I'm trying to optimize some of my CAD workflow, and one of the issues I'm facing is how to replicate a similar set of feature across parts in an assembly.

As an example (see the picture), let's say I have two plates (the situation would be as if the top/darker plate was a plastic sheet and the bottom/lighter was an aluminum base). The bottom plate will have a bunch of threaded holes for mounting the top plate, while the top plate has the same hole locations, but for screw clearances.

Now my current methodology is to use the bottom plate as the fixed entity of the assembly and make the top plate's holes coincident with the bottom plate. However, this starts to get a bit messy when I decide to pattern the holes, as I would now have to make an identical (but unable to be linked) pattern feature in the top plate.

Any other approch suggestions? Derived sketches maybe?

Cheers,