Inventor 11: Frame maker

Hey all-
I got a chance to use Inventor 11, and I noticed that the frame generator is a perfect tool, almost as if it were created for FIRST teams. So how many of you all plan on using this?

I personally love the ease of changing frame material, and how simple it is to make corners and joints in the frame.

So what's your ideas and thoughts on it?

[Greg Perkins]

I use Inventor 11 at work, but have yet to find this. Where do I access it in the software?

[David Guzman]

Could you elaborate on what it does and how it does it, for those of us haven't gotten the chance to use Inventor 11.

The Frame generator allows you to draw lines, and it then creates a frame with specified materals(eg. 1x1 box extrusion, bosh sxtrusion, etc.), and corners/joints.

I forget exactly where it is... I'm not at home right now, I'll check when I get there.

[Pat McCarthy]

Oh man, I can't wait to download it from students.autodesk.com !

[petek]

The new Framemaker utility is going to save a lot of time in prototyping frames and other structures. It can create a frame which conforms to either a 3D wireframe (placing a frame element along each line) or you can wrap the frame around a shape, following its edges.

It does not create constraints between the frame members (it just locks their positions), but it does take care of cutting the ends to fit each other (miter, butt, etc.) and can "dress" the ends to prep for welding.

Framemaker creates the structures using profiles included in the Framemaker library. As delivered by Autodesk, these are standard ANSI, ISO, etc. tubes, angles, I-beams, etc. You can add custom profiles, but it is not a trivial task. Sean Dotson has a tutorial up already on adding a custom size for an existing profile and is working on one for adding your own profile (I'm thinking 8020, Bosch, etc.).

While you're at Sean's site, make sure you check out the winning entry in the Tinkertoy Inventor modeling contest - it's amazing.

[negfrequency]

Originally Posted by petek

The new Framemaker utility is going to save a lot of time in prototyping frames and other structures.

Agreed. prototyping is going to be infinitely easier. General shapes can be made in a matter of seconds with the 3d sketch feature, which will be far more useful because of this. However, the detail is going to remain minimal on final structures, i would not use it on my autodesk competition submission.

[petek]

Originally Posted by negfrequency

Agreed. prototyping is going to be infinitely easier. General shapes can be made in a matter of seconds with the 3d sketch feature, which will be far more useful because of this. However, the detail is going to remain minimal on final structures, i would not use it on my autodesk competition submission.

If we add the profiles we use on our robots to the library, I don't see any reason not to use a FrameMaker assembly in a submission. They aren't any different from an extrusion you might make without FrameMaker and there's nothing to prevent you from editing the parts.

When you think about it, you might get points for using FrameMaker or some of the other productivity tools. But that's just a guess on my part.

[Greg Needel]

Originally Posted by petek

But that's just a guess on my part.

Well considering your past success....i would say your guesses are probably good.

[Andy A.]

So, you can now produce a three dimensional sketch and use those lines as placement for frame members. You can also assign end treatments.

So, is this any different from how Solidworks handles weldments? It sounds like more or less what SW has been doing for a while now, but maybe I'm missing something? Is there any aspect of this that puts it way ahead of the competition?

-Andy A.

[Joe_Widen]

Can someone post a couple screenshots of the frame generator during the outlining of the frame and and end product, and all the cool stuff in between please?

[petek]

Originally Posted by Joe_Widen

Can someone post a couple screenshots of the frame generator during the outlining of the frame and and end product, and all the cool stuff in between please?

Ask and ye shall receive. Here's a very simple example using ANSI square tube from the Frame Generator's stock sizes (why do I keep wanting to call it Frame Maker?) and simple butt joints. Note that the wireframe is 28 x 38 and I offset my tubes inside by .25 all around to make sure it fits in an arbitrary sizing box...

As for Solidworks, I couldn't say if this is the same kind of utility since I haven't used that program, but in any case we aren't comparing CAD packages, just exploring a feature in Inventor. If Solidworks has this already, that should help SW users, too, and I hope they have a lot of other great features for Autodesk to catch up with!

1. Create 3D wireframe envelope for frame:


2. Change to Frame Generator in Assembly tools pallet and use the Insert tool to create frame members:


3. Use Trim To Frame tool to trim overlaps:

[Greg Needel]

Pete, when you make a frame maker Assembly and save it does save each individual member like ipart bolts or are each their own .ipt?


then when you put that frame into another Assembly how do the members take to editing from that screen? each member individually or do you have to go back into the frame builder tool.

[Andy A.]

From what I can see in the screen shots, it looks pretty nigh identical to how things are accomplished in Solidworks.

I'd love to try it for my self, but I have not be able to get Inv11 installed using the downloads from students.autodesk.com. I think my problem is coming from corrupt files, but I can't get around to downloading them all again (dial up!).

Anyone else having trouble with Inventor 11 downloaded from the student website?

-Andy A.

[Bill_Hancoc]

how can i register for students.autodesk.com if im not in college yet and dont have a college email address