Connect a 2D part file to an assembly in Inventor

00:03

In this tutorial, you create a 3D assembly with a 2D AutoCAD DWG file that has already been imported and set up for 3D conversion.

00:14

From the Quick Access Toolbar, click Open.

00:17

Navigate to where you saved the project files, select the 300730-000.iam assembly file, and click Open.

00:28

In the graphics display area, right-click to open the Marking menu and select Place Component.

00:36

In the Place Component dialog, select 300730-001.ipt.

00:44

This part file contains the initial setup of an imported 2D DWG in which the part origin was set,

00:52

the 2D DWG geometry was projected onto the XY plane, and a driven dimension was created that controls the part thickness.

01:02

Click to place the part file in the assembly, and then right-click and select OK to continue.

01:08

You can place constraints between the origins of the part file and the origin features of the assembly file to create their relationship.

01:17

On the ribbon, Assemble tab, Relationships panel, click Constrain.

01:22

In the Place Constraint dialog, change the solution to Flush.

01:27

In the model browser, expand the 300730-001 part entry, then expand the origin and click the YZ Plane,

01:39

then expand the assembly Origin folder and click the YZ Plane.

01:45

In the Place Constraint dialog, click Apply.

01:48

Repeat this sequence for the XZ Plane.

01:55

Then repeat the sequence again for the XY Plane, but this time, set the Offset to -100 mm,

02:04

and then click OK to apply the constraint and end the command.

02:09

The part file is now placed in context with the assembly.

02:13

To edit the part file, in the model browser, double-click to select it.

02:18

In the display area, right-click to open the Marking menu, and select Extrude.

02:23

Select the closed profile.

02:26

For the extrude distance, select the driven dimension that was previously placed in the sketch by referencing this parameter.

02:35

You end up with a thickness of the detail of 12 millimeters.

02:39

Click OK to complete this command.

02:42

To change the appearance of the part, expand the Appearances drop-down and select Orange-Red.

02:49

To turn off the visibility of the DWG information, from the model browser, right-click the dwg file and select Visibility.

02:59

To exit the edit of the part file, on the ribbon, in the 3D Model menu, Return panel, click Return.

03:07

To complete this design, you need to mirror this part to the other side of the assembly.

03:13

On the ribbon, in the Assemble tab, Pattern panel, click Mirror.

03:19

Select the part to mirror.

03:22

In the Mirror Components dialog, select Mirror Plane.

03:27

In the model browser, from the assembly Origin folder, select the XY Plane.

03:33

Click Next,

03:36

confirm the file names, and then click OK.

03:39

You have completed the gripper arm assembly design,

03:43

but you can now see what happens if your design changes in the AutoCAD 2D drawing.

03:49

From the Quick Access Toolbar, click Save to save the assembly file.

03:54

In the Save dialog, click OK.

03:57

It is important to understand that the driven dimension is still linked to the original DWG file.

04:05

To see this, if you have AutoCAD available, open the original DWG file.

04:11

Edit the d1 dimension, defining the part’s thickness, to 6mm.

04:17

Save the AutoCAD file, and then go back to the Inventor assembly file.

04:23

From the Quick Access Toolbar, click Local Update.

04:27

Notice that the thickness of the side plates has been updated, based upon the new AutoCAD DWG information.