Custom Threads?

[shastu]

Is there no way to make custom threads?

[Anonymous]

Edit the Thread.xls spreadsheet in program files > autodesk > Inventor X >
Design data

Add to the existing tabs, or add a new tab using the same column format as
the other tabs.

--
Andrew Faix
Product Designer - Inventor Drawing Manager
Autodesk
wrote in message news:4901569@discussion.autodesk.com...
Is there no way to make custom threads?

[BillPIII]

The thread selection seems backwards for our use. For one thing, we do a lot of repair work. Which means nice neat threads that conform to Machinery's Handbook tables are not always the case. It would seem to make more sense, at least from out perspective, if we simply select the diameter we want to apply the thread to and give the pitch of thread we want. Then let the software determine what standard is available to select from or have the option just to select custom. Plus this need to re-specify after a diameter change or get errors is tedious and annoying.

And I know you have likely heard this ever since release 1 but it doesn't seem like the right people hear it, I think everyone wants the option to show real threads. The decals look cheesy and don't even show in render. I can draw them myself but come on, you guys are supposed to be in the business.

[zma1013]

> {quote:title=BillPirschel7709 wrote:}{quote}
>
> And I know you have likely heard this ever since release 1 but it doesn't seem like the right people hear it, I think everyone wants the option to show real threads. The decals look cheesy and don't even show in render. I can draw them myself but come on, you guys are supposed to be in the business.


It would most likely be too taxing on the computer if it fully rendered each threaded hole. I work with parts and assemblies where I can have like 100+ threaded holes, and I'm sure there are other people that can have many more. Decals are the only practical choice at the moment I think. I don't know for sure, but my past experience with AutoCad's 3D where I made a single threaded stud made the computer run painfully slow. Perhaps you want to invest in a super computer?

[BillPIII]

And I know you have likely heard this ever since release 1 but it doesn't seem like the right people hear it, I think everyone wants the option to show real threads. The decals look cheesy and don't even show in render. I can draw them myself but come on, you guys are supposed to be in the business.

Like I said, I'm doing it now with the computer I have. It just seems like such a minor thing for it to give me the option rather than waste my time drawing them.

[zma1013]

Posting the exact same thing certainly helps get your point across.

[BMiller63]

I think that very few people would have a need to have physical threads, but I may be wrong. There are about 100 other features I'd like to see added before even giving a thought to a physical thread option.

As for an easier way to so this, explore ifeatures. There are some examples at this link:


http://www.cbliss.com/inventor/iFeatures/index.htm

[Anonymous]

Virtually every 3-D modeler on the planet creates cosmetic friends
instead of real ones for the exact same reason. Cosmetic spreads
properly describe the thread, and it is reflected in the to the details
as standard drafting practice.

Most Cam packages have built-in thread cutting routines, so it is
normally not necessary to create real threads in a 3-D model. The
exception would be if you were designing a special type thread that is
nonstandard. In that case a built in "real thread" generator would be
useless.
--
Dennis Jeffrey, Autodesk Inventor Certified Expert
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[Anonymous]

I guess that's my problem. All these years I've been making friends in the
CAD industry and they're only cosmetic. 🙂
Thanks for the LOL, Dennis. Your speech to text tool is sometimes very
entertaining.

Regards,
Alison Davis
Autodesk, Inc.

[Anonymous]

Most of my friends could do with a few cosmetics... LOL!
--
Dennis Jeffrey, Autodesk Inventor Certified Expert
Attend the "It's a Duesy II " Manufacturing Revival Conference
March 17th, 2010 More Information at:
http://teknigroup.com

Subscribe to the free "The Creative Inventor Magazine now available at:
htttp://teknigroup.com

[BillPIII]

You didn't seem to read it the first time and I put in bold the part you missed.

[BillPIII]

That's all fine and dandy until you want to make an impact on a customer without showing them a real part first. I think I can decide the relative value of modeling the threads for myself. Obviously I sometimes feel a need to draw them in or else I wouldn't have posted. Some of the replies remind me of the time I wanted a CNC company to demonstrate both absolute and incremental on the same screen and when they couldn't figure out how they instead tried to convince me I didn't need to do it. Even while they were looking at our 15 year old machine that had no problems doing it. Or when I once tried to order a computer from Dell and I asked for a full tower. When the guy didn't have that option he instead tried to tell me I didn't need one. An option to show at least a simple v thread doesn't seem like much of a burden unless you are targeting the Wal-mart laptop CAD market. Plus I know for a fact I'm not the only person asking for it so let's not pretend there isn't a desire to have it. Just make it a feature based toggle. Key features where you want visual impact can have 3D threads turned on while you can slap 2D decals on everything else. It's 2010, not the days of AME and the 386. Edited by: BillPirschel7709 on Jan 29, 2010 1:36 PM

[BillPIII]

Thanks, I'll try those. I tried to turn mine into an Ifeature but couldn't seem to have it aquire the diameter from the part.

[gordow]

We do custom threads for mounts for custom optics in instrumentation. The size of an optic is determined by the size of the light beam at the particular point of the optic, so the mounts can be any size and are often limited by space.

This is how I handle custom threads. I have built a spreadsheet that uses the formulas in ASME B1.1 (Unified Inch Screw Threads) to calculate the appropriate values. Input is the nominal diameter, pitch, class of thread, any extra allowance, length of engagement, and any coating thickness that may apply. The output is max and min diameters for major, minor, and pitch diameters in the format of the Threads.xls spreadsheet. I copy the line into a sheet of special threads in the Threads.xls spreadsheet as suggested in other responses to this thread. The diameter of the cylinder that I apply the thread should fall within the max/min of the major diameter of the thread. We have recently acquired a lathe that can turn metric threads, so I will be doing a spreadsheet for ASME B1.13M also. As a bonus, I have a section of the spreadsheet that formats the thread information so I can copy and paste it to the notes section of the drawing.

My complaint in this process is that to get Inventor to read the modified spreadsheet, one has to restart Inventor after a new thread is added. This is second only to the memory leak problem in my book.

[MikahB]

FWIW - I also have created a workaround so that I can put real threads in when I need them. If I have lots of small threaded holes in a part, of course cosmetic threads are fine. But, for those of us who design parts where the thread itself is an important feature of the part, cosmetic threads are useless: they don't show up in renders or in drawings.

I have an iPart that I use that can be internal or external, trapezoidal or ISO threadform and it works fine. Sure would be nice to just have the option on the threading tool whether to make it real or Memorex though.

[BillPIII]

I took a similar approach. I got my ifeature to work after looking at CBiss's ifeature. His relies on a table while I just tell it the diameter pitch and length. But mine is just a sharp V with no radius so it gets the point across without taking up more resources than needed. CBiss's is more acurate as it includes the radius. I started but have not had a chance to finish the internal version. But they should match up using the angle constraint. My first attempt still seems to need an extra geometry selection than I think should be needed. I guess we can at least be thankful that Inventor has the tools to work around it's own limitations.

[ian]

Hi, I just tried adding custom thread (M43 x 1.5 Pitch) to the excel thread data sheet as you explained, restarted Inventor, but the new thread does not show?

Any ideas?

[johnsonshiue]

Hi! Either there are duplicate entries or the table was incorrectly formatted. Please share the thread table. I can help take  look to see where the problem is.

Many thanks!