modeling wires

[abishop]

What is the best way to model wires into my assy?

[stevsmith]

Cable and harness, which will cost you as I'm sure it's an expansion pack.

 

The other alternative, 3d splines and sweeping profiles.

[JD Mather]

Do you have Inventor Professional or Inventor Routed Systems?

If no, then I can describe how to do it with standard Inventor, but if you have Professional.....

[abishop]

rumor is I am better to 3d sketch and sweep....have to figure that out. I would like to do a 3d sketch in my assy?

[JD Mather]

The easier way is with Routed Systems that does the 3D sketch and Sweep for you.

 

To do it manually,

Start a new part within the context of the assembly.

All the other parts will gray out. To turn off Translucency go to the View tab and click the down arrow under Appearance.

 

Start a 3D sketch and Include Geometry connecting points from components.

Create spline or other path between connecting points. Exit 3D sketch.

Create workplane perpendicular to path (select path and endpoint).

Project Geometry endpoint and create circle for wire diameter.

Sweep.

 

Return (upper right corner of screen) to assembly environment.

If you move one of your parts - the connecting wire should update (might have to click Update (lightning bolt)).

[drwhite]

I just started creating wires. I found that using the Cable and Harness part of Inventor is very easy. It can even be done with 2d sketches. You can make the "wires" or segments any diameter, any color, any radius in the bends. I guess you could use

a 3D sketch but I discovered that if I create or use two coaxial points at the beginning of a segment and two coaxial point at the end (i.e. two points in the center of a fitting or opposite ends of a hole) the segment will be created instantaneously. If I cause

an "interference" between two wires, I create another sketch to create a point away from that conflicting interference and use it as a sort of midpoint in the segment and the conflict disappears. Now for my problem: Dear Mr. Certified, my biggest problem with Inventor is that the "tool tip" or "selection choice box" is always right on top of where I want to pick. I mean if I want to select a point, the tip thing is right on top of it and I can't select the point. I can if I slip up on it by slowly moving the mouse toward the

point I want and before the tool tip pops up and block the view of the tip. I know I can change the amount of time before the tip pops up, but sometimes I want the select other to pop up. But why does it cover up the cursor point? Is there a setting for

positioning the tip/selection box some distance away from the mouse cursor?

[JD Mather]

I.... I know I can change the amount of time before the tip pops up, but sometimes I want the select other to pop up.

 

Increase the delay time and instead Right Mouse button whenever you really really really want to Select Other.

[drwhite]

That exactly what I did about 30 seconds after I posted my problem! Not an elegant solution by any means, but it helped some. It would be nice if Inventor offered an alternative to tooltips use where you could hold down the CTRL key when you are making a selection and that would invoke the tooltips rather than just a timer. I would rather that Inventor had and OSMODE setting like AutoCAD so that the user could specify what to look for. Sometimes I think the guys who created Inventor never actually used it in the real world of design.