Move a solid body using User Coordinate System(UCS)

<?xml encoding=”UTF-8″>By Sajith Subramanian

We had a query on how to move a solid body to a new position using the values obtained from the  User coordinate System or UCS .

Below is a code sample that does something similar. In the Inventor UI, there are three options viz. “Free Drag”, “Move along a Ray” and “Rotate about a line”, all of which are exposed through the API as well.

Public Sub MoveFeatureCreationSample()
' Get the active part document.
Dim oDoc As PartDocument
Set oDoc = ThisApplication.ActiveDocument
If oDoc Is Nothing Then
MsgBox "No part document!" & vbCrLf & "Please open a part with solids in it for this sample to run.", vbCritical, "Autodesk Inventor"
Exit Sub
End If
Dim oCompDef As PartComponentDefinition
Set oCompDef = oDoc.ComponentDefinition
If oCompDef.SurfaceBodies.Count = 0 Then
MsgBox "No solids to move!" & vbCrLf & "Please open a part with solids in it for this sample to run.", vbCritical, "Autodesk Inventor"
Exit Sub
End If
Dim oBodies As ObjectCollection
Set oBodies = ThisApplication.TransientObjects.CreateObjectCollection
' Specify a body to move.
oBodies.Add oCompDef.SurfaceBodies(1)
' Create a MoveFeatureDefinition.
Dim oMoveDef As MoveDefinition
Set oMoveDef = oCompDef.Features.MoveFeatures.CreateMoveDefinition(oBodies)
'----- Now Get the UCS---
Dim UCS As UserCoordinateSystem
Set UCS = oCompDef.UserCoordinateSystems.Item(1)
' Set the move operations onto the bodies.
Dim oFreeDrag As FreeDragMoveOperation
Set oFreeDrag = oMoveDef.AddFreeDrag(UCS.XOffset, UCS.YOffset, UCS.ZOffset)
' Dim oMoveAlongRay As MoveAlongRayMoveOperation
' Set oMoveAlongRay = oMoveDef.AddMoveAlongRay(oCompDef.WorkAxes(2), True, 2)
' Dim oRotateAboutAxis As RotateAboutLineMoveOperation
' Set oRotateAboutAxis = oMoveDef.AddRotateAboutAxis(oCompDef.WorkAxes(3), True, 0.5)
' Create the move feature.
Dim oMoveFeature As MoveFeature
Set oMoveFeature = oCompDef.Features.MoveFeatures.Add(oMoveDef)
End Sub

Below is an image that shows the change in the model before and after running the above code.