What do we expect from good modeling practices?

1. Ease of stable modification of parts and assemblies. It is never right the first time you model something!
2. Ease of handoff to others and to yourself later a month later
3. Ease of creating the 2D manufacturing drawings

A little effort now saves a ton of time later. Old people always say things like this, and it's true in this case.

How? Suggestions:

Modifications (robust model)

• sketch features in parts with assembly in mind
• dimension features in a way you will most likely change. What's flexible?
• sketch on stable faces that will exist for long time; minimize serial features
• dimension to stable faces; not to rounds
• minimize parents when sketching
• use datums for mating parts, they don't get deleted as easily
• use mates that give what you want even if the part changes shape

Handoff

• name your features and mates
• group your features and mates, empty features

2D drawings

• dimension to GD&T primary datums
• dimension what you care about to be tight tolerance
• dimension how the 2D drawing will be dimensioned