Point on surface/face to make new feature.

[crullier]

Hello guys,

I came across a youtube tutorial on how to place point on surfaces and or faces.
The method consists of placing a point on a work plane, and then essentially creating a point on the surface based on the location of the point in the sketch.
I am wondering, if there is another method to place points or features directly on the face of an object (surface with curvature)

The tutorial goes on to show that you can add a workplane on the point that now is perpendicular to the surface and then you can begin to draw a sketch on the new plane and go from there.

Thanks in advance for the help.

[JD Mather]

You can place a workpoint at the "pierce point" location on any surface where a sketch line or an axis pierces through the surface.
If you have trouble with a particular example - attach the ipt file here.

[crullier]

ok, so the way to make a point on a surface is to "pierce it" - how is this done?

[JD Mather]

ok, so the way to make a point on a surface is to "pierce it" - how is this done?

You can place a workpoint at the "pierce point" location on any surface where any 2D or 3D sketch line, spline, arc or an axis pierces through the surface. You place the point by simply selecting the Workpoint tool and the selecting the 2D or 3D line, spline, arc or axis and the surface or face that it pierces.
If you have trouble with a particular example attach your file here.

[crullier]

I don't have and specific example I am working on, but that is something I wanted to understand. I am a rhino user, and in that software If I wanted to make a feature on the face of a surface, I could just project a sketch / curve / shape onto the surface and go from there trimming, extruding etc. However I am finding out that Inventor does not work that way. If I project a 3D sketch (a circle ) onto a surface, I can't do anything with it.

Keep in mind that I am saying surface I am not referring to the orange technical object inventor makes. I am referring to a curved face "surface" on an object or part..

[crullier]

See the attached file.

I was able to locate a point on a surface. These are the steps I took:

1) made sketch on plane to describe angle offset from center line in one axis
2) made an angled work plane based on the angled center line.
3) Used the new angles work plane to sketch a line that will become my final piece line.

This way I was able to locate a point in 3d space on a surface in a very accurate manner. My question is:

It seem like there are several steps to how I did it, and I wonder if there is a more "efficient" want to do this. I appreciate you patience and help guys !.

[JD Mather]

I could just project a sketch / curve / shape onto the surface and go from there trimming, extruding etc. However I am finding out that Inventor does not work that way. If I project a 3D sketch (a circle ) onto a surface, I can't do anything with it.

Sure you can.

and
Lets use the term Face for solid faces
and
surface for non-thickness, no volume surface bodies.

[JD Mather]

Your Sketch2 is unconstrained.
Do not really need Sketch1, you could have simply done a revolve of Sketch2 rather than a Sweep.

You could have avoided just a bit more work by not having your feature at 12°, the part can be positioned at the 12° in the assembly. I assume this was just an academic exercise or other features why you rotated 12°.

As you finish a part - attach it here and I'll demonstrate how I might have done it.

[crullier]

Sure you can.

and
Lets use the term Face for solid faces
and
surface for non-thickness, no volume surface bodies.

If I project a curve to a face, in inventor I can select it, but for instance I cannot use it to trim the solid or split it. As a matter of fact I just discovered that I do not need to project the sketch curves onto a face or solid to trim. So as this point I can not find a reason to project a curve onto a face. Unless for instance I wanted to sweep something along it, but that seems about it for me for now.

Can you please give me an example of why you would then want to project a sketch onto a face.

[crullier]

Your Sketch2 is unconstrained.
Do not really need Sketch1, you could have simply done a revolve of Sketch2 rather than a Sweep.

You could have avoided just a bit more work by not having your feature at 12°, the part can be positioned at the 12° in the assembly. I assume this was just an academic exercise or other features why you rotated 12°.

As you finish a part - attach it here and I'll demonstrate how I might have done it.

This all is purely academic. I am trying to learn as much inventor as possible via tutorials and my book. I like Rhino, but its like modeling in ACAD.

The reason for the sketch 12deg was to represent some sort of symmetry. However the tip you gave me about rotating in the assembly is very helpful !

I really will not be finishing the part as like you mentioned it is just for academic purposes.
However if you can illustrate a better way to place the point where I placed it, it would appreciated it.