I typically design CNC metal parts, but most of them get 3D printed with FDM ABS/ASA/Nylon prior to machining. Instead of tapping the plastic, I use Ultraserts II, available from McMaster.
In some cases, I need to create 2 versions of the design, one for CNC, one for FDM. In the CAD model, I design for CNC and then replace tapped holes with holes for the heat inserts, down at the bottom of the feature tree. Then I roll up the "End of Part" marker for CNC, drop it down for FDM.
The heat insert cutout I use is from the manufacturer's spec, but it always requires 2 hole features to accomplish the cutout. I also use a slightly tweaked cutout uses 3 hole features, shown below:
I created an iFeature for this, but it is a pain to do each hole, one at a time. And the feature only works for one insert part number, where I have about 12 parts I commonly use. I just want to create a sketch, add sketch points (based on existing holes), end sketch and apply the iFeature for all points, but I don't know how to do it that way.
Any tips on how to do this?
