Editing only one part?

[Kruzn]

I just stated using Inventor recently, and am having a hard time with what i think should be an easy task. I searched Google for the past few hours and am not coming up with anything close, so I hope you guys can at least point me in the right direction.

When Assembling I have two identical pieces that I place into the assembly. I need to edit only one of them after placing. Right now they are linked together and for the life of me can not figure out how to unlink them. I would think it is a simple task, so if it is, you have every right to call me dumb. Just please point me in the right direction, its driving me insane...


Thanks

[Bill Tillman]

That's funny I'm having the same troubles. I copied and mirrored several of the parts in my assembly, and now I need to adjust one or more of them separately from the other parts and change only one or two of them, not all of them. I'm just getting my feet wet with Inventor as well. I did some searching on this and didn't come up with anything yet but when I do, or some kind soul replies here, we'll both have our answer. I hope there is a way to break the relation or bust loose the contraints on the parts individually. It's probably something simple we just don't know yet. I have a 960 page user manual here (PDF) and I'm scouring over it now for clues.

OK- Quick update. I opened the part in the model browser window in the left side of my screen. I then somehow got into Derived Parts and checked for the help but didn't find too much there. Now here is where my newbie nature got me in trouble. Somehow through a series of clicks and such, Inventor Fusion opened up with the part in it. I did a Push/Pull operation on the end of it and it got longer by 1.2 cm (or the 12 mm I was trying to increase it's length by). I then exited out of Fusion without doing a save that I know of and now back in Inventor, my isolated part is there and it's 12 mm longer than it used to be and it didn't change the other parts along with it. I have to get back to you once I understand what it is I really did here.

The main reason I'm being cautious with this is that a few days ago, Mr. Inventor himself, JD told me that Fusion is too dangerous or complex for newbies to be messing around with. He also made reference that Fusion may be unstable in some way itself. Anyway, I will keep experiementing and as I learn more will post back.

[JD Mather]

Two identical instance of the same part are, well the same part, just like in the real world. They have the same part number or name.

If they are not the same, they are not identical and therefore should not be the same part. They have different part numbers or names, just like the real world.

Now if the second part is a modification of the first part (just like the real world) we assign a new part number to the new part.

Start a new part.
Exit Sketch if automatically in a sketch.
Select Derived Component and then when the dialog box pops up select the original part as the part to derive.
Save the Derived Component as a new name/number.

Any changes made to the original will appear in the Derived part.
Any changes to the Derived part will not appear in the orgininal. Just like the real world.
You can Break the link to the original or Suppress the link to the original. I recommend you always Suppress rather than Break unless you are absolutely sure the base geometry will never change and you want to "lock it in stone".

[JD Mather]

...JD told me that Fusion is too dangerous or complex for newbies to be messing around with. He also made reference that Fusion may be unstable in some way itself. ....

The problem with Fusion is that it is too easy for the untrained (most users of any CAD program in my experience) to create garbage (90% of everything I see done in any CAD program) and too hard to identify the garbage because of no history.
Like getting math solutions without the formula proofs from someone not very good at math.

[kencaz]

The problem with Fusion is that it is too easy for the untrained (most users of any CAD program in my experience) to create garbage (90% of everything I see done in any CAD program) and too hard to identify the garbage because of no history.
Like getting math solutions without the formula proofs from someone not very good at math.

I agree. If you have AutoCad only, Fusion could be a big benefit, however, in my experience with Fusion. It, along side Inventor is just asking for trouble. Inventor can do everything fusion can and is parametric! Meaning changes are much easier and more controlled. Once your used to constrained sketch driven geometry, Fusion just seems too chaotic.