Copy exploded view from one assembly to another?

[the_tool_man]

Hi all:

Given SolidWorks' remarkable ability to permit copying mates and
associated drawings from one assembly to another similar one with
minimal cleanup required, I was hoping this could be done with
exploded views. However, I have not figured out a way. Has anybody
successfully done this? I am aware that exploded views can be copied
from one configuration to another, but in this case, that is not an
option for me.

FWIW, I have found a workaround. I can edit each successive explode
step in the "source" assembly, and then add the corresponding step in
the "destination" assembly. SolidWorks remembers the explode
distance. I just have to be careful to select the same component(s)
each time. This helps more than you might think, as with complex
explosions, the explode distances have to be worked out by trial and
error to make the view clear in a drawing. Not having to re-do this
process is nice. Still, for a complex assembly with >50 explode
steps, it would be much easier to just copy the exploded view over and
fix it to account for the differences between the assemblies.

Thanks in advance,
John.

[Krister_L]

I've been looking for this for a long time too, and really would like
to find a solution, but i don't think there is.

// Krister

[TOP]

How would the software know what to pick and which direction for each
explode. Explodes are very visual and as far as I know a computer
still can't see what you see.

However, the thought occured that if explode had a facility like
occurs when using a replace component then dangling explodes might be
reconstructed.

TOP

[the_tool_man]

My thoughts, exactly. However, for a 50-part assembly with 45 parts
the same, most of the explode data would be the same. If a part
changes, but the new part is a modified copy of the old, SolidWorks
might successfully re-attach the explode data (analagous to mates).
This certainly works if you copy an assembly that already has an
exploded view and then modify or substitute some of the parts.

I just hoped this functionality was in there, but just buried under
some non-intuitive process. Or, that someone had come up with a
clever way to do this.