Paging Curtis W - Can you Help with iFeatures and Tolerances?

[tdswanson]

Curtis:

I'm wondering if you could give me some guidance on iFeatures with tolerances. I've created an iFeature with a couple of counterbored holes in it in a dummy block so that I can extract an iFeature. I applied tolerances to the basic holes, then extracted the iFeature and created the tables. All that works great.  (Note - the tolerances can be the same for all variations of the ifeatures defined in the table.  They *do not* need to be variable.)

However, if I add this iFeature to a block, then create a drawing of the block and dimension the holes created by the iFeature, the tolerances "sort of" come through on the hole callouts. For example, a MIN/MAX tolerance will come out fine, but an applied tolerance of +0.010/-0.000 will have no significant digits, thus not displaying correctly. I've got a ZIP together with the relevant files if you would happen to have a few minutes to look them over.

Thanks for your time!

[mcgyvr]

Wow Curtis.. I didn't know this was your own personal forum.. Or did you buy Autodesk?

[4donwan4]

I took a look at the I feature you supplied, when I open it it lists the two holes and a chamfer for the geometry. In order for the chamfer to be created it's generating that dummy block that you are seeing. If that chamfer is not intended to be part of the IFeature you will need to re-create it as I see right now no way of removing it presently. I create a hole that cuts a block, extracted the IFeature, then placed in the new file and it doesn't create a dummy block.

Regards,

Don

[tdswanson]

Don:

I'm not sure that I understand what you're getting at.  I created the dummy block in the first place so that I would have a "vehicle" to create the features in.  Is there another way to create an iFeature with holes?

Here's what I've done:

1. Create Dummy block

2. Create hole features manually including tolerances and chamfers

3. Extract holes and a chamfers as an iFeature, making the IDE file

4. Go back to the dummy block (just for testing purposes) and insert the iFeature I just created

5. Start a drawing and dimension the holes created by the iFeature.

What I want to happen is for the hole dimension (created in step 5) to include the tolerances that I specified when I created the holes (step 2).  

Hopefully this clears up what I'm after.....  Thank you for your help!

Best,

Tadd