A quick way to do this is using the Ground and Root tool:Īssembly Tab > Productivity Panel > Ground and Rootįinally, right-click on the part and chose Adaptive, then save the file. Place the Panel Master.ipt into the iCopy Panel Assembly.iam.įor the iCopy tool to work correctly, the Master Part needs to be constrained to the origin and grounded. Tip: You can add temporary Dimension constraints to your sketch to size it, but remember to delete them before we get to the next step.Ĭreate a new assembly, and save it as ‘iCopy Panel Assembly.iam’. Now right-click on the sketch and choose Adaptive, then save the file. In the default sketch on the XY plane, project the centre point into the sketch, and sketch out a rectangle.Ĭonstrain the one corner of the rectangle to the centre.įigure 1: The under-constrained master sketch.įinish the sketch. Note: Make sure that Constraint Persistence is toggled off, or hold down the CTRL key as you sketch. As the skeleton part resizes, the sketch will resize and all the parts referencing the Master sketch will also be resized.Īdaptivity allows parts which include under constrained sketches or features to adapt to suit other parts within the context of an assembly.Ĭreate a new part and save it as ‘Panel Master.ipt’. When placed, the sketch will adapt to suit the skeleton part. This technique is called Skeletal Modeling (not to be confused with the skeleton part). This sketch will be derived into every part in the iCopy assembly that needs to adapt. To create and use iCopy assemblies, you will need:Ī Host assembly, containing a Skeleton partĪn iCopy template assembly contains an adaptive master part file, which contains an under-constrained adaptive sketch. Note: There is no reason why iAssemblies and iCopy couldn’t be used in conjunction with each other (although the thought is pretty mind boggling!). Unfortunately, there is currently no option to choose how the iCopy tool handles the file name incrementsĪn iCopy assembly is best used when the shape of the design is likely to change rather than the configuration. ICopy handles the creation and naming of the new assembly file and all its component parts. ICopy can also be used to automate adding patterns of Assemblies, like rungs on a ladder or curtain walling panels.
The iCopy Assembly is referenced to the skeleton part using Autodesk Inventor’s adaptivity feature and will update when the skeleton part updates. ICopy assemblies are used in conjunction with a skeleton part (much like the Frame Generator). An iAssembly is usually used to create a number of variations controlled by a master table. ICopy is different from an iAssembly, in that the iCopy tool creates infinite sizes of a design from a template Assembly.
Beginning with Inventor 2011, iCopy is included in the program. Note: iCopy is a new tool that was added to Inventor as an Autodesk Labs plugin for Inventor 2010.
This exercise demonstrates how to use iCopy to create an adaptive sheet metal cladding panel. The iCopy tool uses adaptivity and skeletal modeling to automate the process of copying and positioning similar components within an assembly. However, if you know in advance that you will want to create an assembly that has many variations in size and shape-Autodesk Inventor’s iCopy tool could be just what you need. If you’ve ever tried copying and reusing an Autodesk Inventor® assembly, you know that it can be a fiddly job. Back November 4th, 2011 An iCopy “How To”