topic Re: combine 1 solids and 2 surfaces as a single solid in Inventor Forum

combine 1 solids and 2 surfaces as a single solid

office6PUWT — Sat, 27 Mar 2021 12:20:23 GMT

Can someone suggest the most efficient way to combine the 2 sufaces with the exisitng solid to create a single solid body. I've tried using both thicken and stitch but have had no luck so far.

thanks

Re: combine 1 solids and 2 surfaces as a single solid

SBix26 — Sat, 27 Mar 2021 21:52:11 GMT

Sculpt will do the job, but modeling as a revolve would do even better. As @JDMather asked in another thread, why would you use Freeform to create two spheres?

Edit: See attached 2021 file, with one sketch and one feature, easily modifiable by parameter adjustments. Some training would be very beneficial...!

Edit 2: You posted this topic six times!! I see @JDMather suggested the same solution.

Sam B
Inventor Pro 2021.2.2 | Windows 10 Home 2004
LinkedIn

Re: combine 1 solids and 2 surfaces as a single solid

office6PUWT — Sun, 28 Mar 2021 08:54:53 GMT

Yes apologies for the multiple posts I was getting an error message repeatedly but no indication that the post was successful. I take your point re the revolved spline alternative to create these objects. So conceived wisdom is that revolve a 2d skectch of circle is a better way to create a sphere than using the sphere freeform tool?

ps. I am in my first year of a CAD degree at Kelvin College in Glasgow but covid restrictions have made it much harder to get answers to the every day problems I'm encountering as I try to work out the software. I am also worried that I may be developoing some bad habits but until the college reopens I'm stuck with remote learning I'm afraid. The autodesk forums have been an absolute life saver for me and I am really grateful to everyone who has offered help and support, particularly to some of my more annoying requests.

all best

Luke

Re: combine 1 solids and 2 surfaces as a single solid

SBix26 — Sun, 28 Mar 2021 22:55:30 GMT

It really depends on what your design intent is. Inventor is primarily an application for precision modeling of machine parts, history-based and totally parametric. The Freeform tools allow creation within Inventor of much more organic shapes, but at the price of precision and parametric history. If your intent is to produce an interesting look and feel, more art and less machining, as one or two components within an Inventor assembly, then Freeform is the right tool. This is probably most useful for 3D printing or other additive manufacturing technology. But if that's what your whole project is about, then Inventor is not the right software at all.

For a new Inventor user, forget all about Freeform until you've learned the core of Inventor pretty thoroughly. I find Freeform interesting, but have never used it for anything that mattered (such as actual work).

BTW, the example I posted was not a "revolved spline"-- no splines involved. The profile sketch is composed of three arcs and a line. The advantage of a parametric history-based modeler such as Inventor is that you can examine every aspect of its creation and adjust as you wish. In this case, you can edit the sketch and find out how it is put together and constrained, and you can adjust parameters (such as dimensions) right there to change the model in a carefully controlled and predictable way. Give it a try!

Sam B
Inventor Pro 2021.2.2 | Windows 10 Home 2004
LinkedIn