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Create a 3D sketch to serve as the skeleton part for the Frame Generator.
Type:
Tutorial
Length:
7 min.
Tutorial resources
These downloadable resources will be used to complete this tutorial:
Transcript
00:03
Before using the Frame Generator to create a frame assembly, you need a skeleton part on which to insert frame members.
00:11
In this tutorial, you create a 3D sketch from scratch to serve as the skeleton of a structural frame for a robotic arm assembly.
00:20
Start your design in a new Inventor part file.
00:23
From the Home tab, click New.
00:26
In the Create New File dialog, navigate to the Metric folder, select the Standard (mm).ipt template, and then click Create.
00:37
Right-click the display area, and from the Marking menu, select New Sketch.
00:43
Click the XZ Plane to create the sketch.
00:48
On the ribbon, Sketch tab, Create panel, click Rectangle and select Two Point Center Rectangle from the drop-down.
00:57
Sketch a rectangle, centered at the origin, with a dimension of 600mm by 600mm.
01:07
Right-click, from the Marking menu, select OK, and then select Finish 2D Sketch.
01:15
In the Navigation bar, click Zoom All.
01:20
Next, create a 3D sketch.
01:24
On the ribbon, in the Sketch tab, Sketch panel, click Start 3D Sketch.
01:32
Right-click the display, and from the Marking menu, select Create 3D Line.
01:38
Start drawing up from the right corner.
01:44
From the Marking menu, ensure that Ortho Mode is checked.
01:49
Enter a value of 2000mm, and then press ENTER to create the 3D line.
01:57
Continuing with the Line command, from the Marking menu, uncheck Ortho Mode.
02:05
Then, uncheck Infer Constraints.
02:10
Then, on the triad, select the YZ planar face to correctly orient the line.
02:17
Sketch an angled line downward at 60°.
02:23
In the Angle entry, type 60 and then press TAB to lock in the value.
02:29
Extend the line to about 1,200 mm, and then click to place the end point.
02:36
Right click again and check Infer Constraints.
02:40
Move your cursor over the line you just drew to establish as inferred constraint.
02:46
Sketch the next line 90° to the last line, click TAB to lock in the value,
02:52
and then place an end point.
02:55
Sketch a final line, ending at the end point on the 2D sketch, and then from the Marking menu, select OK to complete the command.
03:04
You can now add some constraints to your sketch.
03:08
On the ribbon, in the 3D Sketch menu, Constrain panel, select the Parallel constraint.
03:15
To apply it, click the last short line segment you just sketched, and then click the 2000 mm vertical segment.
03:24
Select the Parallel with YZ Plane constraint, and then apply it to the upper line segment.
03:31
You can add a few more line segments to this 3D sketch.
03:37
From the Modify panel, click Extend, and then click the shorter line from the bottom of the base rectangle to extend it.
03:46
Notice that with the constraint placed, the line terminates at the existing segment.
03:52
Right-click the display to open the Marking menu, and select Create 3D Line.
03:58
Begin sketching a new 3D Line by clicking the point from which the line was extended,
04:04
and then from the Marking menu, enable Ortho Mode.
04:10
Extend the line past the long vertical line and select a point for its end.
04:17
From the Modify panel, select Trim, and click the end section of the line to trim away the overlap.
04:25
From the Constrain panel, click Dimension, and create a dimension constraints.
04:30
First, create an angle dimension between the first vertical line and the adjacent angled line.
04:37
Set the value to 60 degrees.
04:42
Add a second dimension by clicking the first endpoint of the new trimmed line,
04:47
and the endpoint of the corner of the base directly below it.
04:52
Enter a value of 650, and then press ENTER to define the line height.
05:00
From the Marking menu, select OK to complete the sketch.
05:06
You can now create a mirror copy of this 3D sketch geometry to place on the other side of the 2D rectangle.
05:15
From the 3D Sketch tab, Pattern panel, click Mirror.
05:20
Use a crossing window to select all the lines on the right side.
05:26
In the Mirror dialog, click the Mirror Plane option, expand the Origin folder, and select the YZ plane.
05:34
Click Apply, and then Done to create the mirror and close the dialog.
05:40
Right-click the display and from the Marking menu, select Create 3D Line.
05:47
Create five individual line segments to connect the original and copied sides.
05:52
Start with the middle front and work your way around the frame to the middle back.
05:60
From the Marking menu, select OK.
06:05
Then, from the 3D Sketch tab, click Finish Sketch to complete the sketch. Save your progress.
Video transcript
00:03
Before using the Frame Generator to create a frame assembly, you need a skeleton part on which to insert frame members.
00:11
In this tutorial, you create a 3D sketch from scratch to serve as the skeleton of a structural frame for a robotic arm assembly.
00:20
Start your design in a new Inventor part file.
00:23
From the Home tab, click New.
00:26
In the Create New File dialog, navigate to the Metric folder, select the Standard (mm).ipt template, and then click Create.
00:37
Right-click the display area, and from the Marking menu, select New Sketch.
00:43
Click the XZ Plane to create the sketch.
00:48
On the ribbon, Sketch tab, Create panel, click Rectangle and select Two Point Center Rectangle from the drop-down.
00:57
Sketch a rectangle, centered at the origin, with a dimension of 600mm by 600mm.
01:07
Right-click, from the Marking menu, select OK, and then select Finish 2D Sketch.
01:15
In the Navigation bar, click Zoom All.
01:20
Next, create a 3D sketch.
01:24
On the ribbon, in the Sketch tab, Sketch panel, click Start 3D Sketch.
01:32
Right-click the display, and from the Marking menu, select Create 3D Line.
01:38
Start drawing up from the right corner.
01:44
From the Marking menu, ensure that Ortho Mode is checked.
01:49
Enter a value of 2000mm, and then press ENTER to create the 3D line.
01:57
Continuing with the Line command, from the Marking menu, uncheck Ortho Mode.
02:05
Then, uncheck Infer Constraints.
02:10
Then, on the triad, select the YZ planar face to correctly orient the line.
02:17
Sketch an angled line downward at 60°.
02:23
In the Angle entry, type 60 and then press TAB to lock in the value.
02:29
Extend the line to about 1,200 mm, and then click to place the end point.
02:36
Right click again and check Infer Constraints.
02:40
Move your cursor over the line you just drew to establish as inferred constraint.
02:46
Sketch the next line 90° to the last line, click TAB to lock in the value,
02:52
and then place an end point.
02:55
Sketch a final line, ending at the end point on the 2D sketch, and then from the Marking menu, select OK to complete the command.
03:04
You can now add some constraints to your sketch.
03:08
On the ribbon, in the 3D Sketch menu, Constrain panel, select the Parallel constraint.
03:15
To apply it, click the last short line segment you just sketched, and then click the 2000 mm vertical segment.
03:24
Select the Parallel with YZ Plane constraint, and then apply it to the upper line segment.
03:31
You can add a few more line segments to this 3D sketch.
03:37
From the Modify panel, click Extend, and then click the shorter line from the bottom of the base rectangle to extend it.
03:46
Notice that with the constraint placed, the line terminates at the existing segment.
03:52
Right-click the display to open the Marking menu, and select Create 3D Line.
03:58
Begin sketching a new 3D Line by clicking the point from which the line was extended,
04:04
and then from the Marking menu, enable Ortho Mode.
04:10
Extend the line past the long vertical line and select a point for its end.
04:17
From the Modify panel, select Trim, and click the end section of the line to trim away the overlap.
04:25
From the Constrain panel, click Dimension, and create a dimension constraints.
04:30
First, create an angle dimension between the first vertical line and the adjacent angled line.
04:37
Set the value to 60 degrees.
04:42
Add a second dimension by clicking the first endpoint of the new trimmed line,
04:47
and the endpoint of the corner of the base directly below it.
04:52
Enter a value of 650, and then press ENTER to define the line height.
05:00
From the Marking menu, select OK to complete the sketch.
05:06
You can now create a mirror copy of this 3D sketch geometry to place on the other side of the 2D rectangle.
05:15
From the 3D Sketch tab, Pattern panel, click Mirror.
05:20
Use a crossing window to select all the lines on the right side.
05:26
In the Mirror dialog, click the Mirror Plane option, expand the Origin folder, and select the YZ plane.
05:34
Click Apply, and then Done to create the mirror and close the dialog.
05:40
Right-click the display and from the Marking menu, select Create 3D Line.
05:47
Create five individual line segments to connect the original and copied sides.
05:52
Start with the middle front and work your way around the frame to the middle back.
05:60
From the Marking menu, select OK.
06:05
Then, from the 3D Sketch tab, click Finish Sketch to complete the sketch. Save your progress.
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