Constraining Content Center Components in Autodesk Inventor - An Alternate Way

Recently, I've been doing a lot of work with content center lately.  I've been building content, publishing content, and fixing content.

It can be tedious, but it can also be a lot of fun.

But there's one trick I've picked up in my travels.  It's how to constrain content, in particular custom content, a little more quickly than by using the standard method.

Now before I get started, one disclaimer.  I'm using standard content to demo my blog, I didn't have customer content center fasteners I could share with you, so I had to borrow the standard.

Since I'm using standard content, I also I know I could use Autodrop, but the point was to show an alternative.  All I ask is you bear with me on the standard content part.

So with that said, it's time to get started.

Of course you'll need to place your content from the browser.

Selecting content to place

2) When the fastener previews, right click and choose the size you want to place.

Choosing the size of your content center fastener

3) Next left click to place your fastener, but here's the trick.  Without you even knowing it, the insert constrain is active.  Before you left click to place the next fastener, left click under the head of the fastener you wan to place.

Selecting under the head of the fastener

4) Now select the mating hole, the insert constraint will be created!

Completing the constraint with a second click on the mating hole

5) All that's left is to repeat the steps if you have multiple fasteners!  You don't have to exit the command!

Repeating the step for multiple fasteners. 

So give it a try if you have content you're using, particularly custom content.  I've found it helps me out, I hope it does the same for you!