Create a Component Pattern from a Part Feature

[chrisw01a]

Hello group.

I asked a question about using a part feature such as the "hole" feature to create a component pattern at the Inventor forum and it seems to have some interest.

This is very similar to "sketch driven pattern" in part mode.

For example I would only have to place one bolt and constrain it and then I could pattern the bolt to a hole or other feature no matter the layout of the feature as long as it was on the same face or plane.

It seems the current ways to do this are by using a sketch based feature pattern and then Inventor's "Feature Pattern Select" command will recognize it as a pattern.

It would be very nice to simply select any part feature and have the pattern created by recognizing identical attributes of the feature ( such as a few holes).

Here is the link to my forum post: https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-forum/pattern-a-component-to-a-part-feature/m-p/7105685/high...

Thank you all for what you do!

Chris

[Uwe_Lindner]

If in a plate with holes a standard part on the Content Center and inserted the holes are generated by means of sketch, then all the same holes for a standard part will always be provided.

It would be very useful to manually use SHIFT / CTRL, the Explorer added holes / de-selecting. see picture

ORIGINAL IDEA (in German):

Wird in eine Platte mit Bohrungen ein Normteil über das Inhaltscenter eingefügt und die Bohrungen sind mittels Skizze erzeugt, dann werden immer alle gleichen Bohrungen für ein Normteil vorgesehen.

Sehr hilfreich wäre es wenn mann mittels SHIFT / STRG wie im Explorer Bohrungen hinzu / abwählen kann. Siehe Bild

[Uwe_Lindner]

[jletcher]

To translate to english...

Is a plate with holes a standard part on the Content Center inserted and the holes are produced by drawing, then all the same holes for a standard part will always be provided. It would be very helpful if man using SHIFT / CTRL, the Explorer added holes / de-selecting. see picture

[jletcher]

Note in Picture

Unfortunately, you cannot bore of the selection exclude

sad face...

[jletcher]

Hope it is right German getting rusty...

[Curtis_Waguespack]

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@Anonymous wrote:
Hope it is right German getting rusty...

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It must not be too rusty, you came up with an exact translation as Google Translate!

I do think the ability to deselect a hole when using Content Center's Autodrop > Follow Pattern switch, would be a nice improvement that is worth exploring.

[SteveMDennis]

We probably could not allow this on ANY feature but we could enable it for features that have discernible repetitions.

Hole is obvious, any other features that have "patterns" like this? 

[mcgyvr]

Drop dead simple here.. (showing how easy/very few mouse clicks,etc.. this can be)

http://www.kwikmcad.com/icode/kwiksert_64/kwiksert_64.html

Pick screw feature (edges,etc..)... Pick hole... Pick face... Voila... MAGIC....

The BEST part of that addin is how you simply continue picking holes and it automatically places/constrains a new part.. That works great when you don't have holes on a face but maybe need to constrain a bunch of bolts to a bunch of washers.. You just keep clicking the washer hole and boom.. new part placed/constrained.. then next washer hole and boom..and on and on and on..

Its a "Super Insert Constraint" tool... 

OH and I would bet this is a duplicate idea already... 

[chrisw01a]

Will have to check it out.

What happens if you go back and delete one of the holes?

[philthalmann]

Slots? 

Center points? This would be handy for arranging parts or sub-assemblies on a base piece that doesn't use holes/bolts for fastening them.

[mcgyvr]

@chrisw01a

When you delete a hole with kwiksert you get the normal error just like when any constraint feature is deleted..

Thats normal out of the box Inventor functionality.. 

[SteveMDennis]

But if you delete a hole in a feature pattern and update the assembly the bolt quietly disappears. We can do the same for a hole feature if it was associative to a component pattern, we just can't today in Inventor.

[chrisw01a]

Yes, it would have many many uses.

Thanks

[chrisw01a]

Got it. Thank you.

[imajar]

Solidworks has this feature, and I used it all the time.  It was a huge time saver.