Creating Non-Circular Holes and Copy/Pasting Shapes?

[Anonymous]

Beginner AutoDesk user here.

In class we were tasked with recreating a lego piece in Inventor to be 3d printed as a test for whether the 3d drawing was accurate. My drawing is attached. However, I have encountered a few problems that neither I nor my teacher know how to circumvent. 

1) The cross-shaped pattern near the top of the piece needs to be attached to the hourglass shape directly below it, and that whole pattern needs to go completely through the piece. I tried creating a hole but it wouldn't let me select that particular shape, and I have had no luck merging the lines of the two shapes together to create a contiguous shape. 

2) I used a rectangle pattern on the first hourglass shape that I created and extruded down less than a mm to copy it up the front face of the Lego piece. I need to add one more hourglass shape between the two bottom holes that has the same dimensions as the first three but is rotated 90 degrees. I will also need to recreate them on the opposite face of the piece, in the same positions. Is there any pattern I can use to rotate and copy the hourglass shape, or is there a simple copy/paste function that I am unaware of?

Thank you in advance!

[CCarreiras · Accepted solution]

Hi!

Check the part attached.

Is this what you need?

Any doubt?

1-

In sketch you can project geometry to reference your present sketches.

After you create a closed loop, use extrude CUT to remove material... not hole...

2-

you can use circular array to turn hourglass 90deg around a previous created glass.

To recreate all in the other face, create a plane in the middle of the part and then select all the features to mirror agains that middle plane you created

 You have to study a little bit more and learn inventor better.... and your teatcher too... 🙂

[JDMather]

If you can wait till this evening - I will remodel the entire part from beginning to end in the correct way.

Edit:  Or maybe not.  Looks like Carlos provided a good solution.

Now, are you able to reverse-engineer what he did?

You had many extra sketches that had no function.

Are you aware of how to edit sketches?

[johnsonshiue]

Hi! I am trying to understand the issue better. I am sorry if I misunderstood it. The first issue seems like sketch related. I guess you are trying to use the "cross" profile to cut but the profile is not considered closed.

1) Edit Sketch19.

2) Right-click on Sketch19 in the browser -> Sketch Doctor -> click a few Next buttons. The sketch should be "fixed" up. You should be able to select it for creating Extrude Cut.

For the second question, there are a few ways to solve it. You can use circular pattern or path-based rectangular pattern. The tricky thing is to find the proper circular reference.

Let me know if more information is needed.

Thanks!

[JDMather · Accepted solution]

Here is my interpretation.

3 sketches rather than 22

No extra workplanes or axis.

[SBix26]

You will be pleased to learn that you don't have to measure your part in inches, convert to mm and then enter your dimensions that way.  Inventor handles units very nicely.  In the case of your Lego part, if you are measuring in inches, then why not start with an English template.  The all your units are in the measurement system that you're actually using.  If you want the final results in mm, you can change the part units (via Document settings) when you're finished with your part.  Or, if you really want to see everything in mm, you simply enter your dimensions with the units, e.g. ".291 in".  Even if your part units are in mm, this will be correctly entered and displayed.

Having been a Lego fan in my youth (and even more recently), I believe that the cross shape at the end of your part should extrude all the way through, as it is meant to slide on to a cross-shaped shaft, correct?

Another quick hint: terminology matters, as it helps or hinders communication.  What you have attached (your .ipt file) is a model, not a drawing.  A drawing is a 2D representation of a 3D object, typically with annotations to allow someone else to create your 3D object.  Inventor uses .idw and .dwg formats for drawings of .iam & .ipt models.  Observing that distinction makes communication more efficient on this forum, for example.

Have fun learning Inventor!

Sam B

Inventor Professional 2015 SP1 Update 2
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