topic Re: Straight Sketch Line Not an Option with Tube & Pipe in Inventor Forum

Straight Sketch Line Not an Option with Tube & Pipe

neljoshua — Mon, 03 Dec 2018 17:02:29 GMT

I am new to Tube & Pipe. Fortunately the model I am currently working on is fairly simple. I have been able to complete the routes, but something in the environment seems off; the line and spline tools are greyed out every time.

I have done some reading and have been converting all of the Autoroutes to 3D sketches. The strange thing is these sketches have straight lines in them, but I cannot add more (although I could add arcs and coils...). This has not been an issue as I have been able to use the line segments already in the sketches, but this functionality does not seem terribly helpful.

I am sure there is something that I am overlooking but I cannot figure out what it is.

Thanks for looking.

Re: Straight Sketch Line Not an Option with Tube & Pipe

Mark.Lancaster — Mon, 03 Dec 2018 20:53:39 GMT

@neljoshua

You need to be using routing tools (route tab) and not the 3D Sketch tab. Rigid piping is straight lines. Do you need to work with bendable piping or flexible hosing?

Re: Straight Sketch Line Not an Option with Tube & Pipe

neljoshua — Mon, 03 Dec 2018 21:35:03 GMT

@Mark.Lancaster,

Thanks for the reply. I start using the Route tab, but then switch to the 3D Sketch tab after I have converted the Autoroute to a sketch. In either case, I do not see the option to add straight line segments. Is this workflow flawed or non-ideal in some way?

As I said, I could be missing something here, but I do not see how one would go about adding straight line segments to a route.

Re: Straight Sketch Line Not an Option with Tube & Pipe

Mark.Lancaster — Mon, 03 Dec 2018 21:39:11 GMT

@neljoshua

If you adding onto the end of a route.. Double click on the route in your browser, starting routing again (using T&P tools) and select the end of the existing route to start. If you want to route in between, you have to place nodes (breaking the route) on the route and delete the ones that you don't want and then re-route between the 2 broken nodes.

Re: Straight Sketch Line Not an Option with Tube & Pipe

neljoshua — Tue, 04 Dec 2018 17:22:02 GMT

@Mark.Lancaster,

Ah! That makes more sense.

Thanks for the clarification!