Copy and paste constraints

[safiredesignengineers]

Hi group, is it possible to copy and paste parts in an assembly but also keeping any constraints set on the part?

I.e. if I had a square block constrained to a flat face of a floor, when I copy and paste the block many times I would like all the copy blocks to still be constrained to the floor.

Is this possible?

Regards Adrian

[Xun.Zhang]

Hi Adrian,

Thanks for your report for the wish, it's not available in 2013 version, but we already realized that it's important for enhancement, I believe it will go live in the future, may be the next release.

Thank you.

[mmurray1629]

I am curious to know if such a feature has been added yet.  I am on IV 2015 at the momet.  If it does exist now, and you know how to do it, please share 🙂

[blair]

Part way there, the contraints that are included within the boundry window will be copied. Just use standard Windows copy/paste commands. In this case the Control ^C to copy them to the Windows Clip-board and the Control ^V to paste them. As you can see the Flush Constraints have been copied.

https://screencast.autodesk.com/main/details/cb1f0162-0868-410d-804b-67ce0e8eacef

[Xun.Zhang]

Hi, It seems a request for Copy/Paste around constrains contained, in this situation, linar patten should be the right choice. In theory, Constrains or other releationships should be between 2 components, if you only copy one of them, it's meaningless here.

by the way, iMate can help a little bit for a copied component for quick constraint.

[swalton]

In some cases, the designer might need several instances of the same component in an assembly.  Normally one might use a pattern, but if the array of components is not in a linear or circular pattern, those tools won't work.

In that case, using the copy-paste tools are an easy way to get the components into the assembly.  If these new components have the same constraints to the base assembly, but different offsets, the designer has to repeat the same constraints.  It would be nice if there was a copy command that included the constraints that are applied to the source component.  The "other side" of those constraints could be left open until the designer selected the new geometry in the base assembly.

PTC/Creo has the repeat command in assemblies that works that way.  The repeat command does not require defining any constraints (iMates) in the source components.  It is very powerful and IV should have something like it. 

[safiredesignengineers]

I work on the basis of "KISS" keep it simple stupid!

in the  software world the software needs to be simple and inventor should have simple cut and paste features in assemblies.

in windows cut and paste is in every bit of software and it is not only simple to use in general it is simple to think about using it i,e if you want to cut and paste something then do you simply select it copy it and paste it.

if you have to think about a pattern and then a pattern type we have already made it far to complicated.

i-mates also need thought at the design stage to make them work.  this is a simple solution and i am sure it is simple to implement if it gets past being over complicated by Autodesk.

a typlical scenario:

i have a large assembly and i have designed a bent bracket with a probe on the end, this is bolted to the assembly via a bolt, a washer and a nut and i want to repeat this around the assembly in different locations and faces.

the simple way to do this would be to select the bits with a window select via the mouse, copy and then paste where the mouse is pointing which would be near to location it will go, repeat this as many times as required. and then we would be left with the selected parts all mated together but a couple of hole constraint issues on each set which could either:

a) be updated to the new hole location it should be a case of updating two hole constraint's for each hole location

b) when pasted then the constraint's that were fixed to the original hole which would just be two for the group of bits will be deleted when pasted so that they can be re constrained

or

c) the autodesk programmers add a bit of smartness into the function where if you copy from a hole and put it in another hole it would update to the new hole constraightns automatically, and in reality if your copying and pasting a selection of parts then it is highly likely they will have the same constraints but in a new location.

this should not be difficult to do and we were promised it  several years ago as a good wish list item to sort and i hope it gets sorted soon

regards Adrian

[Xun.Zhang]

Hi, Searching the Idea station base, I do found a post from you about Copy constrain, so far, there is only 1 kudo revieved.

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-ideastation/copy-with-constraints/idc-p/5394235#M6387

I will directly forword the request to appropriate User Experiences Designer for more investigation first.

Could you please send me an email directly, any update, I can reply to you immediately via email.

Xun.zhang@autodesk.com

Many thanks!

[safiredesignengineers]

Hi Xun

email sent, can i point out your comment at the start of this thread:

"but we already realized that it's important for enhancement"

also i don't think a lot of users realy use the KUDO button much but this is a sensible feature that should be a standard tool.

regards adrian

[swalton]

Xun Zhang

This is another ideastation post requesting the same functionality:

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-ideastation/repeat-components-in-assembly-mode/idi-p/3687960

I kudo'd both posts.