In SolidWorks, how would you constrain the motion of a sliding door in an assembly?

To effectively constrain the motion of a sliding door in an assembly, using the Mate feature to apply a coincident and distance mate is the best approach.

A coincident mate allows the sliding door to be aligned with the track along which it moves. This ensures that the door is properly positioned in relation to the assembly, preventing it from moving off-axis or becoming misaligned. Adding a distance mate specifies the minimum or maximum distance the door can slide along the track, effectively controlling its range of motion.

This combination of mates provides precise control over the door's movement, ensuring that it can only slide back and forth along the desired path while maintaining its alignment with the assembly. It's crucial for creating functional assemblies where components need to interact accurately, such as in the case of a sliding door.

In contrast, applying a fixed constraint would prevent any movement of the door entirely, which is not suitable for a sliding mechanism. Utilizing only a rotational mate would limit the motion to rotation, which does not address the sliding aspect. Deleting unnecessary components does not address the motion constraints needed and would not facilitate the desired functionality of the sliding door.