derive fails on intersection edges face-face issues

[hugh.m]

Derive feature often works but when it fails it gives no reason and no method to fix issue.

"Errors occured during update"

"! The attempted operation did not produce meaningfull intersection edges from the face-face intersection.

Try with different inputs."

One part larger then other and surfaces ar mostly perpendicular for objects subtracted.

The "intersection edges" does not describe where the problem is nor how to fix it.

We use hundreds of these derived parts and redesigning base sketches of sub-componet in assemblies used to derive parts  would be a large expenditure of manhours.  If we could locate problem area then it could significantly reduce effort of fixing family of parts.

Typical subtracted part is larger then base part, no tangent surfaces, and often works fine.

When it stops working, not work-around currently exists.

I have altered the sub parts of failed files and found if subtracted part is made smaller then base part it does not fail.

Once dimension is within .0005" of base part width it fails.  Since subtracted part only needs to be bigger then base part, we typically chose to make it ~1" wider just to avoid potential discrepencies in edge/surface location.

Need to give two more attachemnts to fully show issue (and pdfs are availible).

Autodesk Inventor 2012 Professional, Build 160 (64 Bit)

System:

OS Name             Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate

Version                6.1.7601 Service Pack 1 Build 7601

Processor            Intel(R) Core(TM) i5 CPU, 750  @ 2.67GHz, 2668 Mhz, 4 Core(s), 4 Logical

Installed Physical Memory (RAM)             12.0 GB

Page File Space 12.0 GB

Adapter Description       NVIDIA Quadro FX 580

Adapter RAM    512.00 MB (536,870,912 bytes)

[mercerc]

If you have some components that exhibit this behavior we gladly will look at it. You are on track with what the intersection edges warning means. That there wasn’t enough of a change in the model create a new derived model. I know it can be frustration to figure this out and your solution of increasing the size of one component is the quickest solution. Due to Inventor’s precision .0005” or smaller in some case can be a issue.