FIRST Inventor lib?

[Tottanka]

Hey, i just started learning Inventor, and i was wondering where could i find readt First-kit-of-Parts cads.
I need CIM's, Globe motors, Battaries, RC, CMUcam2 etc...
Is there any website where such cads are hosted?
Thanks, and sorry if there is already such a thread.
(BTW, if thee isn't such a host, I'm willing to make one on our team's website).

[Taylor]

http://www.firstcadlibrary.com/

[Tottanka]

Originally Posted by boiler

http://www.firstcadlibrary.com/

Thanks!
Is there anywy i can upload there my own files?

[Billfred]

Originally Posted by Tottanka

Thanks!
Is there anywy i can upload there my own files?

I imagine that if you've got some KOP or other common robot part that Ed Sparks (same name here on CD) doesn't have, he'd be up for uploading it. As for your own creations (such as robots or gearbox drawings), you can always post the screenshot on CD and share the actual files through other means.

edit: read Chris' post below.

[ChrisH]

Originally Posted by Billfred

I imagine that if you've got some KOP or other common robot part that Ed Sparks (same name here on CD) doesn't have, he'd be up for uploading it.

Actually as I understand it, Ed does not generaly upload parts from others. He wants the parts in the library to be RIGHT. So he only uploads parts he has measured and modeled himself.

This might sound like a pain, but I can think of one year we used an "off-brand" model of a Fisher-Price gearbox to design our robot. It turned out that the models were slightly off from the real parts. We figured this out because we couldn't install the gearboxes without cutting apart and re-welding the frame. The frame members we were using for mounts were too close together, even though the model showed clearance. We measured and found the frame was built according to plan but the FP models were off.

Fixing it by reworking the frame would have taken time we didn't want to spend and would have required re-designing other subsystems. The "easy" way out was to change the manipulator design concept and build a custom 1000:1 gearbox, in two weeks. We took the easy way

I appreciated Ed's approach a lot more after that.

[AdamHeard]

Originally Posted by ChrisH

Actually as I understand it, Ed does not generaly upload parts from others. He wants the parts in the library to be RIGHT. So he only uploads parts he has measured and modeled himself.

This might sound like a pain, but I can think of one year we used an "off-brand" model of a Fisher-Price gearbox to design our robot. It turned out that the models were slightly off from the real parts. We figured this out because we couldn't install the gearboxes without cutting apart and re-welding the frame. The frame members we were using for mounts were too close together, even though the model showed clearance. We measured and found the frame was built according to plan but the FP models were off.

Fixing it by reworking the frame would have taken time we didn't want to spend and would have required re-designing other subsystems. The "easy" way out was to change the manipulator design concept and build a custom 1000:1 gearbox, in two weeks. We took the easy way

I appreciated Ed's approach a lot more after that.

Indeed.... we used some bad models this year, but luckily we caught the error before production started when someone found a .pdf with different dimensions.

Also, be carful with the motors.... Some can be slightly different year to year and not exactly match the cadlibrary website. I know this happened this year when I compared the model to what I was calipering; I just don't remember what motor.

Either way, FirstCADLibrary is awesome. Don't forget though, IFI has CAD files of their wheels (and sprockets... which can be useful even if you don't buy theirs) and AndyMark has most of their products' files.

[JesseK]

On the same note you can trust the parts from firstcadlibrary very very well. Trying to CAD a custom gearbox the very first day you learn CAD is a terrible idea though I was somehow able to accomplish it with some fairly abstract thinking. Luckily I had the motors and motor mounts to guide me to ensure the holes lined up perfectly.

[Tottanka]

Is there ayway to work with those parts in Solidworks?
If not, is there any Soliwirks available first library?

[AdamHeard]

Originally Posted by Tottanka

Is there ayway to work with those parts in Solidworks?
If not, is there any Soliwirks available first library?

Download the step files of the parts. Those will open in any program.

[gblake]

Originally Posted by AdamHeard

Download the step files of the parts. Those will open in any program.

True - But some might reword that to be "Those will work equally poorly in any program" :-)

[AdamHeard]

Originally Posted by 1885.Blake

True - But some might reword that to be "Those will work equally poorly in any program" :-)

How so? I've never had a problem with step files... Even exporting whole assemblies of robots.

[Tottanka]

Originally Posted by AdamHeard

Download the step files of the parts. Those will open in any program.

Thanks!