In the last installment of this Cabinet Configurator Tutorial, we left off with the Plan sketch nearly complete –but the side panels geometry was left only partially constrained due to the length of the post. As with the Shaker Table blogtorial, we need to create a setback in the sketch that is driven by iLogic, which will be driven to zero at some configurations. Doing so will almost always result in a portion of your model flipping inside-out when driven back to a non-zero configuration. So what we will do to stop this from happening is create an outrigger. Please use the outrigger link if you would like more info. Otherwise, let’s get to it…
Tag Archives: Cabinetmaking
Cabinet Configurator Tutorial for Inventor 2013 – Plan Sketch – 1
In the last installment of this Cabinet Configurator Tutorial for Inventor 2013, we completed the Side Elevation sketch which described pretty much everything there is to see when slicing through the cabinet vertically through its center (whether or not the element is actually sliced through). This next sketch will show the elements that are possible horizontally.
Because we are creating a Cabinet Configurator, there needs to be options built into the sketches. The Side Elevation sketch was easy in that regard as any options will likely be expressed merely as a different material thickness that can be controlled with a parameter and some iLogic code. The face frame configurations will created on their own sketches because it would be foolish to represent that many configurations within the Side Elevation sketch alone—a pile of lines atop other lines is a recipe for failure.
The first thing we need to do is create a plane for our new sketch. We will use the Plane on Point method to create the plane on the top of the front most line that describes the face frame…
Inventor Tutorial – Layout Part Creation – Side Elevation – 5
In the last installment of this Automated Cabinetry Inventor Tutorial, we got all the way around the cabinet with our sketch, but there are still a few things to add. We need to get the applied toe kick in place, add a locator for the adjustable leg, and add the rail representations in the top nailer frame. If time allows, we will start on the variable sketches that will begin to describe the variation available to the base design.
Before we start sketching, we need five more parameters (to start) to define the kick and its location, and to define the rail width for the top nailer frame. Open the Parameter Editor, and if yours looks like the one below..
Inventor Tutorial – Layout Part Creation – Side Elevation – 4
In the last installment of this Inventor Tutorial for automated Cabinet Design, we damn near finished working our way around the side elevation sketch, but still have the bottom to go. From there, we need to define the rails for this, the main version of the face frame.
The sketching begins with two parallel lines that are each coincident to the line that represents the back of the face frame and the line that represents the inner face of the back panel. Remember that every line in these cabinets either needs a horizontal or vertical constraint with a few exceptions that will be called out, so from this time forward, it’s up to you to not screw up.
Inventor Tutorial – Layout Part Creation – Side Elevation – 3
In the last installment of this Cabinetmaking Inventor Tutorial, we created a couple parameters, sketched in the face frame profile, and dimensioned the new face frame using the new parameters. Today we will continue sketching. The features we will need to portray in this elevation slice are a top nailer frame, a back nailer, the back, the deck, the kick, and the face frame’s rails.
This unit will be designed to rest on a cleat on the wall in the back, and have adjustable feet in the front. The kick will be attached to the front legs with clips. I’ve never built one like this, but someone once described their shops build method as being very similar to this, and I thought it was a pretty elegant way to build a good cabinet without going broke –as so many cabinetmakers do every year.
Since we’re working our way around the cabinet in a clock-wise direction, we’ll get started today with the top nailer frame. The top nailer frame butts into the back nailer –which butts up against the back, so hopefully we can get to all of them. We’ll start by drawing a set of lines in exactly the same manor as in the last post in this Inventor Tutorial series…
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.
To begin this iLogic code writting session, we will go to the Forms Tab on the iLogic Browser, and right click on the Form 1 form we created in the last installment. Choose Edit, which will bring up the iLogic Form Editor. First thing to do here is drag all of the rest of the parameters over to the form. When that is done, grab a Tab Group tool from the Toolbox in the lower left, and place it at the top of the list of parameters you just dragged over. Now add another one somewhere in the middle of the pack. Now click on the Label 1 text and change it to Shaker Table. Now change the names of the tabs you just created to Main and Secondary. Now its just a matter of dragging the parameters and dropping them on top of whichever tab they will belong on…
Loading ...