Large Scale Project

[Anonymous]

Hello everyone.

I've got a question for you.

Currently I'm working on a large scale project (Post Tensioned Viaduct).

We want to model all the tendons and check for clashes with other elements (penetrations, reinforcement etc.) and also calculate the 

x,y,z for each of the tendons.

Can I do that with Inventor?

Does it worth?

Do you recommend any other software from Autodesk?

Many thanks for your time.

FG

[mcgyvr]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Hello everyone.

I've got a question for you.

Currently I'm working on a large scale project (Post Tensioned Viaduct).

We want to model all the tendons and check for clashes with other elements (penetrations, reinforcement etc.) and also calculate the 

x,y,z for each of the tendons.

Can I do that with Inventor?

Does it worth?

Do you recommend any other software from Autodesk?

Many thanks for your time.

FG

---

I can't imagine why that wouldn't be possible in Inventor.. (But I've never modeled a viaduct before nor do I know anything about it)..

But you can basically model anything you want in Inventor.. 

[Anonymous]

Agree with that.

My concern is if Inventor can handle a large scale project (we're talking
about a 135m long bridge) and how easy is to have the coordinates x,y,z for
each of the tendons. I have no idea about the software. I don't know how to
use it.

[swalton]

There are two possible issues that I see.

1. Number of components.  Are you expecting your top-level assembly to have 1000 components, 10,000, or 100,000?  I've made models up to about 30,000 components without major issues.  The more components in your model, the more single-thread performance you want from your CPU. 
2. Size of components.  Keep all part and assembly features within +-100 meters of the component origin.  That means your tendons should be shorter than 200m lg.  As I understand it, you can locate a sub-component more than 100 meters from the assembly origin as long as you don't have an assembly-level hole, cut, weld bead or other feature that far away.  See: http://help.autodesk.com/view/INVNTOR/2017/ENU/?guid=GUID-84623939-38A8-49BF-8D97-BB9DA3697056 

I have made a few assemblies about 500 meters lg x 3 meters wd x 5 meters tall.  I had some issues with edge display a single 400 meter long component in a drawing view.  My computer was slow processing those large assemblies.

[mcgyvr]

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/inventor-products/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcartic...

I just tried to create a block and it let me go to 9999 meters as far as "extrusion" distance then it would error out.. It let me go much larger for the dimensions of the square (before extruding)

Not sure if anything has changed in 2017.. That article above only covers up to 2016.. 

[swalton]

Well, from what I have seen, AutoDesk says Inventor's modeling will be "unpredictable" for geometry more than 100m from the component origin. 

I have a 522m lg assembly (centered on the assembly origin) open now and it seems to work ok.  None of the individual components are longer than about 18 meters, so I'm not violating the 200m lg part rule.  The assembly is a bit slow to rotate on my screen

I have made components 400 meters long and used them in assemblies.  Drawing views of those components aren't always right, but I can use them for design purposes.