Autodesk Inventor

[#1]

I'd like to have a menu option next to "Grounded" which is "Grounded to origin", to save setting three flush constraints every time I pull a part into an assembly and want it to have the same origin as the assembly. This is something I do quite a lot using the multibody part > derived part > assembly workflow. Apart from saving time it would save cluttering up the model browser. In the meantime is there a scripting method of doing this with one click?

[#2 · Accepted solution]

Have you tried "Ground and Root Component"?

Assembly ribbon -> Productivity drop-down -> Ground and Root (as shown in the attached pic)

it will assign a flush contraint to all 3 origin-planes, thus locking the part to the origin - isn't that what you're after?

The annoying by-product is re-shuffling the browser-tree, moving this part to the top, which is a little frustrating at times...

[#3]

I'd never even looked at the productivity drop down so thanks a lot for that. You're right that it doesn't make any sense to move the component to the top of the browser, but it's easy enough to drag it back to its former place in the tree.

I still have a problem in that there is no indication that the component is grounded at the origin. It could be grounded anywhere, or just 0.01mm off. Doesn't make for robust modelling or make it possible to quickly verify a model. Checking would mean manually measuring between each plane. It wouldn't even have to be a separate command, it could just be a different color pin when a component is grounded to the assembly origin. [I've bolded this because I think it's a really good idea that could be easily implemented - anyone like to vote on this?]

Another way of doing it is to use the "place at component origin" command and select the base component, or have a special "origin" component. This command only works on new components being placed and not ones already in the assembly, and still there is no easily verified indication in the browser. The flush constraints are not necessarily to origin planes.

[#4 · Accepted solution]

---

signmeup wrote:

...Checking would mean manually measuring between each plane...

---

I'm using an older version, but the way I ground a component to the origin, or verify it, is by using the RMB>Properties>Occurence Tab.

[#5]

Thanks. Awesome. I've never even noticed that tab before. It's also an easy way to ground a component to the origin just by typing zeros into the offset boxes and clicking the ground checkbox. I also noticed that using the productivity button creates redundant constraints... obvious in the latest version now redundant constraints are flagged. So these are a sort of visual verification, although again it's not transparent what the constraints are to.

I still think a coloured pin is a good idea.

[#6]

---

signmeup wrote:

... It's also an easy way to ground a component to the origin just by typing zeros into the offset boxes and clicking the ground checkbox. ..

---

Yep, that's exactly how I do it. I only wish it would let you change the angular orientation there as well.