Content Center

[Anonymous]

This might be a dumb question, but why is access to the Content Center only availabe in the Assembly Environment?

Surely I can't be the only one that could benefit from access to the library when creating a single tube or beam or angle bracket etc..in the part environment...

Thanks!

[jeanchile]

To create a content center part without an assembly you need to click the "I" in the top left of the screen, hover over "new", and then select "new part from Content Center".

Or something similar to that. I'm posting on my phone right now so I can't check exactly what it is.

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Probably because not too long ago multibody solids were not even allowed. And besides, how can you stick a part into another part? That's the entire purpose of assemblies, to take a collection of parts and put them all together. As for creating a single tube or beam or angle bracket etc..in the part environment, why? All such things are already premade in the content center, all you need do is cut them to size or put holes in them etc. You can always put the part you are working on into an assembly and add any other parts you need to finalize its shape, as if those parts are needed, then they should be in the assembly anyways. You can buy a premade beam or premade bolt, but unless you place an order after drawing it up first, you cant get a premade beam with a bolt attached to it. That is an assembly of parts, not a part.

if you are working with beams and tubes and wonder the best way to cut them to fit each other, then you should be working with Frame Generator anyways, which adds all those functions to individual beams within the assembly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGuUrMigdmI

[jeanchile · Accepted solution]

Okay so now that I am in front of Inventor again... Go to the "I" in the top left of the application, hover over "Open" (or click the arrow to the right), then select "Open from Content Center".

This will allow you to create a new part from a content center library.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

As for creating a single tube or beam or angle bracket etc..in the part environment, why?

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I am sometimes required to create drawings for these items.

Latest example,

We needed a 2"x2"x1/4" HSS 14.25" long, my boss asked me to put this onto a drawing sheet and email it our fabricator

I didn't argue with him and say why do you just email what you asked me to draw and most likely a good description such 2x2x1/4 HSS 14.25" Long would be good enough for the fabricator but he wanted a drawing so I drew one up,

I started a new assembly file, added a content center part, saved, closed the assembly, opened a drawing and placed the single part.

I was just curious as to why the option to create a single part from the content center in the part environment wasn't available.It is just a database full of profile information.

I do have an good understanding of frame generator and assembly formats, but sometimes single structural pieces are required. haha, also I typically just do what I am asked, so if my boss wants a drawing of bolt, washer, angle, tube or I-beam, then he gets one...

Thanks for your help all!

[Anonymous]

Granted, but how long did it take you to insert that single part into an assembly to produce a drawing? So granted, it perhaps took 5 seconds longer than if you just changed a part, but I do understand. It is just that 9 times out of 10 other parts will be required in order to fabricate that beam correctly, as in most cases it must fit up against something else. But there are indeed instances where this is not the case, the other 1 out of 10 times.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

but how long did it take you to insert that single part into an assembly to produce a drawing? So granted, it perhaps took 5 seconds longer than if you just changed a part,

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Yea, I wasn't complaining, I was just curious, it is not often that I create a single a content center part. When I thought about it, when inserting a content center part, one of the first steps is to name it, then save it as a part. So why did I have to go to an assembly file to create a part? haha, there must be some logical explanation why Autodesk has it like this, and not just an explanation stating that most parts from Content Center are used in Assemblies therefore must be created in the assembly environment.

Because if that were the case, then why does the part file template exist? Majority of my parts are created in the assembly environment and saved as individual part files from there.

Again, not really trying to solve any problem here, I have found acceptable work arounds and solutions for most challenges I face daily, I am just merely digging around for information.

Thanks for you input..