Content Center Family Editing
We need to change some settings in the Content Center Family just written. Navigate through he Content Center Editor to the new Family. Right Click, and select the Family Table option. The family parameters dialog will appear.
The following are examples that I used, however you will undoubtedly have differences and variations at your company that need to be adopted.
Part Number
Locate the Part Number column, Right Click, and select Column Properties. You should see a dialog similar to the example below.
Select Expression check box, and enter an appropriate string. Notice the example uses a basic string combined with 2 parameters, accessible through the selection button to the right of the field.
Member
Delete this column.
Designation
Change the Column properties to the parameter SIZE_SEL.
Thread Class
Ensure that is is designated as 1A.
Filename
Ensure it is set to the parameter ‘Part Number’.
Close the Content Center Editor.
Bolted Connection Generator
Proceed to the Bolted Connection Generator and select the plane and edges as usual. Since this is a wood screw, set it to be a blind connection and set the blind plane. Make sure the ‘ANSI Unified Screw Threads’ thread setting is used. Set the Diameter filter to #6.
The connection components begin to build as usual. Notice in the example below, the threaded (bottom) portion of the connection components. If selected, you would see not just 2, but now 3 threads are available. We are actually not going to use the thread in this example. Trust me….
Click the ‘Click to add a fastener’ header, and select the new fastener recently created. The thread component will update to accommodate the new fastener. This is where it gets twisted.
Set the connection to ‘Through All’ Connection type. The termination plane needs to be selected. Once selected the components change, and a through all threaded hole will replace the terminating threaded hole previously displayed. If we open the new thread component, we can affect the threading of this connection. We cannot select a different thread, but we can get rid of it.
Hold on a second before you give up on me. This is a self tapping fastener, and we (I know I) don’t want it tapped, nor do we want it set to the tap drill size. We may need a pilot, but we want it tight. Set the Type to custom, and enter the diameter to be a #40 or a #30 drill size (or whatever suits your needs).
Now here is the next most important thing you will do. Add that to the template at the bottom of the dialog!!!!!! 
This way you can reuse it whenever you need. I need about 200, so I’ll definitely be using the template feature.
That’s it boys and girls. This was a bit twisted and unusual, but it gets the job done well. If we only used tools for their original intention, we’d still be back on that F-16 trying to set a hiloc in a hole that only safety wire and a tiny wrench will fit into.
Autodesk, Inventor, Content Center, Library, iParts, Category, Family, Wood, Bolted Connection Generator
