Suggestion: Hole Feature, Please expand options for Slot, Hex, Sq Holes!

[Hunteil]

Please Add to the Hole Feature tool, Slot, Hex and Square Holes.

Reason: The hole feature has a few benefits over other methods of creating shaped holes and would really increase the friendliness of the program for the users. It is often over looked b/c you can do most of the stuff hole feature can already do using sketches and using the shapes there... But Hole Feature is better b/c it uses allows the use of automatic Hole Tables. And it also can provide recommended hole clearances for various sizes fasteners. It's just much faster and simpler too. Currently we are using punches in sheet metal to help us remember what the hole clearances are. But Punches do not function the same way as holes. Not to mention if you don't include custom sizes in those punches and now you have to delete the feature. Where-as the hole tool you can just edit the feature and easily adjust as needed. Plus the constraints are easy too.

I think it also works better with iMates but I could be wrong.

Example of Holes

This suggestion kinda duplicates the Hole Feature request for Slots as seen in all these links. But this expands on their requests to other commonly used shapes.

• https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-ideas/slot-feature-creation-in-modeling-mode/idi-p/4601899#c...
• https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-ideas/hole-to-slot-slot-to-hole/idi-p/8689133
• https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-ideas/inventor-hole-table-to-pickup-slot-center-point/idc-p/...
• https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-ideas/hole-feature-slot/idc-p/11324056#M45949
• https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-ideas/constrain-to-the-center-of-a-slot-or-center-of-a-squar...

As a benefit for all the ideas... This gives Autodesk Developers more reason to work on this b/c they can sit down and work on this chunk of work all at once. It does need attention as shown below... I'm sure there's others.

• https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-ideas/sheet-metal-fold-tool-flat-pattern-hole-table-needs-to...

[Carlos.Dipierro]

seria muy bueno  

[ewoudvanduijn]

A similar idea popped up once more last week 'HOLE TO SLOT; SLOT TO HOLE COMMAND' . Let's keep asking for this!

[CStilesCARE]

If I could like this more than once, I'd probably give it 100+.

This is an idea that would drastically improve the the ease-of-use use of Inventor, probably in a way that many who don't already fully utilize the current 'hole' feature and all it brings don't realize, and it would open up more manufacturing options to more people.

I'm willing to bet that many people don't bother to use things like slots or square holes MAINLY BECAUSE they're not part of the Hole feature and are so much more of a hassle to use, even though using them can have a HUGE benefit for assembling / working with the parts that have them.

For non-circular hole shapes, it's literally the difference between having the benefits/utilities of the hole feature versus not having it.

Imagine if, for all holes, you didn't have the hole feature at all, and had to use "extrude" or similar everywhere instead, then manually add things like countersink/counterbore (placing all the numbers for hole/bolt/feature dimensions manually), and THEN communicate all that info to drawings manually...

How many people wouldn't bother modelling holes at all if it was that much work, and just used maybe sketched center points and/or drawing notes instead?

[lance3]

I wonder how many people use sketched center points versus lines/polygons to define hole locations

Yes I create holes on the end of lines or rectangle corners or polygons and then to create Carriage location squares for plough or carriage or coach bolts using the polygon feature

I discourage the use of sketched center points unless someone can show me a benefit.

You can in the sketch constrain the hole center points with a line, rectangle or polygon. Easy to set symmetrical or midplane setups and they cannot rotate of flex a dimension like a center point can.

[Hunteil]

@lance3, placing holes with the hole command using center points allow you to control the hole size using a feature's menu. The feature menu allows you to use the standard recommended libraries that Inventor advertises (it's a major selling point.). i.e. you can select hole>clearance hole and pick a screw size and it'll make the hole the correct size with required tolerances. But if you like teaching new employees that you need to enter a equation each time to ensure it's correct, then I guess that's fine. Granted a company I contacted through to help them just guessed every time and had loads of ECOs to correct their mistakes. They used a inferior CAD program at the time.

Maybe someone else can weigh in with other benefits. I know the hole table can use both methods, I think pattern with feature may not though and only works with center point holes. IIRC one of the constraint methods can't detect certain things in 1 versus the other. It's been a long time for me. We've all converted to center point holes and single sketches for each hole type b/c all the previous models at this company used cut/extrude holes and the sizes were hard to confirm w/out going into sketch and reviewing every single circle's constraints for things like Equals constraint and tracking down other side. Having it as a feature is far easier for reviewing.

Another benefit: You can still run 1 sketch for dozens of features. But that sketch doesn't carry the size of the hole, just where they belong. Makes it easier or re-assigning. (We try not to do this much though b/c returning and retracing steps can still be a pain. So we try to project geometry instead.)

[lance3]

@Hunteil 

I use the Hole command and it is quite good, but has it limits.

Like a lot of INV features - there are hidden gems, you need to try things and see if they work. They are everywhere in INV, not entirely obvious.  The Bolted connection is one of the better ones.

I was only pointing out that center points have their place and if you want to use them - no worries.

Below I use sketch polygons, rectangles and line to define a relationship - rather than center points

Centre points require 2 dimensions or constraints.

Where as you can define a line and a anchor point, with aligned length and angle if you want a circular pattern.

Really good for flange plates etc., as the angle enables you to offset say from one of the major axes

The rectangle below to define placement of holes can be replaced with polygon or any other shape

Below use of hole as you have described above - can fine tune size or thread or start configuration or even drill depth

Below I have been working with another user who loves center points(I did at the start too)

What I have found is that he only constrained between the center points and not to any other geometry or even constrain to ground or in line etc.  This has meant that as I modified the parts the center points moved about each other, still keeping the dimension relationship between them, moving about like a snake as there was several points all linked by dimensions. I am sure you wouldn't do that yourself, but it is a trap for beginners.

BTW this is an extension of when I first started out using INV.

I wanted to see what INV was like (no 3D CAD experience) so the local reseller sent me to see another user in my area.  Told me to take note of how the user, didnt use any form of constraint to the origin planes.

I noticed this myself.  Then watched in horror as the user then extruded parts etc and wondered why they moved about when the assemblies used the origin planes.  Yes the sketches just slide around the sketch plane and resulted in rather random events. LOL

Once one or two constraints added - all things went well.

This this lack of easy constrain that I am thinking about here, easier to use midpoints of polygons on work/origin projected planes etc. as much as possible - keep it symmetrical - great for things like long conveyors - make everything off the center plane

 Have a look below and see if you agree.

I still like you original post about Hex, slotted holes etc

Here is my addition to your request.

A CSK hole which is counterbored deeper before the CSK is started.

Its just an offset from the starting surface,

This feature could also be added to the start treatment of a Bolted Connection? 

Sure I can do this as I have done, but that is a couple of features to many.

[whinkle]

While they're at it (we hope!) please include also the standard  IEC keyed operator punches for 22mm and 30mm (nominal) pilot devices as selectable "hole" types.  Maybe the 16mm too while they're on a roll.