Breaking material link of derived part/Assembly?

[CWC_Drawing_Office]

Hi all,

I hope this is possible.

I have an assembly which I have created using frame generator, I then have parts which have this assembly derived into it to create the appropriate sizes etc.

I want to break the material link from the assembly to the derived assembly, while still maintaining it's dimensional parametric features e.g. Length, Width, Height etc.

I want this so that the weights on my BOM will only show the weight of the created component and not the derived assembly.

Thanks.

[SBix26]

[Always include in your post the version of Inventor you are using]

I think the answer is to change the 'Derive style' (see below) to Single composite feature.  This brings the derived assembly in as surfaces, which have no mass.  All the geometry still there but no volume, and also with the default transparent yellow appearance, so it's easily distinguished from the solid geometry you are creating.

---

Sam B
Inventor Pro 2022.2 | Windows 10 Home 21H1
LinkedIn

[CWC_Drawing_Office]

Thanks a lot! Does this still maintain its parametric link to the parent?

[SBix26]

---

@CWC_Drawing_Office wrote:
Thanks a lot! Does this still maintain its parametric link to the parent?

---

Yes, it's exactly the same as before, just that the geometry is surfaces rather than solids.

---

Sam B
Inventor Pro 2022.2 | Windows 10 Home 21H1
LinkedIn

[CWC_Drawing_Office]

Thank you very much, so I have a problem now where the created part which has the assembly derived into it cannot be placed into said assembly as that creates a cyclic dependency. Any ideas for a work around?

[Gabriel_Watson]

You can if you suppress or break link with the original. Another idea is to Copy to Construction and make a different solid or composite out of it.

[CWC_Drawing_Office]

Is it possible to do that while maintaining the parametric function of a derived model?

You mentioned "Copy to Construction and make a different solid or composite" Is this done via the derived menu?

[SBix26]

I think all that's needed is to create a higher level assembly into which you place both the frame and the new part(s) constructed on the derived frame.  That breaks the cyclic dependency.

---

Sam B
Inventor Pro 2022.2 | Windows 10 Home 21H1
LinkedIn