Inventor – 3D Intersection Curve

We recently reviewed Garin Gardener’s 3D sketching post, and highlighted the 2D and 3D sketching.  There was 1 point remaining that we didn’t have time to get to:

3D Intersection Curve

3D Intersection Curve is a feature that intersects in 3 dimensional space, the projected geometry from 2D sketches on intersecting planes (did that make any sense?)

Here we have a 2D sketch as well as a work plane created for the second sketch.

 

We need a new 2D sketch on the work plane. Don’t forget to project the geometry needed to work from (I used the endpoint of the line in the first sketch.  See below)

Now draw the geometry that will represent the ‘upper profile’.  Here I added some basic dimensions, and used the dimension from the overall length of the first sketch to feed the overall length of the second sketch.

 

Once that is complete, we need to return out of that, and create a 3D sketch to apply the Intersection to.

 

Once inside the 3D sketch environment, the Sketch panel shows the 3D Intersection Curve Feature. 

 

You should see the 3D Intersection Curve dialog appear with very simple options.  Curve 1 and Curve 2.

 

Select the Geometry for Sketch 1, and then for Sketch 2.

 

The 3D Intersection Curve appears.

 

We can adjust the curve by dragging the geometry in our 2D sketches about, or adding dimensions.  It sort of plays along the lines of ‘top down modeling’.

 

Below you should see the updated curve.

 

So, we went through all this, it’s a shame not to add a sweep feature.

 

…the swept model.

 

This was such a fun post.  Inventor totally rocks.

Oh, and thanks to Garin Gardener.  That was a good Podcast. Keep up the good work.