Unable to constraint copied component in assembly drawing

[Anonymous]

I copy a component in an assembly. The original component has constraints defined. The component copied shows no existing relationship at all. However, when I try to mate it with other components using constraint, error message pops out telling me that the constraint is unable to make. When I try to diagnose the relationship, find out it is due to the existing relationship of the original component. What should I do to make a new relationship with the copied component which is actually new? Same thing happens to mirrored component. Please advise, thank you.

[mdavis22569]

What do you see if you go to Manage / Rebuild All?

Little red cross showing?  Clean up all of the conflicts and then try constraining it ...

[johnsonshiue]

Hi! Please share the example here. Forum experts should be able to explain the behaviors.

Many thanks!

[kelly.young]

Hello @Anonymous are you trying to copy a part that is derived or adaptive? What error message are you getting?

If you can attach the parts using Pack & Go, show a screencast, or take a screenshot of what you're experiencing that would be helpful.

Please select the Accept as Solution button if a post solves your issue or answers your question.

[Anonymous]

Hi all, I have screenshot to make this question more understandable.

1. I place the small cuboid which you can see on the left side in to assembly. It mates with the pink cuboid by top top surfaces, left surfaces, and the middle interference surfaces, simply face-to-face. 

2. After that, I copy the small cuboid to the other side and try to mate the two surfaces as you can see in the figure below.

3. But it ends up unsuccessful and displaying the message as figure shown below.

4. When I try to diagnose the relationship and select to see which relationship is conclict, it displays the following information

5. But actually there is no relationship at all as can be seen from the copied object originally as shown as figure below. After the unsuccessful mating, it will display the relationship with an exclamation mark.

6. How can I just copy the object (another new part file is created) and have new relationship defined in the assembly drawing without placing again the same object (because the orientation is easy for me to constraint and I may make amendment to the new copied object without changing the source object).

Thank you for reading this.

[Anonymous]

Hi, I have tried to rebuild all and created new relationship, but same things just happened. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Hi, I just copied the object which is created by my own, not from other sources. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Hi, thank you for your advice, I just posted a whole story regarding my question, hope it helps.

[johnsonshiue]

Hi! Please attach the files here so forum experts can comment further. There should be a logical explanation to the behavior you are describing.

Many thanks!

[SBix26 · Accepted solution]

If Part11 is the copied object you are concerned about, you can see in your screenshots that it is grounded.  Therefore it cannot move.  Right click on the part and de-select Grounded, then try again to constrain it.

Can you explain how you copied the part?  Simple copy and paste?

Sam B
Inventor Pro 2018.2.3 | Windows 7 SP1
LinkedIn

[kelly.young · Accepted solution]

@Anonymous I think @SBix26 is correct in pointing out the grounded parts. A few general rules:

Use Ground and Root component for the base/stationary/most important part.

Depending on the Tools > Application Options > Assembly settings, the first part inserted may be grounded.

It should have been created at the origin planes which will orient the assembly centered logically allowing easy mirroring and constraining to where the ground is.

Constrain parts to this grounded part as a bottom up approach.

For static/non-rotational parts, each part should have 3 constraints to eliminate it's degrees of freedom.

If you ever get stuck like this, delete all constraints, unground all parts, select your most important/base part then Ground and Root.

Hope that gets you going!

Please select the Accept as Solution button if a post solves your issue or answers your question.

[Anonymous]

Thank you so much. I didn't realize it is due to grounded. Because I just simply copied and it is automatically grounded. That explains why every part I have copied are stamped with the symbol of 'pin' at the icon of the part. After I have deselected "grounded", I am able to re-constraint the part again.

Thank you, it is solved. 

[Anonymous]

Thank you for the information!