Constraining components can be time consuming. What if you could click two parts and the computer figured out the relationship and mated the two components together? You’d then specify the limitations and move onto the next task.
The New Joints Command does just that in Autodesk Inventor 2014. It builds on Inventors Constraint and Assemble Commands for constraining (mating) components in Assembly Level designs. Use it in Automatic mode or specify the relationship.
Relationships include Rigid, Rotational, Slider, Cylindrical, Planar & Ball, with advanced options to align, invert, animate and define linear and angular limits.
It does the same functions in this regard as the constraints command in a quicker and easier to understand fashion. It recognises that the constraints will be a joint, so it has added functionality to make life a little easier.
After constraining the components, you can then right-click, select ‘drive’ and animate the motion thus validating that constraint and make further edits if required or double-click the constraint to go back into the Joint command for editing.
Here’s a YouTube Video of the new command in more detail:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rp0DOMFAcDQ&w=640&h=390]
