Easy way to create mirrored part???

[TKSINC]

I am new to Inventor (having migrated from Solidworks just weeks ago) and am having difficulty figuring out how to create a mirrored copy of an existing part.
There are many times when I have to create left hand/right hand versions of parts. In SW, I could make one hand on the part and mirror it so that any changes I made in the base part propogated to the mirrored part. Can a similiar thing be done in Inventor?
Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[kenallmighty]

Yes. That was the big next new thing in R8. Are you using R7?

Absolute zero has nothing on me!!

 

[TKSINC]

I am on version 8 but I can find nothing in the help menu that will create a mirrored part that maintains a "relationship" to it's base part.
Can you help point me in the correct direction?

 

[kenallmighty]

in order to mirror a part, you first need to begin an assembly drawing (filename.iam).

Absolute zero has nothing on me!!

 

[TKSINC]

I did find the "mirror component" command in the assembly file, and it did create an associated part file that is a mirror of the base.
What I was actually hoping for was to be able to create the mirrored part just using the part file itself. (so that the base part and the "mirrored" part could reside in seperate LH/RH assy files). Is this possible?
Secondly, I couldn't mirror a weldment in the assembly. Is this a current limitation or am I still missing something?
Sorry for all the newbie questions....

 

[MechEng13]

TKS1

Yes at present you cannont mirror weldments as such. However, you can derive the weldment and then mirro it as a workaournd. Can't help with the first part of your question.


Alan M. Etzkorn
Product Engineer
Nixon Tool Co.

http://www.nixontool.com

 

[jkgdesign]

TKS1
If you start a new standard part file you can create a "Derived Component" by selecting the button in the Part Feature toolbar. Select the mirror part checkbox then you can select the plane you want to mirror across. This will allow you mirror the component without having to do it in the assembly.

Jason

 

[TKSINC]

Thanks for the help. I think that the work-around should get me where I need to be.

 

[aepeszel]

If you are mirroring a part (not an assembly) Start a new part. Exit sketch. Derive part and check mirror. Something similar may be done for weldments,assemblies. Make a derived part of the assembly. Save file and make a derived part of that one, mirrored. If you leave the derived part linked to the original, any changes to said original will update the mirrored part. If you break the link, the part is a "dummy" solid up to the derived part. Any feature after can be modified.