Autodesk. Inventor with Loren Jahraus, P.E. MASTERING. Includes DVD. Master Autodesk Inventor 2010, Inventor Professional, and Inventor LT

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1 Includes DVD Curtis Waguespack with Loren Jahraus, P.E. MASTERING Autodesk Inventor 2010 Master Autodesk Inventor 2010, Inventor Professional, and Inventor LT Create 3D Models for Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering Projects SERIOUS SKILLS.

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3 Mastering Autodesk Inventor 2010

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5 Mastering Autodesk Inventor 2010 Curtis Waguespack Loren Jahraus, P.E. Wiley Publishing, Inc.

6 Senior Acquisitions Editor: Willem Knibbe Development Editor: Denise Santoro Lincoln Technical Editors: Loren Jahraus and Curtis Waguespack Production Editor: Angela Smith Copy Editor: Kim Wimpsett Editorial Manager: Pete Gaughan Production Manager: Tim Tate Vice President and Executive Group Publisher: Richard Swadley Vice President and Publisher: Neil Edde Media Associate Project Manager: Jenny Swisher Media Associate Producer: Josh Frank Media Quality Assurance: Shawn Patrick Book Designers: Maureen Forys and Judy Fung Proofreader: Jen Larsen, Word One Indexer: Ted Laux Project Coordinator, Cover: Lynsey Stanford Cover Designer: Ryan Sneed Cover Image: Pete Gardner/DigitalVision/Getty Images Copyright 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana Published simultaneously in Canada ISBN: No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) , fax (978) Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) , fax (201) , or online at Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: The publisher and the author make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales or promotional materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation. This work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. If professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising herefrom. The fact that an organization or Web site is referred to in this work as a citation and/or a potential source of further information does not mean that the author or the publisher endorses the information the organization or Web site may provide or recommendations it may make. Further, readers should be aware that Internet Web sites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read. For general information on our other products and services or to obtain technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at (877) , outside the U.S. at (317) or fax (317) Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data: Waguespack, Curtis, Mastering Autodesk Inventor 2010 / Curtis Waguespack. 1st ed. p. cm. ISBN (paper/dvd) 1. Engineering graphics. 2. Engineering models Data processing. 3. Autodesk Inventor (Electronic resource) I. Title. T353.W dc Certain images and materials contained in this publication were reproduced with the permission of Autodesk, Inc All rights reserved. TRADEMARKS: Wiley, the Wiley logo, and the Sybex logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates, in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. Autodesk, AutoCAD, Autodesk Inventor, DWG, the DWG logo, and Inventor are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., in the U.S.A. and certain other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book

7 Dear Reader, Thank you for choosing Mastering Autodesk Inventor This book is part of a family of premium-quality Sybex books, all of which are written by outstanding authors who combine practical experience with a gift for teaching. Sybex was founded in More than 30 years later, we re still committed to producing consistently exceptional books. With each of our titles, we re working hard to set a new standard for the industry. From the paper we print on, to the authors we work with, our goal is to bring you the best books available. I hope you see all that reflected in these pages. I d be very interested to hear your comments and get your feedback on how we re doing. Feel free to let me know what you think about this or any other Sybex book by sending me an at nedde@wiley.com. If you think you ve found a technical error in this book, please visit Customer feedback is critical to our efforts at Sybex. Best regards, Neil Edde Vice President and Publisher Sybex, an Imprint of Wiley

8 To Jennifer. Curtis To Penny, Edan, and Annie. Loren

9 Acknowledgments This book is a collaborative effort involving far more people than listed on the cover. Personally, we would like to thank our families, whose patience and understanding made this and all other pursuits possible. Professionally, we would like to thank the co-workers, clients, customers, and friends whose input and ideas have helped build the knowledge and experience that each of us draws from in applying concept to practice. A special thank you goes out to the Mastering Inventor 2009 team: Sean Dotson, Bill Bogan, Andrew Faix, Seth Hindman, Dennis Jeffrey, Shekar Subrahmanyam, and Bob Van der Donck, all of whom are true masters of Inventor. Thank you to the team at Wiley: Denise Santoro Lincoln, Kim Wimpsett, Angela Smith, Willem Knibbe, Peter Gaughan, and Jay Lesandrini for their patience, focus, and professionalism, without which there would be no book. Your hard work and support have eased our efforts in turning ideas into pages. Curtis Waguespack and Loren Jahraus

10 About the Authors Mastering Autodesk Inventor 2010 builds on the strong foundation established by Mastering Inventor 2009, which was written by a team of Inventor experts with a diverse and expansive pool of industry experience. Two members of the 2009 authoring team worked on the 2010 edition to update the existing content and add new content to cover the exciting improvements Autodesk made in the 2010 release of Inventor. Here is a bit more about each of them. Curtis Waguespack served as lead author on this book. He is an Inventor Certified Expert and an Autodesk Manufacturing Implementation Certified Expert. His experience designing construction equipment, industrial machinery, and food service equipment, while working closely with the shop floor, has provided real-world insights into the requirements and demands of using Inventor in day-to-day design. Curtis has consulted with and supported manufacturing and design firms whose industries range from aerospace to consumer products to industrial machinery, each using Inventor in a specific way to meet the demands of their particular industry. Aside from work, he enjoys traveling and spending time outdoors pursuing a variety of interests. Loren Jahraus, P.E., authored the chapters on Inventor design philosophy, sheet metal, assembly design workflows, functional design, and Frame Generator. He has a bachelor s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Wisconsin Madison and attended the Universität Stuttgart as an academic exchange student. He has designed a variety of machinery including an optical sorter for food products, an automated system to handle and monitor decommissioned nuclear weapons, and equipment to test computer chips. He is an Inventor founder and has designed functionality for part and assembly modeling, drawings, sheet metal, design accelerators, weldments, and Frame Generator. He also volunteers extensively to help prepare the next generation of engineers. He has taught elementary-school students the SAE A World in Motion curriculum for eight years, he has mentored FIRST LEGO League and FIRST Robotics Competition teams, and he is serving on the organizing committee for the 2009 SAE Baja West Design Competition.

11 Contents at a Glance Introduction... xxiii Chapter 1 Inventor Design Philosophy...1 Chapter 2 Data and Projects...29 Chapter 3 Sketch Techniques...47 Chapter 4 Basic Modeling Techniques...99 Chapter 5 Advanced Modeling Techniques Chapter 6 Sheet Metal Chapter 7 Part and Feature Reuse Chapter 8 Assembly Design Workflows Chapter 9 Large Assembly Strategies Chapter 10 Weldment Design Chapter 11 Functional Design Chapter 12 Documentation Chapter 13 Inventor Tools Overview Chapter 14 Exchanging Data with Other Systems Chapter 15 Frame Generator Chapter 16 Inventor Studio Chapter 17 Stress Analysis and Dynamic Simulation Chapter 18 Routed Systems Chapter 19 Plastics Design Features Appendix A The Bottom Line Appendix B About the Companion DVD Index

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13 Contents Introduction... xxiii Chapter 1 Inventor Design Philosophy...1 Moving from the AutoCAD Environment...1 Using the Inventor Graphical Interface...2 The Ribbon Bar...6 The Browser Pane...7 Task-Based Dialog Boxes...9 The Model Browser...11 Learning the File Types in Inventor...12 Using DWG Files in Inventor...14 Creating DWG Files from Inventor Drawings...14 Working with AutoCAD Files in Inventor...15 Creating a 3D Virtual Prototype...16 Understanding Parametric Design...17 Understanding Functional Design...19 Understanding Solids vs. Surface Modeling...20 Best Practices in Autodesk Inventor...23 Creating a Data Management Structure...23 Selecting the Proper Project File Type for Your Designs...24 Developing an Efficient and Stable Part-Modeling Workflow...24 Developing Assembly Structure for Maximum Efficiency...25 Establishing Standards for Documentation...26 Using Digital Communication...27 The Bottom Line...27 Chapter 2 Data and Projects...29 Creating a Data Structure...29 Setting Up the Ideal Directory Structure...29 Preparing Parts for Reuse and Revision...34 Exploring Project File Types...36 Creating the Project File...36 Creating Single-User Projects...38 Creating Multiuser Projects...44 The Bottom Line...45 Chapter 3 Sketch Techniques...47 Exploring the Options and Settings for Sketches...47 Application Options...48 Document Settings...52

14 xii CONTENTS Creating a Sketch in a New Part...53 Creating a New Part File from a Template...53 Creating Lines Using the Line Tool...53 Understanding Sketch Constraints...56 Using Degrees of Freedom to View Under-Constrained Sketch Elements...58 Using Dimensions to Fully Constrain a Sketch...59 Understanding the Save Options...62 Making a Sketch Active for Edits...62 Using Construction Geometry...63 Using the Polygon Tool...64 Creating Driven Dimensions...67 Taking a Closer Look at Sketch Constraints...69 Tangent Constraint...70 Perpendicular Constraint...70 Parallel Constraint...71 Coincident Constraint...72 Concentric Constraint...72 Collinear Constraint...73 Horizontal Constraint...73 Vertical Constraint...74 Equal Constraint...75 Fix Constraint...75 Symmetric Constraint...76 Smooth Constraint...77 Gaining More Sketch Skills...77 Creating Arcs...77 Creating Automatic Tangents with the Line Tool...79 Understanding Point/Center Points...79 Projecting Geometry...80 Learning More About Dimensions...81 Measuring Geometry...84 Creating Sketches from AutoCAD Geometry...86 Importing Existing AutoCAD Designs...86 Copying and Pasting Existing AutoCAD Designs into Inventor...87 Creating and Using 3D Sketches...88 Creating a 3D Path...88 Using the 3D Coordinate Triad and Precise Redefine...89 Exploring More 3D Sketch Tools...92 The Bottom Line...97 Chapter 4 Basic Modeling Techniques...99 Exploring Application Options and Settings for Part Modeling...99 Specifying Global Settings...99 Specifying Document-Specific Settings Creating Basic Part Features Simplifying Your Sketches

15 CONTENTS xiii Creating a Base Feature Creating a Second Feature Creating a Sketch-Based Hole Feature Creating a Rectangular Hole Pattern Editing Sketches and Features Repairing Features and Sketches Exploring the Extrude Tool Extruding with Cut and Taper Extruding with Intersect Extruding Surfaces from Open Profiles Extruding Solids from Open Profiles Extruding with To Extruding with To Next Extruding with From To Extruding Multibodies Creating Revolved Parts and Threads Creating Revolved Cylindrical Parts Creating Extruded Cylindrical Parts Creating Threaded Features Creating Work Features Work Planes Work Axes and Work Points Creating Fillets Edge Fillets Face Fillets Full Round Fillets Hole Features Using the Thread and Clearance Spreadsheets Creating Holes in Parts Setting Tolerance Values in Holes Bend Parts The Bottom Line Chapter 5 Advanced Modeling Techniques Creating Complex Sweeps and Lofts Creating and Using Sweeps Exploring Sweep Options Creating Loft Features Creating a Part Using Loft and Sculpt Creating Multi-body Parts Creating Derived Parts and Assemblies Creating Derived Parts Deriving a Part File Deriving an Assembly File Modifying Derived Parts Using the Component Derive Tool

16 xiv CONTENTS Using Nonlinear-Derived Part Scaling Working with Patterns Rectangular Patterns Circular Patterns Patterns Along Curves Spiral Patterns Pattern Solids Dynamic Patterns Setting Parameters and iproperties Part Parameters Assembly Parameters Adding Part Tolerances Setting Global File Tolerances Using Standard Tolerances Troubleshooting Failures with the End-of-Part Marker Step 1: Editing the First Feature Step 2: Moving the EOP Marker Down One Feature at a Time The Bottom Line Chapter 6 Sheet Metal Understanding Sheet-Metal Parts Getting to Know the Features Starting with a Base Creating Flanges Adding, Removing, or Deforming Material Using Sheet-Metal Templates and Rules What Are Sheet-Metal Rules? Unfolding Your Part Working with Styles and Templates Authoring and Reusing Punches Exploring Punches and ifeatures Creating Successful Punches Using Alternate Representations Placing Your Punch Patterning Your Punch Working with the Flat Pattern Exploring the Flat Pattern Edit Features Adding Manufacturing Information to the Flat Pattern Using the Flat Pattern Definition Dialog Box Manufacturing Your Flat Pattern Using Sheet-Metal ipart Factories Consuming Sheet-Metal Rules Using Folded and Flat Members Modeling with Non-Sheet-Metal Features Selecting Problematic Features Using Surface-Based Workflows...233

17 CONTENTS xv Working with Imported Parts Setting Yourself Up for Success Converting Components Annotating Your Sheet Metal Design Creating a View of Your Sheet-Metal Design Adding Bend, Punch, and Flat Pattern Annotations Harvesting Legacy Sheet-Metal Templates Parameter Indirection The Hidden Tools of Harvesting The Bottom Line Chapter 7 Part and Feature Reuse Working with iparts Creating and Modifying iparts Using iparts in Designs Working with ifeatures Creating ifeatures Creating Punch Features Reusing Existing Geometry Copying Features Cloning Linking Parameters Between Two Files Copying Sketches Introducing Content Center Configuring Content Center Using Content Center Customizing Content Center Libraries Publishing Parts to Content Center The Bottom Line Chapter8 Assembly Design Workflows Understanding Subassemblies The Power of Subassemblies Flexibility Top-Down Design Developing an Efficient Assembly Workflow Layout Sketches Adaptivity Creating Adaptivity Removing Adaptivity from Parts D Constraints How Constraints Work Degrees of Freedom Types of 3D Constraints Motion Constraints Transitional Constraints

18 xvi CONTENTS Driving Constraints Redundant Constraints and Constraint Failures Contact Solver Assembly Features Managing the Bill of Materials Parts-Level BOM Control Assembly-Level BOM Control Assembly Reuse and Configurations Copying Designs Using Representations Using iassemblies The Bottom Line Chapter 9 Large Assembly Strategies Selecting a Workstation Physical Memory vs. Virtual Memory bit Systems vs. 32-bit Systems Hardware Working with Performance Settings Working with Drawing Settings Working with Model Display Settings Working with General Settings Working with System Settings Large Assembly Best Practices Working with the Model Reducing Assembly Constraints Opening the Model Working with Large Assembly Drawings Managing Assembly Detail LOD Strategies Substitute LODs Subassembly LODs Simplifying Parts Removing or Suppressing Unneeded Features Working with Colors The Bottom Line Chapter 10 Weldment Design Exploring Weldment Design Methodologies Modeling Preparations Exploring Cosmetic Welds Creating Weld Beads Creating Fillet Welds Creating Intermittent Fillet Welds Creating Groove Welds

19 CONTENTS xvii Performing Machining Operations Exploring Weld Properties and Combinations Weld Properties Replication Groove and Fillet Weld Combinations Split Technique Using the Weld Symbol Understanding Bead Property Report and Mass Properties Creating Drawing Documentation Weldment Design Stages End Fill Drawing Weld Symbol Caterpillar Generating a Bill of Materials and Parts List The Bottom Line Chapter 11 Functional Design Geometric Modeling vs. Functional Design A General Introduction to Design Accelerators Design Accelerators Input Design Accelerators Output Design Generators and Content Center Bolted Connections Calculators Generators Gear Generator Key Connections Shaft Generator Cam Generator Spring Generator The Bottom Line Chapter 12 Documentation Working in the Presentation Environment Creating a Basic Explosion Creating Advanced Presentations Using the Drawing Manager Creating Templates and Styles Utilizing Drawing Resources Editing Styles and Standards Creating Drawing Views Annotating Part Drawings Annotating Assembly Drawings Working with Sheet-Metal Drawings Working with Weldment Views Working with iparts and iassembly Drawings...503

20 xviii CONTENTS Sharing Your Drawing Outside Your Workgroup The Bottom Line Chapter 13 Inventor Tools Overview Exploring the AEC Exchange Model Simplification Model Authoring Model Publishing Using AutoLimits Creating AutoLimits Editing AutoLimits Using the Design Assistant Using the Find Files Tool Using the Where Used Tool Renaming, Copying, and Replacing Files Using Pack And Go Using the Drawing Resource Transfer Wizard Using Style Tools Using the Style Library Manager Using the Style Management Wizard Exploring the Supplier Content Center Using the Task Scheduler Creating a Task for Migrating Files Performing Sequential Tasks Performing Custom Tasks Tweaking Multiprocess Settings Publishing DWF Files and Filenames Using iproperties Copying iproperties to Drawings Creating Expressions with iproperties Working with the DA and iproperties Creating Design Property Reports Using the Measure Tools Using Measurement Helpers Measuring in Assemblies Participating in the CIP and CER Participating in the CIP Participating in CER Using Miscellaneous Tools Using the Autodesk Multi-Sheet Plot Tool Using the Add-In Manager Using the Project Editor The Bottom Line Chapter 14 Exchanging Data with Other Systems Importing and Exporting Geometry...545

21 CONTENTS xix DWG Mechanical Desktop (MDT) DWG STEP and IGES SAT Using Inventor File Translators CATIA Pro/ENGINEER Unigraphics and Parasolids SolidWorks IDF Board Files Placing Components from Other CAD Systems Working with Imported Data Working in the Construction Environment Editing Imported Data Viewing DWF Markup Publishing a DWF or DWFx File Reviewing and Marking Up DWF and DWFx Files Accessing DWF or DWFx Markups in Inventor The Bottom Line Chapter 15 Frame Generator Accessing the Frame Generator Tools Exploring the Frame Generator File Structure Exploring the Anatomy of a Frame Member Inserting Frame Members Specifying a Structural Shape Changing the Orientation Selecting Placement Geometry Aligning Frame Members Adding End Treatments Miter Trim to Frame Member TrimandExtendtoFace Notch Frame Members Lengthen Shorten Frame Member Maintaining Frames Remove End Treatments Frame Member Information Refresh Performing Analysis Model Tab Beam Calculation Tab Beam Graphs Column Calculator HTML Results Publishing Frame Members

22 xx CONTENTS Authoring a Part Publishing a Part Frame Assemblies and BOMs The Bottom Line Chapter 16 Inventor Studio Exploring the Inventor Studio Environment Creating and Managing Studio Styles Exploring the Surface Styles Dialog Box Exploring Lighting and Lighting Styles Exploring the Scene Styles Dialog Box Composing and Rendering Images Animating with Studio Using Animation Tools Using Video Producer Rendering Video or Animations The Bottom Line Chapter 17 Stress Analysis and Dynamic Simulation Introduction to Analysis Conducting Stress Analysis Simulations Static Stress vs. Modal Analysis Simplifying Your Model Specifying Materials Applying Simulation Constraints Applying Loads Specifying Contact Conditions Generating a Mesh Running the Simulation Interpreting the Results Using the Result, Scaling, Display, and Report Tools Conducting Parameter Studies Conducting Dynamic Simulations Working with Joints More on Working with Joints Working with Redundancy Working with Environmental Constraints Running a Simulation Exporting to FEA Using the Dynamic Simulation Information in Stress Analysis The Bottom Line Chapter 18 Routed Systems Tube and Pipe Understanding Routes, Runs, and Assembly Structure Exploring the Tube and Pipe Styles...677

23 CONTENTS xxi Placing Fittings Creating Routes Exporting ISOGEN Files Cable and Harness Creating and Placing Electrical Parts Creating a Harness Placing Wires Using the Cable And Harness Library Placing Cables Placing and Editing Segments Copying Cable and Harness Designs Creating Nailboard Drawings The Bottom Line Chapter 19 Plastics Design Features Using Plastic Part Templates Creating Thicken/Offset Features Creating Shell Features Creating Split Features Creating Grill Features Creating Rule Fillet Features Creating Rest Features Creating Boss Features Creating Lip and Groove Features Creating Snap Fit Features Creating Rib and Web Features Creating Draft Features The Bottom Line Appendix A The Bottom Line Chapter 1: Inventor Design Philosophy Chapter 2: Data and Projects Chapter 3: Sketch Techniques Chapter 4: Basic Modeling Techniques Chapter 5: Advanced Modeling Techniques Chapter 6: Sheet Metal Chapter 7: Part and Feature Reuse Chapter 8: Assembly Design Workflows Chapter 9: Large Assembly Strategies Chapter 10: Weldment Design Chapter 11: Functional Design Chapter 12: Documentation Chapter 13: Inventor Tools Overview Chapter 14: Exchanging Data with Other Systems Chapter 15: Frame Generator Chapter 16: Inventor Studio

24 xxii CONTENTS Chapter 17: Stress Analysis and Dynamic Simulation Chapter 18: Routed Systems Chapter 19: Plastics Design Features Appendix B About the Companion DVD What You ll Find on the DVD PDF of the Book Adobe Reader Tutorial Files Inventor 2010 Video Tutorials iprop Editor Make Transparent FeatureRename System Requirements Using the DVD Troubleshooting Customer Care Index

25 Introduction Autodesk Inventor was introduced in 1999 as an ambitious 3D parametric modeler based not on the familiar AutoCAD programming architecture but instead on a separate foundation that would provide the room needed to grow into the fully featured modeler it now is, a decade later. Inventor 2010 continues the development of Inventor with assembly layout, plastic parts, and other productivity tools. The maturity of the Inventor tools coincides with the advancement of the CAD market s adoption of 3D parametric modelers as a primary design tool. And although it is important to understand that 2D CAD will likely never completely disappear from the majority of manufacturing design departments, 3D design will increasingly become a requirement for most. With this in mind, we have set out to fill the following pages with detailed information on the specifics of the tools, while addressing the principles of sound parametric design techniques. Who Should Read This Book This book is written with a wide range of Inventor users in mind, varying from beginning to advanced users: Beginning Inventor users who are making the move from traditional 2D CAD design to Inventor These readers will have experience with AutoCAD and an understanding of basic design and engineering concepts, as well as a desire to improve their skill set and stay competitive in the marketplace. Intermediate Inventor users who have gone through formal Inventor training during their company s initial implementation of Inventor and are looking for more information on a specific module within Inventor. This book also targets users looking for a desktop reference to turn to when they come upon an area of Inventor that they do not encounter on a day-to-day basis. Advanced Inventor users who have mastered the Inventor tools they use over and over daily but want to conquer the parts of the program they do not utilize during their normal design tasks. This book also targets advanced users who want to add to their skill set to move up the ranks within their current company or want to expand their knowledge in pursuit of a new position with another employer. Attempting to learn all the tools in Inventor can be an intimidating experience, because of the wide range of task-specific modules available. It was the goal of this book s authors to separate these modules into easy-to-tackle chapters relating to real-world situations for which the tools were designed, while also including chapters on general Inventor tools, techniques, and design principles.

26 xxiv INTRODUCTION What you will learn The following pages will explain the Inventor settings while teaching you how each tool functions. Just as importantly, though, these pages are filled with the tips and techniques learned by the authors while spending years using, researching, and discussing the tools that are Autodesk Inventor. You should come away from reading this book with a solid understanding of the capabilities of Inventor and a strong idea of how to tackle your design challenges in the future, as well as an abundance of timesaving tips and tricks. What you will need The files needed to complete the tutorial projects in this book are included on a DVD. Please consult Appendix B, About the Companion DVD, for more information on getting these installed. To install and run Inventor, you should consult the system requirements information found on the installation media and ensure that you have a system capable of running Inventor competently. Autodesk recommends a minimum of 512MB of RAM and 1.5GB of available hard disk space for basic educational purposes dealing with small tutorial-sized assemblies. An additional 1.8GB of hard disk space is required to install Content Center. Note that these are the bare minimums to run the program, and you might see slow performance when executing operations that require heavy calculations. We recommend a minimum of 2GB of RAM for doing production work on moderate-sized assemblies and encourage you to consider a 64-bit operating system with at least 8GB of RAM if considering large assembly design. You can find more information about workstations specs and large assemblies in Chapter 9. The Mastering Series The Mastering series from Sybex provides outstanding instruction for readers with intermediate and advanced skills in the form of top-notch training and development for those already working in their field as well as clear, serious education for those aspiring to become pros. Every Mastering book includes the following: Real-world scenarios, ranging from case studies to interviews, that show how the tool, technique, or knowledge presented is applied in actual practice Skill-based instruction, with chapters organized around real tasks rather than abstract concepts or subjects Self-review test questions, so you can be certain you re equipped to do the job right What Is Covered in This Book This is what the book covers: Chapter 1, Inventor Design Philosophy, covers how to design the Inventor way when transitioning from other 2D or 3D design applications. Chapter 2, Data and Projects, examines file structures and search paths and explains project file types and configurations. Chapter 3, Sketch Techniques, explores the principles of creating parameter-driven sketches for use in modeling features and parts. Chapter 4, Basic Modeling Techniques, conquers creating parametric features and building 3D parts models.

27 INTRODUCTION xxv Chapter 5, Advanced Modeling Techniques, explores complex feature creation including sweeps, lofts, and more. Chapter 6, Sheet Metal, covers how to create accurate sheet-metal models and flat patterns as well as how to create documentation and set up sheet metal styles and templates. Chapter 7, Part and Feature Reuse, examines the different methods for reusing parts and features for maximum consistency and design efficiency. Chapter 8, Assembly Design Workflows, covers a thorough understanding of this key concept of Inventor design, including the use of assembly constraints, subassemblies, and more. Chapter 9, Large Assembly Strategies, explores the tips and techniques to getting the best performance out of your Inventor workstation and considers upgrade requirements for the future. Chapter 10, Weldment Design, explores Inventor s weldment modeling environment and the weldment documentation tools. Chapter 11, Functional Design, gives you a thorough look at this collection of Inventor design accelerators and considers the difference between standard modeling and functional design. Chapter 12, Documentation, covers how to use the Drawing Manager and presentation files to create both traditional, 2D annotated drawings as well as animated assembly instructions. Chapter 13, Inventor Tools Overview, examines this collection of Inventor utilities including AutoLimits, the Design Assistant, the Drawing Resource Transfer Wizard, style tools, and much more. Chapter 14, Exchanging Data with Other Systems, shows the available options for importing and working with solid models from other CAD packages. Chapter 15, Frame Generator, covers how to get the most out of this utility when creating structural frames from Inventor s library of common shapes. Chapter 16, Inventor Studio, covers this powerful tool set to create photorealistic images and animations of all your Inventor models. Chapter 17, Stress Analysis and Dynamic Simulation, explores the simulation tools used to analyze load stress and mechanism motion on your models. Chapter 18, Routed Systems, covers the cable and wire harness and tube and pipe environments and their uses in creating routed design layouts. Chapter 19, Plastics Design Features, explores the tools used specifically for plastics design as well as the general tools used in specific ways for plastics design. How to Contact the Authors We welcome your feedback concerning Mastering Autodesk Inventor We want to hear what you liked, what you didn t, and what you think should be in the next edition. And if you catch us making a mistake, please tell us so that we can fix it on our errata page

28 xxvi INTRODUCTION (available at and in reprints. Please us at or contact Wiley customer service at Thank you for purchasing Mastering Autodesk Inventor 2010; we hope it helps you on your way to happy and successful inventing, and we look forward to hearing your comments and questions.

29 Chapter 1 Inventor Design Philosophy In this chapter, we will introduce the concept of design the Inventor way, recognizing that many users of Autodesk Inventor are transitioning from the 2D world of AutoCAD or from one of the many other 3D modeling packages available today. The change is not painful, provided you fully understand the concepts and workflows in creating efficient, accurate models and drawings. In this chapter, you ll learn to: Use the Ribbon bar in Autodesk Inventor Utilize the Inventor Model browser Understand the various file types used in Inventor Understand basic principles of parametric design Understand the differences between solid and surface modeling Develop best practices for using Autodesk Inventor Moving from the AutoCAD Environment To the experienced AutoCAD user, Inventor may seem extremely foreign and difficult to use. In actuality, Inventor is much simpler to learn and use than AutoCAD. The key to grasping the concepts of part creation in Inventor is to set aside the methods of AutoCAD design and embrace a new and more powerful way to approach computer-aided design. AutoCAD was developed as a general-purpose drafting tool. Although there have been many enhancements over the years, it is still basically an electronic drafting board. Inventor was developed as a mechanical design tool. In Inventor, you focus on creating a model of your design. Just like a machine is made of parts and assemblies, you create parts and assemblies in Inventor. Many commands in AutoCAD are very specific. For example, there are different dimension commands for lines, angles, and circles. Inventor has only one general dimension tool that creates the appropriate dimension based on what you select. At the top of Figure 1.1 is the 2D Sketch tab that you use to create and dimension the sketch profiles. Upon the completion of a sketch, simply right-click and then choose Finish Sketch in order to allow the creation of a part feature. Once you do this, the Ribbon automatically switches to the Model tab, as shown at the bottom of Figure 1.1. When working with assemblies, the tool tab changes to the Assemble tab (as shown at the top of Figure 1.2). When you create a 2D drawing of parts or assemblies, you see the Place Views tab, as shown at the bottom of Figure 1.2.

30 2 CHAPTER 1 INVENTOR DESIGN PHILOSOPHY Figure 1.1 Top: the 2D Sketch tab; bottom: the Model tab Figure 1.2 Top: the Assemble tab; bottom: the Drawing Views tab As you can see, the tabs on the Ribbon change with every environment. With a task-based user interface, there is no need to display every possible tool. Using the Inventor Graphical Interface The Inventor graphical interface might be different from what you re used to in AutoCAD. In Figure 1.3, you can explore the entire Inventor window, which shows an assembly file open for editing. Figure 1.3 The complete Inventor screen in assembly mode