icopy workflow advice

[guyh]

I believe icopy is a tool I should be able to use for my current needs.  I want to create a basic library of iam files which represent our standard composite aluminum window profiles.  All I need the icopy iam to do is position correctly and adapt to the length of a skeleton sketch which will produce the correct length of composite extruded iam. 

I seem to be getting some unreliable results and maybe this is due to me missing some basics of the tool but also maybe my workflow is not efficient.

I have been producing my layout sketch which includes the window profile shape and 2 surfaces (intended for extrude between).  I then place this in my assembly file and create each window profile as a ipt associated to the layout sketch by projected geometry.  I then author the iam for use with icopy. 

This however seems to be quite unreliable for positioning and also at times resizing in the icopy assembly.

Can anybody advise or maybe I should post my files for analysis?

Cheers,

Guy

[MariaManuela]

Hi

In iCopy i never use Project Geometry but i do prefer Derive Component tool to share the sketch layout to all the icopy components...I have more confidence with D.Component.

See the Autodesk Boat example:

[guyh]

Hi,

Thanks for the reply.  Tested with DC and found it to be the better option as you suggested.  I am able to create the profiles i require now and I think icopy is a potentially good tool for my needs.

One question though.  I want to be able to modify my layout sketch which I derive into my assembly.  If I do this I want all my icopy iam's to update.  Is this possible?  so far I have found this not to be possible as inventor creates a new folder and new instance of the layout sketch for each iam so they are all independent.

thanks for the help

Guy

[PaulMunford]

I think you answered your own question there 😉 This isn't how iCopy works.

Maybe you could work around by using the Design Assistant to replace the Master parts?

[guyh]

Hi Paul,

yes I already knew the answer (the clue for me is in the tools name) but just using the forum as a sounding board.  It's often the obvious statements which trigger some nice out of the box thinking to produce a good workaround......

cheers,

Guy