Any iProperty in browser

[cmharb]

Hi All,

Ive been looking for a way of showing the parts description in the browser instead of the part number/file name. This would make a good addition to any new releases,

Sorry if this has been asked before.

[sps_cad_guy]

I would like to have a width constraint added, so that when two parts are mated together, they remain centered with each other even if one, or both, part sized changes.

[jhunt107]

Can you explain this in more detail or provide a screen capture?

[jhunt107]

I see a lot of people renaming the occurances in the model browser. None of the new users understand that this is not a description nor the part number. Inventor should take a feature from AutoCAD Electrical. Allow the user to customize the assembly model browser with a concatenation of iProperties. This would encourage iProperties to be filled out and allow the user to see what part they are looking at (Description, Stock No. etc). Looking at File Names/Part Numbers is boring!

[jletcher]

I bet you use offset constraints don't you?

This is a big no no use sketches to control the placement of parts.

[sps_cad_guy]

I have no idea what you mean by offset constraints. I am a former SolidWorks user that is now using Inventor. SolidWorks has a width mate that I used all the time. It would be handy if Inventor had such a mate.

[jletcher]

jhunt I think you just need to go back to autocad all your post is add autocad add autocad. go back to autocad seems to fix all your issues.

[jletcher]

How do you constrain it now?

[sps_cad_guy]

Either offsetting a distance from an edge (which doesn't work good if part sizes may change), or I'll stop my assembly, open the part files and add a plane.

[jletcher]

Yep thats what I mean offset constraint from the edge this is not good practice. And using a plane is not as good as using a sketch. Plus offsset contraints can cause issues when using adaptive in assemblies.

Have you ever seen an assembly explode and wonder why and if you crab a part and try to move it they all snap back into the right location?

This is caused by offset constraints. In the help I believe it says to use face to face rather than offsets.

[jhunt107]

hi jletcher,

AutoCAD is not parametric so it doesn't address my workflow ideas. I'm trying to make Inventor work better for my clients.

Thanks for the feedback.

[MDS-MQ]

Model things about the origin planes. Use the origin planes to constrain parts together...

[Mark_Wigan]

hi sps,

the key word is symetrical i think. ie as some of the guys say, best using orign & mid planes.

(there is another post about that, just a click or two away from this one)!

[sps_cad_guy]

Ok, I get it. I do use the mid planes, etc. I'm just saying that a width constraint is MUCH easier to use and more user friendly.

[JimSteinmeyer]

Sometimes the surface to surface fit is part of the design intent. If parts are mated to work planes or datums and a part grows they will over lap without giving an indication. If parts are mated surface to surface and one grows you have an indication of the effects of the part growing. That said I center on datums (work planes) as often as possible.

I think the request is for either symetric mating or tab and slot mating where you select two sides of a slot and then select two sides of the tab that fits within. This can be VERY useful!

jlecther,

when mating to sketches, do you show a sketch of an existing feature and then mate to something like the midpoint of a line? Do you need to project geometry or something for that? This is something I may have to try.

Thank you

[dan_szymanski]

After reviewing this thread, I would agree with Jim that this is a request for a symmetrical constraint type. See duplicate idea requested here. Please cast kudos to the Master idea as to not split the votes.

Thanks!

[holzmand16]

This shouldn't be considered as a duplicate post.  In 2007 when I used SW they had both a symetric mate and an "inbetween" mate which is closer to what this person iis describing.  The nice thing with a width mate or inbetween mate, is you don't have to find the midplane of a part to center it.  this comes in handy especially with angles generated through content center that don't have a mid plane.  It is good that 2014 will have the Symmetry mate now, but a width mate needs to be added.

[Rproehl]

Would be also very helpful in conjunction with Vault, were e.g. an automatic naming scheme didn't have any meanings. If the properties are filled out, it is easy to find the files inside Vault - the file name is less important using Autodesk Vault.

[borre.hartviksen]

I want to select what iproperties i want to show in the model browser in Inventor as default.

[niksasa]

Не понимаю, в чем смысл? So if you want it using ilogic.

[Josh_Hunt]

great idea, this should be an application option so it's set all the time. AutoCAD Electrical has a similar feature to concatenate several properties in the browser.