Configurations

A configuration lets one model offer several versions of a part, such as different spacer lengths, bracket offsets, or rail lengths. The parts use the same modeling steps, with a few dimensions or features changed.

Use a variable to name a dimension, a configuration to offer a choice of parts, and a version to save a point in the document’s history. For example, a spacer can have a length variable, Short and Long configurations, and a saved version of the model you sent for printing.

Make a spacer family

Create a document named Spacer family, in millimeters. On Top, sketch two concentric circles at the origin: 10 mm outside diameter and 4.5 mm inside diameter. Extrude the ring 12 mm as a new solid, and name the feature Spacer length and the part Spacer.

Measure the part. It should be one hollow cylinder with a 12 mm length. Keep the bore and outside diameter unchanged while making the length options below.

Configure the extrusion

Open the Configurations panel on the right side of the Part Studio:

1. Choose Configure Part Studio to create the first list input.
2. Name the input Length, and enter three option names: Short, Standard, and Long.
3. Choose + Configure features.
4. Open the Spacer length Extrude feature and select its Depth parameter. It should be highlighted as configurable, and a column should appear in the table.
5. Finish the parameter selection with Done.
6. Enter 8 mm, 12 mm, and 16 mm in the three rows of the depth column.

Select each option from the configuration controls above the feature list. The length should change while the bore stays 4.5 mm and the outside diameter stays 10 mm. If another dimension changes, check which parameter you added to the table.

Names like Short and Long are convenient while working in this model. Include the actual length in the part description too, so someone printing or buying the part knows which size you mean.

Insert the required variant

In a new Assembly, choose Insert and expand the configured Part Studio's options. Select Short and insert one Spacer. Repeat with Long. Choose Generate if needed to update the insertion preview after changing the option.

Measure the two instances. They should be 8 mm and 16 mm long. Right-click an instance and choose Change configuration to select another option later. Inspect any mates that depend on its end faces after making that change.

Independently inserted instances can use different configurations. Patterned instances normally follow their seed instance's configuration. If you need different lengths, insert them independently instead of expecting one instance in a repeated pattern to stay different.

Choose the right input

Separate independent choices. A spacer's length and whether it has a locating tab may be separate inputs. Do not make a huge list of every combination unless those combinations need individual control.

Check the combinations you offer. If one option removes a face that another feature uses, that variant may fail even though the default works. A checkbox that hides a clearance cut can also create a part that no longer assembles.

Parts lists and exports

Different physical variants need distinguishable part numbers or descriptions. Two 8 mm spacers and two 16 mm spacers should not arrive at the workbench as “four spacers” with no length information.

Configure the relevant properties and review the BOM. Confirm that each row identifies the correct variant and quantity. When making a drawing or export, select the intended configuration before creating the file, then open the output and measure it.

Use a filename such as spacer-10od-4p5id-16long-r1.stl. Make sure the file, part properties, and saved model version all describe the same size.

Keep the model understandable

Use configurations for parts that share a design. If two mechanisms carry loads differently, mount differently, and need different modeling steps, separate models will probably be easier to follow than a long list of features to turn on and off.

Explain what each input changes. Here, changing Length moves the spacer’s end face but leaves its bore unchanged. Use CAD teamwork to coordinate updates in assemblies that depend on the family.

Keep one version with all three spacer options working. In your practice Assembly, leave one Short and one Long instance so another student can check that both remain defined by the same model.