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View Normal to a Plane, Update Standard views - how to do it?

9 REPLIES 9
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Message 1 of 10
tabrakecc
17829 Views, 9 Replies

View Normal to a Plane, Update Standard views - how to do it?

Howdy, I have searched but I can't find an answer.

 

I created an "inplace" part in an assembly.  The surface was on an angled surface of another part, so it's "attitude" is all wonky.

 

Now, I want to make a drawing, and of course, none of the standard views will work.  So I figure, I'll just go to the part and view normal to plane of my first view, then project the other views from there.

 

Wrong....

 

I've searched for "view normal to a plane" but I can't find a function that does this.  In solidworks you just choose face or plane, then "view normal".

 

How do I do this?

 

Also, once I get this view, I want to choose it as the new FRONT view, and then update all the remaining std views.  How to do this in Inventor?

 

Thanks,

 

TB

9 REPLIES 9
Message 2 of 10
tabrakecc
in reply to: tabrakecc

OK, I found the "Look At" which will get me normal to a plane, but the part is pointing 180 off from where I want it.

 

When using standard views, inventors "view cube" will let you rotate the part normal to the screen, but since this isn't a standard view it doesn't work.

 

Solidworks had a shift key, I think it was <alt> plus left/right arrow keys that would spin model while maintaining surface normal to screen.

 

How can I do this in Inventor?

 

Also, still want to know how to update standard views.

 

Thanks

Message 3 of 10
JDMather
in reply to: tabrakecc

There are several ways to do this.

 

In the Part file the Look At is similar to Normal To.

You can create named view representations.

Or you can use the Current model view when you go into the drawing.

 

Or

in the drawing you can use the Change View Orientation tool.

 

Normal To.png

 

and one final method

 

You can right click on the first view placed and Rotate (by angle or by a horizontal or vertical reference).

 

So at least 3 different ways.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Autodesk Inventor 2019 Certified Professional
Autodesk AutoCAD 2013 Certified Professional
Certified SolidWorks Professional


Message 4 of 10
tabrakecc
in reply to: JDMather

Thanks.  Current Model View was my plan, and that works so long as you can get the view you want in the part mode.

 

I can appreciate that I can flip it in the drawing, but I still want to know, Can I update the "front view" in the part file to the view of my choosing?  If this is possible it just makes everything else better.

 

Thanks

 

TB

Message 5 of 10
JDMather
in reply to: tabrakecc

I think the answer to that is only - maybe.

 

Right click on the View Cube.

 

Front View.png


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Autodesk Inventor 2019 Certified Professional
Autodesk AutoCAD 2013 Certified Professional
Certified SolidWorks Professional


Message 6 of 10
JDMather
in reply to: JDMather

This is what I use most often.

Rotate View.PNG

 

I generally only use Current when I want an "isometric"  assembly view that is a bit off from the standard isometic axis.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Autodesk Inventor 2019 Certified Professional
Autodesk AutoCAD 2013 Certified Professional
Certified SolidWorks Professional


Message 7 of 10
tabrakecc
in reply to: JDMather

JD

 

Thanks!

 

That's it, that's what I was trying to do.  It's OK with me if the names aren't perfectly matched up, as long as I can use the view tools and especially, rotate about a screen normal.  As soon as you can get your desired view planar with one of the six views, you can look normal all day long.

 

Thanks alot.

Message 8 of 10
JDMather
in reply to: tabrakecc


@tabrakecc wrote:

JD

 It's OK with me if the names aren't perfectly matched up,....


Finally, someone who isn't concerned about the name.  I makes me pull my hair out when users get overly concerned about the names.  Go by the geometry.  Names are all relative.  Is the top of my hand calculator the face with the keypad, or is it, well, the top.  Who cares!  What if I am on the space station?  Pick an appropriate view for projection and move on....


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Autodesk Inventor 2019 Certified Professional
Autodesk AutoCAD 2013 Certified Professional
Certified SolidWorks Professional


Message 9 of 10
blair
in reply to: JDMather

The only time direction comes in to play is if you are planning on exporting an Inventor part to a neutral format such as IGES for further processing. The parts X and Y will always be in the Plan-View with Z being the height of the part.

 

example: If you are exporting a rectangle 3 units x 4 with an extrusion height of 1 unit for profile cutting. The Z distance of 1 unit will be stripped off leaving you with a 2D shape of 3 units by 4 units.

 

Changing the View Orientation of the View Cube won't change the X,Y,Z values of 3, 4 and 1 respectively. The Move-Bodies command should be able to rotate the model to correct the base values if need be.

 

As JD posted, the view names really don't mean much.


Inventor 2020, In-Cad, Simulation Mechanical

Just insert the picture rather than attaching it as a file
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Message 10 of 10

Hello! PGUP works. Simply click on the part, a ribbon turns up with the viewing options on the right-hand-side, and it is the last option. This lets you see normal to whatever part you selected (without the flipping!)

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