[Inventor 2019] Constraining circular pattern elements

[kpanas]

Hi, I wanted to ask for help with an annoying feature of Inventor 2019.

The problem is illustrated here: https://imgur.com/a/uNqoJxZ

In short: from the content center I placed an 80x80x3 rectangular beam. I want to create a support for a table top, so I need four of those. I created a circular pattern with a rotation to nicely place four beams to create a frame.

As the last step, I would like to put a constraint between the beams (pattern elements) so they are not loose (faces marked with blue lines in the album). However, I am unable to select a second face of the beam, I can only choose a different part (e.g. the table top).

Is this a feature or is something wrong with my inventor? Thanks for the help!

[Xun.Zhang · Accepted solution]

Hello @kpanas,

Pattern is considered as a whole which means no constraint is allowed to add inside of pattern occurrences.

In this case, You can add constraints with two of them, after that, make the circle pattern for those two components together with 2 occurrences instead.

Or you have to pre-define the axis more accuracy with some equation of parameter and make the circle pattern once.

Here is a video for your reference.

https://autode.sk/2M1ajjr

Hope it helps!  

[kpanas]

Hello @Xun.Zhang.

Thanks for your suggestion, I was afraid that it is not possible.

Thank you for the video, if I see correctly then the axis is controlled by the place where two planes cross each other.  "Work Plane 2" is shifted by the predefined distance from the beam and therefore it controls the radius of a circular pattern, is my reasoning correct?

I guess that it would be nice to have a radius parameter in circular pattern tool so that we would not need to make extra work planes.