How to create a cartoon style "ACME" portable hole

[Anonymous]

I have been trying to create a part, which when mated to another part in an assembly, will put holes into the second part. Example - a display attached to the front of a door. Neither part can be created together, they have to be brought together long after creation.

The closest I have come seems complex:

Create a display assembly, containing additional "hole" parts. Mate this assembly to the door in a master assembly. Promote the hole parts from the display assembly to the top level. Demote the holes and door into an interim assembly. Create a new top level part as a derived part using the door and subtraction of the holes from the interim assembly. Replace the interim assembly with the new derived door inc. holes part.

Follow that????

Anyway, I now need to automate this!!! Does anyone have any pointers on how to manipulate files in this manner using iLogic / VB (bearing in mind i don't know how many hole parts there will be) Or, better still, a new simpler route to follow.

I would SERIOUSLY appreciate any helpful hints. (Other than get a new job)

I am using Inventor Pro 2011

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I have been trying to create a part, which when mated to another part in an assembly, will put holes into the second part.

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Very keen to see the solution to this... I'd love to see functionality to all you to add a "clearance" feature or something to a part, so that when you mate that Part A to Part B (a mounting plate for example) it automatically subtracts necessary clearance from Part B. Basically so the geometry for mounting holes etc is captured in Part A, not the mounting plate...

I suspect the best answer however will be something to do with iFeatures an iMates... You could add an iFeature containing an iMate, to the door in your case, then add the corresponding iMate to the component your installing...

Cheers

[Anonymous]

I know it must be possible (and I hate to say a current feature in Solidworks does this.......) but i'm not too sure about the iFeature/iMate approach either. I tried it a while ago. Unfortunately for me, I HAVE to make this work now. I'm going to play about with the iFeatures again today. If I get anywhere, i'll let you know.

Any other hints appreciated.......

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

have you looked at FeatureMigrator for Inventor?

"This plugin allows Inventor users to more easily create parts from assembly features. Through functionality provided by the tool, users are able to migrate (re-create) an existing assembly feature in the relevant sub-parts at the right location in the part space and with the same properties as the parent feature in the assembly. The FeatureMigrator can reliably migrate an assembly feature to the part level. This can save a lot of time and effort for the user when compared with the manual approach, i.e., creating the equivalent features in the affected parts."

http://labs.autodesk.com/utilities/featuremanager/

That's about all I know about it.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

have you looked at FeatureMigrator for Inventor?

"This plugin allows Inventor users to more easily create parts from assembly features. Through functionality provided by the tool, users are able to migrate (re-create) an existing assembly feature in the relevant sub-parts at the right location in the part space and with the same properties as the parent feature in the assembly. The FeatureMigrator can reliably migrate an assembly feature to the part level. This can save a lot of time and effort for the user when compared with the manual approach, i.e., creating the equivalent features in the affected parts."

http://labs.autodesk.com/utilities/featuremanager/

That's about all I know about it.

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I tried Feature Migrator.

Just so that you're aware, it copies your IPT to a new name and creates the feature on the new IPT and replaces your original part in the assembly with the new one. You will have to create a new IDW for the new IPT.

Mike

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

You will have to create a new IDW for the new IPT.

 Mike

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For what it's worth, the Subscription Bonus Pack contains a tool to "Replace Model Reference"... So in your old .idw, you can replace the model reference so that it references your new .ipt. That way you don't need to create any new drawings.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

You will have to create a new IDW for the new IPT.

 Mike

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For what it's worth, the Subscription Bonus Pack contains a tool to "Replace Model Reference"... So in your old .idw, you can replace the model reference so that it references your new .ipt. That way you don't need to create any new drawings.

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I don't have the Bonus Pack, since our Subscription Coordinator didn't download the Bonus Pack or any of the other Subscription benefits and we are no longer on subscription, so I'm SOL.

Mike

[Anonymous]

thanks for the info.

>"it copies your IPT to a new name and creates the feature on the new IPT"

I think that'd work well with the OP's task

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I don't have the Bonus Pack...

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I just tried this out. What I did was just close the assembly, delete the original part, and then renamed the newly created part to the original name. Then the assembly resolved the files without issue.

[Anonymous]

You may be onto something there!

I don't suppose you know how to activate this addin - with reference to the required geometry, in VB??

P.s, if this works you are an absolute star mate!