Parts list, exploded views and moving parts

These tools are in the right panel of an assembly (see Build an assembly).

Part properties

Select a part in the list on the left. Under Part properties set:

• Part number (up to 40 characters) and Description (up to 200).
• Material: a common material with its density, or Custom density… to type one in g/cm³. The panel then shows the part's mass.

Properties belong to the part, so every copy of it shares them. They are saved in the assembly file.

Bill of materials

With nothing selected (EscEsc), the panel shows the Bill of materials: one row per part with its item number, quantity (how many copies), part number, name, material and mass each. Item numbers follow the order the parts first appear in the list. Masses use each part's exact volume (exact kernel) and its material; a part with no material has no mass, and then there is no total.

Download CSV saves the list as a CSV file (also Export › Bill of materials (CSV)). It opens in any spreadsheet; text that starts with = or + gets a leading apostrophe so a spreadsheet does not run it as a formula.

Exploded views

An exploded view pulls the parts apart for pictures and for the assembly drawing. It never changes the joints or where the parts really are: saving, clash checks and exports use the real positions.

1. With nothing selected, choose New view under Exploded views.
2. Under Add a step, tick the parts the step moves, choose a Direction (+X … −Z, the normal of a face you click, or Drag an arrow in the view) and a Distance, then Add step. With Drag, drag the arrow and let go: the step takes the direction and distance you dragged.
3. Add more steps. They play one after another.
4. Drag the slider between Assembled and Exploded to animate the view. Dashed trail lines run from each part's rest position to where it is now.

Auto (radial) moves every part except the grounded one away from the assembly's middle. Auto (joints) moves each joined part (with everything joined below it) out along its joint's face normal. You can keep several named views; pick one in View, or Assembled to put the parts back. Views are saved in the assembly file.

Move a part by hand

Only a part with no joint to the grounded part moves by hand (the grounded part is fixed; joints place the rest). Select it and, under Move by hand:

• Type ΔX, ΔY, ΔZ and choose Move, or choose an axis and an Angle and Turn (about the part's middle).
• Drag to move shows arrows on the part: drag an arrow to move along that axis, or a square to move in a plane. Drag to turn shows rings to turn it. Each drag is one undo step. EscEsc hides the arrows.

Joint limits

Select a revolute or slider joint and tick Hold the angle (offset) between limits, then set Minimum and Maximum. The joint's value is held inside them, the slider covers just that range, and Check the motion for clashes sweeps only between the limits.

Export the whole assembly

In an assembly the Export menu writes the whole assembly with every part where it is placed:

• STEP AP242 / AP214: one file with every part as an exact solid (exact kernel). It is a single compound, not an assembly tree with part names.
• STL: one mesh of all the parts. 3MF: each part once, placed once per copy.
• Drawing (PDF): an A3 sheet with an isometric view of the assembly (hidden lines removed by OpenCascade), a numbered balloon on each part and the bill of materials above the title block. When an exploded view is selected, the drawing shows it fully exploded, with its trail lines. Also Drawing (PDF) under the bill of materials.
• Bill of materials (CSV).

Limits

• The assembly drawing has one isometric view, no dimensions, and a parts list that shows as many rows as fit on the sheet (the rest are in the CSV).
• Balloons are placed around the view automatically; you cannot move them.
• STEP export carries no assembly structure, names or colors.