Drawing a truss with inventor (structural members??)

[Hendrik]

Hello everyone,

I have to draw a truss with inventor and i hav no idea how i can do this the best way. I want to draw it in such a way that i can easily modify the angle of the braces, the number of braces, the lengthe of the main chords etc...
drawing of a truss:
http://members.home.nl/hendrikwitting/truss.jpg

I know how to draw a truss in solidworks, i sketch the braces in 1 sketch and afterwards i place structural members on top of them, a repetition, and voila, the truss is ready.
I also know of a add-in program for inventor called vectrasteel http://www.vectrasys.com
With the help of this program you can place structural members in a similar way as with solidworks.
However, is there a way to draw a truss without using this add-in??, or do you HAVE to make workplanes for EVERY brace?

Many thanks in advance

Hendrik Witting

[Hendrik]

hmmz, not many people are looking/responding this forum...

[CADTutor]

I'm affraid our resident Inventor expert is not here at the moment. He should be back shortly. :(

[Mr T]

Not been around since I was flamed......... :x

Just draw a spar, then start an Assembly. Now assemble and
mate/cosntrain each spar. Bear in mind that you would
have to have holes in the three main tubes. Or weld them.

Nick

[caddman6425]

I've got a Truss Creator routine that I wrote. Putting finishing touches on it. Respond to nah@truevine.net

[MarkFlayler]

What's wrong with using Frame Generator with a Skeletal Part? That works fine for me. Otherwise you can use iCopy with an Adaptive Assembly with spar components.

[caddman6425]

I don't use inventor, I use ACA 2012. So what is this frame generator, something in Inventor only?

[JD Mather]

I don't use inventor, I use ACA 2012. So what is this frame generator, something in Inventor only?

Frame generator is standard in Inventor (I didn't look at original information since it wasn't posted here).

It works essentially the same as in SolidWorks, exept that in Inventor you place the skeleton in an assembly and place the frame members in assembly while in SWx you do in a single part file and then push out the individual parts.

[JD Mather]

I suppose you could work something up in obsolete AutoCAD ( http://home.pct.edu/~jmather/content/CAD238/AutoCAD%202007%20Tutorial%208.pdf), but not sure it is worth the effort since modern tool already exists.

[caddman6425]

OH, OK. I like that, too bad ACA doesn't have that

[abccad]

Is it possible to analyze a 2D Truss structure using the "Frame analysis" module?

I have added constraints to all nodes ( to allow Z rotation. )

But besides axial stress, I am also getting bending stress on the members.

Do I need to use the "Release option" on the Truss members?

It is unclear to me with the Inventor online help.

[JD Mather]

Have you gone through this book?
http://www.amazon.com/Wasim-Younis-step-step-engineering/dp/B004VG3STE/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1305629345&sr=1-5

[abccad]

I have ordered the book; but from the TOC, I didn't see the Truss analysis.

The analysis results are showing additional bending stress, which shouldn't exist in Trusses.

Anybody has done "Truss analysis" in Inventor?