Sketch blocks in assembly files

[ad64]

Is there any way to add sketch blocks to an assembly sketch?

Thanks,

Steve

[Anonymous]

They can't be dragged, pasted, or created from the ribbon.

Unless there is a way I am unaware of,  the ansewer is no.

Possible reason for this:     they have special functions in a part sketch.

T.S.

[JDMather]

There might be a good alternative.
Why do you want sketch block in assembly sketch?

Can you post example assembly where this would be useful?

[ad64]

We manufacture windows and have a routing pattern that is common to multiple surfaces of the window. I would like to place these as assembly level extrusions since they affect multiple parts in the assembly. They can't be patterned because they are on different surfaces so I was hoping to use a sketch block to keep them identical.

Unfortunately my models contain proprietary designs so I can't post them. Can you think of an alternate workflow?

Thanks for your help.

Steve

[JDMather]

Have you investigated multi-body solids techniques?

Another method might be to Copy Object editing each part within the assembly, but that would be a lot more work than multi-body solids.

[ad64]

Yes, we are currently using multibody solids and that has made our workflow vastly more efficient. But it is actually the limitations of multibody solids in Inventor that led me down this path.

Depending on the product configuration, different hole and route patterns are present on otherwise identical window assemblies. Ideally one could place all the different hole and route patters in the multibody part, using sketch blocks where conveniente, etc., and then create iParts / iAssemblies out of the derived assembly to turn them on and off as required for a particular configuration.

The problem is that Inventor does not expose the individual features from the multibody solid in the derived parts created using "Make COmponents" so you can't suppress these features in the assembly using iParts. Everything is only mirroring the current state of the multibody master part: if it's suppressed in the multi-body part it's suppressed in the assembly and vice-versa. But we need to be able to create drawings of all of these states which is where iParts / iAssemblies would be ideal.

So I had thought to create these features as Assembly Features as a work-around since this would allow me to using iAssemblies to turn them on and off.

Multibody parts is a powerful tool but it seems like it could be so much better with a little help from Autodesk. Do you know of a workaround to expose multibody features in the derived assembly and generate iParts?

Steve

[MRanda]

You should be able to do what you are looking for with a multisolid body configurator that drives the layout part from the assembly level via iLogic. 

Mark Randa

Applied Design Intelligence

[ad64]

With an iPart or iAssembly you can have a drawing that displays and details any or all of the different states of the same model at the same time. You can also use the model in different states at the same time in different higher level assemblies.

That wouldn't be true with the multisolid body configurator solution, would it? In that case, wouldn't the assembly only be available in one state at a time and any assemblies or drawings referencing any other states would be broken? Our models serve as permanent design documentation so we need to preserve the model with all of the design information in it and fully detailed in all its various conditions for our design drawings.

Perhaps I am misunderstanding the proposed solution so please correct if necessary.

Steve

[ad64]

After further testing it is now becoming clear that iParts won't work in a multibody solid assembly either. I can convert the component in the assembly into an iPart but the problem is that the parent file is what remains in the assembly, not one of the table row items. Therefore I cannot change the iPart row in the assembly without replacing it with a child, and thereby destroying the link back to the multi-body solid.

It appears that the only way to use multibody solids is to make a separate solid for every variation in the master part file and then swap them out using Views / Representations. This would make for a very cumbersome and slow file.

Multibody modelling has so much promise but it seems like it's not ready yet - not a finished product capable of use for non-disposable, configurable assemblies that need to be available in multiple states at a given time.

Steve

[johnsonshiue]

Hi! Sketch block is not available in Drawing Sketch and Assembly Sketch. Please feel free post it on IdeaStation.

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/Inventor-IdeaStation/idb-p/v1232

Thanks!

[ad64]

What about accessing individual features from multibody solids in the assemblies derived from? Is this possible?

Steve