iFeature fundamentals

An iFeature is one or more features that can be saved and reused in other designs. You can create an iFeature from an iPart or from a set of features that is useful for other designs. Use Extract iFeature to extract and save a sketched feature or a sketch in a catalog for future use. Features dependent on the selected feature are included in the iFeature, but you can delete them using the Extract iFeature dialog box. Selected sketches can be unconsumed or consumed by a feature.

iFeatures are stored in feature files with the .ide extension. You can open a feature file to view and edit the iFeature. The iFeature files are saved in the Catalog folder by default.

After you create an iFeature and store it, you can place it in a part by dragging it from Windows Explorer and dropping it in the part file or by using Insert iFeature.

You can modify an iFeature in the feature file (.ide) or after the iFeature is inserted in a part file. Changes to the feature file (.ide) do not affect placed iFeatures in part files. Likewise, changes to an individual occurrence do not affect other occurrences of the same iFeature in the same or other part files.

Note If you click iFeature Author Table, the iFeature is converted to a table-driven iFeature and Edit iFeature is unavailable. Delete the table to reactivate Edit iFeature.

Tips for creating and using iFeatures

• Make the originating iPart or iFeature self-contained. Do not use reference geometry.
• If you create dependent geometry, make it dependent only on geometry in the iFeature. Avoid using the default origin work planes, axes, or center point for work features.
• Use expressions to create proportional relationships among geometric elements rather than numerical dimensions.
• Avoid horizontal and vertical constraints in an iFeature. Use parallel and perpendicular constraints to other geometry in the iFeature.
• Save iFeatures before you use them in another part.
• Include all necessary parameters in the iPart or iFeature before converting it to a table-driven iFeature. You cannot add parameters to a table-driven iFeature that were not present in the original iFeature.
• In the Application Options dialog box, iFeature tab, select the option Use Key 1 as Browser Name Column.
• You can add rows to a table-driven iFeature and change column attributes, but the changes do not update placed instances of the iFeature.
• You can also use various assembly commands to create following iFeatures: keys, parallel splines, involute splines, o-rings, shafts or gears.

Note: You can add custom properties in the iFeature file (.ide) that are exposed as Model Properties in the consuming part. These properties are available when you document the part containing the iFeature in a drawing file.

Best practices for creating iFeatures

• Create parameters as you create dimensions, or use the Parameters command to name parameters you want to include in the iFeature. Assign parameter names that are easy to understand. Rename the default parameters or click Add to define User Parameters. All parameters that you assign custom names are automatically listed in the Size Parameters list in the Extract iFeature dialog box.
• Create a table driven iFeature from a table driven iPart.

Best practices for reusing iFeatures

When planning, decide how to constrain feature sketches and use equations rather than numeric constants to control size and relationships. Equations reduce the number of parameters to define placement of an iFeature and allow it to resize from the original feature.

On features you want to save as iFeatures, define parameters to clarify usage, as follows:

• Use descriptive parameter names such as height, width, and depth.
• Give size restrictions.
• Provide instructions or explanation for placement or positioning.
• Add Placement Help to the iFeatures. The help is available when you place or edit the iFeatures.
• Give the same or similar names to the file name (.ide) and the iFeature in the dialog box.

Parameters in iFeatures

Use the Parameters command to do the following:

• Give descriptive names to parameters before you create an iFeature. Names are automatically included in the iFeature Size Parameters table.

  For example, rename a dimension with the default name of "d1" to "plate_length" or another descriptive name.

• Add a prompt that further describes the parameter and its use. The prompt is automatically included in the Size Parameters table.
• Specify an iFeature parameter in a table column to use as an identifier in the browser name.
• Specify the Key 1 parameter value to use as an identifier in the browser name.

Although you can rename parameters in the Extract iFeature dialog box, it is more convenient to rename in the Parameters dialog box (Equation) before you create the iFeature.

When the iFeature is inserted, the parameter name and prompt make it easy to understand how it affects the iFeature.

If any values may change in the iFeature, be sure to add it to the Size Parameters table. When you place an iFeature, the value is fixed for any parameter that is not in the Size Parameters table.

To verify that you named a parameter, select the feature in the browser, right-click, and then select Show Dimensions, and then double-click the dimension. The value appears in the edit box and the name of the parameter appears in the title bar. Both the name and the value are included when iFeatures are created from the feature.

Position Geometry

Position Geometry describes the interface that is joined to a feature when the iFeature is placed. Typically, it is the sketch plane, but you can add other geometric elements to use when positioning the iFeature.

Browser icon for iFeature

You can open an iFeature file (.ide) and customize the browser icon. When you next place the iFeature in a part file, its icon has the new appearance in the browser. Previously placed instances of the same iFeature do not update with the new icon appearance.

You can continue to customize the icon in the iFeature file so that each time you place it, its icon has a different appearance in the browser.

Every time you use the iFeature, its new icon is used. Even if you edit the iFeature, the icon retains its custom appearance.