Help - Grouping Features, and Reusing the Group?

[gstercken]

I have just recently started using Inventor 2015, and a lot of procedures still leave me struggling for a better / easier solution.

Please consider the following images (the parts are a made up, strongly simplified version of my actual project). 

Multiple instances of the part shown in the first image are supposed to be placed on the "base plate" part shown in the second image:

The base plate should have several "slots" for accomodating the part. These consist of

• a "cut-out" extrusion matching the base shape of the part, 
• a cable hole matching the hole in the part, and
• two extruded "guides" or "sleeves" for the "arms" of the part, with additional fillets.

Image 2 shows one instance of another slot, exemplified via the "cut-out":

Again, the actual part and "slots" are way more complex, and consist of several additional extrusions, fillets, chamfers etc.

Now, I have at least 2 problems that I don't know how best to go about:

1. Right now, the "cut-out" is created by copy/pasting the base sketch of the first part into the second part, and then using the Offset tool for adding some tolerance, before creating the negative extrusion. Ideally, I would of course like to have the cutout parametrically linked to the first part, including a parametric tolerance.
2. I need to create several copies of the "slot" on the base plate, at irregular locations and angles (so the pattern tools won't really help much). Ideally, I would like to group all the features that make up the slot ("cut-out", hole, both "sleeves" with all their additional features) into one single, named object... (some "super-feature", or maybe an iPart?) that I can then conveniently duplicate and position multiple times.

I know I can individually select the features in the browser, and then copy/paste them, selecting "Parameters -> Dependent". I can even use a multiple selection (sometimes it works, sometimes not). But the result of such a paste operation is again a bunch of disjoint features instead of a single "object" that can be easily repositioned later. There also doen't seem to be a way to numerically/parametrically specify the offset of the copied set of features, only the angle is shown in the Paste dialog.

So my question is: What would you suggest as the best / most practical way to go about this scenario? Maybe make the "slots" separate parts, although they will not be technically "assembled" to the base plate, but also cut away from it? Is there any way to group features into a "super-feature"? Or are iParts the way to go?

Thanks in advance for any pointers and suggestions.

[salariua · Accepted solution]

I would use ifeature for this.

http://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/inventor-products/getting-started/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/201...

http://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/inventor-products/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2014/...

[salariua]

Post your files here so we can try and do the ifeature for you.

[CCarreiras · Accepted solution]

Hi!

Your super feature. Try it.

[gstercken]

Hi Adrian,

thanks for the hint - so I understand that an iFeature is the way to go. I'll try it - thanks a lot!

Guido

[gstercken]

Hey Carlos,

wow, instead of just pointing me to the right direction (unsing an iFeature) you went through the trouble of actually creating the iFeature for me, just based on my example bitmap!? That's amazing! Thank you so much. I really appreciate it.

I'll now go ahead an read up on iFeatures, and how to apply them to my actual design task.

Thank you so much again for your helpful and considerate input.

Best regards,

Guido

[gstercken]

Update: I read up on iFeatures, and it's exactly what I need (can't believe I missed the iFeatues so far). Thanks again, guys, for the helpful input!

This was my very first question in this forum, and I'm already impressed. 🙂

[salariua]

I use ifeature a lot. I have one tank template done with ifeatures and driven with forms and ilogic. All the flanges, nozzle, manways, vents, drain, overflows are done with table driven ifeatures. I can just call a different size from the ifeature.

Glad you solved it.

[gstercken]

Wow... Yes, I'm just starting to recognize the power of iFeatures. 

Thank you for helping me solving my problem!