iLogic Tutorial – Automatic Board Configurator

            This iLogic Tutorial for automatic board configuration will show how to model and write the iLogic code that will automatically adjust the number and width of boards that make up the top of the … Continue reading →

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Autodesk Inventor Now Integral Part of TigerStop Workflow

I just heard from Richard over at TigerStop, and he informs me that their software engineers are going to make the Autodesk Inventor .csv output a default profile in TigerStop's Workflow Manager! Continue reading →

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Inventor Automation – Sending a Cut List to TigerStop

This is a guest post by Richard Gilmore of TigerStop LLC showing how to send automatically generated Autodesk Inventor Cutlists (parts lists) to a TigerStop (TigerFence, TigerCrossCut, Etc.) to speed production time and reduce errors. The cutlist shown here was generated by the model in the Shaker Table series of tutorials. Continue reading →

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Inventor iLogic – Rounding Decimals to Nearest Fraction

This post is an adjunct the Shaker Table series, and describes how to grab a decimal number from an Inventor iLogic parameter, round that number to the nearest specified fraction, then pass that new number to a new parameter that will make its way to a Cutlist. Continue reading →

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iLogic Tutorial for Creating a Woodworking Cutlist 2

I’ve used the TigerStop stop/gage and pusher system at a couple of the places I’ve worked at, and neither of them had any sort of automation ---like using your vacuum cleaner as a push broom. We manually typed in values that were manually pulled from crappy drawings. So we will find a good way to automate…..or die trying. Maybe not. But we will look gosh-darned hard! Continue reading →

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How-To Create Templates in Autodesk Inventor

Templates are a very productive way of reusing modified Inventor files. For example, LENGTH, WIDTH, and THICKNESS iPropertes for woodworkers that normally create cutlists. Or you can have a company standards FX part pre-inserted (something I do). If you only … Continue reading →

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iLogic Tutorial for Creating a Woodworking Cutlist

This iLogic Tutorial shows how to use Custom iProperties to hold WIDTH, LENGTH, and THICKNESS values on a per-part basis. These values are filled in automatically using and iLogic rule that reads parameters in the parts, and are then used at the drawing level in fields of the same name. Continue reading →

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Review of 3D Connexion’s SpacePilot Pro

The reason the eye robot scientists are using a 3D mouse is because it is the only way to fluidly navigate in 3D. Would you trust a doctor operating on your eyball with the clumsey "orbit" tools you'll find I imagine the reason they are using a 3D Connexion product is that they are far and away the best 3D mice out there –at least from my experience. Continue reading →

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New and Improved?

Part one of my review of 3D Connexion’s SpacePilot Pro will be posted a bit later today, and will be followed by Part two which will have an imbedded video. Continue reading →

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Inventor iLogic Assembly Automation Tutorial Decoded

The first two lines of code (above) are creating variables. The Nut_Offset variable gets its value by reading the Nut_Offset parameter in the Hanger Bolt:1 part. The second variable, Overall_Size is reading two local parameters (Blue) and multiplying them against each other to get its value. Continue reading →

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Inventor iLogic Assembly Automation Tutorial

In this Inventor iLogic tutorial we will insert a small subassembly (the Hanger Bolt) into the main assembly (the Shaker Table), create a bidirectional information flow between the two with iLogic code, and create an interface that will run the assembly as well as report model information. Continue reading →

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Layout Part Workflow Strategy for Autodesk Inventor

First in the order of business is to open up the Designing a Shaker Table with Autodesk Inventor.iam, and create the new LOD. We will call it iLogic –of all things. With that out of the way, we will place the layout part into the assembly. This is a normal place component operation. Nothing fancy here. Just use the Place tool found on the Component Panel of the Assemble Tab to place your part anywhere in the modeling environment… Continue reading →

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Autodesk Labs Mesh Enabler (Catia Importer) – Kicking the Tires

Which is where Inventor comes to the rescue. Inventor now has more import formats than you can shake a stick at. The addition of the Rhino importer was a big one for me as I was working with ship hulls that were created in Rhino and Rhino Marine by the Naval Architects, but I’m sure there are tons of folks out there that need to convert Catia files. Continue reading →

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Inventor Perspective Camera Angle Wizardry

Scott Moyse has a new post titled Inventor | How to Adjust The Perspective Camera Angle over at the Design & Motion website… Continue reading →

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iLogic Tutorial for Creating a SmartPart 3

In this, the final installment in this little sidebar iLogic tutorial for the Shaker Table series of tutorials, we will add the iLogic code that will hook the model to the spec’s posted at the beginning of this miniseries. Once this tutorial is completed, we will insert this part into the table and have the table control it automatically. Continue reading →

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iLogic Tutorial for Creating a SmartPart 2

In the first part of this iLogic Tutorial for the Shaker Table series, we left off having created an assembly, placing our hanger bolt SmartPart into it, then placing some Content Center parts into it using AutoDrop. So-far we have only placed the 5/16” nut/washer set. We still need to place the ¼” version, but to do so, we will need to write some iLogic code. Continue reading →

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Working On It…

The end result will be a more consistent site with fewer broken links, better navigation, and far less time for me to maintain. I’m adding several new features as well, so please be patient for the next couple of weeks as I work through this. If you find a broken link or something else amiss, please let me know! Continue reading →

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iLogic Tutorial for Creating a SmartPart 1

In this Inventor iLogic Tutorial we will create a SmartPart that represents all of the hanger bolts used by a fiction small woodworking shop. We will then place it in the Shaker Table model and have it controlled automatically by same. Continue reading →

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Inventor Tutorial for Making Components From a Multi-Solid Body Part

This tutorial will use the Shaker Table as the example –the version being where we left off after the post: Creating Min/Max Design Limits W/ Autodesk Inventor’s iLogic – Part 3 – More Code. Having said that, any part with multiple solid bodies will work for this demonstration –it’s just easier to be on the same page. Continue reading →

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Create a Simple(?) Parametric Half Lap Joint.

We recieved a question last week from a regular visitor to the website, Mark Meier, a student at the University of Michigan: Basically I’m trying to make a simple parametric half lap joint. Like the image below:     The way … Continue reading →

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Autodesk Inventor Tip – Zooming Around Inside Solid Bodies

I have always used this technique –zooming inside of models, and assumed everyone else did as well, until a coworker gave it a try –-----and couldn’t do it! In fact, none of the people I worked with at the time could get it to work! When they tried to zoom into their models, the program would bog down and not let them do so. Continue reading →

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Autodesk Inventor and iLogic Question Form Now Open

Here's the thing..... I get tons of questions via email, and I answer the majority of them, but there is a problem with that approach in that the same questions keep coming up because they were answered in private. Continue reading →

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The Autodesk Inventor Default Setting From Hell

By default, Autodesk Inventor sets the constraint as mentioned above, to Parallel and perpendicular (as seen in the image to the right) as opposed to Horizontal and vertical –the other choice in the Application Options. This default setting can screw you up big time –but it all depends on what you design. We’ll get into that a bit more later, and I hope others will weigh in the comments as to why they have the setting from hell enabled. Continue reading →

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iLogic Code for Creating Min/Max Design Limits in Autodesk Inventor – 3

In this post we will add the rest of the current parameters to the iLogic’s Form Editor so that we may blast through the rest of the min/max iLogic code. I’ll make this one as short as possible as I think you may have it down-pat by now. If not, use the comment box at the end of the post to get clarification. Continue reading →

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iLogic Code for Creating Min/Max Design Limits in Autodesk Inventor – 2

Now, back to the iLogic code. The maximum apron width code is shown below. The formula I came up with makes sure you can make the apron as wide as you want without blowing things up in the model. The parameters used within the formula (mostly the Taper_Min_Height and the Taper_Reveal) can be tweaked as well to create whatever look or other outcome you may desire. Continue reading →

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