Adding a Parametric Power Cord to Your Lamp Design: Importing Plug and Switch

In this video, we will bring in the import plug and import switch into our model so that we can begin to add a parametric power cord to our model. So let's get started.

I will scroll down and open Step 11. Once your file is open, go ahead and hide the data panel. Let's talk about what we're going to do to add a power cord to our lamp.

The power cord I want to run for the lamp will go from the top of the lamp, through the wood, down the side, and then connect to a switch where someone can turn it on or off, and finally to the plug that connects to the wall. So the first thing I will do is create a new component. I’ll right-click > New Component.

I will rename this component “Power Cord.” Now I can expand it, and let’s insert our plug and switch as components into this Power Cord component.

I will open the data panel, scroll to the top, and drag these in one at a time. I’m starting with the plug. Once it’s been dragged in, I will move it out to the side 200 millimeters, and drag it down 300 millimeters. I’ll click OK. Now we can see that it has been placed in position.

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Let’s bring in the switch. I will drag it up 200 millimeters and offset it from the plug by -100 millimeters. Now we’ve imported both the plug and switch, and they’ve come in as linked components. Notice that they appear as linked components, but in future steps, they will be broken.

Let’s practice breaking these links and see what happens in the timeline. I do not typically recommend breaking links, because it removes the parametric capabilities of the linked file—linked files import the most recent updates automatically. But let’s go ahead and try breaking one.

I’ll select “Plug, ” right-click > Break Link. Notice that a group has now been created in the model, and an “Import Plug” component has been generated. This is importing its base features. Base features include geometry, physical and visual materials, and any joints that were part of the file. Let’s break the switch link as well.

Now we see another group created. This time, the component contains subcomponents. As I expand the structure, I’ll see those subcomponents and the joint included. I’ll zoom in to check if the joint still works.

Keep in mind that components need to be grounded before you can observe joint behavior. I’ll ground the top switch component and test the joint. The component still moves around, which means the bodies inside the switch assembly aren’t constrained.

That’s because there are no bodies in the “Import Switch” component—only nested components. Grounding the top-level component doesn’t constrain its subcomponents. Instead, I need to ground the “Switch Housing” subcomponent.

Now the switch is grounded, and the joint functions properly. I will revert the position. Now, even if I try to move the components, they no longer move away from the original location—even though “Import Switch” itself isn’t grounded.

I’ll do a Zoom Extents and activate the top component. Now we see in the timeline a component creation, two groups, and grounding, ungrounding, and grounding again. I’ll delete the unnecessary grounding steps.

Next, I’ll delete both of these auto-created groups and expand their contents. Then, I’ll group all of the power cord-related features into one organized group. This keeps our timeline clean and easy to navigate.

Go ahead and save the file one more time. In the next video, we will create holes for the power cord that will run through the lamp arms.

I’ll see you in the next video.