Technical guide
When a sample is already available for a project, it can give the discussion a physical point of reference. It may show a visual result, the placement of graphics, a surface appearance, or an assembly relationship that has already been discussed.
That does not make the sample a complete definition of the component. Its value is that it can bring the conditions already represented by the sample into one view.
Some conditions may not be defined by the sample itself. A drawing may identify a relationship that is not apparent on the sample. A part requirement may describe a result or a condition that still needs to be clarified.
Those conditions should remain visible in the discussion. The sample can support a shared reference, while the drawing, part requirement, and project context continue to define what the sample does not show.
A sample used as a shared reference belongs to the conditions being discussed for that project. It does not create a universal appearance standard for other components or other projects.
Keeping that distinction clear allows the sample to be useful without asking it to represent conditions that have not yet been defined.
An existing sample can help bring known conditions into the same discussion.
The next step is to identify what the sample already represents and what still needs to be clarified against the drawing, part requirement, and project context.