Correct way to build up model?

[logictom]

I am a electronics engineering student in a group who have designed and constructed a micromouse as part of our degree. I had the job of designing the chassis for the mouse, as I've never done anything like this I used sketchup as it was free and easy to use. The designs were used to create the mouse but now I want to do some analysis and produce some proper diagrams for the write up.

I'm using inventor 2010 demo and have watched a few videos and read a couple of tutorials and I'm getting into the swing of things but I'm not sure which way to go about drawing up the chassis. I've attached to a couple of pictures of the model in sketchup, it's basically a sheet of metal with bits cut out, some holes and a few bends.

 

Now my problem is I'm not sure how to go about drawing this up in Inventor?

The way I did it in sketchup was to draw the base and extrude, draw the sides on top the base and extrude, etc etc then cut out all the necessary holes.

If I want to set it up as 3mm aluminium so I can produce a flat image and do the analysis is there a certain way I should do this to ensure there are no problems do the line and it can give me all the correct bend radius for the corners etc for the sheet diagram?

 

 

Sorry for the long post, but hopefully someone can point me in the right direction:) Thanks.

[kencaz]

I would first start a new Sheet Metal part (.ipt) then use "Sheet Metal Styles" to set the thickness of the material.

 

Draw out the base (bottom part) and use the flange feature to extend the walls of your part up. Do the same for the top only changing the distance of the flange.

 

 

Then create your sketches for your cut-outs and holes either extruding them with the cut option or using the hole feature.

 

Then you should be able get a good flat pattern out of it for cutting.

 

 

KC

[logictom]

Thanks kencaz, exactly what I needed to know and quick response too

I'll get straight onto it, no doubt I'll be back later on with more questions.

 

Thanks again.

[JD Mather]

I'm using inventor 2010 demo...

 

Students can get serial number for free 13-month license for Inventor Professional at http://www.autodesk.com/edcommunity

 

Since you already have it installed you would only need to get your serial number to register the software to activate the free 13-month license.

 

Zip and attach your Inventor ipt file here if you have any difficulty.

 

You might go through this document (a little old for 2010 but most is the same)

http://home.pct.edu/~jmather/AU2006/MA13-3%20Mather.pdf

[logictom]

Students can get serial number for free 13-month license for Inventor Professional at http://www.autodesk.com/edcommunity

 

Since you already have it installed you would only need to get your serial number to register the software to activate the free 13-month license.

 

Zip and attach your Inventor ipt file here if you have any difficulty.

 

You might go through this document (a little old for 2010 but most is the same)

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Thanks JD, I now have the 13month license running Having a read through the PDF while I work on this:)

 

I've got the basic shape and been playing around with the holes. What's the best way to center a hole at a given location? I've been drawing a construction line then dimensioning it from the side and bottom then creating the hole at the end point? Is there a way to dimension from the center of a hole? At the min I'm using the coincidence constraint and subtracting the radius from the distance, see pic. Just I reckon will forget on a couple only realise at the end:P

 

Also what's the best and/or easiest way to mirror the one side to the other with the rotation? If you get what I mean, as the sides are the same but left to right, right to left.

 

As I've got the 13month license I thought I may as well try and do things properly so I can go on more advanced stuff once I've finished this.

[shift1313]

One thing to keep in mind if you actually produce this is the kvalue and what kind of accuracy you need for your bent bracket.

 

For dimensioning the holes you can pick the center point for your dimensions. How you dimension it will depend on the model though. For instance if you need the hole to be a certain distance from the base and one edge of the model(keep in mind for updates).

[JD Mather]

Also what's the best and/or easiest way....

 

I suggest when you get a finished part, or closed to finished, or just plain stuck - that you attach your file here and ask the others how they might have modeled the same part.

 

You are likely to get several variations and hopefully all show some tricks of the trade.

[kencaz]

Also what's the best and/or easiest way to mirror the one side to the other with the rotation? If you get what I mean, as the sides are the same but left to right, right to left.

 

If they are identical you can just copy the sketch and paste it on the other face as such.

 

 

Then extrude cut and your done on both and your done.

 

[logictom]

Thanks again for the replies, very helpful:) Sorry for the late reply my laptop brick died so haven't been able to get anything done till now.

I think I still don't understand the process of how to build the model up:oops:

 

I started working on the bottom of the model so I cud place the holes with reference from the edge that is being bent as with my initial diagram it was drawn with perfect right angle bends so I'm trying to match it up to that.

 

I have drawn out the sketch for all the holes and cut outs with construction lines but when I go to put a hole or cut out the rest of the lines disappear and when I go back into sketch mode they are no more:?

 

I've attached the .ipt so you can see what I mean. Do I have to draw the dimensions for a hole then put that in then repeat?

chassis.zip

[logictom]

Ok, scrap that last issue, not sure what I did but they rest of the dimensions ain't disappearing on me now

[JD Mather]

First thing I noticed is that your first sketch is not fully constrained. It is missing Horizontal and Vertical constraints.

 

It looks to me like you are doing wayyy too much work. I will try to post an example of how I might do the part in the next hour or two when I get a chance.

[logictom]

First thing I noticed is that your first sketch is not fully constrained. It is missing Horizontal and Vertical constraints.

 

It looks to me like you are doing wayyy too much work. I will try to post an example of how I might do the part in the next hour or two when I get a chance.

 

Thanks JD, yeah it does feel like I'm doing it the long way round.

I've finished the bottom and have started working on one of the sides, I'm getting the problem where the sketch vanishes once I put on hole in again where as I still have the sketch for the bottom:huh:

[JD Mather]

... problem where the sketch vanishes...

 

Expand the feature in the browser to find the sketch.

Right click on the sketch and select Share Sketch (and/or Visibility).

[logictom]

Expand the feature in the browser to find the sketch.

Right click on the sketch and select Share Sketch (and/or Visibility).

 

The sketch is gone from the browser, I did a quick screen capture to explain what I mean. It was doing this with the bottom but somewhere along the way I messed with something that caused it not to disappear.

Am I being daft here?

hxxp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWmeM70HWNA

[JD Mather]

The sketch is still there - you didn't follow my previous instructions.

Next to Hole14 feature in the browser you will see a Plus + symbol.

 

Click on the + and your sketch will appear in the browser.

Right click on the sketch in the browser and select Share Sketch.

 

I don't have all of your dimensions but I did a quick mock-up of how might go about the part. Drag the End of Part marker EOP down step-by-step and also expand the features in the history tree and edit each sketch as well to see what I did.

Chassis.zip

[logictom]

Thanks JD, you were right, didn't expand the feature.

Has been going ok and I've built up the model, I've drawn a couple of the other parts and put them together in a assembly so I could use it to give me the centre of gravity, I've got the point on but it doesn't give me any coordinates, works fine on each individual part. Will this be down to constraints or lack there of?

center.zip

[JD Mather]

... it doesn't give me any coordinates, works fine on each individual part.

 

Ahh, I see the problem - you don't have ANY parts in your assembly (at least not the assembly you attached here).

 

They should have covered this in your training that an iam file is only a record of hyperlinks to your ipt files. Without the ipt files the iam is worthless.

[logictom]

Sorry about that, I've attached a zip with all the files. Split one is a rar renamed as zip.

c1.zip

c2.zip

chassis.part1.zip

chassis.part2.zip

[JD Mather]

Why is the sketch for the battery not constrained? Inventor should do this automatically. I suggest you read this document http://home.pct.edu/~jmather/AU2006/MA13-3%20Mather.pdf

 

It appears as if you have turned off automatic vertical/horizontal or perpendicular constraints. Why would you do that?

 

The sketch for the wheel is placed at the origin but not constrained to the origin? Inventor should automatically do this for you?

 

Why are there two Hole features to create one hole in the Bearing part?

 

On the Chassis did you roll up the EOP before zipping so that you could get the file as small as possible before attaching here?

[logictom]

I've added the missing constraints you mentioned.

I'm still having the problem with the centre giving me the coordinates:huh:

 

Thanks for the tip about EOP, have attached as one file.

chassis.zip