Inventor^® Training

Auto-Projected Geometry in Autodesk Inventor - Page 2

By David Melvin, PE, TEDCF Publishing

This sketch also has a projected node on the origin of the sketch, but it also has projected geometry along the edge of the square, and here’s where the problem begins.

The origin of the sketch is not relevant to the design of the feature you are creating. It’s relevant to the feature it’s on. So you should use the projected geometry from the feature and not the node on the origin of the sketch. I’ve shown several examples of how using the projected node can cause problems, but in those rare cases where you need to constrain to a point on the origin of the part, project the node from the origin of the part. You’ll find that you’ll gain more control over your part geometry if you do.

So how can you take control over auto-projected geometry?

First, setup the Application Options so that the node on the origin is not automatically projected.

Open the Application Options and in the Sketch tab uncheck Autoproject part origin on sketch creation. Also make sure Autoproject edges for sketch creation and edit is checked. This is the option that projects the edge of the surface onto the sketch.

Next, open the Part tab and check Sketch on x-y plane. You can pick any of the three planes. Typically you’ll start your first sketch on the x-y plane.

Finally, create a part template that has the origin projected on the fist sketch.

This way you get the most out of auto-projected geometry. The fist sketch of a part will have a node projected from the origin, and subsequent sketches will not.

So you’ll use the projected node on the first sketch to constrain the part geometry to the origin of the part, and you’ll use projected edges to constrain secondary sketches. Doing this will give you more control over how your sketches are constrained.

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