2026-2028 Vehicle MCAD Organization

This document defines the folder structure, naming conventions, and file organization standards for all mechanical CAD related to the 2028 vehicle.

The goal is to ensure:

Clear separation of design stages
Easy navigation
Consistent part numbering
Long-term maintainability

📦 Overall Folder Structure

There are four top-level category folders representing different roles in the vehicle lifecycle:

26-VEH   – Vehicle parts and assemblies
26-MFG   – Manufacturing support (fixtures, tooling, etc.)  
26-DEV   – Engineering development & testing  
26-VSE   – Vehicle Support Equipment (hardware used with, but not on, the car)

Each of the last three (MFG, DEV, VSE) contains system-based subfolders using the same system codes as 26-VEH:

26-MFG-FRM
26-DEV-AER
26-VSE-PTN

🛠 Folder Definitions

🚗 26-VEH — Vehicle Parts & Assemblies

This folder contains all assemblies and components that go on the 2028 vehicle.

It is the source of truth for the physical car.

Everything here must:

Fit and function in the final vehicle
Be ready for release to manufacturing or integration

Vehicle Folder Hierarchy

YY-VEH
└── System
    └── Subsystem
        └── Subassembly
            └── (Nested Subassemblies as needed)

🧪 26-DEV — Engineering Development

DEV is NOT the same as _concept.

`_concept`	`26-DEV`

`_concept`	`26-DEV`
Early ideas	Structured engineering work
Informal	Numbered and tracked
May never be built	Built or tested

26-DEV contains real development artifacts used to validate and inform vehicle design:

Test fixtures
Material coupons
Prototype parts for fit/function checks
Test assemblies and rigs

These items do not go on the vehicle and are not manufacturing tooling. They exist to support engineering decisions.

🏭 26-MFG — Manufacturing Supplements

This folder contains parts used to manufacture or inspect VEH parts.

Examples:

Jigs and fixtures
Molds and dies
Setup blocks and tooling plates

These files exist solely to make or verify parts, not to be installed on the car.

MFG is NOT the same as _export.

26-MFG	_export

26-MFG	_export
Designed manufacturing hardware	Manufacturing output files
Has part numbers & revisions	No part numbers or revision tracking
Reusable across builds	Specific to one part revision
Considered real CAD designs	Considered fabrication deliverables

Rule of thumb:

Put it in 26-MFG if you designed it.
Put it in _export if you generated it from a finished part.

🛞 26-VSE — Vehicle Support Equipment

VSE includes hardware that interacts with the vehicle but is never installed on it.

Examples:

Service stands
Battery chargers
Wheel alignment rigs
Transport carts
Lifts

Nothing in VSE becomes part of the vehicle, but all of it supports operation, service, or setup.

⚙️ Naming Convention

General Format

Assemblies

##-XXX-###_##-R# (Title)

Parts

##-XXX-###_##-##-R# (Title)

Legend

Segment	Description

Segment	Description
##	Season (26 = 2026–2028 design cycle)
XXX	System code (FRM, PTN, DYN, etc.)
###	Subsystem number
_##	Nested or secondary subassembly (optional)
-##	Part number within subassembly
R#	Revision
(Title)	Human-readable title

🧩 Assembly Naming (SolidWorks)

Assemblies begin with an underscore _ so they appear at the top of file explorers.

Level	Example	Notes

Level	Example	Notes
System	`_26-PTN.sldasm`	No revision needed
Subsystem	`_26-PTN-100 (Battery).sldasm`	Name required
Subassembly	`_26-PTN-101-R1 (BPS Subassembly).sldasm`	Revision starts here
Nested Subassembly	`_26-PTN-101_01-R1 (Connector Subassembly).sldasm`	Also gets revision
Secondary Assembly	`26-PTN-100_01 (Secondary Battery Assembly).sldasm`	Optional grouping

🧱 Part Naming

Parts must always include:

Revision number
Human-readable title

Examples

26-PTN-101_01-01-R1 (Connector Housing).sldprt
26-PTN-101_01-02-R1 (Lock Tab).sldprt
26-PTN-101-01-R1 (Fuse Mount).sldprt
26-PTN-101-02-R1 (Mounting Plate).sldprt

🧮 Reference Files

Reference geometry does not include revisions.

26-PTN-100-REF.sldprt

26-PTN-100-REF-equations.txt

🧩 Secondary vs Nested Assemblies

Type	Folder?	Purpose

Type	Folder?	Purpose
Secondary Assembly	❌ No	Keeps main assembly clean, visualization, interference checks
Nested Subassembly	✅ Yes	Fully part of hierarchy and numbering structure

🗂 Standard Subassembly Subfolders

Every subassembly folder must contain:

Folder	Purpose

Folder	Purpose
`_concept`	Early ideas and exploratory geometry
`_export`	STLs, DXFs, STEP, PDFs, CAM exports
`_archive`	Deprecated or old revisions
`_sim`	Simulation and design study files
`_drawings`	SLDDRW files (PDFs go in `_export`)

🧭 System Flexibility

Some systems (like AER or ERG) may organize by project instead of strict subsystem numbering if it better matches workflow.

The priority is:

Logical, navigable structure that matches how the team actually designs and builds