In the Machine

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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.

  About Garin

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  Building Lighter Models
  September 28, 2006 08:23 AMby Garin Gardiner

  Depending on what you are using various parts/assemblies for, you can often simplify them to optimize performance in larger assemblies. If you have parts that will be purchased rather than being manufactured, you can typically simplify them with fewer or simpler features.
  
  One way you can do this is by using images instead of features. Think of something like knurling on a part and all the extra faces that would be needed to create. With an image on a face you can get a very similar look for your model and reduce its file size and amount of faces being used in the part.
  
  
  
  Not all models can take advantage of this although with a few tricks you can lighten your models to load faster and be able to be edited quicker as well.
  
  Garin
  
  
  
  

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  Content Center Stand-Alone Users Guide Available
  September 22, 2006 12:33 PMby Garin Gardiner

  For those of you that have installed or would like to install Content Center and would like a little more information on setting it up on your local machine, there is a new stand-alone white paper to help you out. It covers several areas of interest including the following topics.
  
  Introduction
  1. Content Center: Short Description
  2. Understanding Content Center: Stand-Alone
  3. Single-User Installation
  
  Setting up Content Center
  1. Log-in to Autodesk Data Management Server
  2. Content Center Configuration in Autodesk Inventor Project
  
  How to Use Content Center
  1. Favorites
  2. AutoDrop
  3. Design Accelerator Generators
  4. Place a Part from Content Center
  
  Tips and Tricks
  1. Internet Information Services 5.1 Verses Web Services
  2. Content Center Preparation
  
  

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  Please tell us about how you've automated Inventor.
  September 21, 2006 04:58 PMby

  We are running a brief (10 minutes max) survey to help us understand how you automate your design process. Specifically, how you use spreadsheets, scripts, iParts and iAssemblies to automate tasks and increase your productivity.
  
  Access the survey here.
  
  Thanks! Amy
  
  
  
  
  
  

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  Inventor Podcast Episode #4 - Feature Recognition is Here!!!
  September 19, 2006 08:00 AMby Garin Gardiner

  Have you ever wanted to convert a SAT, STEP, IGES or 3D DWG into a feature rich part? With the new application on Autodesk Labs you can now convert a base solid into features like Extrude, Revolve, Hole, Fillet, Chamfer and Sculpt with just a few clicks.
  
  
  
  When developing new functionality for Inventor, we always like to include your feedback in the final product. We have used numerous tools and events to do this in the past, including spec reviews, alpha code customer testing and traditional beta testing programs. Autodesk Labs is a new mechanism that gives you chance to evaluate functionality before it is incorporated into a production release.
  
  Take a look at the Autodesk Labs site to download the Inventor application, guide and video. There is also a podcast if you would like even more information.
  
  Autodesk Labs
  
  Official Autodesk Inventor Podcast (Feature Recognition)
  
  Take a look at the at the new application and email us your feedback!
  
  labs.iv-featrecog@autodesk.com
  
  Garin
  
  

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  Edit Solid Bodies
  September 15, 2006 02:13 PMby Garin Gardiner

  Have you ever imported a file from IGES, SAT or STEP and wanted to be able to edit it? We added Edit Solid a while ago although I don't think many people are aware that it is in Inventor.
  
  To edit the solid, open an inventor file that was imported from another format or open a SAT, STEP, IGES or 3D DWG file and you will notice you have one feature in your browser called BASE1. Right click on the Base1 feature and select Edit Solid to access the solid edit tools.
  
  
  
  You will now see various tools in the Panel Bar for editing your solid such as Move Face, Extend or Contract Body and work features.
  
  
  
  You can also select various faces and hit the delete key to remove them and heal the solid body.
  
  
  
  Select faces you want to remove
  
  
  
  Select Delete to remove those faces and heal the model
  
  Stay tuned for more Solid Editing tips!
  
  Garin
  
  
  
  

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  Inventor Podcast Episode #3
  September 11, 2006 09:00 PMby Garin Gardiner

  September Podcast Show Notes
  
  Right click here and select "Save Target As..." to save a local copy
  
  Its also located on iTunes.
  
  News:
  1. Inventor SP2 is out
  2. Inventor Media Event, Part II - Bill Fane
  
  
  Events:
  1. Autodesk University (AU) Nov 28 - Dec 1
  2. Imaginit - Autodesk Inventor Test Drive Sept 19 Seattle Wa
  3. River City INCAT user group - Sept 19 Grand Rapids Michigan
  4. ASI Free Lunch and Learn - Inventor - Sept 20 Lexington Kentucky
  
  
  Resources:
  1. Design Intent in Part Modeling - Sean Dotson
  2. LeaCar - Robert Williams
  3. Youtube - Autodesk Inventor
  4. New AutoCAD Mechanical blogger - Andrew de Leon Singapore
  
  Challenge
  1. Inventor NG World Cup - September 20 2006
  
  Tips and Tricks:
  1. Dashed Hidden Lines
  2. Auto Dimension
  3. Measure Minimum Distance - Kevin Schneider
  
  inventor.blog.feedback@autodesk.com
  
  
  

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  New Dynamic Simulation Skill Builders
  September 7, 2006 11:27 AMby

  The first of the Inventor 11 skill builders have been posted to the Autodesk Website. All 3 revolve around the new Dynamic Simulation capabilities that were introduced in March. Skillbuilders are step by step tutorials that you can do on-line or print and go through later.
  
  Dynamic Simulation Concepts Skill Builder
  
  Learn the important concepts of Dynamic Simulation in Autodesk Inventor Professional and how they compare to the general Inventor Assembly motion capabilities.
  
  Cam and Valve Skill Builder - Part 1
  Cam and Valve Skill Builder - Part 2
  
  Learn the basics of Dynamic Simulation in Autodesk Inventor Professional through a tutorial that models a cam and valve.
  
  -Amy
  
  

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  Want to get your components in the hands of 11,000+ potential customers?
  September 5, 2006 11:22 PMby

  Have you been to the Autodesk Supplier Content Center? Over 11,000 users have already registered and can download native ready-to-use Inventor parts. This is a huge asset to the Inventor community. Since launching last year, our partner (PartSolutions/CADENAS) has added many new suppliers - including DE-STA-CO who recently switched to PartSolutions from a competitor's solution.
  
  If you are a component supplier you can find out more about how to get your data up on the Supplier Content center by attending one of our upcoming joint webcasts. They start this Thursday and will show you how you can create a digital parts catalog and boost your visibility to potential customers and provide component models in many different native CAD formats. The component models are visible to the entire Autodesk Manufacturing Community through the Supplier Content Center, and they can also be exposed to thousands of other customers through other methods offered by PARTsolutions.
  
  Click here for more details and to register. Hope to 'see' you there.
  
  -Amy
  
  
  

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  Dashed Hidden Lines
  September 5, 2006 09:50 AMby Garin Gardiner

  Many of you with a 2D AutoCAD background might appreciate the ability to display back or hidden edges while in the 3D model as a dashed line while in the Wireframe or Hidden Edge Display options. Take a look at these images captured from the 3D modeling environment to see normal display on the left and the dashed option on the right.
  
  
  
  Wireframe Display from 3D Model
  
  
  Hidden Edge Display from 3D model
  
  To display back/hidden lines as dashed lines, there is a setting in the windows registry that will change the default behavior. Before you make any changes to your registry you should back it up and I would recomend only making these changes if you are familiar with the registry.
  
  Close Inventor and navigate to the below string in the registry
  
  HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Autodesk\Inventor\RegistryVersion11.0\System\Preferences\Display
  
  Change the value for "Hidden Line Pattern" from ffff to fff. Restart Inventor and you should now be able to see dashed lines when in the Hidden lines or Hidden Edge display options.
  
  
  Garin
  
  
  

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  More Customer Data from Brazil
  September 4, 2006 09:57 AMby

  On my recent trip to Brazil I met Paulo Onuchic, the Director of MAPData - one of our top Inventor resellers. I thought you might be interested in some of these images from his customers.
  
  Facchini - builds heavy equipment/trucks for the Brazil market
  
  
  
  Sincrotron - the only sincrotron lab in the Southern Hemisphere
  
  
  
  
  
  Mausa - industrial equipment with a special focus on the sugar and alcohol industry
  
  
  
  -Amy
  
  

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