Trouble with constraints

[Anonymous]

I just installed Inventor 2012 (I had previously used 2010, but it's been a while) and I'm having trouble with constraints.I've put a bunch of parts into an assembly and meticulously apply the constraints I want, but then when I use the "move" tool to move the parts, just the part I click moves, not the whole assembly (even though the constraints are applied)! What is causing this behavior? It's like Inventor is just ignoring the constraints I've just applied!

[Anonymous]

If I close the assembly file and reopen it then the parts are snapped back together. Is there any way to keep them together without having to close and reopen the file?

[JDMather · Accepted solution]

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@Anonymous wrote:

.... but then when I use the "move" tool to move the parts, just the part I click moves, not the whole assembly (even though the constraints are applied)!

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This is the way it has always worked. Move tool has always (as it should) ignored assembly constraints.

To move without ignoring assembly constraints - simply click and drag any component(s) with remaining degrees of freedom (check your selection filter)  - this behavior has not changed.  It works like it has always worked (at least back to v5 when I started using Inventor).

[JDMather]

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@Anonymous wrote:

If I close the assembly file and reopen it then the parts are snapped back together. Is there any way to keep them together without having to close and reopen the file?

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Rebuild all?

[Anonymous]

Thanks a lot for your help. What setting should I use in the selection filter?

[blair]

Not sure why you would want to move an assembly within it's own environment other that to re-orient it. The first component placed in a assemblies is automatically grounded. If you un-ground this component you should be able to re-orient the assembly by placing a constraint with the origin work planes. Then once you are happy with your position/orientation, you can either ground a component or just leave it constrained to the origin work planes.