(2025-10-24, 0:13)Orion Pobursky Wrote: Questions:
Is <part number>p01c01 a pattern, shortcut, or both?
What about <part number>c01p01?
If it's one or the other, what is the base part: <part number> or <part number>p/c01?
Neither.
All patterned parts should have an unpatterned base version even if it never existed physically.
All assemblies should have an uncolored base version even if it never existed physically.
Some assemblies have an assembly number <> and some are suffixed onto the base part number <>cXX.
An assembly contains at least two parts; any of which can be patterned or colored. Whether they are or are not patterned/colored, should not affect the numbering.
<> is the base part
<>p01 is a patterned version of the base part --> PATTERN
<>c01 is an assembly containing the uncolored base part --> ASSEMBLY
<>c02 is an assembly containing colored part(s) --> ASSEMBLY
<>c03 is an assembly containing any number of patterned parts --> ASSEMBLY
<>p01c01 could be a shortcut(assembly) containing <>p01 as a member --> ASSEMBLY
<>p01c01 could be useful when there is already a corresponding c01 for an unpatterned part, but it is rare that a pattern would duplicate all existing assemblies. Therefore, I'd prefer not to have the p01 in the part number.
<>c01p01 is clearly a misnomer because the above suggests that any pattern or fixed part color is to affect a part and not an assembly.