AutoCAD Inventor :: Color Multiple Parts In An Assembly?
Oct 14, 2011
I have a large assembly model made of many different parts. The last thing I want to do is "paint" it so I can make a drawing showing the different colors being used. My plan is to take the entire assembly and insert it into another assembly then just change the parts to the specific colors. I was wondering if there was a way to change the colors on multiple parts at once. Right now I right click the part go to iproperties and then go to occurence and choose the specific color. I know from using Solidworks that it works the opposite you click the color first and then all the parts that you want to be that color. It works out a lot quicker. If I select multiple parts the occurence tab in the properties is greyed out.
I'm trying to move a bunch of unconstrained parts in an assembly. I want them to stay the same distance relative to each other so I want to move them all at once as a whole group. As the above thread states, when I use CTRL + left mouse button and select the desired parts, only one of the parts will move.
Im working on a plastic enclosure, I needed to make a hole for a connector but this hole would cut into both the top and bottom of the enclosure. Normally when I edit parts in an assembly I just double click them, they become transparent and I can do all my edits. Since I need to make a hole that cuts into both parts, I just went to the 3D Model tab started a new sketch and extruded out the cut.
However doing it this way does not reflect the changes when the parts are opened on their own. Is there a way to have these changes trickle down to the part files?
My issue is we have Universal assemblies that never change. These assemblies are thousands of parts. (hardware gaskets other random assemblies.) this top level universal assembly never changes.
to increase time in layouts. we would like to create these universal assemblies into 1 sold part.
Is there a was to export an assembly into a single solid part.
I have used Inventor for quite a while but never for much more than the odd 3D model.
I have recently created templates that allow me to use Inventor to create detailed fabrication drawings rather than relying on AutoCAD. But I have run across a question with regards to the BOM. Let me try and explain my issue.
I currently create assemblies for fabricated items. However, in the complete (or top level assembly) there may be multiple fabricated items (assemblies required). At the moment I create the BOM and manually edit the quantities required to reflect the number of assemblies (and resulting parts) that are required.
In my assembly file I created a parameter called "AssemNo" which is meant to reflect the number of assemblies required. In my part files I created a parameter called "AssemQty". I would insert the following iLogic code for each part in the assembly:
This works but it requires me to create that line of code for every part in my assembly. I know an iLogic code can be created to search an assembly and change parameters of all parts (see below as an example to copy Occurence name to iProperties >
' set a reference to the assembly component definintion. ' This assumes an assembly document is open. Dim oAsmCompDef As AssemblyComponentDefinition oAsmCompDef = ThisApplication.ActiveDocument.ComponentDefinition
'Iterate through all of the occurrences Dim oOccurrence As ComponentOccurrence For Each oOccurrence In oAsmCompDef.Occurrences Dim oName As String oName = oOccurrence.Name iProperties.Value(oOccurrence.Name, "Project", "Part Number") = oName MessageBox.Show(oOccurrence.Name, "iLogic") Next
We do a good bit of deriving parts from assemblies. We have a workflow that works well for us, we create PARTS, put them in an ASSEMBLY, then create new PARTS DERIVED from ASSEMBLY. We use Boolean to add/subtract and disregard parts as needed to create these parts. These parts are now given color and reassembled in an yet another final ASSEMBLY as needed and put into a drawing.
Through Inventor 2011 this worked well.
In Inventor 2012 the color is disapering as soon as any change is made on a source part.
1 Changing the color does not work.
2 In the derived from Assembly, opening up (in the browser) the individual .ipt's and right clicking and clicking properties and changing the color only stays until the next change to the source prt.
3 Changing EACH individual face by right click, properties and setting the FACE PROPERTIES from "as feature" to "as part" does work, but is ridiculous to change hundreds of faces on each part. (especially considering we did NOT need this step in 2011)
Is there a switch in the registry (to turn off the standard “as feature” to the parts face).
I'm looking for the best way to create a separate assembly out of various component parts in an existing assembly so that the whole thing can be placed in an assembly as you would a part, I know it's possible to demote components within an assembly but are there any other methods similar / better ?
My assembly has grown (about 50 parts) to where I need to consolodate some parts into subassemblies for reuse and alternate iterations of the basic design.
When I import the original parts into a new assembly, all of the constrains I created are not there of course.
I've tried creating a new empty part and then deriving a new part from the assembly, but I can't add, delete or edit any parts.
I looked at using Shrinkwrap, Substitutes, iParts, Multi-body Parts, and Multiple Solids but I remain confused.
In retrospect, maybe I should have created the subassemblies between the part and assembly stage but I didn't.
I am designing a component whose internal mechanism is housed in a plastic shell. I want to use the boss feature in the shell so I can hold together the components internally, but the boss feature is only available in the part workspace, but in order for me to know where the internal components are so I can design my shell accurately, I have to be in the assembly workspace.
Now, if I opened the shell as a part alone, and imported (through the Derive command) the parts that need to be fit into the shell, they will appear at random positions, and because you cannot create constraints in the Part Workspace, I have no effective way of holding them where they should go.
I have a question about getting CoG of my assembly. The only problem is that i only need 2 parts (the rest are just dummy solids with 'default material'.
When i control select two parts, right click and go 'iproperties' - the physical tab doesn't let me determine CoG of the two parts combined.
I have 4 columns in BOM that I call out in Parts Lists on my drawings.
I need to be able to organize parts in my assembly somehow and to be able to display if needed (on Parts List) only parts belonging to one category (level?).
I could do it by creating another custom iproperty in a part template and each part would belong to a particular group. Then I could sort them in BOM in .iam environment and have particular category visible on Parts List with the other categories with visibility turned off.
I'm working on a small Assy (25 parts). When I open one of the parts from this Assy and work on it then go back to the Assy many parts are not visible. The update button is usually off so I can't use it.
This started only about 2-3 weeks ago - in every assy. I changed the nvidia driver but didn't work.
Inventor pro 2012 Win 7 Pro. sp1 64 bit Intel Core I7-2600 CPU Ram - 8GB Quadro 2000 D Nvidia 275.89 (tested nvidia 296.70 with no luck)
I have a rather complex assembly that I didn't draft but I am trying to work with. Most of my experience is with Solidworks. I'm trying to create a hole in a plate that lines up with a hole in a different part in the same assembly. I know there is probably a way to create the hole in the assembly and reference the other part but I dont know how.
When I place parts in my assembly they are stuck in the position I place it and can only be moved once I mate it to another part of my assembly. I have only recently encountered this problem, as usually when I place a parts in an assembly I am able to simply click on the component and drag/move that part around to put it in a place that suits before I use any constraints.
What is the problem, have I clicked on some function unknown to myself which has disabled the ability to move parts/assemblies when I place them into an assembly?
I've created an assembly from the solid bodies of a part. Is there a way to add more parts to that assembly from other solid bodies of the original part? If so what is the procedure?
I have a machine with some internal parts.To see the inside parts i need to make the outside parts Glass.Can i make the outside parts Glass while in the assembly or do i need to open each part up from there folder and make the material Glass.This would be slow if i need to open up each part to make the material Glass and when finished would again have to open the part up and set back to original material.Can all this be done while in Assembly mode?
When creating a new part in an assembly and I select a face of an existing component, how does Inventor determine the orientation and origin of that new part? I understand how Inventor works when I select the plane/origin of a part or pick out in space in the assembly.But the placement based on the face of an existing component seems random..
I normally do not like creating parts inside of an assembly but I was trying some new workflows.
I have firgured out how to create a part within the assembly.I have also figured out how to add a feature in an assembly, but that feature does not attach to a
component when I need it to.What I haven't figured out is how to edit an existing part within an assembly to add a feature that references another part. Basically having an external reference (SW term).Also, is there a way to see the features of a part within the assembly?
On a different station, a component was checked oud, altered (100mm became 110mm), the corresponding dwg was also checked out and updated, and then everything was checked in.
Now i have an assembly that contains the part that was modified, but i still have the old version of it stored locally, as well as the assembly containing the part. Now when i open the assembly, i get the message stating some components had changed and that the assembly should be updated. After selecting YES to update the assembly, i get it on screen, but the part itself had not been updated. The vault tree now does show that i don't have the latest version though (red filled circle). In order to get the part to appear correctly, i need to manually select "refresh from vault" to get the correct version.
After selecting the YES i want to update the assembly I expect the parts to be updated properly without requiring additional manual actions. This has already resulted in out-of-date drawings to hit the production floor. Obviously, THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN!
I know one way to overcome this issue would be to delete the local source files after having used them, but i have lost plenty of work by allowing that setting to be enabled. (IV crash during check-in resulted in deletion or corruption of the files and they were not properly checked in.)
Should i log this issue or is there a solution available i failed to find?
in my assembly part visibility is controlled by a Ilogic rule which selects an Iassembly. This assembly is a parametric model controlled by excel. The visible parts have to be exported to dxf.
Everything is working (iterating through parts, export sheet metal to dxf), but how can I check whether a part is visible within the assembly?
It is possible to create parts that can update there size from changing the "root" (possibly called the derived-from part??) dimensions. I have a tubular frame structure and there is sheet metal components that enclose this structure.
We make these units in 2 standard sizes, but in the last few months, we have been getting requests from clients for extra components to be installed or sometimes components to be removed. This changes the size of the unit. Also depending on which mine they go to, some need to be shorter or longer and wider or narrower.
I have created a frame that I can change easily to to required dimensions, but it would be a dream if all the sheet metal components updated to the frame size. Most times these doors and sheet metal components stay in the same location, so if everything updated with a simple change to the frame size, that would make my job easier, and leave me more time to create new products.
I can't upload any files due to size, but I have attached a few screen shot to clarify things. Basically it is a frame unit, with doors and access panels to electrical components inside.
I've just started using Inventor and am getting the hang of things, but one thing that really annoys me is these lines that are all over the parts I use in assembly. Screenshot attached.
I have a three part question. First, I have an iLogic routine in an assembly that opens all the parts within the assembly, runs a particular rule, and then closes that part. Is there anyway I can get this to run in the background. I don't want my users to see all of my part files opening and closing.
Here is my
'assign path values in iproperties to be equaliProperties.Value("RD FLANGE:1","Custom", "FilePATH") = iProperties.Value("Custom", "FilePATH")Dim FilePATH As String = "FilePATH"customPropertySet = ThisDoc.Document.PropertySets.Item _("Inventor User Defined Properties")Try prop= customPropertySet.Item(FilePATH)Catch customPropertySet.Add("", FilePATH)End TryIf [code].....
My second question is how do I add a routine that as the part files are opened checks to see if "MyRule" is there. If "MyRule" is not there add "MyRule" else if "MyRule" exist move on to the next part.
My third and final question is there anyway for my code to distinguish between standard parts and sheet metal parts. Basically, if the opened part is not a sheet metal part then I do not want "MyRule" to be inserted and I do not want "MyRule" to be run. I want it to move on to the next part within the assembly.
So I have this assembly with all parts constrained properly yet it won't let the parts move the way they should under the constraints applied and it's telling me I have interfering constraints.
I checked the "broken" constraints over but they look fine. It's a relatively small assembly (10-15 parts), although the parts have been used in a previous assembly. Would this affect their behavior?
