Use the Structural Shape Authoring command to define your own frame member cross-sections and notch profiles. You can place them in the Content Center for use within Frame Generator. The Structural Shape dialog box guides you to identify the necessary entities and add data specific to Frame Generator to the part/iPart. It is much like the Component Authoring dialog box.
It is possible you published structural shapes in a previous version of Autodesk Inventor and published them into the steel shapes category in Content Center. In that case, you must author and republish those parts before you can use them with Frame Generator in Autodesk Inventor 2014. After you author and republish the parts, you will have two families in Content center:
- One authored for Frame Generator in Autodesk Inventor 2014. Frame Generator recognizes only this authored family.
- One that is not authored. You can keep the unauthored family in Content Center to support legacy data.
Naming Authored Frame Members
The default name for frame members contains the (Standard)+(Stock Number)+(Unique Number). During the authoring process, there is no default Stock Number to include in the name. We recommend that you add the Stock Number manually. You can maintain the default format of the name, and you can customize the name for an authored frame member.
Modeling Requirements for Authoring
For a part to be compatible with the authoring functionality in Frame Generator, it must meet certain modeling requirements:
- Three planes - start, section, and end
- Three parameters
- Extruded feature with From To extents
After you fully define the authoring information and click OK, the model is checked for the following items:
| Features checked | Issue Description and Modification |
|---|---|
| Extruded feature sketch | The sketch is not created on a workplane. Creates a work plane based on the sketch plane. The extruded feature starts from this plane. |
| Base length parameter | The parameter is missing. Adds L = the parameter, which is mapped to Base Length defined in the Structural Shape Authoring dialog box, Parameter mapping area. |
| Extruded feature’s Extend type | The extend type is not From To. Changes extents to From To. Selects Start Plane as the surface to start the feature creation. Selects End Plane as the surface to end the feature creation. |
| Start plane of Extruded feature | The plane is not created by an offset from the sketch plane. Offsets the Start plane from the Section plane, which is extracted from the extrusion selected in the Structural Shape Authoring dialog box. |
| Offset value of Start plane | The expression is not defined correctly. Defines as OffS = Distance between Start Plane and Section Plane |
| End plane of Extruded feature | The plane is not created by offset from the sketch plane. Offsets the End plane from the Section plane. |
| Offset value of End plane | The expression is not defined correctly. Defines as L+OffE = Distance between End Plane and Section Plane. |
| G_L parameter | The parameter is missing or not defined correctly. The parameter G_L is created or redefined and is marked for export. |
If the part does not meet the modeling requirements for authoring frame members, the part is modified and the authoring proceeds. A message dialog gives you the location of a log file that contains the details of the modifications to the file.
Migration of Legacy Frame Members to Content Center
To see the migration procedures, click the Procedures tab.
Files are not migrated when you start Autodesk Inventor 2014. If the Content Center is connected and the required libraries are attached to the current project, then migration of frame members occurs when you:
- Save files or files are forced to save to the current version.
- Perform a Frame Generator operation on a frame member.
- Click
Manage Migrate. - Perform a migration task with Task Scheduler in Autodesk Inventor Tools.
Update Published Families in Autodesk Inventor 2009
Frame members created from the Frame Generator database in Autodesk Inventor 2008 migrate to Autodesk Inventor 2014 and Content Center, except for those members authored in Autodesk Inventor 2008.
If you authored frame members in Autodesk Inventor 2008, then reauthor them in Autodesk Inventor 2014 and publish them into the Content Center. When you publish the part in Autodesk Inventor 2014, map the Legacy Family ID parameter to the authored part ID from Inventor 2008. Then add a legacy member ID column to the iPart table.
Migration Failure
Migration failure can occur, and a dialog box is displayed, if:
- Content Center is not connected, or the appropriate libraries are not attached to the current project.
- One or more of the Frame Generator files are suppressed. The Level of Details representation must be set to Master so Frame Generator files can be migrated together.
- A file is unresolved.
All Frame Generator specific files are migrated except the unresolved files. When the files are resolved, they migrate when you activate the Migrate command.
- A file is customized and there is no counterpart in Content Center libraries.
In these cases, a dialog box is displayed with an explanation and the option to proceed or not. You can control the warning prompt with the Prompts>> settings. Use the control to avoid disturbance of the migration.