Copying Studio Motion To Multipul Parts

[ASchlaack]

I have one part moving along a track using Inventor Studio and I need it to have more of the same parts following it. Can I copy the motion properties and add them to other parts? Or is there a better way to do this?

[wimann]

Seems like you've been in the software for a while now and you probably know your stuff so I don't mean to sound condescending when I say:

Sounds like you would constrain the non-moving parts to the moving part.

If that does not solve your issue, then the only other way I know of is to make a copy of the assembly that has the animations and swap out the moving parts as needed. The only thing you would need to make sure of is that you don't delete any of the parts that have the motion animations applied to them. If you do, you'll end up having to re-do the animations anyway.

[ASchlaack]

https://www.dropbox.com/s/wnltxw0euemwhdw/Video.wmv

I have the part moving along a track that's hidden in the video. So I actually need the parts I want to add in to also follow that track. It's a conveyor so I'll be changing the lengths of it thus changing the number of parts I'll need to add in. I was just hoping for a easy way of adding more in and getting them to follow the track rather than having to animate each one in studio.

[wimann]

Ah, I know exactly what you mean. yes there is a way to do that though it kind of depends on your constraints. Are you familiar with how to make a component pattern follow a feature pattern?

[ASchlaack]

Yes I am, and that's an amazing idea! I didn't think to do that at all! Thank you, I'm going to try that.

[ASchlaack]

How are you thinking I go about patterning it actually? How I thought to do it didn't work.

[wimann]

You really pattern a work point along the line. I'll attach a guide I wrote up a couple of years ago for the guys that I work with. It probably won't be applied directly to what you have but it will help with the initial pattern.

The main thing you will probably want to do differently is that you'll want to start with a work point, pattern that with only 2 occurrences. This should allow you to move the starting point (the second occurrence) an infinite distance around your loop. Then Pattern your remaining points off of WorkPoint2 in order to create the individual points you want to constrain to.

Let me know if this doesn't make sense or if you have any other questions.

[ASchlaack]

Thank you so much!

[ASchlaack]

I still can't get that to work... If I attach a basic file could you possibly explain how to do or do it to that file it to that?

[wimann]

Are you using inventor 2014 or higher?

[ASchlaack]

2014

[ASchlaack]

I have the origanal file which I believe was 2013 however.

[wimann · Accepted solution]

I've attached a zip file of a very basic model I threw together that, I believe, does what you're wanting it to do. Feel free to open it up and dig around. Maybe the answer you need is in there somewhere.

However, what you're going to find is that the longer your part is compared to the radius of your curve, the less natural the pattern will look. This is because the point patterns along the line and retains the traits of the first point (meaning direction and orientation). Where this becomes an issue is if your piece is constrained centerpoint to centerpoint on the curve and tangent to the curve as well, your pivoting points won't line up perfectly.

[ASchlaack]

Thank you for all your help! I think I've got it now

[ASchlaack]

I'm sorry ask but one last thing... What exactly did you add the motion in studio to?

[wimann · Accepted solution]

The motion in studio is created by driving the parameter "driver" found in path.ipt. "driver" is the offset between the a point (in my case, the origin) and the first work point used in the pattern. Driving that distance essentially moves my second rectangular pattern which is what my parts were constrained to. You'll notice in path.ipt, "driver" is set to export. That is so that, in my assembly, I can go to studio and select it as a "Parameter Favorite" and animate that parameter.

[ASchlaack]

Again, thank you!

[wimann]

No problem at all.

Hope all that helps.