Part Attachment

Description
Attachment is a utility to attach an object to another one. The attached object is linked to the other object, which means that if the latter's placement is changed afterwards, the attached object will follow to its new position.

How to use

 * 1) Select the object to be attached.
 * 2) Go to the Part → Attachment… menu.
 * Note: when working in PartDesign and creating sketches, datum geometry or primitives, steps 1 and 2 are unnecessary: the Attachment dialogue is brought up automatically.
 * 1) Under Attachment parameters, Not attached can be read. The first button below is labeled  to indicate it is expecting a selection in the 3D view.
 * 2) Select a topology element on the object to attach to: vertex, edge or face/plane. Datum geometry from Part containers are also selectable.
 * 3) The first button's label now adopts the type of topology selected. In the white field to its right, the referenced object and its element is added. For example, if a face on a primitive cube is selected, the field will show Box:Face6.
 * 4) Select an Attachment mode in the list. The available modes are filtered by the selected references. Attached with mode  will be displayed under the Attachment header.
 * For live information on the attachment modes, hover the mouse on top of one of the modes in the list for a tooltip to appear.
 * 1) Optionally, add up to 3 more references by pressing the, , and  buttons and repeating step 4.
 * 2) Optionally set an Attachment Offset.
 * 3) Press.

Deactivated
Default, no reference selected.

Normal to edge
Object is made perpendicular to edge. Optional vertex reference defines location.
 * Reference combinations
 * Edge
 * Edge, Vertex
 * Vertex, Edge

Align O-N-X
Matches object's origin with first referenced vertex, then aligns its normal and horizontal plane axis toward vertex/along line.
 * Reference combinations
 * Vertex, Vertex, Vertex
 * Vertex, Vertex, Edge
 * Vertex, Edge, Vertex
 * Vertex, Edge, Edge
 * Vertex, Vertex
 * Vertex, Edge

Align O-N-Y
Matches object's origin with first referenced vertex and aligns its normal and vertical plane axis toward vertex/along line.
 * Reference combinations
 * Vertex, Vertex, Vertex
 * Vertex, Vertex, Edge
 * Vertex, Edge, Vertex
 * Vertex, Edge, Edge
 * Vertex, Vertex
 * Vertex, Edge

Align O-X-Y
Matches object's origin with first referenced vertex and aligns its horizontal and vertical plane axes toward vertex/along line.
 * Reference combinations
 * Vertex, Vertex, Vertex
 * Vertex, Vertex, Edge
 * Vertex, Edge, Vertex
 * Vertex, Edge, Edge
 * Vertex, Vertex
 * Vertex, Edge

Align O-X-N
Matches object's origin with first referenced vertex and aligns its horizontal plane axis and normal toward vertex/along line.
 * Reference combinations
 * Vertex, Vertex, Vertex
 * Vertex, Vertex, Edge
 * Vertex, Edge, Vertex
 * Vertex, Edge, Edge
 * Vertex, Vertex
 * Vertex, Edge

Align O-Y-N
Matches object's origin with first referenced vertex and aligns its vertical plane axis and normal toward vertex/along line.
 * Reference combinations
 * Vertex, Vertex, Vertex
 * Vertex, Vertex, Edge
 * Vertex, Edge, Vertex
 * Vertex, Edge, Edge
 * Vertex, Vertex
 * Vertex, Edge

Align O-Y-X
Matches object's origin with first referenced vertex and aligns its vertical and horizontal plane axes toward vertex/along line.
 * Reference combinations
 * Vertex, Vertex, Vertex
 * Vertex, Vertex, Edge
 * Vertex, Edge, Vertex
 * Vertex, Edge, Edge
 * Vertex, Vertex
 * Vertex, Edge

Translate origin
Object's origin is aligned to matched vertex. Orientation is controlled by Placement property.
 * Reference combinations
 * Vertex.

Object's XY
Plane is aligned to XY local plane of linked object.
 * Reference combinations
 * Any, Conic.

Object's XZ
Plane is aligned to XZ local plane of linked object.
 * Reference combinations
 * Any, Conic.

Object's YZ
Plane is aligned to YZ local plane of linked object.
 * Reference combinations
 * Any, Conic

Plane face
Plane is aligned to coincide to planar face.
 * Reference combinations
 * Plane

Tangent to surface
Plane is made tangent to surface at vertex.
 * Reference combinations
 * Face, Vertex
 * Vertex, Face

Frenet NB
Plane is set to normal-binormal (NB) axes of Frenet-Serret coordinates at the point of the edge's curve that is closest to the vertex (or defined by MapPathParameter property, if vertex is not linked). The object's origin is translated to the vertex if the vertex is first, or kept at the curve if edge is first. This mode is similar to Normal to edge, except that X axis is well-defined.
 * Reference combinations
 * Curve
 * Curve, Vertex
 * Vertex, Curve
 * Attacher mode FrenetNB.png

Frenet TN
Plane is set to tangent-normal (TN) axes of Frenet-Serret coordinates at the point of the edge's curve that is closest to the vertex (or defined by MapPathParameter property, if vertex is not linked). The origin of sketch is translated to the vertex if the vertex is first, or kept at the curve if edge is first. Effectively, if the curve is planar, the sketching plane is the plane of the curve.
 * Reference combinations
 * Curve
 * Curve, Vertex
 * Vertex, Curve
 * Attacher_mode_FrenetTN.png

Frenet TB
Plane is set tangent-binormal (TB) axes of Frenet-Serret coordinates at the point of the edge's curve that is closest to the vertex (or defined by MapPathParameter property, if vertex is not linked). The origin of sketch is translated to the vertex if the vertex is first, or kept at the curve if edge is first.
 * Reference combinations
 * Curve
 * Curve, Vertex
 * Vertex, Curve
 * Attacher_mode_FrenetTB.png

Concentric
Aligns to plane to osculating circle of an edge. Optional Vertex link defines where.
 * Reference combinations
 * Curve
 * Circle
 * Curve, Vertex
 * Circle, Vertex
 * Vertex, Curve
 * Vertex, Circle

Revolution Section
Plane is perpendicular to edge, and Y axis is matched with axis of osculating circle. Optional Vertex link defines where.
 * Reference combinations
 * Curve
 * Circle
 * Curve, Vertex
 * Circle, Vertex
 * Vertex, Curve
 * Vertex, Circle

Plane by 3 points
Aligns XY plane to pass through three vertices.
 * Reference combinations
 * Vertex, Vertex, Vertex
 * Line, Vertex
 * Vertex, Line
 * Line, Line

Normal to 3 points
Aligns plane to pass through first wo vertices, and perpendicular to plane that passes through 3 vertices.
 * Reference combinations
 * Vertex, Vertex, Vertex
 * Line, Vertex
 * Vertex, Line
 * Line, Line

Folding
Specialty mode for folding polyhedra. Select 4 edge in order: foldable edge, fold line, other fold line, other foldable edge. Plane will be aligned to folding the first edge. In the picture below, it is not required that both leafs to fold together be the same.
 * Reference combinations
 * Line, Line, Line, Line
 * Attacher_mode_Folding.png

Inertia 2-3
Object will be attached to a plane passing through second and third principal axes of inertia (passes through center of mass).
 * Reference combinations
 * Any
 * Any, Any
 * Any, Any, Any
 * Any, Any, Any, Any

Attachment Offset
Attachment Offset is used to apply a linear or rotary offset from the referenced object.

Limitations

 * Part and Body containers are not supported. While it's possible to use Attachment to align them, the attachment won't be parametrically linked.