Inventor API: How to Create Hollow Tee Joint for Separate Flat Patterns?

[jaydeep_jogdand3EEFP]

Hi all,

         I'm working on generating a T-shape (tee connector) using the Inventor API in the Sheet Metal environment. I’ve successfully created the T-shape by combining two hollow cylinders — a horizontal and a vertical branch — as shown in the image below:

  

     The issue I'm facing is that when I combine the two bodies, the overlapping/intersecting material is not removed. As a result, the model is not hollow at the intersection.

In the Inventor UI, I would normally use the Trim Surface command to cleanly remove the intersecting material and create a proper hollow T-joint. Surface feature tools are not currently supported in the API.

But here’s the challenge:

     Trim Surface is not exposed in the Inventor API, so I can't replicate this operation programmatically.

I want to generate flat patterns separately for both the horizontal and vertical branches of the tee.

For that, I need a way to remove the intersecting material to ensure both parts unfold properly and independently.

My questions:

      1)Is there an alternative method using Inventor API to replicate what Trim Surface does in the UI?

      2)Can this be done using surface bodies, split features, or other modeling strategies?

    3)Any suggestions for how to create a clean hollow intersection between two cylinders (that remain separate bodies) via code?

Any help, examples, or references would be much appreciated!

[CGBenner]

@jaydeep_jogdand3EEFP 

Welcome to the forum!  I would suggest that, if possible, you share your part file here so that the experts can take a look and offer any ideas.  What version of Inventor are you working in?

[jaydeep_jogdand3EEFP]

Thank you!
I'm currently working with Inventor 2024.
I've uploaded the TeePart.ipt file below for reference. Looking forward to any suggestions or guidance from the experts.

[CGBenner]

@jaydeep_jogdand3EEFP 
 

Hi, were you able to get this figured out?  Bumping the thread in case someone has any suggestions.

[WCrihfield · Accepted solution]

I would help a bit more, but I have simply been super busy lately.  We finally got Vault 2024 Pro a week or so ago, and have been having tons of complicated issues with getting all our many years worth of engineering files put into it.  Lots of stuff with missing file references, and lots of duplicated that we had no idea about...the list is long and too much to explain here.

Anyways, I downloaded your part, then fixed the 'split' issue (using two split features).  The updated part is attached to this reply.  I went ahead and combined the two bodies again, just to see the smooth results, but that combine feature can quickly and easily be deleted.  I was curious why you chose to start with simple circle sketches and extruded surfaces instead of solids from the start, but figured you were planning on using those surfaces later for the 'trimming', which I did, just not the modeling history I was expecting.

I have never attempted to use multiple bodies (especially rounded ones, going in perpendicular directions) within sheet metal files that I needed to then get flat patterns from, so this is a new one for me.  I have no idea how you would get flat patterns from that.  I would have simply made two separate parts from the start.  Another idea would be to start with two empty parts, save them, then put them into an assembly, then 'in-place' edit them, within the assembly, so that you can see the geometry of both at the same time, and project geometry between the two.  I usually break any Links between parts within assemblies, to avoid the additional external file reference dependencies, but that's just me.

From within a multi-body part, you can export each body as a separate part, but in doing so, you will loose the modeling history and parameters, which is likely a big deal if you are trying to create a 'configurator' for making 'tees'.  Plus, the resulting new body may maintain a 'Link' or dependency on the original multi-body part, as in being Derived into the other part, if that Link is not suppressed or broken.

Just throwing some ideas out there to break the silence.  It is a pretty odd request, but then again many in this forum are, so...

Edit:  Oops, forgot to mention the API stuff you were asking about.  Yes, I believe it could be done by code using 'SplitFeature', but I have not done much those by code myself, so no examples already exist in my 'code toolbox' to share at the moment, and I am about to leave for the day.  I hope this helps some.

SheetMetalFeatures.SplitFeatures 

SplitFeatures 

SplitFeatures.SplitBody 

SplitFeatures.SplitFaces 

SplitFeatures.TrimSolid 

[CGBenner]

@jaydeep_jogdand3EEFP 

Did the information provided answer your question? If so, please use Accept Solution so that others may find this in the future. Thank you very much!