Chapter 37: Using Imported Geometry and Direct-Editing Techniques

In recent years, Direct Editing tools have received lots of hyped press and marketing attention. However, CAD tools dedicated to working primarily as Direct Editing tools aren't going to overtake the tools used by professionals who design and model for production. If anything, they'll be used primarily by non-CAD specialists for simple editing and simple concept development, and possibly by downstream data consumers such as FEA analysts or CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machinists.

The Direct Editing tools available within SolidWorks are powerful and are becoming more powerful with each release. Although they may be best applied to imported data, they can also be applied to native SolidWorks data. This brings up questions of best practice and duplication of effort. Sometimes, the changes involved in editing a feature near the top of a long feature tree can be time-consuming compared to simply moving a couple...