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Improve Mirrored Parts - Add option to ground mirrored components

Improve Mirrored Parts - Add option to ground mirrored components

This suggestion comes in two parts (to avoid having two separate posts), both related to Mirrored Parts.

 

1. Can we have a checkbox option in the Mirrored Parts interface to automatically ground the new mirrored part? I've had catastrophic failures of large assemblies because a mirrored part has somehow gotten moved out of place, subsequently having a domino effect, upsetting everything contrained to it or referenced to it. Even now I'm aware of the problem, I don't always remember to manually ground them afterwards. What would be even better would be if the contraints of the original part could be mirrored also, or some sort of positional mirror constraint could be placed between the original and mirrored part, such that any change to the original would accurately be reflected in the mirror version. I've spent hours trying to correct these failures. I've also seen a few posts from others with similar experiences

 

2. Content Centre and Frame Generator Parts (specifically, steel sections). I often create steel sectional frames and assemblies (sometimes using Frame Generator, sometimes from Content Center parts), which require a symmetrical counterpart. I have tried mirroring the individual parts or complete assembly, but inevitably several parts are mirrored in location but have the same orientation as the original, so I have to create the symmetrical version from scratch. If this could be corrected it would be a big time saver, broadening the usabilty of this function.

 

Original Title:  Improve Mirrored Parts

15 Comments
frank
Advocate

Still wondering why after mirroring an object or objects that I have to go back and apply constraints. Doesn't mirroring objects imply that I want them constrained the same as the original objects? I use Inventor 2016, shouldn't this at least be an option at this point? Either mirror the constraints (option 1) or mirrored objects grounded (option 2)...my thoughts for Friday...

jtylerbc
Mentor

Agreed.  Should have been added when the Symmetry constraint was introduced.  I think the simplest way to make it work would be to automatically add symmetry constraints to the origin planes (about the mirror plane) when the parts are mirrored.

frank
Advocate
Is this an option in the current Mirror command? If so where is it located
and how is it invoked?





Frank J. Nagle II

Mechanical Engineer

Summit Trailer Sales Inc.

Summit Station, Pa. 17979

570-754-3511 Ext.17
jtylerbc
Mentor

Frank, I may have been unclear on how I wrote that.  The automatic constraints I referred to do not currently exist.

frank
Advocate
Didn't think so. I looked at the mirror dialog box pretty thoroughly before
I posted this suggestion. Didn't want to suggest something that already
existed.



Frank J. Nagle II

Mechanical Engineer

Summit Trailer Sales Inc.

Summit Station, Pa. 17979

570-754-3511 Ext.17
r_lehmann79
Advocate

I'm also lokking for that option.

There has been an improvement in the 2016 version: when a fixed component is mirrored, then the new instance is also fixed.

Maybe in the next version...?!?

 

regards

 

Ralf

DRoam
Mentor

This has been requested so many times in so many different ways, and Autodesk has still shown no sign of making any changes.

 

See a similar request here: IdeaStation: Treat "Mirror" in an assembly like a pattern (maintain symmetry)

 

There's a link someone posted in that thread to a video on how SolidWorks handles mirroring, and it's fantastic. Take a look if you want to be green with envy until Autodesk does something similar: YouTube: Q&A - How do I mirror a component at assembly level in SolidWorks?

frank
Advocate

Happy New Year to everyone! and thank you all for your votes. maybe Autodesk is listening and will add it to 2017. Hope you all have a great new year and a safe and fun New Years Eve! God bless

 

steve.west
Advocate

I totally agree, and posted a similar suggestion myself last year.

frank
Advocate
Steve,

I thought I had as well, but couldn't find it. And I certainly didn't
receive such overwhelming support for the suggestion. It just seemed to me
that something like this should have been a part of Inventor from the
beginning. Who knows, maybe Autodesk will finally incorporate this feature
in the next release. Thanks again for your attention in this matter. Kudos
to you as well my friend.



Frank J. Nagle II

Mechanical Engineer

Summit Trailer Sales Inc.

Summit Station, Pa. 17979

570-754-3511 Ext.17
steve.west
Advocate

Let's hope they do. I had some pretty big assembly models fall catastrophically apart before I became aware that the mirrored parts were not automatically constrained.

 

Steve West

Design Engineer

Alltherm Engineering Ltd

Dudley

UK

dan_szymanski
Autodesk
Status changed to: Accepted

Accepted idea [US-116634]. Thanks!

ChrisMitchell01
Community Manager
Status changed to: Implemented

This idea has been implemented within Autodesk Inventor 2017R2. Special thanks to everyone who cast a vote for it

jeanie.wayker
Alumni
steve.west
Advocate
Thanks for the reply. I am aware they have now implemented this in 2017.

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