Rotate Surface Body

[pdybeck]

I'm not an Inventor user, so please pardon the ignorance. We supply 3D models (surface models only) of our product for customers to use. A particular customer is using Inventor and says he can't manipulate the surface model (actually a collection of surfaces) to show a crank arm in a different rotated position than the one supplied. That seems baffling to me. He may not know how to use Inventor, or Inventor really can't rotate a collection of surface bodies. Can Inventor rotate a collection of surface bodies about an axis, or reference point/edge?

 

[maripali]

If your surface model is imported to inventor, you will not able to move or rotate surfaces.
There is one action that may be will help. If your surface model is closed it is possible to convert to solid. Then solids faces are available to move and rotate in inventor.

 

[pdybeck]

Thanks maripali. Wow, you can't rotate imported surfaces in Inventor? SolidWorks can easily do this. I am quite shocked that Inventor can't. Is this limitation for all versions of Inventor?

 

[mcgyvr]

Surfaces can be moved and rotated in Inventor using the "move bodies" dialog.

 

[pdybeck]

mcgyvr,

Thanks for the reply. In a quick web search I have seen that surfaces can be rotated, but what maripali said is that IMPORTED surfaces can't be rotated. Do you find that statement correct? It seems surprising to me that IMPORTED surfaces would be treated differently that native surfaces.

 

[mcgyvr]

imported surfaces can be moved and rotated too to some extent..
But there are also other ways of working with surfaces and converting them to solid bodies,etc...

Personally I would simply send the user solid bodies to avoid you having to tell them he just doesn't know what he is doing well enough..
Or just send him over to the Autodesk Inventor forum and someone will help him out over there.. assuming he can either post a screenshot or upload the file over there.

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