Inventor Pro Help if Possible

[RoboDesigners]

Just like in real life, constraints are used to link parts or assemblies together in an assembly. So, constraints are only available when you are working in an assembly file (*.iam)

As far as I know, constraints just "anchor" a piece in one axis. (I'm new to CAD too, so I there may be more to constraints than just that...) So, if you want to just anchor a module on a piece of plastic, you must constrain it 3 times:

Constraint 1. Bottom of module to plastic piece (offset = 0in)
Constraint 2. Front of module flush to front edge of plastic sheet (offset = However many inches you want, I used 5in)
Constraint 3. Side of module flush to side edge of plastic sheet (offset = However many inches you want I used 5in)

Here are some pictures to illustrate.

If you can't get the constraint tool to select what you want it to, (i.e. it's selecting an axis instead of a plane), hover the mouse and click the arrows that appear below the current constraint. (Constraint3selecting.jpg)

Hope this helps!
Andrew

[docdavies]

Folks,

Thank you all, after a punishing, but rewarding weekend (and all of your great advice), I have a much better handle on constraints and such. And Marie, after reading my book, I now know more about your advice and it is very helpful.

Couple more things:
1. How do you switch views quickly to be able to pick the appropriate surfaces for constraints. Some times when I use planes I get very "unusual" results.
2. The 8020 CAD model I use does not have nice clean edges to use for constraints. Is there a best practices for using 8020 tubing.
3. No matter how much I try to hold dimensions to fixed numbers, I run into the problem that things don't align completely. Is there a way to edit a piece of 8020 in an assembly so as to either "stretch" it or "shrink" it?
4. I've found that putting 8020 together using constraints based on holes and the center of the 8020 tube works well. I'd like to go back and edit past drawings using this technique. Is there a way to pull a deep seated piece of tubing (which has constraints associated with it) out of the morass to add a few holes when I can't get a view of the piece?

Thanks for your patience everyone..... GP lives on!!
Doc

[kramarczyk]

Originally Posted by docdavies

Couple more things:
1. How do you switch views quickly to be able to pick the appropriate surfaces for constraints. Some times when I use planes I get very "unusual" results.

I like to use dynamic viewing. Hold down F4 and then click and drag with the mouse. When you press F4 a circle will come up and starting the drag from different areas will give you different results. Selecting inside the circle will let you spin in all three axis around a point. Selecting outside the circle at the top and bottom quad hashes allows you to spin around a horizontal axis. Selecting at the right and left quad hashes allows you to spin around at a vertical axis. Selecting just outside the circle but not on a hash allows you to spin on an axis coming out of the screen. Without F4 you can click and drag with the middle button and pan the model. If you have a roller mouse that will take care of the zoom. I have a 3D space ball and prefer to use the mouse.

2. The 8020 CAD model I use does not have nice clean edges to use for constraints. Is there a best practices for using 8020 tubing.

Can you use the faces? I imagine this would be situation dependant.

3. No matter how much I try to hold dimensions to fixed numbers, I run into the problem that things don't align completely. Is there a way to edit a piece of 8020 in an assembly so as to either "stretch" it or "shrink" it?

I don't follow. Can you elaborate or include a picture?

4. I've found that putting 8020 together using constraints based on holes and the center of the 8020 tube works well. I'd like to go back and edit past drawings using this technique. Is there a way to pull a deep seated piece of tubing (which has constraints associated with it) out of the morass to add a few holes when I can't get a view of the piece?

It sounds like you want to work in context. (i.e. Edit a part while viewing the assembly.) To do that double click on the part in the Model Browser or select the part -> right click -> edit You should see the rest of the assembly take on some tranparency that allows you to see your work part. This is a highly valuable technique.

[docdavies]

Mark,

Again thanks. I've also learned some valuable things about making components that are in the way, "invisible" which seems to help some situations.

I will post an image about "stretching" later today.

When you folks, try do the power wiring on things like the modem (with the concentric +/- connections) how to you set up it's pins. Similarly, when trying to wire/cable an RJ45 Ethernet cable, how do you set up the pins on the jacks?

Doc

[docdavies]

Well, you know, if you just do your homework a lot of your questions will be answered.

I was doing my usual web trolling for information and came upon this VEX site

http://www.vexrobotics.com/vex-edu-cad.html

Although it's VEX, it has several nice Unit presentations on CAD dealing with the problems I've been posting. Those presentations have nicely filled in a lot of the gaps I've had because I have been learning it piecemeal.

Does Autodesk have a similar curriculum for FRC?

Doc

[docdavies]

Welcome to Reality.

I was making progress and beginning to feel like I was getting some traction when it came to doing the CAD for our wiring systems.

I asked a mentor from another team what he thought of my work.....

He was polite, but mentioned I have a LOOOONG way to go.

Is there anyone reading these forums who would be willing to share one of their "professional" CAD pictures of a robot?
I'd like to get an idea if there is a light at the end of the tunnel, for getting my kids to a CAD design award in a couple of years....or...well....we're just going to get run down by the train!

[kramarczyk]

Try looking a past design award winners. You can find some on the autodesk site at
http://students.autodesk.com/?nd=first_championship

[docdavies]

Mark,

Very enlightening! The pictures were great and and the point by point description of the design process by Team 234

cyberblue234.com/inventoraward

was wonderful. I liked their logic and creative reuse of past successful technology. I see hope, and a lot of work ahead.
I can also see that I have a great deal more home work to do. Seems like every stone turned over...just leads me to a LOT more stones. But they're all interesting.

Doc

[joek]

80/20 pieces are hard to constrain, i also have problems with constraining in the slot, it appears to be that the slots are canted inward slightly, making it very difficult for constraint in inventor.

[docdavies]

Ok, in the intervening time quite a bit of progress has been made.
Now, my team and I would like to implement the Autodesk Vault for version control and to facilate communication on those days we can't get together for design/build sessions.
Has any team implemented the Vault on either a laptop or personal computer for this purpose? Is there a "tutorial" on how to do this for a local area wireless network? Since our sponsoring High School blocks access to almost all websites on school computers, we're thinking of bringing in an old "box" and just implementing a local wireless network in the robotics build room.
Suggestions or help?