In the assembly environment, what does the 'drag and drop' method accomplish?

Using the 'drag and drop' method in the assembly environment is primarily used to align and position parts together. This method allows users to visually place components in relation to one another without the need for complex commands or features. By dragging a part from the parts list or assembly browser directly into the assembly workspace, the user can position it against other components, facilitating quick adjustments and arrangement.

This technique is particularly useful for quickly assembling basic layouts or for making initial placements of parts before more precise constraints and relationships are applied. The user can then apply additional constraints later to fix the positions, but initially, 'drag and drop' serves as an effective way to get parts in the desired vicinity of one another.

While other options present concepts relevant to assemblies, such as permanently attaching parts or creating assembly features, these actions typically involve further steps beyond simple placement. Duplicating parts, conversely, involves copying existing components rather than positioning them in an assembly context. Thus, the primary goal of using the 'drag and drop' method is to facilitate quick alignment and positioning of parts.