Inventor 5.0 help needed
 

Can I take an assembly (or collection of assemblies in an assembly) and sketch on it?

I have a partial model of the robot and want to sketch adaptively another subsystem. Right now, all I know how to do is make parts (like angle or tubes of a certain length) and assemble them.

Another question: how does one make an angle or tube adaptive so it stretches/shortens as needed to fit in a space? At the moment I have to extrude a certain distance and then use the part as is, maybe triming after using.

Larry Barello
Team 492

Adaptive Parts in Autodesk Inventor
 

As far as I know, it is not possible to sketch in assemblies, but you can sketch a new part that is automatically integrated into the assembly.
What I would suggest you to do, is to click on Help>Tutorials. The totorials that come with Autodesk are really good and tell you how to make adaptive parts (as in your second question) and intelligent parts.
Just play a bit with it and try out all the features, that will help you really well in understanding the program.

Inventor 3
 

I know that you can sketch in an assembly with Inventor 3.....but to sketch all u have to do is "Create Part" (remember this in version 3 so i may be different), but when u do that it will let you sketch and add parts while in the assembly..

Clark is right
 

Way to go Clark!! You hit the nail on the head with that reply. I just tried what you suggested in Inventor 5 and it works wonderfully. Larry, when in your assembly, the second icon down in the list is "Create Component". After you select the saving location, just add a sketch plane and go to work. It's as simple as that.

If you need to build off of another part thoug...i would suggest going to that part...and making a new sketch on the face you want to build off of...then copy the sketch, go back to the assembly, make a new part and paste the sketch in...that way you have the exact part to build off of...

I did this with Ed Spark's Fischer Price Motor to make a very exact mount...It works wonder fully

Gabe G.
(2001 autodesk student design odyssey winner - inventor)