Frame Generator (having problems)

[arshavin23]

Hi all, i am having trouble with frame generator, in the picture below i have taken a screen shot and pointed out the parts i am having trouble connecting to the frame, ive been trying using the miter and notch tool although this will not allow me to select the arc shape parts at all, any advice is much appreciated.

 

S

 

[Pablo Ferral]

The clue is in the part, open up one of the curved members and see how the frame generator has created it. Now have a look at one of your sucsessfully notched straight frame members and you will get an idea of how this feature works.

 

It is very clever, but unfortuantly, not that clever! You may have to work around this limitation.

[arshavin23]

The clue is in the part, open up one of the curved members and see how the frame generator has created it. Now have a look at one of your sucsessfully notched straight frame members and you will get an idea of how this feature works.

 

It is very clever, but unfortuantly, not that clever! You may have to work around this limitation.

 

around what limitation, the limitation of not being able to use curved parts?

 

S

[JD Mather]

No, you cannot directly use the Frame Generator editing tools with curved members.

 

Try this. Click on a member you wish to use as the trimming tool. Right click and select Copy Object (as Surface Body). You can then use the surface body to Split (part) or Sculpt to make the cut with the curved part.

[arshavin23]

Thanks for the reply JD Mather, could you explain this a bit more to me please, im fairly new to using the frame generator feature

 

S

[JD Mather]

Thanks for the reply JD Mather, could you explain this a bit more to me please, im fairly new to using the frame generator feature

 

S

 

It would be easier for me to explain with your assembly - only need the iam one curved part and one other intersecting part.

[shift1313]

Thanks for the reply JD Mather, could you explain this a bit more to me please, im fairly new to using the frame generator feature

 

S

 

Basically what you will be doing is taking the "skin" of one frame member and using that to trim your other member.

[arshavin23]

It would be easier for me to explain with your assembly - only need the iam one curved part and one other intersecting part.

Ok i have attached the assembly file, thanks

 

S

Injury Transport Vehicle Frame Generator.zip

[JD Mather]

Ahh, I see the problem - your assembly doesn't have any parts. Why do I have to repeat this with every thread? Does anyone get any Inventor training? An assembly without parts is useless. An iam is nothing more than a record of hyperlinks and assembly constraints.

[arshavin23]

Ahh, I see the problem - your assembly doesn't have any parts. Why do I have to repeat this with every thread? Does anyone get any Inventor training? An assembly without parts is useless. An iam is nothing more than a record of hyperlinks and assembly constraints.

 

I placed a sketch in to the assembly and inserted frames on to it ?

[arshavin23]

I have decided to just go with a squared frame for now, no problems so far...

[JD Mather]

I placed a sketch in to the assembly and inserted frames on to it ?

 

But all you attached here is an iam file. An iam file without ipt files is completely useless.

[arshavin23]

But all you attached here is an iam file. An iam file without ipt files is completely useless.

 

oh right i must have forgot to attach the sketch, sorry about that didn't realise... thanks for the reply.

 

S

[shift1313]

Arsharvin. An assembly file is only a reference. The location of your generated frame is saved in the project directory and the assembly file just opens it.

 

If i get the chance this afternoon I will try to draw an example for you.

[shift1313]

Here are some pics for you Arshavin with a little explanation.

 

First I created two frame members real quick that were similar to what you are working with.

 

Next I selected the short member and go into Edit mode.

 

Select Copy Object in the modify section of the Model tab. Pay attention to the options you have on the Copy Object dialog box. I select Face. Under the Output section I "create new" and select Surface(center box). Make sure the Delete Original box is not checked. What you have just done is create a surface that is identical to the outside face of your arced tube.

 

Next I use the split tool, again in the modify section of the Model tab. On the split dialog you have a few options. Split face, trim solid and split solid. In this case(since you dont need the part of the tube we are cutting) select the second box down which is trim solid. Your split tool will be that new face we just created with the Copy Object dialog. Since there is only one solid body in this frame member the "solid" box will not be selectable. If you were dealing with multi body parts you would be able to select the solid you wish to remove from. Pay close attention to the direction of the red arrow that pops up on the screen. In my image it is pointing the wrong way. The Remove section allows you to pick the direction. Everything from your surface in the direction of the arrow will be removed.

 

And thats it! in the last picture i just turned the visibility off of the arced member so you could see the cut.

[arshavin23]

thanks shift, really appreciate that and its very helpful and easy to understand.

 

S