Treat "Mirror" in an assembly like a pattern (maintain symmetry)

[DRoam]

Right now there is no good way to create an automated mirror of several parts in an assembly. The current "Mirror" command really just creates a mirrored Derived part (or a mirrored assembly) for parts or assemblies which cannot be made symmetric by simply being re-oriented. This is useful but it's not what most people want when trying to perform a "Mirror" operation in an assembly.

The mirror command does not maintain the positional symmetric relationship between the original and mirrored parts in an assembly. It should. If I change the position of the original part, the mirrored part should reflect this change on its side of the mirror plane.

Just like with a Pattern, there should be no constraints involved. I should simply have to pick the components to mirror, pick the mirror plane, and Inventor should look at each part, and essentially ROTATE it about the appropriate axis and stick it on the other side of the mirror plane. If there are sub-assemblies or parts that can't be made symmetric about the plane by simply being rotated, then Inventor should give me the option to do what the Mirror command currently does as a part of the Mirror operation. But then the Mirror operation should appear in the browser tree as a "Mirror pattern" which can be modified later, and which will maintain symmetry between the original and mirrored instances.

Note: I'm aware that there are some instances when a 180-degree circular pattern will accomplish this, but that doesn't always work. If I want a left/right mirror of several components, a 180-degree circular pattern about the vertical axis will only create that symmetry if the components are also symmetric on the forward and rearward sides of the rotation axis. If they're not, then the differences between the front and back will be flipped on the mirrored side. Only a true "mirror pattern" will create left/right symmetry in this case.

[DRoam]

Treason!!!

..... but it's true.

[jtylerbc]

Some type of "Mirror Pattern" would be great.

Even if all they did was make it so that mirroring parts automatically created Symmetry constraints about the mirror plane, that would be better than what we have now.  I generally teach my users not to even bother with the Mirror Components command, as they just end up having to constrain it themselves anyway.

[Kelly_Shuman]

What we really need is a way to place parts like so:

* Place #A-Z number of instances of a part into the assembly.

* Automatically, Create Constraints between orignial part, PART, and PARTA

* Manually, select Origin Planes and Work Plane(s) and Axis(es) of PART to Pattern

* And, enter dimension or equation into pattern Dimension field; and Quantity.

* Toggle, either Flush or Mated face(s)...that's like mirroring, right?

* Also, do this with Assemblies.

* Perhaps, utilize a Folder.

* Add Virtual Parts.

* Good Luck.

Do not use Component Pattern.

[marek_szturc]

Yes, I agree with user nausd

[Kelly_Shuman]

Whoops, that is confusing.  This is more what I was thinking.

Mirror PART:

* Select PART to mirror.

* Select Mirror Plane

* Automatically, Place 2 instances of Part in Assembly.

* Automatically, Create 2  Flush Constraints between PART and PARTA

* And, Create 1 Symmetry Contraint between PART, PARTA, and Mirror Plane.

* Enter, dimension for distance between PART and Mirror Plane

THIS WORKS BETTER THAN MIRROR BECAUSE THERE ARE CONSTRAINTS THAT CAN BE ADJUSTED LATER.

Pattern PART

* Select PART to Pattern.

* Manually, select Origin Plane(s), Work Plane(s) and Axis(es) of PART to Pattern (planes and axis should be visible for this operation).

* Enter Quantity, #N, of PART to be placed.

* Automatically, Place #N (A-ZZ) number of instances of PART into the assembly.

* Automatically, Create Flush Constraints between PART's origin planes and PARTA's origin planes... and PART and PARTB...and so on.

* And, enter dimension, D1, or equation into pattern Dimension field, which would adjust the distance from the selected Flush Constraint of PART and PARTA

     - The "original constraint",D1, will be between PART and PARTA.  Constraints from PART to PARTB will be based on #N*D1

     - To change a pattern, adjust dimensions in D1....There could be a unitless dimension in parameter manager to adjust quantity. 

Do not use Component Pattern.  Component Pattern gets locked in Browser order, doesn't behave well for when highlighting multiple parts to make changes, and causes people to select pattern direction features not associated with PART, so they are all lost if assembly is copied to another assembly.

[Anonymous]

Yes please. If I want to mirror a part I can derive it myself. This being right next to pattern component is just confusing and strange. Not really related.

COPY WITH MATES as well!

[lukas_hruby]

Yes, I agree with user

[lukas_hruby]

Yes, I agree with user.

[DRoam]

It sounds like a lot of users would like the ability to automatically create mirroring constraints when mirroring.

If that's something a lot of users want, then it's definitely worth having as an option if Autodesk is up for it. But since it seems a bit more complicated to me, I don't want hesitation to tackle that functionality to delay the much more basic functionality that this Idea is asking for, which is simply to maintain the mirror relationship between the original and mirrored instances after using the Mirror command. Along with that is the need to be able to specify, as a part of the mirror operation, which components to just re-orient, and which to create derived mirrored versions. But that's what the mirror command already does. All we're adding is the ability to maintain the mirror relationship.

Comments on which type of mirror you would like to see, and why, would be very helpful! If there's enough support behind a mirror-with-constraints function, that could potentially be implemented as a separate option when mirroring. Thanks to all for your feedback.

[Anonymous]

I personally have little use for a derived mirrored component at the assembly level. I classify that as a part level issue.  The only thing I want in a mirror constraint/relationship is for it to place and maintain the relationship across a mirror plane.

I suppose thats my confusion with the location of the tool.  Pattern doesn't create new versions of parts, it just places identical instances of the existing part in new locations.

Copy here should be a copy with mates function, not creating a new part. And likewise for mirror. It seems there are two different design desires being housed in that pattern area... one that creates new parts, and one that places existing parts in new locations.

[dusan.naus.trz]

Could it work like here ?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mh_oCj4UbZE

or: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxnlWozVCBc

please kudos

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-ideastation/assembly-mirror-part/idi-p/4374983

[Anonymous]

Yes, I agree with user nausd.

When will it be?  I can not wait. I hope that it could already Inventor 2017 ?

[gusi_cl]

After its introduction, this command haven't be introduced development.

I think it's a good idea if it will be able to create a new assembly when I ask to reuse all the components. Now it's impossible.

Another good idea is if it link the distance from the mirror plane. Now it read the distance and create a new constraint with this value. It will be great if the constraint link the parameter of the offset of the plane (if exist).

[gusi_cl]

If you try to mirror an assembly, the result isn't correct. See the image. The assembly is rotated and not mirrored like if you mirror any single component

[Anonymous]

And make the mirror function as a editable feature so it can be reedit.

[gusi_cl]

I fully subscribe this last comment.Very great idea making MIRROR like PATTERN!

[dan_szymanski]

Hello @Anonymous,

I am going to merge this idea into a duplicate that is listed here :http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-ideastation/treat-quot-mirror-quot-in-an-assembly-like-a-pattern-maintain/idi-p/5700576

However I was able to successfully mirror (with the correct orientation) your simple weldment by modifying one component as a true mirror.

[hugo.trepanier]

Mirror in an assembly is a feature killer for Inventor from SolidWorks. It's hard to me to show that Inventor is better than SolidWorks in this case. I can't understand why this feature is not available in the new version. Please Autodesk could do this ASAP, all my customers wait for this functionnality. The actual mirror constraint is a joke!! I'm shy to use it. Inventor is a 3D CAD system and this constraint work like a 2D cad!! This mirror constraint need to lock the other part in X,Y and Z position, not just in one axis. Could you imagine the time spend in Inventor to recreate all constraints in this case depending the assembly to realize?

[dusan.naus.trz]

I agree with hugo.trepanier, I'm also waiting for better mirror in Inventor, Work with Multisolid in Solidworks is also better. Solidworks can part list from multisolid and can insert frame multisolid.

look at hugo.trepanier

Mirror in SolidWorks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mh_oCj4UbZE

or: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxnlWozVCBc

Multisolid in Inventor badly

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hyu3jXcIEEk

[activeradio]

+1 Autodesk please fix this command, it is the most obviously flawed command when compared with other modellers.

- Maintain symmetry properly based on original part position and mirror plane only

- Make it an editable feature

It's the lack of consistency across the product that is the most frustrating when coming from one of the competitors.