How do i calculate the total surface area my assembly?

[Anonymous]

 Hi! How do i calculate or relocate my assembly and/ or parts that can be placed within a standard piece of sheet metal? 

I really hope you can help me. 

[johnsonshiue]

Hi! Is this a school project? If yes, please discuss it with your teaching assistant or your classmate first. Let me ask you this. Are you looking for the bounding box size or the surface area (including contact faces)?

Many thanks!

[TheCADWhisperer]

More information is needed on your design intent.

You title referred to total surface area, (which can be found in iProperties), but your problem description sounds very different (more like calculation of bounding box size).  

What is a "standard piece of sheet metal"?

Do you have a "standard" box, like say, a NEMA enclosure that you are referencing?

Internal clearance between side of components and side of box... .... you see, so many more questions about your true design intent...

[Anonymous]

Im sorry for my bad explanation.

Basically i wanted an easier way to calculate or place my drawn sheet metal parts onto a "standard sized piece of sheet metal" (let's say 1500 mm X 3000 mm). So i can calculate how much i need to buy with the least amount of waste metal. 

Yes it is for a school project. My teacher is not very good at inventor, and couldn't help me, therefor i wrote you guys. 

[TheCADWhisperer]

I think what you want is called "nesting" of flat patterns.  (now that would have made a good title for the thread)

There is no automatic way of doing this in Inventor.

You will have to manually nest the parts by eye.

Hmmm, I wonder where this one ranks on the IdeaStation?

[Mark.Lancaster]

@Anonymous

Something doesn't sound right to me but this always seems to be a reoccurring subject matter with students who come to the forum looking for assistance on their school projects.

Let me ask you this..  This is a school project issued to you by your instructor, who in turn doesn't have a clue in how the project is to be done or what steps needed?  That makes no sense...

Or are you doing something extra outside of the project requirements?  If so why?  Not saying you shouldn't learn but you should be following what is required... 

Update:  Autodesk does have a product for nesting..  Its called Trunest and its not cheap... 

[Anonymous]

Well my teacher told me to make this fire pit. We usually don't draw in inventor. But I choose to draw in inventor because it is easier for me rather than drawing in hand. I then had to calculate how heavy the fire pit is going to be total and how much 10 mm plate that i am going to need, in order to actually make the fire pit. 

[Mark.Lancaster]

@Anonymous

That makes more sense..  But if you were supposed to follow a certain criteria for this project (and Inventor wasn't part of that scope), well you could fail the project.  Perhaps your instructor wanted you to learn how to do things manually or though another method..  Just because it easy for you may not be the method they are looking for.   In the end i don't know what your project scope is..  It could be wide open or you must follow certain steps.

Anyhow my 2 cents..

[TheCADWhisperer]

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@Mark.Lancaster wrote:

.....you could fail the project.  .....

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Mark, have you been in a school this century?

Nobody fails. In fact, everybody gets a trophy just for showing up (or not).

At least this kid is trying.

Instructors are tickled pink if the students don't ask (or even expect) to actually be taught something. (Isn't that what YouTube is for?)

Autodesk could have owned the (design) world if they had realized this several years ago.

Their solution... snicker.... well I won't go there...

[Mark.Lancaster]

@TheCADWhisperer

I fully understand what you're saying (and school was too many many many years ago  )...

And yes @Anonymous is trying to accomplish something using a piece of software he/she has learned.  I don't want to sound like I was discrediting that or that its not allowed..  Kudos to them for doing this and thinking "outside of the box"..

My 2 cents were..  If the instructor wanted them to learn to do this a certain way and Inventor was not part of the scope or not allowed..  Well in my opinion they failed the project for not following instructions..     If the instructor doesn't care what method they are using then more kudos to them for thinking of this...  That's all.. 

[TheCADWhisperer]

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@Mark.Lancaster wrote:
...in my opinion they fail(ed) the project for not following instructions..     

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You keep using the four letter trigger word.

I'm going to my safe space....

HR will be contacting you for additional training on Monday.

[johnsonshiue]

Hi! Indeed, like other experts had mentioned Autodesk does have a product helping nest flat sheets. It is called TruNest. You are a student and you are entitled for education license for free. You can go to Autodesk Education site to download and take a look.

In Inventor, you can do that manually. You can export flat pattern as a SAT file (right-click on Flat Pattern node in the browser -> Save Copy As -> SAT). Then import each SAT file as individual part. You can place them in an assembly and move around to see how much you can fit in a given area.

Many thanks!

[Mark.Lancaster]

@johnsonshiue

I read your reply as students can get Trunest for free.  I didn't think that was possible, is it?

[johnsonshiue]

Hi Mark,

If I read the Freed Education Software announcement correctly, all Autodesk software packages are free to educators, students and education institutes for education purpose. But the interesting thing is TruNest, as part of Autodesk product family is not listed in the following site. I am not certain what it means. I need to check internally and see why TruNest is not listed here. It seems to contradict to the announcement.

http://www.autodesk.com/education/free-software/all

Many thanks!

[Mark.Lancaster]

@johnsonshiue

I was always under the impression and was told in the past not every software that Autodesk has, is available for students and educators/schools..  For example FeatureCam, trulaser, and Inventor ETO are ones that are not available for students or schools.  I think there are others as well..

@Anonymous  Sorry for taking your posting little off topic...