Hiding the Skeleton Part in Your Inventor Frame Generator

“If you cannot get rid of the family skeleton, you may as well make it dance.”
George Bernard Shaw


Many a blog post has been inspired by a simple question.  This post is definitely one that came out of the "How can I get rid of the skeleton model used for Inventor's Frame Generator." 

Since the skeleton is part, by default, Inventor counts it as a component when we use it to make a frame with Frame Generator.  Every frame created using Frame Generator has one.

This leaves us with an extra part, one that Inventor uses for it's purposes, but will never exist in the real world.

Wouldn't it be great if we could make that component a "ghost" component?  Maybe like a "phantom"?

I'm playing on words, Inventor does have phantom components, and just like their name implies, they're intended to help us build our assemblies, but may not be part of the "real world" design.

In short, you can edit the Bill of Materials from the Assembly tab in your Inventor assembly, and change the BOM structure there.

First, edit the Bill of Materials

Then you can change the structure

 Naturally, there has to be a video to go with it.  So here it is!  Enjoy!

And by the way! If your new to Frame Generator, Rob Cohee has some nice videos HERE on how to use Frame generator!

Publishing a Downloaded Valve to Inventor's Content Center

“The biggest difference between time and space is that you can't reuse time”
Merrick Furst

This weekend I was put forth the challenge to "Build a valve from this website, then use it in an Inventor Design".

I went to the website to get the specifications, and found that the company had already published their content for you to download, which is becoming quite common these days.

The downloaded valve

So why rebuild it?  I'm sure you could make a case for having full control over the model, since you decide how it's built.  But then again, why spend your time, and money, building another company's part if they've already supplied it?  It might take you a couple of hours to build it, when you can download it in a few minutes.

So I decided to go ahead and download the part.  Then show how you can publish it to content center, straight from the website.  And many times, the part has all the accuracy you need for it's proper integration in the design.

So the next time you think about building a vendor part, make sure they haven't done the heavy lifting for you.

After all, isn't good engineering about not reinventing the wheel?

Using Positional Representations in Autodesk Inventor

“Everyone is jockeying for position in a rapidly changing world and industry.”
Jeff Kagan

I have discovered that I can sometimes have a memory like a steel sieve. 

Not that long ago, I was teaching in class, and the question came up: "How can I show alternate positions, like fully extended and fully retracted, inside Inventor.

"Positional Representations are perfect for showing exactly that."  I say. "I have a video for that!"  I continue triumphantly. 

Those of you who've been in a class, or in one of my presentations have probably heard me say that. 

Sometimes I even imaging myself in that "Captain Morgan's" pose.

I go to locate my video, and suddenly I feel a bit sheepish. 

I don't have one.  I must have never created the video I swore I had created! 

So, in order to rectify that particular situation, here you go, a video on creating positional representations in Autodesk Inventor.

View Representations in Part Files - The Movie!

 This is a continuation of my previous post on View Representations in Part Files - New for Autodesk Inventor 2012

Thanks to a little help from Paul Munford of CadSetterOut and Techsmith, my Camtasia is up and running again.  it was indeed an easy setting (see my previous post for the solution).

So, now as an addendum to the text only post on Monday April 4th, here's the video below!

Enjoy!

Setting the Highlights - Controlling Selection Highlights in Autodesk Inventor

“For me, the proof of the pudding is always at the end of the season and how good the signings are will be highlighted then.”
Steve McClaren

I ran into one of those 'random' things today.

You may have seen it, one of those settings that you stumble upon while looking for something else and think "So that's where that is set!"

The little setting I ran across was "Enable Advanced Highlighting".  It's located in Applications Options, on the "Colors" tab.

The "Enable Advanced Highlighting" option

What does this setting do? When you select component, it controls how your selection highlight appears.

If you uncheck the option, the selection highlight will look like the image below:

  

 

 

 

Selected component with "Enable Advanced Highlight" option unchecked

If you check "Enable Advanced Highlighting":

Now the "Enabled Advanced Highlighting" option is checked

The selection highlighting now changes to this:

The preview now that the "Enable Advanced Highlighting" option is checked

 So which should you use?  That's up to you.  Inventor will function the same whichever option you choose.  It's all about what you prefer.

Personally, now that I've located the setting, I'll be enabling the advanced highlighting from now on!

Happy Inventing.

Tolerances - How Do They Stack Up?

“The role of art is to make a world which can be tolerated.”
 William Saroyan

I remember when I was in industry, I worked with a lot of parts that were exposed to moisture.  I would write down a lot of tolerances on a piece of paper, trying to figure out if if two parts would fit through their full range of those tight tolerances.

A representation of the type of parts I once worked on

I still remember one case, over a decade later.  I had carefully calculated my tolerances on a close tolerance part, and the list had been checked twice.  The parts were sent out, and we waited eagerly for the first samples.

A few weeks later my boss had called me into his office, and he said the words no designer wants to hear.

"The first samples are in, and you made a mistake." 

My heart sinks into my shoes.


"You added the Maximum Material Condition.... TWICE.  The print is wrong."

"Oh dear."  I answer.  (Okay those weren't my actual words).

My boss smiles.  "You lucked out."

My eyebrow raises.

My boss continues, "The manufacturers tooling cuts too much material, by the same value as your tolerance.  They're asking if we can accept the deviation.  I'm going to say after careful studying, we can accept it."

I smile.  I can't help it.  I've actually seen a case where two negatives made a positive!  I'VE DEFIED MURPHY!

Still, it cost me some grief, and likely contributed to the current aerodynamic haircut covered by my snowboard helmet.

So what's the moral of my story?  Inventor has a tool that would have helped me out a lot:  Model Tolerances! 

In short, it lets you set the  tolerances of the dimensions in your model, then set them to the maximum material condition (for example).  Then use the interference checker at those conditions.

It's a lot easier than my old piece of paper, and may have helped me stay away form my aerodynamic haircut a little bit longer!  So here's the video of how I might have done it if had today's tools way back when!

Sectioning Parts in Assembly - Who's Section is it, Anyway?

“Divide your movements into easy-to-do sections. If you fail, divide again.”
 Peter Nivio Zarlenga

Coming up with a blog post was a little difficult after a great holiday with friends and family, as well as a fantastic snowboarding trip to Mammoth Mountain, Ca.

But here's a situation that was asked of me before I left for my holiday that caused me to wrack my brain a bit.

The question was this:  I want to create a section in an assembly, but I want to control who sections, and who doesn't. 

This is what I started with

Fortunately,  I had found this once long ago, and the memory was still in the back of my head, covered by a thick layer of mental dust.

I had to remember how to get to something like this

So before I forget how to do it all over again, here's how to section a component in an assembly!

Happy Inventing!  And here's a couple of pictures of the insane snowfall we had on the mountain

Under here hides a Christmas Tree

One of the best days we had.  They were still setting of avalanche charges though!

The view from the mountain was stunning!

Taking a Demotion - Creating Assemblies Using the Demote Tool

“The unexpected always happens”
Proverb

This post comes from a lesson I learned while taking woodshop classes where my assignment was building a coffee table.  We were supposed to create drawings, so taking full advantage of the tools at my disposal, I used Autodesk Inventor.

A rendering of the table in Autodesk Showcase

I found that Inventor did indeed help me lay the table out.  Inventor helped me foresee and avoid problems, particularly by helping me realize that parts I thought would have been identical, were actually mirrors of each other.  That alone saved me from possibly having to remake parts.

But while I was creating the assembly I encountered a mistake I made in the way I approached the assembly structure

The lower part of the table was originally built with all the parts at the same level.  There were no subassemblies.  But when I started to put the sides together, I realized I should have made the table side a subassembly, since a subassembly would require fewer constraints to assemble on the other side of the table.

All my parts are at the top level. It seemed like a good idea at the time!

But now that I'm halfway there, how can I fix that, without having to jump through a bunch of hoops? 

As it turned out, the demote tool was my best friend. I just selected the components I wanted to create my new subassembly from, right clicked, and chose 'Demote'!  i was quickly off and running!

Select your components, right click, and choose demote

Now I could quickly add the other side of the table with just three constraints!

Viola!  All the other side of the table quickly added.

For a little more detail, here's a video on how it helped me restructure my assembly with minimal delay, and get things rockin' and rollin' again!

Dimension Display - See Dimensions in a Different Way.

“There is always a better way.”
Thomas Alva Edison

Now that Autodesk Manufacturing Academy  has at last drawn to a close, it's time to play catch up.

This week, it's a quick video on dimension display in the sketch environment.

If you've used Inventor for a while, you likely know that you can create equations that display your design intent.  But what you might not know is that you can change how your dimensions are displayed on the screen.

Right click to see the options!

There's a nice little tool called dimension display for that.  It's a tool that's like an old dependable car.  It isn't flashy, but it always comes through when you need it.

So without further adieu, here's the video!



Happy Inventing!

Naming Parameters in Autodesk Inventor

"You're never ready, you just run out of time."

With the Autodesk Manufacturing Academy looming close, these weeks blog is going to be quick and simple.

Many of us know that you can (and in some cases should), rename parameters inside of Autodesk Inventor. This makes the parameters easy to call back at a later time.  For example, it's much easier ot find a parameter named 'Length' opposed to trying to remember what parameter 'd89' represents.

Typically, you rename your parameters in the parameter screen of Inventor. 

A parameter renamed

But there is a quick way to rename them as your typing the parameter.  Just type "parameter = dx' when creating a dimension, and the parameter will rename at the time you're placing the dimension.

Renaming the Parameter

This renames the parameter all at once!  You don't need to go and open the parameters screen!

Verifying the renaming of the parameter

That's it!  A simple tip, but one I think is helpful!

More to come when AMA is done!

The Random Software Surprise of the Day

“My software never has bugs. It just develops random features.”
Computer Proverb

Before I get started, I'll put in the standard disclaimer that the images I use aren't the actual assembly.  The real assembly was customer data, which I can't post here.  Consider it a 'dramatization'.

Today I ran across one of those little random issues that makes no sense, until you try that 'one thing'.

What was that?  I encountered an Inventor assembly file that was crashing when placing an angle constraint in an assembly.   One time, every time, just like clockwork. 

Could it be that the Angle constraint was broken ?!?

I checked all the initial things.  Cleaned up temp space, checked the video settings.

None of it helped.

I tried reproducing the error in a different assembly file.  That file works perfect.  At least now I know I've narrowed it down to something in that file.


Staring at the file, looking for a culprit, my eyes fall upon two components that were downloaded from a third party site. 

Could it be? 

For the heck of it, I remove the two third party files from the file and try it again. 

I hold my breath for a second.  It works perfectly, just as advertised.  It seems one of those third party components had a corruption in it that was killing the file.

So what's my big lesson?  While I'm a huge fan of third party components, there is some bad stuff floating out there.  I'm certain it's not intentional, but every download can't be perfect.

As Damon Runyon put it "Trust but Verify".  If an assembly suddenly starts 'acting up'.  You might want to remove some of that third party content.   A corrupted file might be the cause of your woes.

Taking a Sampling - Where Did My Inventor Sample Files Go?

“The proof of the pudding is in the eating. By a small sample we may judge of the whole piece.”

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

Last week I was fortunate enough to receive my new laptop. 64bit Windows 7, 8 GB of RAM, 500GB hard drive. It'll be a dream for at least the next 6 months, before the next dream box comes along.

Of course with that comes the installation of the software I'm using. To date, I have Inventor, Vault, and Showcase installed. Not to mention Snagit, Camtasia, and several other small programs I usse

After getting my system ready I found that I need to run a quick test on some files. No problem! I'll just grab a sample file! There's sheet metal parts, assemblies, drawings, a slew of flies I can use for a quick test when I don't have the time or desire to build a data set.

Well, when I went to get them, they weren't there! There were some iLogic files, a translator folder, and an html document named 'Where are my sample files'.

The 'Where'd they go file'
(click to enlarge)

Not to fear, if you click on the html file, it opens up to a hyperlink that takes you to a page where you can download the files.

Found them!
(click to enlarge)

The link will take you to the download page but if you're reading this blog, you can just go ahead and follow the link here.

It definitely saves the disappointment of finding the location (which can vary if you're on Windows XP versus Windows Vista/7).

If you're a CAD Manager or IT in charge of getting the files, you can also download them and put them on a server instead of hunting for them when you're asked. Then you get kudos for being proactive!

The download page
(click to enlarge)

That's it for this weekend, just a small tip today, but don't worry. I'm thinking of what to do next already!

A Stroll Down Memory Lane - Level of Detail

The memory of things gone is important to a jazz musician.
Louis Armstrong

It's been a long time since I visited this (the tool originally came out in Inventor R11), and I've never done it in a video format, and that's the use of Level of Detail (aka Load on Demand) inside of Inventor.

Level of Detail inside Inventor
(click to enlarge)

We'd all dream of a monster machine with enough RAM to make a minor deity jealous, but we can't always get it. For example, if you're still running a 32 bit system, you're stuck with 4GB of RAM. You can't go any higher.

So when faced with this, Level of Detail can make a huge difference when your system starts hitting the wall.

So what exactly is Level of Detail, or LOD?

LOD allows you to unload unneeded components in an assembly from memory, freeing up RAM to work on the components you do need. It can be used to unload components after you open your assembly, and it can also be saved, and recalled when you open your assembly, allowing fora faster load time.

So without further adieu, here's the video!



So that's Level of Detail in a nutshell.

A few updates from my Plane's of Fame volunteer gig. This weekend the TBM Avenger flew. Unfortunatley, I forgot my good camera, so no aerial shots of the Avenger flying. But I did get a slick picture (at least I think so) of the WWII reenactors posing in front of it.

Open it up in Techsmith's Snagit, change the picture to monochrome and add an edge effect, and it almost looks like it could be from the 1940s! Granted, if you look carefully, you can bust it as being modern. But hey, I'm only an amateur!

The TBM Avenger
(click to enlarge)

Happy Inventing!

I Don't Remember Having a Memory Problem! - The Inventor Memprobe Utility

“We cannot change our memories, but we can change their meaning and the power they have over us”

David Seamands

I'm a huge convert to the 64 Bit Windows 7 operating system. I've switched over, and never once looked over my shoulder to XP or Vista. I know there are those who will disagree with me, but personally, the Windows 7 transition has been the happiest transition I've ever made from one OS to another.

With respect to Inventor 2010 and 2011, I've been pleased with the performance. Time to tear off the proverbial review mirror, and not even look over my shoulder.

But I did have to give up my memory meter in the lower right had side of the screen. It doesn't show in 64 Bit systems. It was definitely a 'Nice to Have', although I wouldn't go back to a 32 bit OS to get the meter back.

However, there is one place you can still get a memory meter of a sort on your system. Thanks to Nicole Morris for showing me this trick. I'm afraid I can't take the credit for this one!

If you browse to the 'Bin' directorry in your installation directory, typically: C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Inventor 2011\Bin

This will bring up a memory monitor called Memprob that you can also use to keep track of your memory.

Memprobe running
(click to enlarge)

You can also use the pulldown to control the settings you want to record, to create log files, and so on.

Setting which processes to monitor
(click to enlarge)

Setting refresh speed, log files, etc.
(click to enlarge)

Control how you want to view Memprobe while it's running
(click to enlarge)

So here you are, a different way to skin the cat, it's definitely something I'll be using in the future!

The Bill of Materials. Turn Your Hindsight into Foresight

Any problem can be solved using the materials in the room.
Edwin Land

First, a disclaimer. I was working on a customer site, so the files I'm using my own files to reproduce the challenge. It wouldn't do for me to use their files without their permission.

Think of this as the letters that say 'dramatization' at the bottom of those documentaries you see.

Today, was working on a drawing and we ran into a situation that is very common in the design world.

Change.

It turned out that the part we were using had the wrong number assigned to it, and it had to be changed to the correct number.

One wrong part number can ruin the recipe
(Click to Enlarge)

Normally, this is an easy operation, but the part was used in several drawings, and called out in the Bill of Materials for each one.

In the old days, that meant that going to each drawing and changing the part number was going to be tedious, and error prone.

Fortunately, there is a better way to do this.

Each assembly file has Bill of Materials information that can be edited. Best of all, this information gets published to both the part, and to all the drawings using that part.

First we access the Bill of Materials button in the assembly.

The Bill of Assembly button
(click to enlarge)

Now we see the Parts List info, including our suspect part.

Here's the field in the assembly Bill of Materials
(click to enlarge)

A couple of edits, and we have our corrected number

The number corrected. Now we're getting somewhere!
(click to enlarge)

Even better, the information can be saved back to the part, so when you use the part in the future, the correct information will go into the parts list.

(click to enlarge)

I've really grown to like this tool!

On a final note, while I used the part number in this example, you can change a number of fields. You can choose them via the Column Chooser.

The Column Chooser
(click to enlarge)

Happy Inventing!

The Sum of Their Parts, Inventor and Inventor Fusion

We have such a mixture now, such a fusion of different genres.
Ryszard Kapuscinski

One of the new Features that''s often mentioned in Inventor 2011 is the ability to use Inventor Fusion to edit base (often referred to as 'dumb') solids for Inventor.

It's great that we know it can be done, but how about how it can be done!

First, you need to get Fusion. If you opted to recieve the DVDs in the mail, it'll be one of the DVDs in the box. (If you don't know how to request your media, there's a KETIV tech tip HERE.)

It's also available from the Autodesk Labs website HERE.

Finally, it's also available on the subscription website if you opted to download your 2011 software. Click HERE (login required).

It's not hard if you know where to look. The first step, is to to go to Application Options, and on the Part tab, make sure you set Base Solid Editing to 'Inventor Fusion'.

Choose your settings
(click to enlarge)

That's it. Now when you want to edit a base solid, just right click on the Base Solid, and choose 'Edit Solid'

Editing a Solid in Inventor
(click to enlarge)

Inventor will tell you it's switching to Inventor Fusion for it's solid editing functions.

Fusion Bound!
(click to enlarge)

Now Inventor will close and Inventor Fusion will open, allowing you to edit the part using all of Fusion's capabilities.

Ready to edit in Fusion
(click to enlarge)

When you're done, click the icon to return to Inventor, and the solid will be back into Inventor, ready to go.

Editing done! We're ready to go back to Inventor
(click to enlarge)

The changes now viewed in Inventor
(click to enlarge)

And that's it. Using Inventor Fusion to edit your solids. If you want more info on Fusion, look back to this blog. Schedule permitting (I have to put in that disclaimer), I hope to put some info on that later this week.

But you can also find info on Fusion from Rob Cohee's Youtube Channel! Check it out HERE!

Thats it for now. I have a new assignment to start working on tomorrow, so I want to be rested up!

Happy Inventing!

Repeat Last Command. Sometimes it's About the Little Things.

“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.”

Robert Brault quotes

As I was getting ready to train a class tomorrow, I came to realize a nice little trick that I've come to use all time time, and since it's introduction (in Inventor 2010, as I recall), I've come to take it for granted.

What is it?

Right click to repeat your last command.

The AutoCAD gurus know this one well. They've used it for years. Now, those of us on the Inventor side can make use of it!

The right click 'repeat command' option. In this case, allowing us to repeat 'Place Component'
(click to enlarge)

The option appears at the top of nearly every right click menu, allowing you to quickly reuse the previous command without having to go to a ribbon.

This is a great tool. I've taken to using it hand in hand with tools like the new Assemble tool.

It's easy to miss, but well worth giving a try to.

Oh, and if you're really an AutoCAD guru... You can hit the space bar to reactivate the last command too!

Using the Assemble Tool to Put it All Together

It was exactly an assembly line. You could look into infinity down these rows of drawing tables.
Gil Kane

One of the new Inventor features that I've come to like the more and more I use it is the new Assemble tool.

The Assemble Tool in Action
(click to enlarge)

This tool let's you apply assembly constraints just by picking the correct geometry, and 'fine tuning' a bit with your direct manipulation tools. You don't have to activate the Constraint tool and tell Inventor which constraint you want.

I had to take some time to practice to get the nuances of it but now that I'm getting those down, all I can say is; 'Wow, I'm having fun now!'

Here's a video I put together. Notice how I use the 'Select Other' tool to cycle through different assembly constraint options.



Happy Inventing!

Finding Hidden Treasure - Degree of Freedom Analysis in Inventor

“Should not every apartment in which man dwells be lofty enough to create some obscurity overhead, where flickering shadows may play at evening about the rafters?”

Henry David Thoreau

While working with an assembly, I stumbled upon a tool that, in the 'fog of time' I'd quite frankly, forgotten about.

Degree of Freedom Analysis.

This slick little tool will show you a dialog box with the remaining translational and rotational degrees of freedom on the parts in an assembly, as well as letting you animate them.

After taking a few minutes to reacquaint myself with this little gem, I don't think I'll be forgetting about this one anytime soon.

The tool is located in the Assembly file in the Productivity section of the Assembly toolbar.

Finding the hidden treasure - Degree of Freedom Analysis
(click to enlarge)

Choosing this tool, you'll see a dialog box showing how many degrees of freedom remain for each component in the assembly. The columns will be split up into translational and rotational.

The degrees of freedom for this clamp
(click to enlarge)

Each component shows the number of rotational and translational degrees of freedom left for each component. If you select a component in the browser, the degrees of freedom will highlight on the corresponding part on the assembly model.

Selecting a component in the dialog box will display the Degree of Freedom indicator for that compononet
(click to enlarge)

One final note, checking the Animate Freedom check box will also animate the component, moving it any degrees of freedom that remain. This can make it a lot easier to find the degrees of freedom that remain, and which ones you may still need to remove to properly constrain the component.

A snapshot of the animation in action
(click to enlarge)

So there it is! A nice little gem that can really help find where new constraints need to be added.

I know now that Ive rediscovered that tool, I'll not soon forget it again!

Moving Forward. Migrating Template Files

As always on this boulevard, the faces were young, coming annually in an endless migration from every country, every continent, to alight here once in the long journey of their lives. Brian Moore

As we move to a new release of Autodesk Inventor 2011, migrating files can become a challenge.

In many cases, we can just open and save the files, and go merrily on our way, but what happens if we have several files we need to migrate, and we don't want to open and save each one.

The answer is Task Scheduler. Which can be an excellent way to migrate a group of files without having to manually open each file and saving it individually.

Task Scheduler automates many processes, one of which is migration
(click to enlarge)

Here's a video on using Task Scheduler, where I migrate my template files.



One a 'fun' note. I was at Planes of Fame in Chino, California where I got to see two P-38 Lightnings startup and take a flight. Those big piston engines are mechanical music.



Sorry I didn't get any video of them flying, just some pics. But the run up is still a sight to behold!