Tips and best practices for iFeatures

Save and reuse one or more features in other designs.

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 iFeatures of : keys, parallel splines, involute splines, o-rings, shafts or gears.
• In the iFeature file (.ide), you can add custom properties that are exposed as Model Properties in the consuming part. These properties are available when in a drawing file you document the part containing the iFeature.

Best practices for creating iFeatures

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