iPart work plane visibility.

[HarryP108]

I realise this has been touched on many times before, but I cannot seem to get the help I need. I am placing a standard ipart and a custom ipart into an assembly ie. the standard ipart with no custom parameter column, the custom ipart with a custom parameter column. Once in the assembly I cannot turn the visibility of the standard ipart work planes on but have no trouble turning the visibility of the custom ipart work planes on.

If I make a custom parameter column in the standard ipart, therefore turning it into a custom ipart, I have no trouble with the work plane visibility. Why can I not turn visibility of work planes on in a standard ipart, and if I can how do I do it?

Please help - this is killing me!

Inventor 2011 Professional.

Regards. 

[fawcrc]

Paulb108, do you still need assistance? Are these Origin, user, or UCS work plans? Is it that they are listed in the browser, but that you are unable to access the Visibility option?

[swordmaster]

you need to"include' the workplanes in the ipart table

[fawcrc]

Yes for user work planes.  However, if he was attempting to use the Origin or UCS work planes, they are not available to be added to the iPart table.  I was trying to determine what type of work plane he was working with.

[HarryP108]

My apologies folks - I have been out of the office for a few days. I never did solve this issue. I was trying to turn on visibility of Origin Work Planes, which seems to be not possible. As has been mentioned - I had to set up some user Work Planes and include them in the ipart.

Can anyone tell me the logic behind this? Why would you not want to use the Origin Work Planes?

Regards.

[fawcrc · Accepted solution]

No problem.  I simply wanted more details so I could give you an accurate answer. As for the logic behind not allowing access to the Origin work features in the iPart table, Origin work features are fundamental components of a part file which can not be deleted.  When you exclude a feature, it doesn’t exist in that iPart member.  Because Origin work features are required, users don’t need the option to exclude them.

Why is the Visibility option unavailable in standard iParts?  Well, remember that with a standard iPart you are unable to modify the family member features directly. With a custom iPart you are able to make some modifications to the family member directly; add features and control the visibility of Origin work features and bodies.

Even if the Origin work features are not visible you are still able to use them to define constraints (see iPrt_wrkpln_vis-01 and iPrt_wrkpln_vis-02).

[HarryP108]

Thank you fawrcrc. A very thorough explanation. If only all on this forum were the same...

I have taken to using the work planes from the browser. It is good to hear some of this stuff - rather than being unsure...

Regards.

[Anonymous]

I've been sturggling with toggling visibilty for normal work planes in an iPart.

I created the work plane, and included it across the range of the ipart, but I don't want them to be visible, I just want them to exist for the purposes of automated mating with ilogic rules I have.

How do i toggle the visiblity of work planes in an iPart?

I don't want to supress it, just make it invisible, across the range.

[johnsonshiue]

Hi! This is a limitation. iPart members are like library parts. They cannot be edited. Their definitions are driven by the iPart factory. The only way to do that is to convert the iPart member to a custom iPart member.

1) Open iPart factory file.

2) Add a column. Right-click on the column -> check Custom Parameter Column. Now the iPart factory becomes a custom iPart factory.

3) Start a new assembly -> place the custom iPart factory. A custom member will be inserted.

The workplane in a custom iPart member can be made invisible.

Many thanks!