Datasheet

Waguespack c01.tex V2 - 08/30/2008 1:44pm Page 9
USING THE INVENTOR GRAPHICAL INTERFACE 9
Figure 1.7
Stapler.iam (Inventor
sample files) illustra-
tion of Model browser
contents
To expand any portion of the Model browser, click the plus sign to the left of the item. For
example, clicking the plus sign at the left of the Representations folder expands the item to show
View, Position, and Level of Detail.
Moving further down the browser tree, you’ll encounter another folder called Origin. Each part
and assembly file contains an Origin folder. In this example, the first Origin folder you encounter
is the assembly origins. The assembly origin folder contains basic YZ, XZ, and XY work planes,
work axes, and the origin’s center point. These work features comprise the origin of the assembly
file, and it is this origin that provides the starting point for placing files within the assembly. These
work features in the origin plane are defaults and cannot be deleted; however, you can change the
visibility of these planes as required.
Next in line in this example is the first file that was placed within the assembly file. In this
case, it is another assembly called Bottom. An assembly placed into another assembly is typically
called a subassembly. You will notice that there is a pushpin icon next to the filename. The pushpin
represents a grounded part, one that cannot move within the context of this assembly. The first
file inserted into an assembly file is always automatically grounded. The grounded status of a
component can be turned on and off, and in fact all or none of the parts in an assembly can be
grounded. However, it is best practice to ensure that at least one component is grounded in order
to prevent problems generating orthographic views in the 2D drawings.
You will notice that the same Representations and Origin folders exist in this grounded assem-
bly and in all other parts and assemblies that exist in this file. The relationships between origin
planes in each of the files provide a permanent reference for downstream modifications, including
3D constraints and editing of individual parts.