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Can I subtract two parts that don't intersect
jeff_mcaffer
Member Posts: 64 ✭✭
I have a "mount" part and several different "shelf" parts in a part studio. Each shelf is such that the mount is inset into it, that is, each shelf part should have the shape of the mount subtracted from it. Using Boolean I'd have the mount part as the "tool" and subtract it from a shelf (the target). That's great but the mount is somewhere else in the part studio and does not physically intersect the shelf. And I actually have several different shelves that all use the same mount and need the same subtraction. What's the best way to handle this scenario?
Best Answer
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S1mon
Member Posts: 2,980 PRO
Derive is useful for this kind of thing. The built in derive feature allows you to derive multiple copies of the same part at various locations (using vertices or mate connectors).
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Answers
Maybe use Transform to bring the mount and shelf together, do the Boolean, then Transform back?
If they can't be modeled in place (can they?), Transform is the way. One neat setup is to have a configuration that switches between your shelf parts, and the mount part is subtracted from those.
The transformation approach is interesting. Using "copy part" I can basically draw a construction line from the mount to where the mount should be on each shelf and then translate by line for each shelf. (almost like mating parts in assemblies) Unfortunately, not all the shelf mount points are on the same plane so as best I can tell I have to 1) create a plane (three point seems easiest. start, end, random) 2) create a sketch with a line between the mount and the shelf and 3) do the transformation. And do that for each mount/shelf pair. To make it even less fun, some of the shelves need the mount to be rotated, so more transformations.
I feel like I'm missing something here and this should be (relatively) common. Like what if this mount was a part I got from some vendor and I want to use it to subtract from one of my parts?
Assemblies are super attractive here. For example, what if I could "assemble" the mount and shelves using all the power of mating and then do a boolean operation to create new shelf parts that then I can use in some other assembly. Is that possible?
To be clear, I know that in this particular case I can get what I need by making a sketch on the relevant face of each shelf and drawing the mount outline and doing a remove extrude but that is both painful (have to create a bunch of variables etc), is brittle (what if the mount changes shape fundamentally. like is no longer rectalinear), and does not allow for configuration easily (e.g., switching between mount types). I'm looking at the general case where things are not so simple.
Derive is useful for this kind of thing. The built in derive feature allows you to derive multiple copies of the same part at various locations (using vertices or mate connectors).
Derive is a missing link. Thanks! I have to figure out how that works with the various origin settings work but yea. Perhaps even "super derive" will be my friend as it can do the boolean operation as well … It is annoying that I'll have to refactor my mount parts etc out into a separate part studio but that might be the right thing. Who knows…