have all the configurations for the available sizes already created. The files for these part can get quite large depending on how many configurations exist. They are very handy because any size is there ready to be selected.
The toolbox has similar functionality with the major difference being the sizes available for a given fastener are not in the part file as a configuration until that size is used for the first time. It keeps the part file size smaller biut you need to use the browser to call up a new size and have its configuration created. The toolbox has its own overhead so it's not a free ride. If you work in the PDM environment everyone has to share the same toolbox which can be a real PITA if you are a remote user.
Weldments are a different animal. If you're modeling a structure the members of the structure exist in a single the part file as separate bodies. They are easier to deal with because the weldment function does the tedious stuff for you, all you need to do is lay out the structure as lines in 3D space. When creating a new structural member you select the type and size of that member (example: 3/4" OD x .035" wall round tube) and the line in your layout where that member will reside. A plane is created on one end of the selected line and a sketch inserted for the tube size, the tube is then extruded along the line selected. The various tubes can be trimmed to fit adjacent members -- again with the software doing the tedious stuff for you. You end up with a cut list of the various bodies you have created but you don't have a part file with configurations for the various sizes and lengths you have used in the models you're creating. This may not be what you need which was why I asked if you had looked into the weldment function. The advantage of these multi-body parts is that you should be able to edit the lengths from within the assembly. I have not tried using the weldments in this way and it may not suit your needs.