Need workflow advice for creating dovetail joints

[joeynova]

Hi, I am creating a model that will be 3D printed. The models overall size is much larger than the printers build volume so I am going to print is in sections and have dovetail joints. Any advice on how to do this efficiently would be much appreciated. In the video you can see a square that represents the build volume perimeter of the printer. My idea was to use that as a guide for the dove tail joints by using the collinear constraint tool to align the join and than use the distribute and mirror command to add the additional joints. The dovetail joint sketch consists of 3 lines, one is the center line and than there are two offset lines that will be used as the splitting tool when I go to split up the body. How can I copy/paste the the dovetail join onto the bed perimeter line? When I try to make a collinear constraint I get the error "Error: Failed to solve. Please try revising dimensions or constraints." I would like to keep the constraints intact in case I need to adjust the offset for the purpose of making the fit tighter or looser after printed.

Thanks

[etfrench]

Neither the screencast or the file were attached to the post.  You need to click on the Insert button after clicking on the Preview button in order to insert the screencast.

[joeynova]

@etfrenchopps sorry about that, here it is

[mavigogun]

The Colinear Constraint is in clear conflict with the Horizontal and Parallel Constraints.    Options include use of Pattern to place the Sketch elements, Move>Copy the Sketch elements into position, create them in place, or replicate a Body or Surface created from the Sketch Elements.    I can't really make out the design intent yet, limiting my consideration to your Constraint conflict.    For me, based on present reckoning, my preference would be Move>Copy with numeric Rotation, if necessary, followed by Point to Point placement.

Keep in mind that Sketch elements need not all reside in one Sketch- so, with common geometry reused across a design, you might resource the dovetail elements from a single Sketch, Copying or Projecting into other Sketches as needed.   Often, when Sketch element may be too cumbersome or delicate to move around, Extruding a Body from the elements followed by positioning and Projection into a second Sketch can be useful.

If the depicted arc is actually a full circle, those dovetail joints will need to be aligned to the radius center.   I'd create one instance of the dove tail geometry in place, Extrude it, followed by a Circular Pattern, and Combines.   Of course, I may not understand your design intent properly.

[lichtzeichenanlage]

You might find some examples here.

[davebYYPCU]

You have not given much thought to your problem, 

Easy to see that the dove tails taking the maximum build plate as the first section, will make a huge mess with the build plate of the section each side of the first one.

As @mavigogun suggests take a spokes in a wheel approach, divide the outside of the ring to find the lowest number of build plates that will fit.  Then consider making the segments sized for two at a time printing.

Might help.....