Create a work plane perpendicular to a surface

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know how to create a work plane that is perpendicular to a surface? I'm trying to do this so that I can "split" the object into two separate entities where the plane is. Thanks.

[cwhetten]

That greatly depends on the nature of the surface.  There are an infinite number of planes that are perpendicular to a given surface.

Attach your part and say which version you are using.  Or at the very least, a screen image of your part.

[cwhetten]

OK, now I can see your part.  Where do you want to create a workplane?  You've got to help me to help you...I can't read your mind. 

[Anonymous]

Right sorry, I want to crate a work plane right above the hole (almost tangent to the top  of the hole, but not quite - just a little above it). I want the work plane to be perpendicular to one of the flat parts of the mouthpiece. It doesn't matter which one since I'm just trying to split it. 

[cwhetten]

This is just my ignorance, but I've never played an ocarina, so I don't know where the mouthpiece is...?

Maybe sketch a line on your screen image that shows just where you want the work plane.  It would also help if you posted the part, so I can give you some more helpful advice.

[Anonymous]

I attached the part. Sketch 7 contains the line where I would like the work plane (perpendicular to the body of the object). Thanks.

[cwhetten · Accepted solution]

Ok, I see now.  It is possible to use a sketch to help define a work plane.  In this case, you could use the line you sketched.

First, activate the work plane command.  Pick the sketched line, and then pick the face that the sketch is on.  This creates a work plane that passes through the sketch line, at a specified angle to the selected face.  Since you want it to be perpendicular, specify 90 degrees.

[Anonymous]

This worked great thanks!

One more thing, when I try to make a shell with a 1.5 cm thickness to the lower part of the object (after the split), there's an error message that reads:

"Could not create a new shell, Ocarina soprano to scale bottom.ipt: Errors occurred during update, Shell 1: Could not build this shell, The attempted shell operation had non-manifold inputs. Try with manifold inputs."

What went wrong?

[cwhetten]

There is some geometry here that Inventor can't shell.  It is around the circular hole.  Look at the picture below:

The areas I circled in red are most likely where Inventor is struggling.  The area in blue I am unsure about, but it may be problematic, too.  I filled in the hole and smoothed out where it intersects the rectangular hole (as if the hole never existed), and the shell works fine.

Also, I assume you meant a shell thickness of 1.5mm (not cm)?

[Anonymous]

Thanks!