Cutting up already existing assemblies into parts

[dimvoly]

I'm about to make a steel frame to run some experiments on and I'm trying to figure out if there is a way to solve my problem:
[ul]
[li]I have the drawings for an assembly (it is a metal frame, about 250in tall and about 400in wide, made of hot rolled sections).[/li]
[li]However that frame is no longer in use and I'm trying to use the existing components in a new assembly.[/li]
[li]So I need to take the assembly components, cut them up, then use them in the new assembly.[/li]
[li]I can't find if there is a feature in inventor for this type of situation.[/li]
[/ul]


What I've done, which I feel is not quite right:
[ul]
[li]One column used as an example here, which is meant to be cut up into about 4 parts.[/li]
[li]I'm going to make a new assembly, convert the existing assembly into a part and then cut off everything but the needed piece[/li]
[li]Repeat 4 times for each piece that I need[/li]
[li]Use the parts in my new assembly.[/li]
[/ul]


The column in question is the third one from the left in:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/23029716/Existing Components.PNG

However, I'll need to cut all of them up to use in my new assembly. Otherwise the new assembly is a massive cost.

Thanks for any help in advance.

 

[dimvoly]

So what I've been doing is:
[ul]
[li]Draw the old part/assembly[/li]
[li]Import the old part into a new part and call it OldPartCut[/li]
[li]Use the split option to split up the solid into several parts (including offcuts)[/li]
[li]Export those to new parts (this part is a manual operation)[/li]
[li]Then use the new parts as I please.[/li]
[/ul]



Hope this is of use to someone.

 

[rollupswx]

I am not familiar with editing pictures in Inventor.
Most of your terminology does not match typical Inventor techniques which means it would probably be better to communicate with the actual Inventor files.

(you don't normally "cut up" assemblies - you simply reassemble the components)
(are you really making "assemblies" as one part?)
(are you using multi-body solids techniques?)
(do you know how to use the Make Components command?)