Auto Explode

[will_hebden]

Hi

Could someone please explain how the auto explode works, whenever i try to use it, it literally looks like someone has stuck a stick of dinamite in the middle and exploded it! the parts move off in all sorts of unexpected directions, and also parts are passing through other parts (an example would be a plate which is fixed using a bolt and washer, when its auto exploded the bolt and washer are behide the plate??)

Am i missing something? is the auto explode related to the constraints within the inventor model and if so how? the help files aren't much help on this, they only seem to show simple assemblies which are all (by the look of it) constrained using insert constraints.

Thanks in advance

[peggy.wang]

Hello,

Explode have several kind methods, 

Auto explode one level --automatically separates all selected components down to one level in the hierarchy. Selecting an assembly that has a subassembly does not auto explode the subassembly. There are various configurations that can be set during the auto explode.

Auto explode all levels --automatically separates all selected components down to all levels in its hierarchy. Selecting an assembly with a subassembly explodes the subassembly as well. There are various configurations that can be set during the auto explode.

But sometimes this kind of explode is not your wanted result and the components are messy if this assembly contains many components and sub assemblies. In this case, we will use save selection and move to do the explode.

1, Save the components which want to move as a block.--save selection.--see attached image

2, click the saved selection, move it.

[peggy.wang]

attached image

[will_hebden]

Hi Peggy

Thanks for your quick response.

I am aware of how to explode/move parts manually using saved selections. I was just wondering if I was doing something wrong, I have NEVER been able to used the auto explode (either on publisher of on an inventor presentation file) without parts passing through each other and shooting out in directions that aren't correct.

What I was really asking is how publisher decides how to explode something? there must be some reason why a part moves in a particular direction. I would assume it relates to the constraints within the inventor model (i.e. an insert constraint will move along the axis in the opposite direction to that of the constraint) the example above seems pretty consistent with the results I'm getting, but I struggle to work out the movement of parts that are constrained using mates (rather than inserts) also parts passing through each other doesn't seem to make any sense?

If you could explain how this works then I could amend / build my models in a different way so that this feature works as intended?

Please see attachments (note, I did exactly the same as this yesterday and the auto explode moved parts in the opposite direction? Albeit was still incorrect!)

I think this feature needs a bit of work to make it usable

Thanks

1.1 Snapshot = unexploded model

1.2 Snapshot = manually exploded Model (correct)

1.3 Snapshot = Auto Exploded (incorrect)

[peggy.wang]

Hello,

Thank you for your feedback about explode. But autoexplode will not explode according to the constrains, such as insert a screw on hole, or rotate.  Explode is a function which use some internal arithmetic to culculate and move all compoents with some direction, however,  sometimes it is not the wanted directon.

I will nerver select the TOP assembly to Autoexplode. For example, i will use selection and move fucntion to get the first level  explode, then select some components(sub assembly) and autoexplode. If it does not explode along the wanted direction, i would suggest to use manually move.

Regards,

Peggy

[will_hebden]

Hi

Thanks for the explanation. Is there any scope to improve this feature in the future? If the explode function was related to constraints the we (the user) would have some control over the end results, currently its not worth using as it doesn't produce a desired outcome.

The way I'd like to see it work is:

movement relates to the first constraint placed for each component / part, i.e.. (as mentioned before) an insert would move along the axis in the opposite direction. Parts constrained with mates would move in the opposite direction of the first mate constraint, parts constrained using tangent would move along the offsetted axis etc etc.

I understand that this is a huge change that will likely involve starting again on this feature, but what's the point in having a tool that doesn't really work?

Regards

[irene.chen]

Thanks for your suggestion, we will add your suggestion to our wishlist.

Irene Chen

Inventor Publisher QA