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Create a 3D sketch in Inventor

Create a 3D sketch to serve as the skeleton part for the Frame Generator.


Tutorial resources

These downloadable resources will be used to complete this tutorial:


00:03

Before using the Frame Generator to create a frame assembly, you need a skeleton part on which to insert frame members.

00:11

In this tutorial, you create a 3D sketch from scratch to serve as the skeleton of a structural frame for a robotic arm assembly.

00:20

Start your design in a new Inventor part file.

00:23

From the Home tab, click New.

00:26

In the Create New File dialog, navigate to the Metric folder, select the Standard (mm).ipt template, and then click Create.

00:37

Right-click the display area, and from the Marking menu, select New Sketch.

00:43

Click the XZ Plane to create the sketch.

00:48

On the ribbon, Sketch tab, Create panel, click Rectangle and select Two Point Center Rectangle from the drop-down.

00:57

Sketch a rectangle, centered at the origin, with a dimension of 600mm by 600mm.

01:07

Right-click, from the Marking menu, select OK, and then select Finish 2D Sketch.

01:15

In the Navigation bar, click Zoom All.

01:20

Next, create a 3D sketch.

01:24

On the ribbon, in the Sketch tab, Sketch panel, click Start 3D Sketch.

01:32

Right-click the display, and from the Marking menu, select Create 3D Line.

01:38

Start drawing up from the right corner.

01:44

From the Marking menu, ensure that Ortho Mode is checked.

01:49

Enter a value of 2000mm, and then press ENTER to create the 3D line.

01:57

Continuing with the Line command, from the Marking menu, uncheck Ortho Mode.

02:05

Then, uncheck Infer Constraints.

02:10

Then, on the triad, select the YZ planar face to correctly orient the line.

02:17

Sketch an angled line downward at 60°.

02:23

In the Angle entry, type 60 and then press TAB to lock in the value.

02:29

Extend the line to about 1,200 mm, and then click to place the end point.

02:36

Right click again and check Infer Constraints.

02:40

Move your cursor over the line you just drew to establish as inferred constraint.

02:46

Sketch the next line 90° to the last line, click TAB to lock in the value,

02:52

and then place an end point.

02:55

Sketch a final line, ending at the end point on the 2D sketch, and then from the Marking menu, select OK to complete the command.

03:04

You can now add some constraints to your sketch.

03:08

On the ribbon, in the 3D Sketch menu, Constrain panel, select the Parallel constraint.

03:15

To apply it, click the last short line segment you just sketched, and then click the 2000 mm vertical segment.

03:24

Select the Parallel with YZ Plane constraint, and then apply it to the upper line segment.

03:31

You can add a few more line segments to this 3D sketch.

03:37

From the Modify panel, click Extend, and then click the shorter line from the bottom of the base rectangle to extend it.

03:46

Notice that with the constraint placed, the line terminates at the existing segment.

03:52

Right-click the display to open the Marking menu, and select Create 3D Line.

03:58

Begin sketching a new 3D Line by clicking the point from which the line was extended,

04:04

and then from the Marking menu, enable Ortho Mode.

04:10

Extend the line past the long vertical line and select a point for its end.

04:17

From the Modify panel, select Trim, and click the end section of the line to trim away the overlap.

04:25

From the Constrain panel, click Dimension, and create a dimension constraints.

04:30

First, create an angle dimension between the first vertical line and the adjacent angled line.

04:37

Set the value to 60 degrees.

04:42

Add a second dimension by clicking the first endpoint of the new trimmed line,

04:47

and the endpoint of the corner of the base directly below it.

04:52

Enter a value of 650, and then press ENTER to define the line height.

05:00

From the Marking menu, select OK to complete the sketch.

05:06

You can now create a mirror copy of this 3D sketch geometry to place on the other side of the 2D rectangle.

05:15

From the 3D Sketch tab, Pattern panel, click Mirror.

05:20

Use a crossing window to select all the lines on the right side.

05:26

In the Mirror dialog, click the Mirror Plane option, expand the Origin folder, and select the YZ plane.

05:34

Click Apply, and then Done to create the mirror and close the dialog.

05:40

Right-click the display and from the Marking menu, select Create 3D Line.

05:47

Create five individual line segments to connect the original and copied sides.

05:52

Start with the middle front and work your way around the frame to the middle back.

05:60

From the Marking menu, select OK.

06:05

Then, from the 3D Sketch tab, click Finish Sketch to complete the sketch. Save your progress.

Video transcript

00:03

Before using the Frame Generator to create a frame assembly, you need a skeleton part on which to insert frame members.

00:11

In this tutorial, you create a 3D sketch from scratch to serve as the skeleton of a structural frame for a robotic arm assembly.

00:20

Start your design in a new Inventor part file.

00:23

From the Home tab, click New.

00:26

In the Create New File dialog, navigate to the Metric folder, select the Standard (mm).ipt template, and then click Create.

00:37

Right-click the display area, and from the Marking menu, select New Sketch.

00:43

Click the XZ Plane to create the sketch.

00:48

On the ribbon, Sketch tab, Create panel, click Rectangle and select Two Point Center Rectangle from the drop-down.

00:57

Sketch a rectangle, centered at the origin, with a dimension of 600mm by 600mm.

01:07

Right-click, from the Marking menu, select OK, and then select Finish 2D Sketch.

01:15

In the Navigation bar, click Zoom All.

01:20

Next, create a 3D sketch.

01:24

On the ribbon, in the Sketch tab, Sketch panel, click Start 3D Sketch.

01:32

Right-click the display, and from the Marking menu, select Create 3D Line.

01:38

Start drawing up from the right corner.

01:44

From the Marking menu, ensure that Ortho Mode is checked.

01:49

Enter a value of 2000mm, and then press ENTER to create the 3D line.

01:57

Continuing with the Line command, from the Marking menu, uncheck Ortho Mode.

02:05

Then, uncheck Infer Constraints.

02:10

Then, on the triad, select the YZ planar face to correctly orient the line.

02:17

Sketch an angled line downward at 60°.

02:23

In the Angle entry, type 60 and then press TAB to lock in the value.

02:29

Extend the line to about 1,200 mm, and then click to place the end point.

02:36

Right click again and check Infer Constraints.

02:40

Move your cursor over the line you just drew to establish as inferred constraint.

02:46

Sketch the next line 90° to the last line, click TAB to lock in the value,

02:52

and then place an end point.

02:55

Sketch a final line, ending at the end point on the 2D sketch, and then from the Marking menu, select OK to complete the command.

03:04

You can now add some constraints to your sketch.

03:08

On the ribbon, in the 3D Sketch menu, Constrain panel, select the Parallel constraint.

03:15

To apply it, click the last short line segment you just sketched, and then click the 2000 mm vertical segment.

03:24

Select the Parallel with YZ Plane constraint, and then apply it to the upper line segment.

03:31

You can add a few more line segments to this 3D sketch.

03:37

From the Modify panel, click Extend, and then click the shorter line from the bottom of the base rectangle to extend it.

03:46

Notice that with the constraint placed, the line terminates at the existing segment.

03:52

Right-click the display to open the Marking menu, and select Create 3D Line.

03:58

Begin sketching a new 3D Line by clicking the point from which the line was extended,

04:04

and then from the Marking menu, enable Ortho Mode.

04:10

Extend the line past the long vertical line and select a point for its end.

04:17

From the Modify panel, select Trim, and click the end section of the line to trim away the overlap.

04:25

From the Constrain panel, click Dimension, and create a dimension constraints.

04:30

First, create an angle dimension between the first vertical line and the adjacent angled line.

04:37

Set the value to 60 degrees.

04:42

Add a second dimension by clicking the first endpoint of the new trimmed line,

04:47

and the endpoint of the corner of the base directly below it.

04:52

Enter a value of 650, and then press ENTER to define the line height.

05:00

From the Marking menu, select OK to complete the sketch.

05:06

You can now create a mirror copy of this 3D sketch geometry to place on the other side of the 2D rectangle.

05:15

From the 3D Sketch tab, Pattern panel, click Mirror.

05:20

Use a crossing window to select all the lines on the right side.

05:26

In the Mirror dialog, click the Mirror Plane option, expand the Origin folder, and select the YZ plane.

05:34

Click Apply, and then Done to create the mirror and close the dialog.

05:40

Right-click the display and from the Marking menu, select Create 3D Line.

05:47

Create five individual line segments to connect the original and copied sides.

05:52

Start with the middle front and work your way around the frame to the middle back.

05:60

From the Marking menu, select OK.

06:05

Then, from the 3D Sketch tab, click Finish Sketch to complete the sketch. Save your progress.

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