Flipping Inventor Parts

[mglucido]

I was constraining a part's mid-plane to the environment's mid-plane and the part unexpectedly flipped over on me.

How do I constrain two planes to be parallel to one another but also have a variable distance between them? (One of the parts moves)

Thanks,
Michael

[scuba1000]

When constraining I usually use the rotate tool to get the part as close as possible to it's final position, then I constrain. Also, if it flips over, you can change the option in the constrain window.

I don't fully understand what you are saying, but it sound's like using the offset will do what you want to do. Constrain the two planes so they are touching and then offset it, either neg or pos) the distance you want to move it. The planes will be parallel but not touching.

[mglucido]

Within any entity's entry in the browser is the Origin. It's a handy way to get things lined up. I wanted a given part to stay aligned in a given plane so I constrained each entity XY plane to be mated.

It was important to leave the other dimension unconstrained because the part dynamically moves in the "real" world.

Unfortunately when I mated the two planes, the face of the part that had been facing down suddenly was facing up. I don't know why this happened yet but I thought constraining two parts in the assembly so they had parallel planes would do the trick. The offset field won't work as I understand it since it requires a specific measurement. The offset of my part moves with the dynamic movement of the robot.

[chiefsfan67]

It may be that you need to use a flush constraint in place of a mate constraint. I know that when I CAD inventor likes doing stuff like that to me. If i change from a mate to a flush it sometimes does the trick, depending on what you are trying to assemble.

[inventor_phild]

With any work plane there is flip option.

Right-click the work plane and select Flip Normal. See attached image.

Let me know if this works.

[mglucido]

Interesting technique (!) ... BUT there are several parts associated with that work plane and I just verified the option you're suggesting is not available in a single Origin work plane (which would help me localize the desired effect).

Would the only available work around be to create a work plane which occupies the same space as the other work plane and then use it solely for that one part?

AND WHILE I HAVE YOUR EAR, What series of constraints can be created to limit a part to the same plane as another part while allowing variable offsets along the last remaining axis? For example, the "ground" is the XY plane where z=0 and the bottom of a box is always in parallel plane with the ground for any value of z.

Thanks!

[Orion.DeYoe]

Originally Posted by mglucido

I was constraining a part's mid-plane to the environment's mid-plane and the part unexpectedly flipped over on me.

How do I constrain two planes to be parallel to one another but also have a variable distance between them? (One of the parts moves)

Thanks,
Michael

Do you mean you're constraining a work-plane to another work plane? If so then you need to remember that work planes are one-sided, and when you mate them together there is only one direction for them to sit. The way to solve this problem is change the constraint type. If you are using the "Mate" constraint then edit the constraint and switch it to a "Flush" constraint (and vice versa).
After you get the part to face the correct direction then you can edit the constraint to set the distance. You can just click on the constraint in the browser and type in the distance you want to space it apart. If it moves the wrong way then you'll need to flip the sign (make it a negative number).