topic Re: Assembly configurations using Level of Detail help needed. in Inventor Forum

Assembly configurations using Level of Detail help needed.

PappaJeff — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 12:41:25 GMT

Hello. I have a situation where the assembly (282' in diameter) when placed in the drawing shows up as a black blob. I need to remove some detail from some of the components (stair tread) to enable good visibility in the drawing. The part that needs simplification has bodies that can be made invisible using the view states. However, the rub is that in the assembly I can create a Level of Detail "For Drawing" and "Default" but I can't set the view state of the stair tread to be different in each view state. It is frustrating trying to make this work when it is so easy in SolidWorks. So I have a modified stair tread in the assembly that provides a clear view in the drawing but is not sufficient for the assembly model which needs the complete stair tread. So I am to the point where I am going to have to save the assemblies off as new assemblies so I can have one with the modified tread and one with the complete tread. The little I have messed around with iParts and iFactories leads me to believe this may be the way to go, however this created too many additional parts and assemblies that have to be added to the Adept vault.

Any insight or ideas to get around this would be very helpful. Thanks in advance.

Using Inventor 2021

Re: Assembly configurations using Level of Detail help needed.

chris — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 13:29:19 GMT

Yep, the unfortunate drawback in Inventor of adding too much detail, happens to all of us, especially with expanded metal, grating, etc. My workaround is to deal with it, as I want the detail more than a simplified version that doesn't reflect the actual item. I usually go into the browser on the drawing, find that part(s) and RMB and change their line color in "properties" to the light gray color.

Re: Assembly configurations using Level of Detail help needed.

dave.cutting — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 13:33:20 GMT

Have a look at Model states. This is the Inventor equivalent of Solidworks configurations.

You should be able to create a model state for your stair tread part, and then create a model state in the assembly to use it.

If you are consistent with the model state names, there's a command to quickly link them.

Re: Assembly configurations using Level of Detail help needed.

PappaJeff — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 13:40:37 GMT

Thank you Chris. While the lines in the drawing are already light grey that won't work. However, your idea made me realize I can hide parts or bodies in the drawing, and it has no effect on the model. This will work, much appreciated.

Re: Assembly configurations using Level of Detail help needed.

PappaJeff — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 13:45:22 GMT

Hello Dave. I tried this but I could not link a view state of the step with a level of detail in the assembly. Whatever view state of the step was enabled in the assembly it would be the same in all Levels of Detail. I would think that this should be possible but I could not get it to work.

Re: Assembly configurations using Level of Detail help needed.

chris — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 13:47:55 GMT

Also, depending on the design and application, consider the Model States like @dave.cutting mentioned. My current project I have to design Duct and Piping "Kits", I handled this with one part, but each part has 3-6 model states to reflect the weldment state, Kit state and Nominal finished weldment state, and then a model state for each flange detail and orientation. So much easier than managing an assembly. I wish Autodesk would allow Inventor solid bodies to carry their own iProperties and appear in the Parts List, life would be SO MUCH easier! One a side note, how are your stairs configured? separate parts, what controls your stair design? Look into simple iLogic stuff as well.

Re: Assembly configurations using Level of Detail help needed.

PappaJeff — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 13:50:58 GMT

I just realized the downside to this solution is that it is not that simple when it comes to a lot of arrayed parts. 🙂

Jeff

Re: Assembly configurations using Level of Detail help needed.

chris — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 13:55:18 GMT

Re: Assembly configurations using Level of Detail help needed.

Frederick_Law — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 13:58:39 GMT

Use View Representation. It control visibility and appearance.

You can have View Rep in each parts and use it in assembly then in drawing.

Parts and assemblies can be hidden with View Rep.

Can't hide features in parts.

Also set view to remove tangent lines.

Re: Assembly configurations using Level of Detail help needed.

PappaJeff — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 19:48:21 GMT

Hello Fredrick,

I have setup 2 View States in the stair (part file), no wire and no bars which changes the visibility of the bodies.

I have a Level of Detail setup in the stair assembly called For Drawing.

With this Level of Detail active I right click on the first stair in the array, select Representation then select View State No Bars. The selected View State becomes active. Getting the array to update with new View State of the tread is another issue all together.

When I change to Level of Detail iLogic the stair tread does not change back to the View State with the bars visible.

How do you make the specific View State of the part show only in the Level of Detail desired? There isn't any logic control like via a spreadsheet. This should be very simple and it's not.

Thank you for the help.

Re: Assembly configurations using Level of Detail help needed.

Frederick_Law — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 19:53:33 GMT

Don't use LoD.

Setup View Reps in assembly.

And use View Rep in drawings.

LoD is for large assembly management. Not for controlling views.

Re: Assembly configurations using Level of Detail help needed.

PappaJeff — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 19:56:22 GMT

We use iLogic to control our stairs based on input from the designer via an iLogic form. These are something we use all of the time so we turn them into standards. However there is still resistance to using Inventor, AutoCAD is still preferred by most people which means the Inventor models don't get used and or tested very much. The project I am working on is a custom version so iLogic was used to establish initial design parameters only. Lots of changes have taken place since then.

Jeff

Re: Assembly configurations using Level of Detail help needed.

PappaJeff — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 19:58:29 GMT

Thanks Fredrick, I will give it shot and let you know.

Jeff

Re: Assembly configurations using Level of Detail help needed.

PappaJeff — Mon, 23 Sep 2024 13:26:46 GMT

EOM

Re: Assembly configurations using Level of Detail help needed.

PappaJeff — Mon, 23 Sep 2024 13:26:16 GMT

Frederick,

The view reps work like you stated. This was very helpful.

I would like to ask a question related to this issue, so I did not start a new thread. The stair treads are arranged in a pattern, but the pattern does not update with the view rep of the tread. How do I get all treads in the array to show the same view rep? Do I need to create two different arrays and suppress the un-needed one in the view rep?

Default

For drawing

Re: Assembly configurations using Level of Detail help needed.

Frederick_Law — Mon, 23 Sep 2024 14:51:15 GMT

Double check "for Drawing" is using correct view rep.

Sometimes oyu need to change to another View Rep and back to get it to update.

Try set it to "Associated".

Re: Assembly configurations using Level of Detail help needed.

PappaJeff — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 20:40:12 GMT

That did not change anything. A strange thing is occurring however, when I edit the array all of the treads show correctly in the preview. When I close the array window the arrayed treads revert to the default View Rep.