2D Spiral in Inventor

[cbucket]

I'm trying to sketch a spiral in Inventor 09. Then I'd like to pattern a series of circles along the spiral.

 

I can do this in Solidworks, but I don't see a tool to draw a spiral or pattern along a curve in Inventor.

 

I'd really appreciate some help, thanks!

[JD Mather]

Spiral is under the Coil function.

 

Rectangular Pattern is really a mis-nomer, it should be called Curve Driven Pattern where often the "curves" happen to be straight lines. See this document http://home.pct.edu/~jmather/AU2007/MA105-1L%20Mather.pdf on how to get your pattern (the example is helical but you should be able to figure it out for spiral).

[manukrisha]

Dear cbucket,

I want to draw same spiral in solid works but unable to do so, please guide me.

 

Thank You

Manoj Krishna

[JD Mather]

The SolidWorks forum is over here

http://www.cadtutor.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?44-SolidWorks

I have to run now, but when I get a chance I'll post the Swx instructions if someone doesn't come along and beat me to it.

[manukrisha]

Thank You Mr. JD, Im waiting for your reply.

[Calibos]

Dunno if u can sketch a spiral with AI, but if you use the coil option and use spiral u can easily get a spiral, but this has depth and thickness,if you make your profile small enough it can look like a line, see picture

 

HOPE THIS HELPS.

[JD Mather]

What is the point?

[Calibos]

Maybe i have misssed the point here, but cbucket asked for only a sketched drawing of a spiral, as if it had to only be a line.

Why its needed in AI and solid works as well i dont know? would have thought one was enough.

sorry for any confusion.

[manukrisha]

Thank You JD & Calibos,

It worked.....now making scroll.....Thank You Again.

 

Manoj Krishna

[manukrisha]

I made spiral now making this profile where fixed scroll is positioned at turn of 180 degree.

[Steve_wright]

Arc tool should do it

Edited February 28, 2011 by Steve_wright

[rdharvey]

You can also use a 3d sketch to produce a spiral sketch

[rdharvey]

3d sketch - helical curve - click the drop down box and select spiral. Then just enter your relevant needs ie pitch/revolutions etc etc.

 

[Steve_wright]

3d sketch - helical curve - click the drop down box and select spiral. Then just enter your relevant needs ie pitch/revolutions etc etc.

 

 

 

Nice one Harvey..... never knew that one.....

question for you

this spiral sketch i did...... is it the same as the 3D spiral......what i mean is because i am using the "arc tool"

does it come out the same as the 3D spiral ?

[SLW210]

I made spiral now making this profile where fixed scroll is positioned at turn of 180 degree.

 

Your profile says you are using Mechanical 2007. Are you doing this in Mechanical, Solidworks or Inventor?

 

Do you build scroll compressors or is this a hobby?

[JD Mather]

#1. You used too many dimensions - only 2 are required to fully constrain.

#2. The result is not the same curve as a Spiral created using the coil command with the same axis and pitch.

#3. I never use the 3D Sketch Coil command as it is not (easily) parametrically editable. Instead - what I do is create a helix or spiral surface body as needed, and then use the 3D Sketch Include Geometry to get the curve. This is fully parametric from the defining surface.

 

I think Wikipedia has several other formulas for "spirals" and I think there are some other Excel examples in the Inventor SDK folder.

Spiral.zip

[Steve_wright]

Thank you JD

I can see now... there is quite a difference with the 3D spiral to the 2D one ....Calibos was trying to explain to me that i had got it wrong ,

which i can see why now...thing is i came to the conclusion that the only way to make a spiral in 2 D SKETCH was to do it this way.

is there any other way to do this in 2 D sketch to get it the same as 3 d ?

[JD Mather]

The green coil in my picture is planar - therefore it is 2D even if created with 3D sketch.

Alternatively - I could have created a 2D sketch and Project Geometry the edge of the surface body - I guess the reason I used 3D sketch is because I'm usually after a helix rather than a spiral.

Edited March 1, 2011 by JD Mather

[SLW210]

My old drafting board skills are a little rusty, would anyone remember how to do a scroll on a drafting board? I will try to find my old drafting and geometry books, but for the life of me I can't remember. At first I thought French Curves, but now I am not to sure about that.

[Steve_wright]

The green coil in my picture is planar - therefore it is 2D even if created with 3D sketch.

Alternatively - I could have created a 2D sketch and Project Geometry the edge of the surface body - I guess the reason I used 3D sketch is because I'm usually after a helix rather than a spiral.

 

Thank You