Inventor extrusion path 2

[Brammy]

From what I can see, Inventor does not have the ability to extrude along a path other than normal to the sketch plane. Is this true? Do we really have to go to the trouble of setting up working planes and then sketching on them? Other cad programs have had the ability to extrude along a defined path (edge, or axis, or line) for a long time. Please tell me that Inventor is not this primitive.

 

[maripali]

Try to do Sweep along the path.

 

[Brammy]

Hi... yes, sweep is better, but the extrusion only goes to the length of the path selected .... its length/depth is not controllable.... thereby necessitating a second operation which is another step similar to setting up a work plane to begin with. Thanks for the tip..... I don't claim to be an Inventor expert (my experience is mostly with I-Deas (RIP) and Solidworks), but so far I'm labeling Inventor the "work-around program".... you'll eventually get where you want to go but it seems to lack capabilities that were standard in other programs even in the 90's. Thanks again.

 

[mcgyvr]

Your problems are likely from your clear lack of training in Inventor..
Solidworks and Inventor are virtually identical in what they can/can't do. But each has its own method/work flow.
Switching from one to the other might bring a few headaches but don't "trash" Inventor just yet because you don't know how to properly use it.
For the most part if Solidworks does it, Inventor does too.. Sometimes better.. sometimes no so much but the functionality is usually there.

Also this forum tends to be a bit "small" on the Inventor user base.. may I suggest heading over to the Inventor forum where you can post files and get expert user help.. There are hundreds of us over there and questions get resolved really quickly and many are willing to look at your files, suggest alternate methods,etc...

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/Inventor-General/bd-p/78

Or keep posting here but at least give us screen shots (posting the actual files are even better as we can analyze your methods/workflows,etc...) Or if its NDA type stuff then post a simple example showing something like what you might be attempting.