Countersink Preset sizes

[ZacRocket]

Hi everyone I am currently adding standarized helicoil holes into my design data in thread.xls. In however for each size helicoil I have I need a standard countersink added to the hole. Does anyone know where I can define a standard countersink?

[theo.bot]

When you create holes, you can save your options as a presets to reuse it later creating new holes:

[ZacRocket]

I've seen that, the reason I can't use that is I need the data to be accessable from multiple computers (all the draftsmen in the company). I am really looking for where Inventor would store data about countersinks so that it populates automatically. Or if there is a way for me to add columns in the threads.xls file.

[theo.bot]

You can share the same presets with others by using the same path in your inventor settings.
It's not possible to add this to the thread file.

[Gabriel_Watson · Accepted solution]

I could not find a similar post here where I believe I shared my helicoil table I helped set up. If you already have a table, that's great then. @CGBenner do you know how I can find that? I am not sure if you have better tools to query.

What I did, due to the lack of alternatives in the software without customization (API plugins, etc.), is set up the columns for designation with more (extra) information so that the users could read that and set up their own countersink. But again, you have to rely on instructing the users to pick from the pull-down menu the size, read the extra information on it, and use it to apply on the dimensions of the countersink.

[ZacRocket]

thanks @Gabriel_Watson I will definitely do that. Just spitballing here since I am new to inventor. Would it possible to write some sort of iLogic to take the name data and place it in the respective fill boxes?

Also since you couldn't find your own thread table here is mine. I got all the numbers on it off of the Stanley Engineered Fastening Helicoil Catalog. They are on the ANSI thread page. I do have a few columns missing cause i didn't understand the difference. If you have suggestions for how to fill in the extra columns I am all ears.

[Gabriel_Watson]

Yes! Stanley was the same one I used... I'll link my sheet here when I find it.

iLogic would not do what you want, unfortunately. It would need to be an actual software plugin and I am pretty sure you would not be able to use the same hole feature tool, but build your own for applying the countersink you want. Just a lot of work if you don't have a reseller or partner who already has a similar tool.

Thanks for the file, I could not find a separate tab there for your Helicoils. I basically created a new one there for mine, naming it accordingly, and there are tons of resources online on how to add a new table, for example this:
https://www.asti.com/customizing-threads-inventor/

The Custom Thread Designation column, if I remember correctly, is the one I mostly used to include extra info that appears in the tooltip. The hard part is compressing the text to abbreviate all the countersink, angle, etc. information into a comprehensible format. I cannot stress it enough to create a separate tab on the excel file just for helicoils, because it enables you to make sense of this better as not all columns for one type should serve the other types of screws. Some columns will be missing, as you only need internal hole threads for example, not external for this.

[ZacRocket]

Good to know. I didn't make a new tab for the helicoils rather they are added into the ANSI tab.

[CGBenner]

@Gabriel_Watson 

Is this the thread? (pun intended)

[Gabriel_Watson]

Thank you so much! Yes, exactly that one thread.

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-forum/using-different-object-styles-on-a-drawing-based-on-ho...

Everything is explained there, @ZacRocket. But feel free to ask if needed. The column I was using was the Size Suffix for the extra info.

[ZacRocket]

@Gabriel_Watson 

I had to write my own program to do a post creation countersink addition since I couldn't access the Hole tool. All I required was adding another section in thread.xls for the Hole Heads. 

It might be a worthwhile endevor rather than just reading the manual values out of the name.