Assembly Constrain Issue

[kappah]

Hi,

I am creating a Square Branch, 45 Deg Offset assembly with a Square Flange and the Square Branch body. I would like to constrain the Square Flange to the center of the angled branch opening but I cannot. In the part file of the Square Branch body, i created a midplane in the angled branch to constrain the Square Flange. However when i place the Square Branch body in the assembly the midplane i created in the part file does not appear. Can someone please help or suggest an alternative method?m I have attached screen shots of what i have done below. Thank you.

Keith

[andrewiv]

If the plane is not visible in the assembly, that means that it isn't visible in the design view that the part is displaying.  Try turning on the plane in the Master design view.  Another way to do this is to select the plane from the browser instead of the graphics window.  

[kappah]

How do i turn on the plane in the master design view? How do i select the plane from the browser? What browser are you talking about?

[andrewiv]

To turn the plane on in the master design view, open the part, then switch to the master design view of the part and turn the visibility of the work plane on. 

I prefer using the select from browser method when constraining to work planes.  The browser is the column (usually on the left side of the screen) that shows all the features in a part and all the components in an assembly.  If you want to constrain to a work plane that isn't visible you just have to find your part in the browser and expand it to see all the work features under it.  Then  you can select the work plane from the browser just as you would if it was in the graphics window. 

[kappah]

I followed your instructions but I am still unable to see the workplane i created. I noticed that Inventor in your screen shots looks different. Could that be a possible reason as to why i am not able to see the workplane?

[andrewiv]

The reason it looks different is because I'm using 2019 and it looks like you're using 2020.

The part you created is an iPart.  Did you mean to do that?  If you want the iPart, you have to make sure that the work plane is included in all of the configurations of the part.

[kappah]

Yes, the part is designed as an iPart. I included the work plane in all configurations of the part but the workplace does not appear under the origin folder of the Square Branch. Why would that be?

[andrewiv]

The reason it doesn't show in the assembly browser is because an iPart is just a derived part of the parent.  The work plane only exists in the parent and the child iPart is just displaying it.  The way to select it is to select the modeling browser instead of the assembly browser.  Then you can expand the derived feature and select the work plane underneath.

[kappah]

Thank you, I was able to complete my design.