Autodesk Inventor

[#1]

I have authored a part to the Content Center, but the part is inserted at a standardized length.  How do I author the part so that the length can be specified whem inserted, like the structural steel shapes?

[#2]

That might best be answered by knowing a bit more about what it is, and how it is used.  There are a number of different answers.  For example, do you want this inserted as a standard part or a cutom part with each insertion being a unique part file?  Do you want it to grow between to other parts like a pipe spool or frame segment?

[#3]

The item is basically Unistrut - a U-shaped extrusion with a hole at a regular interval.  It would be inserted as a custom part as the length is variable.

I have authored the part as a Structural Shape.  I am able to control the length of the piece when inserted using Insert Frame.  However, when I use 'Place from Content Center' I am unable to control the length when inserting.

I has also been unsuccessful in authoring the hole pattern in the extrusion.

[#4]

For publishing an ipart in the Content Center in the way that you can specify the length inserting one member from the Content Center, in the ipart table you need to set the length column as Custom Parameter Column.

If you didn’t do that, you can edit the Family table in the Content Center Editor and set the column properties as in the image below.

About the hole pattern, unfortunately, you cannot include it authoring the part as a Structural Shape.

You can publish it without authoring the part as a Structural Shape, but, then, of course, you cannot use the part with Frame Generator.

I hope this helps in some way.

Thanks and regards,

Alessandro