In many cases, we may need to reorient models ourselves directionally and find the center of mass from different locations. These are more common practices when we're working with assemblies compared to when we're working with parts. This is due to it being less intuitive to build upon the default coordinate system within the assemblies' environment. The previous chapter examined this topic in more detail.

To define a new coordinate system, we can follow the same procedure that we followed when we defined coordinate systems for parts. To access the command, we can go to the Assembly commands category and select Coordinate System from under Reference Geometry, as highlighted in the following screenshot:

To define a new coordinate system, we have to define the origin, as well as the direction of the axes, similar to defining a coordinate system in parts. Introducing a new coordinate system in assemblies is a common practice when we're measuring coordinate-orientated mass properties such as the center of mass. Next, we will address how to edit materials within assemblies. Refer to Chapter 7, Materials and Mass Properties, for more information about coordinate systems. The procedure of setting and dealing with new coordinate systems is the same for both parts and assemblies.