IMAGINiT Manufacturing Solutions Blog

Cool aerodynamic CFD study Thule cargo box

Check out our write up in Desktop Engineering Magazine.  We're proud of the CFD analysis services work we did for Thule to design a new cargo box line.  Desktop Engineering wrote a nice article...

 

http://www.deskeng.com/articles/aabkrk.htm 

 

 

Inventor User Group Addendum: Electro-Mechanical Interoperability

This post is essentially a recap of our User Group on Inventor and AutoCAD Electrical Interoperability.  With the ongoing questioning I seem to get on this subject after the inclusion of AutoCAD Electrical in the Product Design Suite Premium and Ultimate for 2013 and 2014, it seemed like a good time to revisit the integration that has been between these products for some time now.  So long in fact that I reminisce back to my first Autodesk University Class on the subject.  Here is the AU Paper from that class...

Download ML215-2 CAN

I will be following up on this post with a video summary of the User Group demonstration in the coming days.  Until then, here is a pretty picture I made.

Adding a Boolean "OR" Operator to a Vault Find

The Vault Find command is a very powerful tool but sometimes it just does not give the results we expected.  In this example I need to find all models and drawings where the "Designer" property is either C King or B White.  I enter the following search parameters and perform the seach and I am wonderng why no files were found.

You soon realize that the Vault defaulted to a Boolean AND operator between the two statements and or course the files in the Vault will probably not have two Designers.  You know the Vault understands a Boolean OR operation but you are wondering how to achieve this in the Find commnad statement.

The answer is to create the find statement to include the Boolean OR operator in the Value field between the designers names.  In the search below the files that have either B White OR C King, as the value of the Designer property, are found.

The Boolean operator does not have to be capitalized, I just did it for emphasis.  You can also have as many OR operators in the line as you like.

This same idea can be used in the Vault Query Builder.

If you desire, you could type the same search in the Search Dialog box.

Don't forget to save your Vault Find command configurations to quickly used them again and again.

Solving HVAC redundancy issues and lowering cost with CFD analysis consulting

Our very own Jason Pfeiffer, Director of CFD consulting at IMAGINiT, writes about this topic in Properties Magazine.  In his brief article he addresses common challenges with ASHRAE guidelines and ventilation design challenges to eliminate redundancy and save money.

 

By Jason Pfeiffer - IMAGINiT Technologies

Engineers often – and unnecessarily – specify redundant HVAC equipment because they’re not sure what they really need. Although ventilation system specifications are known, it’s not easy to predict local thermal discomfort factors such as drafts, cyclic variations in operating temperature and radiant temperature asymmetry. To make up for this lack of intangible, yet extremely important information, conservative designers tend to throw higher-capacity, additional redundancy and/or more equipment at the problem. This tendency to oversupply increases upfront capital costs, the total cost of energy and produces more greenhouse gases than necessary.  Read the full article here 

A Breakdown of the Features inside IMAGINiT Utilities for Vault Server

This tool has been around for several years now. With each year it gains new features. These features are intended to make an IT managers life easier and extend the overall functionality and reach of Vault within an organization. Listed below are each of the features included in the new 2014 release.

Oh and to Mr. Bennett… I see now how this isn’t the best title. However having posted the client features I have to finish with a “breakdown” of the server. 

Vault Metadata Update (New for 2014)

Exports and imports data from an Excel spreadsheet. Just last week I was asked if there was a way to insert the manufactures number at a mass level referencing the part number. There is now using the IMAGINiT Utilities for Vault.

Export to Excel

Build configurations of any of the Vault properties and export Vault metadata from any folder.

So let’s add some data to push back into Vault…
 

Import from Excel

The import tool looks for standard property columns in Excel and automatically maps them. Manual mapping is an option as well. 

After loading the Excel file listed above, let’s verify the first file from the list…

Vault Backup and Notification

This tool sets up a scheduled task that performs a backup and then sends a notification e-mail upon completion. 

Vault Publisher

This tool Publishes .DWF’s of only released versions of items or files to an external folder of your choice. Schedule your publishing or do it on-demand. The .DWF file names can consist of any combination of iProperty information.
This tool requires the use of a Job Processor that is available in all version of Vault except Vault Basic. 

Create any combination of filename using any of the Vault properties. If the file names are the same, newer versions will overwrite as needed. 

Vault Security Tool

This tool will audit your Vault security by creating reports about users, groups, administrative privileges and folder level security.

Editing Inventor Solid Bodies

When you import a SAT or STEP file into Inventor we all know you end up with a featureless solid body.  If the need to edit this solid body arises, we may turn to a variety of tools including the new Autodesk Fusion 360.  Some will right click on the solid and select Edit Solid.

I would like to suggest you look instead to one or more of the following Inventor commands.

• Delete Face (with or without the Heal option)
• Sculpt (using the Boundry Patch command first to enclose the area)
• Move Face
• Replace Face

My model to demonstrate with is a converted Autodesk Mechanical Desktop (MDT) part.  If you have not tried the new ability to add MDT parts directly to your Inventor 2014 assembly, keep an eye out for my upcoming Cadalyst Tech Tip.

Adding features to a solid is the same process that would be used in the development of any part.  The problem is in the removal of features.  In my example I would like to remove two of the flange holes to create a four hole pattern.  I have seen CAD users actually model a slightly larger extrusion over the existing holes to remove them.  This will work but there is much easier methods.

One of the easiest methods is to treat the inside face of the existing holes as faces and use the Delete Face tool to remove them.  Be sure to check the Heal option to fill in the hole.

Using this method, you can select as may holes as you desire at once.  Another method to remove cutouts is to use the Boundry Patch command to place a surface over both sides of the opening.  Using these two surfaces and the wall(s) of the cutout, the Sculpt command, with the Add option, makes quick work of filling in the area.  This may be an easier method of filling in multiple face cutouts but it is your choice, the Delete Face command works as well.

If you need to move a feature, the Move Face command is simple and effective.  In my case, I need to move the housing inside shoulder.  Do not forget you can reposition the triad to get the required results.  Moving solid body holes to new precise locations is also an easy task using this tool.

The Replace Face command is an easy method to move a solid face and add most any desired shape at the same time.  Simple create a surface of the face shape you desire, position it in relationship to the existing solid face and execute the command.  My new face is pretty simple and you are probably saying I could do this using other methods.  It becomes a better method as the new face shape becomes more complex.

My main point of this article is to encourage you to experiment with different Inventor methods to handle those pesky solids.

Inventor File Translators: 2012-2014 (Import and Export)

Little behind this year posting this update, but here is the Inventor 2012-2014 Translation Guide updated for the current version of Inventor.

Download Inventor File Translations 2012-2014