iPart Question

[bukko]

Hi Group,

 When I place a fastener from the content center it will automatically size itself to the hole that I'm placing it in. The bolted connection module will create a hole thru the part automatically.

 My company is using the same kind of gauges repeatedly but we are creating different panel layouts with each custom machine we build.

Is it possible to create an iPart that will execute a cutout when placed in an assembly?

Can someone in the group give me an outline of creation steps to achieve this or some recommended reading?

I've been a light user of Inventor over the last year  so I'm familiar with the program.

Thank you

Craig

[mcgyvr]

I think you are asking about ifeatures or the punch tool.

[bukko]

Thanks Mcgyvr,

My post was kind of vauge.

 My goal here is to create a custom library of gauge and meter "smart" parts.

When I place them on a panel/constrain them I would like for the part to execute a  cutout automatically and update the cutout position  when I change a the location of the part via the constraints....etc. 

At the moment I'm using a sketch containing all of the cutouts and extrude/cutting them thru the panel and then constraining the meters and guages to the cutout face edges in the subassembly. While I have no problems editing the sketch and having the panel update with the new part locations in the assembly, it seems like there can be a more efficient and automated way of doing this.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I'll do some research on the punch tool and dive into ifeatures more.

I was hoping to find someone who has already done what I'm trying to do in Inventor and just pick their

brain 😉 !

Craig

[cadman777]

Craig,

Everything in Inventor is MANUAL LABOR.

I NEVER use the Design Accelerators (shaft generator, v-belts, etc.) b/c they ALWAYS BREAK down-stream if you make changes that are outside of the strict operation of those modules. The absolute BIGGEST disappointment is the Bolted Connections tool which could have been a real peach. But OMG, what a POS!

In the past I tried making my own punch tool for coping beams (Insert iFeature). I wanted a drag-and-drop simple method instead of the manual method that WASTES SO MUCH TIME. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get the damned thing to work right. So basically I abandoned all attempts at doing the kind of thing you're trying to do.

Instead, I'm trying to learn VBA for Inventor (HUGE learning curve!) so I can try to do things like that 'automatically'. So far, w/some help from guys in the Inventor Customization forum, I've got a few good Inventor macros that cut down my detailing time by at least 15%. It ain't automatic like Tekla, but it's a REAL time saver compared to the out-of-the-box MANUAL LABOR method.

Meanwhile, I created a huge library of drop-in-place structural parts and assemblies, each of which are connected to a fully detailed fabrication set of drgs, which I copy under a new name and reuse when someone wants me to make this or that thing for them. Saves TONS of time. I recently did that w/an API tank design. Cut 1/2 the time off the job's normal time requirement (and that included combing back through the API spec as a final check!). The best part is, the more I reuse old design, the better they get and the quicker it is to adapt them to the new requirements.

Although my viewpoint may be wrong, my answer to your inquiry is NO, you can't do what you want to do, at least NOT WITHOUT API SUPPORT, or without creating a library of already done panels (that have holes in them already which you can drive by some kind of Excel table or through iLogic).

The drag-and-drop scenario is one reason I looked into IronCAD.

Never tried it though, so can't say if it's good or not.

Cheers ...

[mcgyvr]

@cadman777 

The post you responded to was over 7 years ago...  

[jdg072]

@cadman777 

Dear Cadman, are you willing to share some of your tank tool?

[jtylerbc]

This isn't possible, unfortunately.  If it existed, I'd have several possible uses for it myself.

I am fairly certain that something like it has been submitted on the Idea board before.  I was going to add a link to it here, but so far I haven't been able to find it.  Can't quite remember the way it was described there.

[cadman777]

mygyvr,

Yeah, I saw that after making it.

My eye sight was really bad this morning, and I mistook the 18 seconds for '18 (2018).

Gettin' old really sucks!

Anyways, it got some press, apparently.

[cadman777]

jdg,
Sorry guy, it's not a tool.

It's an actual tank that I made for a project many years ago.

I just keep reusing it and refining it to suit the new specs.

Cheers