Exporting to AutoCAD???

[smbrennan]

Ok I know how to export to AutoCAD, but it's been years since I've last used Inventor. What I'm really trying to accomplish, is I have a basic part (unistrut .. I'll attach it). I would like to be able to bring this file into AutoCAD, but still have the ability to adjust the extrusion length.

I know I can easily do this in AutoCAD, and I have, but I want to see if I can "automate" the process of unistrut & rods in a single file/assembly.

What I'm ultimately trying to accomplish is insert a unistrut & rod part (or assembly) into a file. I want to be able to adjust the extrusion of both rods (they will be equal extrusion lengths) as well as the unistrut length (perhaps with a max length of 10'-0"?). I would also like the rods to ALWAYS be 2" away from the edge of either side of unistrut based on that extrusion length.

Does anyone have any idea if this is possible without simply creating 3D solids in AutoCAD and lengthening the extrusion on those? Because that I can already do. I'm just looking for a way to make the process a little easier.

[JDMather]

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@smbrennan85 wrote:

....is possible without simply creating 3D solids in AutoCAD and lengthening the extrusion on those? Because that I can already do. I'm just looking for a way to make the process a little easier.

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I am not at my Inventor computer to take a look at the file, so maybe I'm missing something - but what is the difference in editing the solid created in AutoCAD vs editing the solid in AutoCAD that was created in Inventor.  solidedit is solidedit regardless of where the dwg solid originated.  You won't have solidhist but still have solidedit.

There is also Inventor Fusion for editing dwg solids (but I think I would just do it in AutoCAD if you know how to use AutoCAD already.

[smbrennan]

I guess the benefit I'm looking for is when I place a unistrut piece, it includes the rods, I can adjust the rods at the same time. And, when I adjust the length of the unistrut, the rods move since they would be constrained to be 2" away from the edge.

The attached file is the method I currently use.  Try placing a couple of hundred of these individually, each with a different length and having to relocate the rod(s) for almost every instance. All I'm trying to do is make this process easier for myself.

Thanks

Shawn