Ilogic to tell the parent feature of a bend line edge in a sheet metal flat pattern?

[Stephan.Osterhaus]

Hello All,

I'm looking for a way to determine which feature in the model browser was responsible for creating a specific bend line in the sheet metal function. We currently have the following code to identify upward bend lines (the ones that need located are only upward) and place a small hole that our cam software will recognize as a bend mark location. We only need to identify 6 points on the part (the endpoints for the base 3 bends though occasionally the third is not needed and we'll switch to 2 main bends) but there are other bends on the part and those are currently being picked up by the script as well. They have to be manually deleted in a dxf editor. I'm wondering if there's a way to identify which feature created the bend after identifying the bend curves and tracing back the part feature responsible for their creation. I can then check and see if it is an upward bend line we actually want to bother marking and ignore it if its not. 

'[ edit these variables as needed
sSketchName = "Flat Pattern Sketch"
sHoleName = "Locator Holes"
oOffset = 0 'defines offset from edge of flat pattern
oDiameter = .5/10 'defines hole diameter
']	

'  a reference to the active document.
Dim oPartDoc As PartDocument
oPartDoc = ThisApplication.ActiveDocument

'verify document type is sheet metal
If oPartDoc.ComponentDefinition.Type <> 150995200 Then
	MessageBox.Show("File is not a sheet metal part.", "iLogic")
	Exit Sub
End If

Dim oCompDef As SheetMetalComponentDefinition
oCompDef = oPartDoc.ComponentDefinition

' Check to make sure a flat pattern is open.
If Not TypeOf ThisApplication.ActiveEditObject Is FlatPattern Then
	Try
		If oCompDef.HasFlatPattern = False Then
			oCompDef.Unfold
		Else
			oCompDef.FlatPattern.Edit
		End If
	Catch
		MessageBox.Show("Error editting the flat pattern.", "iLogic")

	End Try
End If

'  a reference to the active flat pattern.
Dim oFlatPattern As FlatPattern
oFlatPattern = ThisApplication.ActiveEditObject

'clean up existing holes
Dim oHole As HoleFeature
For Each oHole In oFlatPattern.Features.HoleFeatures
	oHole.Delete
Next
 
Dim oFace As Face
'oFace = oFlatPattern.BottomFace
oFace = oFlatPattern.TopFace

Dim oSketch As PlanarSketch

'clean up existing sketch
For Each oSketch In oFlatPattern.Sketches
	If oSketch.Name = sSketchName Then
		oSketch.Delete
	End If
Next

' Create a new sketch.  The second argument specifies to include/not include
' the edges of the face in the sketch.
oSketch = oFlatPattern.Sketches.Add(oFace, False)

' Change the name.
oSketch.Name = sSketchName

' Create a new object collection for the hole center points.
oHoleCenters = ThisApplication.TransientObjects.CreateObjectCollection

Dim oTG As TransientGeometry
oTG = ThisApplication.TransientGeometry	
	
Dim oPoint As Point2d
Dim oSketchPoint As SketchPoint
'oOffset = oOffset * 2.5400013716 'converts cm to inches

Dim oEdge As Edge
Dim oEdges As Edges

' Get all Bend UP edges
'where true = top face
oEdges = _
oFlatPattern.GetEdgesOfType( _
FlatPatternEdgeTypeEnum.kBendUpFlatPatternEdge, True) 

For Each oEdge In oEdges
    Dim oLine As SketchLine = oSketch.AddByProjectingEntity(oEdge)
	
	yMaxPoint = oLine.RangeBox.MaxPoint.Y
	xMaxPoint = oLine.RangeBox.MaxPoint.X
	yMinPoint = oLine.RangeBox.MinPoint.Y
	xMinPoint = oLine.RangeBox.MinPoint.X
	
	slope = Atan((yMaxPoint - yMinPoint) / (xMaxPoint - xMinPoint))
	Xa1 = Cos(slope)/10
	Ya1 = Sin(slope)/10

	oVec_Y1 = oTG.CreateVector2d(Xa1, Ya1)		
	oVec_Y2 = oTG.CreateVector2d(-Xa1, -Ya1)
	
	' Create a vectors along the y-axis.
	Dim oVec_Y As Vector2d

	oSketchPoint = oSketch.SketchPoints.Add(oLine.StartSketchPoint.Geometry, True)
	oSketchPoint.MoveBy(oVec_Y1)
    oHoleCenters.Add(oSketchPoint)
	oSketchPoint = oSketch.SketchPoints.Add(oLine.StartSketchPoint.Geometry, True)
	oSketchPoint.MoveBy(oVec_Y2)
    oHoleCenters.Add(oSketchPoint)

	oSketchPoint = oSketch.SketchPoints.Add(oLine.EndSketchPoint.Geometry, True)
	oSketchPoint.MoveBy(oVec_Y1)
	oHoleCenters.Add(oSketchPoint)
	oSketchPoint = oSketch.SketchPoints.Add(oLine.EndSketchPoint.Geometry, True)
	oSketchPoint.MoveBy(oVec_Y2)
	oHoleCenters.Add(oSketchPoint)
    oLine.Delete()
Next

    ' Create the hole feature.
    oHole =  oFlatPattern.Features.HoleFeatures.AddDrilledByThroughAllExtent( _
                            oHoleCenters, oDiameter , kPositiveExtentDirection)
							'oHoleCenters, oDiameter * 2.5400013716 , kPositiveExtentDirection)

	oHole.Name = sHoleName
	oSketch.Visible = True
InventorVb.DocumentUpdate()
MessageBox.Show("Message", "Title")

On a more broad note the issues we're facing here are stemming from not really having a reference that is consistent between the flat and folded models. A lot of times these parts will have cut features that remove what I would like to use as a reference point. What I would love is a feature like a point or line that isn't physical geometry but still unfolds with it so I could use it as a reference. That way when I'm automatically running a batch of these things I don't have to worry about my reference being deleted while still being in a predicable spot on the flat. 

[Curtis_Waguespack]

---

@Stephan.Osterhaus wrote:

On a more broad note the issues we're facing here are stemming from not really having a reference that is consistent between the flat and folded models. A lot of times these parts will have cut features that remove what I would like to use as a reference point. What I would love is a feature like a point or line that isn't physical geometry but still unfolds with it so I could use it as a reference. That way when I'm automatically running a batch of these things I don't have to worry about my reference being deleted while still being in a predicable spot on the flat. 

---

Hi @Stephan.Osterhaus 

I'm not sure how to track the bend edge back to the parent feature

But, if you create a sketch on the face of the folded model you can then right click on it and choose Copy to Flat Pattern. That might or might not be of interest for your end goal.

I hope this helps.
Best of luck to you in all of your Inventor pursuits,
Curtis
http://inventortrenches.blogspot.com