Creating Parts with Work Planes Defined by Other Parts

[dbcox]

Hi everyone,

I have an interesting problem here.  I am working on an assembly that is designed around a box (bounding box) that could change size.  I modeled the bounding box and placed it in a new assembly file.  All other parts have been created within the assembly by referencing that bounding box with starting work plane and project geometry.

The problem comes in when I change the bounding box dimensions.  The work planes for each additional part, which were defined by the faces of the bounding box, do not move when the sides move.  Also, my projected geometry is not updating correctly.  This is a simple box, with all 90° corners.  So, all associated parts (at this point) are just rectangles.  Why is it not updating?

Thanks!

[blair]

Can you post screen capture

[swhite · Accepted solution]

Try like th attached file.  and don't forget to press the update button. Or the second attached file if you want an actual box. And in your assembly use the planes of the bounding box to create new planes in the assembly, not the box faces, not that it should matter. Works fine in mine either way. Didn't ground your planes accidently did you?

[dbcox]

It is working now.  The issue seemed to be the plane creation.  I still do not know exactly what caused it, but I had to re-define the sketch planes.  I also got it to work by creating a plane with the side of the box + an edge.

Inventor seemed to be putting the sketch origin at the corner of the bounding box, and not moving it when the box dimensions updated.  Very odd...

Thanks for your help!

[swhite]

Best way is to select your plane tool, click the box face and while holding the mouse button drag it outwards, typing in the offset value or 0 if you want it on the box edge. Also right-click on the plane and select auto resize. You can then turn its visibility off if you want. Usually sketches need redefined if placed on a face that later is remodeled, deleted or changed instead of just editing existing dimensions. But since you placed them on the workplanes, this issue is avoided. As to why the workplanes needed redefined it might have just glitched and lost the box face, or did you replace the box with another? Or delete the original extrusion and then re-extrude it? You can also use the origin planes to create your work planes without the box needed at all. Simply open the parametrs and make a parmater for the say length of it called BLength or whatever. Then when you offset your WP for the value type (BLength/2)+offset value. This is the same as creating your box centered over the work point (half the box length plus your offset distance). Unless you need the box for a specific reason?