2D line snapping over 2 seperate sketches.

[craigrobbo]

Hey guys.

What I am trying to do is line snapping over 2 stetches.

I am working in 2D sketch mod, I am basically drawing square boxes on one sketch (in black) and then on another sketch (in orange) drawing connecting lines.

Right now I am having to maually look to see the distance, but is there any way to line snap over 2 sketches?

On a side note, When a drawing is finished, is there any way to scale it up or down?

Thanks

Craig

[Curtis_Waguespack]

Hi craigrobbo,

You can use the Project Geometry tool to project the geometry of one sketch into another sketch, then they can be dimensions or constrained to snap together.

As for the scaling question, when you say drawing do you actually mean sketch? or maybe actually the part model?  If so, then yes there are methods to scale both sketches (there is a Scale tool on the sketch tab) and part models (use the Derive tool  to create a new part from the existing part).

I hope this helps.
Best of luck to you in all of your Inventor pursuits,
Curtis
http://inventortrenches.blogspot.com

[japike]

You can project geometry from one sketch to another. Can you post the part file so we can see what you are trying to do?

[craigrobbo]

Hey guys.

Sorry for sounding a bit dumb here but how do I project geomatory (I am new to the whole 2D sketching world)

Basically what I am trying to acheive is a box joined by a line []-[] like that.

Now the boxes are on sketch 1 lines are on sketch 2

Unfortunatly I cannot share the drawing as I have been asked from the customer not to share and is for my eyes only.

[JDMather]

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craigrobbo wrote: 

Unfortunatly I cannot share the drawing as I have been asked from the customer not to share and is for my eyes only.

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Surely you can create two simple rectangle sketches that exhibit all the behavior you need in your proprietary file and attach the simple part here.

I recommend you see Post #6 http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/Autodesk-Inventor/Any-good-books-that-really-helped-you-learn-inventor...

Inventor is a  professional program and deserves (requires?) a professional level of prepartion.  I would at least go through the tutorials.

To Project Geometry you start (or edit) a sketch and select the Project Geometry tool and then the geometry from other sketches (or part edges) that you want to include into your current sketch.

I would post an example of what I "think" you want, but you haven't even stated what version of Inventor you are using (this is important, so important that most here list it in their signature).

[craigrobbo]

HI there,

I will admit I am not a profesional. However I would like to think some of my work isn't too bad.

I have only used the 3D side of it which I would like to think I am fairly good at.

The 2D is baffeling me a little and some of the terminoligy is confusing me, I have done the tutorials(although about 6 months ago)

Basically Sketch 1 Has boxes.

Sketch 2 has lines.

How can I get the lines from sketch 2 to snap to the boxes on sketch 1?

Some of my 3D work below so you can see I not a total newbie.
Thanks

[craigrobbo]

Here is the file, I have managed to alter it so that it doesn't show what it suposed to be.

Help would be appreciated faily quick, I have to have this job done by monday and I have about 30 of them to do!

[mrattray]

I would consider drawing these as sketches in a part file.

[japike]

I agree with Mike. I would do it in part sketches or use Autocad. Inventor is a 3d modeling package and not really well suited for 2d type stuff.

[JDMather · Accepted solution]

Well, I wasn't expecting sketching in idw as the problem statement.

Look into Sketch Blocks (in ipt)

and/or

Sketch Symbols in idw.

edit: or AutoCAD

[craigrobbo]

Thanks again guys.

Help is much appreciated as always and I respect your wisdom.

I don't own a copy of Autocad unfortunatley ( I haven't got the funds to purchase it or the time scale to learn it right now)

My I ask How I do 'part' sketches - As previously stated I seem to work well on the 3D side but I am really struggling with basic principles on the 2D side.

Can any one modify my File and join a line to show me how its done?

All help is GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks

[mrattray]

I think AutoCAD was only suggested under the assumption that you have a product design suite which would include AutoCAD (and most draftsmen are familiar with it).

What I would like to know is how is it possible to know how to draw complex 3D geometry in Inventor and have no idea what a part sketch is? What workflow do you use to create your geometry that doesn't involve the sketcher?

Anyways, making a part sketch isn't much different from creating a drawing sketch. The biggest difference being that it's in an .ipt file.

[craigrobbo]

It maybe just the terminoligy.

Also i should really have not uploaded in the format I did. When the drawing is complete i need to export into DWG any way as the receiver is using AutoCAD to plot/print them out.

I think my brain must be faulty, I seem to beable to do the complex 3D work (and have been for a few years) but I just cannot get my head around the 2D side

Thanks again

[mrattray]

Here's an example.

[craigrobbo]

Hi there.

Thanks for that, the way that 3D model interacts is perfect and I can do that quite easily (I understand what you mean now about part sketch) however when you do this in 2D mode (in a DWG / IDW enviroment) it does not appear to have line snapping over 2 sketches on the same drawing.

[craigrobbo]

Iv uploaded a quick video to show what I mean, maybe it can explain a little clearer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIrnyJJw68Q&feature=youtu.be

[Ray_Feiler]

Yep, that kind of stuff is easy in AutoCAD. I wouldn't even give it a go in an Inventor idw.

[craigrobbo]

Thanks for getting back (sorry for the delay I had issues signing in)

Unfortunatley I don't have AUTOCAD and My time scale is alittle short to buy and learn it (not to mention I cannot actually affored it right now)

Basically I need to do one of 2 things.

1 Snap lines across multiple sketches (like how it does in the 3D mode)

2 Change colour of individual drawn lines on one sketch.

All help is appreciated I am pulling my hair out I need to have this job handed in by wednesday morning.

I would gladly buy the man a pint who has the answer.

[mrattray]

I didn't watch your video because I'm posting from work and that's a little too much screwing off for me. Assuming that your problem is still the same though, the reason I showed you how to do this "in 3D" was to suggest the work flow of doing these two sketches in a part file and then placing that part into an idw file. You can then use the retrieve model sketches command (accessed via RMB menu from the browser) to show the sketches in the idw.

You should be able to change the colors of the sketch lines once you have the sketches moved to the idw.

On a side note, why do these need to be in two seperate sketches? This wouldn't be a problem at all if it was all in one sketch.