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In The Machine is the official blog of the Inventor Product Management Team. It is a way for us to share Inventor news, interesting information about successful Inventor customers and partners as well as tips and tricks. From time to time we’ll also use the blog to solicit feedback from users via surveys. This blog is hosted by Garin Gardiner our Technical Marketing Manager.
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Using blocks from AutoCAD
October 15, 2009 11:12 AMby Garin Gardiner
Did you know you can bring in an AutoCAD block into a sketch and keep it a block? Did you know if you had an AutoCAD nested block that it can be placed into Inventor as a nested block? Why would you do this you ask?
Let's take a look at the work flow and I think the last question will answer itself. First let's take a look at a concept layout from AutoCAD that is a block. I have three blocks (base, hinge & arm) that make up a block called assy.
Ideally I want to bring this into an Inventor part sketch and eventually turn it into a working assy. First select the AutoCAD block and RMB to select copy, then head over to Inventor to paste it. Start by RMB and select "Paste" and immediately RMB again to select "Paste Options".
Check the "AutoCAD Blocks to Inventor Blocks" so this it will keep them as a block in the Inventor sketch.
If you look in the Inventor browser you will see that it has brought over the same blocks nested together just as they were in AutoCAD.
From here you can add 2D constrains and see how this will move as an assembly before extruding anything. When it comes time to turn it into an assembly you just need to select "Make Components" from the sketch tab in the ribbon.
0 Comment | Add CommentIn In the Machine > Autodesk Inventor, Autodesk Inventor Professional, Tips, Inventor LT
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Drawing Symbols
September 22, 2009 04:42 AMby Garin GardinerJust as you create blocks in AutoCAD, you can also create symbols in Inventor. One of the questions I received the other day was a way to control insertion and connection points. When you create a sketch symbol you can control not only the insertion point but also additional points to connect various symbols together.
To create a symbol head over the browser and right click on Sketch Symbols under Drawing Resources. From there you can select Define New Symbol. Now you can create the sketch geometry and text you need to define the symbol.
It may be necessary to add prompt text similar to AutoCAD or have it pull model property values such as mass properties. This can be accomplished from the text dialog and specify the type of text used.
One of the lesser used and often not realized is how you set insertion and connection points into the symbol. This will allow you to specify where the insertion point is and if you want to use various end points / center points as connector points to connect multiple symbols to each other.
Center Point: Used to create hole centers for hole features. The Hole feature automatically selects a hole center point in a 2D sketch.
Connection Point Grip: Construction point used to help position sketch geometry
Set Insertion Point Grip: In drawing sketches, a sketch point can be used as a connection handle to snap together sketch symbols, title blocks and drawing borders.
Select a point then you can specify what type it will be by selecting the Center Point drop down in the format portion of the ribbon to see the three types. You can only have one insertion point although you can use as many connector points that will show up when inserting and dragging symbols around.
Once you have specified the insertion point and additional points as connector points, you can now save the symbol and start inserting it into your drawing.
5 Comments | Add CommentIn In the Machine > Tips, Inventor LT, Helpful Resources, Autodesk Inventor Professional, Autodesk Inventor
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Where are my iProperties?
September 10, 2009 04:40 PMby Garin GardinerPerhaps I am slow to the draw on this one but I recently updated my Space Pilot driver and ran into something really cool I wanted to share. I haven't used the LCD screen on it much since I got, so you can imagine my surprise (after I installed the latest update) to see it was displaying something that I hadn't seen before.
It now shows the file name and type of document that is active as well as file size, creation/save info. More importantly it shows the mass, volume, material and density without having to go to File > iProperties.
Talk about a great enhancement to the device!
3 Comments | Add CommentIn In the Machine > Autodesk Inventor, Helpful Resources, Tips, Inventor LT
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Conditional suppression
July 29, 2009 11:31 PMby Garin GardinerIf you've ever wanted to suppress a feature if a parameter reached a specific value, there is a great way to do this at the feature level. To see how this is done, I will create a rectangular extrusion with a shell on it that has a condition to suppress the shell if the size of the rectangle gets below a certain value. To do this I will just create a rectangle with two dimensions for width and height and specify a name for at least one of the dimensions.
Extrude the rectangle to create a 3D model and add a shell with something like 0.5 in.
Here is where we will add the conditional suppression. Before we add the conditional suppression you will want to make sure you have renamed one of the parameters on the rectangle sketch. If you don't rename one of them, you wont see the dimension for the conditional suppression. Right click on the shell feature in the browser and select properties. Select If and choose the parameter that drives the width of the rectangle and specify Less than 2 and choose OK.
Now if we return to the 3D model ,we can edit the parameter that we renamed from 4 in to less than 2 in and notice that is suppressed the shell feature. Change the parameter back to 4 in and notice the shell shows back up.
I have seen some very creative ways people use this. If you want to take it past this you might want to take a look at iLogic which will let you do much much more.
1 Comment | Add CommentIn In the Machine > Autodesk Inventor, Tips, Inventor LT
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Rhino Add-in for Inventor on Labs
June 11, 2009 04:42 PMby Garin Gardiner
Today we released a new utility on labs which gives you more flexibility when creating designs with vendor or customer data by allowing you to directly import Rhino files into Autodesk Inventor. This translator reads Rhino files(*.3dm) bringing solids, surfaces, wires, and points into Autodesk Inventor to be directly utilized while modeling. Being able to import directly from Rhino files eliminates the need to convert the Rhino data to make it usable in your projects.
If you receive Rhino models and want to use them in Inventor, head on over to Labs to download the Rhino to Inventor utility.
2 Comments | Add CommentIn In the Machine > Autodesk Inventor, Autodesk Inventor Professional, News, Inventor LT
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Make it shine!
May 27, 2009 01:52 AMby Garin GardinerOut of the box, Inventor uses a default reflection map that looks good but there are a few other choices that look even better. Lets take a quick look at some additional options that you might like better than the default and perhaps even dig around the Internet for additional options. Inventor is set to use the ParkingLot.dds file for its reflection setting.
This looks good although in my mind it is a little too shiny. To make this look more like a dull reflection, you can access the application options and change the reflection map. If you are using Inventor 2010, select the Tools tab and select Application Options. You probably already have a preferred Color Scheme you like with the default color or image for a background. You can also select a Reflection Environment by selecting the browse icon and selecting something like Chrome.dds (my favorite) to get a little different reflection.
You can even search around the internet a little to look for other dds files to use for reflection maps that you might like better than what we supply with Inventor.
0 Comment | Add CommentIn In the Machine > Autodesk Inventor Professional, Autodesk Inventor, Inventor LT, Tips
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Finding what you need
May 22, 2009 06:11 PMby Garin GardinerThere have been several things done to Inventor 2010 to make it easier for you to find what you need. If you are on subscription, there is a key at the top right of the screen that will get you directly into the Subscription Center. This is full of training material, downloads and several other things that might be of use to you.
The first time you click on the Subscription Center icon you will need to create an account which entails entering in your contract number that you received when you purchased Inventor Subscription.
Once you have entered in the contract number you will be able to navigate to the Subscription Center site any time you want right from Inventor.
Another great item is the Communication Center icon (satellite). From here you can see the latest tips, tricks and news from all the Autodesk Manufacturing blogs as well as add your own that can be viewed right from Inventor. This is a great way to see if we have added any new tips recently.
Don't forget about the Search tool! This is a great new addition for Inventor 2010. You can enter in something you are trying to learn about and it will search Inventor's main help itemsas well as Autodesk online. You can even specify other areas on your computer that you would like to searchas well.
Enjoy the weekend!
2 Comments | Add CommentIn In the Machine > Autodesk, Autodesk Inventor, Inventor LT, Helpful Resources, Tips
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Call the Doctor
May 11, 2009 04:03 AMby Garin GardinerThis little tip has been around since probably Inventor R1. For those of you that import DWG geometry into the sketching environment, you might find this one a little more useful than the rest of you although it is still a great all-around tip.
If you have a 2D sketch that looks like it is closed only to find out you can't extrude it into a solid (only surface), it isn’t a closed sketch. There are manual ways to close up the sketch although it takes a bit of trial and error and could be difficult if it’s anything more than a simple rectangle.There is a quick tool to help you diagnose the sketch to identify overlapping edges and open profiles as well as a few other things. To do this, while editing a sketch right click on the sketch in the browser and select Sketch Doctor. You can then select Diagnose Sketch and select the items you would like to analyze. In our case we will make sure we look for Open Loops and select OK.
If the Sketch Doctor detects anything unusual, it will show you any issues in the sketch.
In my case I selected Next to get a message that shows me that I can “Combine Sketch Points” and I selected Finish to get a preview of the point and the option to combine it automatically.
I can now use this profile to Extrude to a solid (or other feature such as Revolve, Sweep or Loft).
Perhaps many of you have been using this one for a while but for those of you that haven't, it's a great little time saver when you have a sketch issue like this.
0 Comment | Add CommentIn In the Machine > Inventor LT, Autodesk Inventor Professional, Autodesk Inventor, Tips
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Friday Quick Tip - Drawing Sketches
April 24, 2009 12:46 AMby Garin GardinerIt's a safe guess that many of you spend a bit of time in the drawing environment of Inventor documenting your designs. The last few months I have been talking to a lot of Inventor users about creating drawings and have received several questions about adding sketch geometry to a view that is associative to the drawing view. An example of this is the need to add drawing details such as diagonal lines on the windows of the cab below to represent glass. Typically you would want the diagonal lines to update and move with the drawing view so they don't end up sitting in space if the view moves.
If you have tried this in the past and have noticed the sketch isn't associative to the view, let me give you a quick tip to create the sketch so it is linked to the drawing view. First select a view from the graphics window that you want to add a sketch to and select "Create Sketch" from the Model tab. The key is to select the view first, if you don't the sketch will not be associative to the view.
With the view selected and selecting "Create Sketch" you can now use the regular sketch tools to add things like diagonal lines to the drawing view. Once you have added the detail you want, return out of the sketch and you are done. You can now move the view around and the sketch is now fully locked to that view.
Enjoy the weekend!
2 Comments | Add CommentIn In the Machine > Tips, Inventor LT, Autodesk Inventor
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Friday's Quick Tip
April 17, 2009 01:49 PMby Garin GardinerFor those of you that have used other 3D products (like AutoCAD) , you may be use to using Shift + Middle Mouse button to orbit the model. I have heard this many times over the last few years and in the latest version of Inventor you can now do this. In Inventor 2010 if you open a part or assembly and hold down the Shift key and middle mouse button, you will be able to orbit your model until you let up on the mouse button.
Enjoy the Friday tip!
3 Comments | Add CommentIn In the Machine > Inventor LT, Tips, Autodesk Inventor
