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.
Mastering Autodesk Inventor 2010
Mastering Autodesk Inventor 2010 Curtis Waguespack Loren Jahraus, P.E. Wiley Publishing, Inc.
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: 978-0-470-47830-1 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) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6088, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions. 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) 762-2974, outside the U.S. at (317) 572-3993 or fax (317) 572-4002. 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, 1974- Mastering Autodesk Inventor 2010 / Curtis Waguespack. 1st ed. p. cm. ISBN 978-0-470-47830-1 (paper/dvd) 1. Engineering graphics. 2. Engineering models Data processing. 3. Autodesk Inventor (Electronic resource) I. Title. T353.W18 2009 620.00420285536 dc22 2009016261 Certain images and materials contained in this publication were reproduced with the permission of Autodesk, Inc. 2009. 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. 10987654321
Dear Reader, Thank you for choosing Mastering Autodesk Inventor 2010. 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 1976. 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 email at nedde@wiley.com. If you think you ve found a technical error in this book, please visit http://sybex.custhelp.com. Customer feedback is critical to our efforts at Sybex. Best regards, Neil Edde Vice President and Publisher Sybex, an Imprint of Wiley
To Jennifer. Curtis To Penny, Edan, and Annie. Loren
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
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.
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...159 Chapter 6 Sheet Metal... 205 Chapter 7 Part and Feature Reuse... 245 Chapter 8 Assembly Design Workflows...285 Chapter 9 Large Assembly Strategies...327 Chapter 10 Weldment Design... 359 Chapter 11 Functional Design... 391 Chapter 12 Documentation... 431 Chapter 13 Inventor Tools Overview...507 Chapter 14 Exchanging Data with Other Systems...545 Chapter 15 Frame Generator... 573 Chapter 16 Inventor Studio... 603 Chapter 17 Stress Analysis and Dynamic Simulation...641 Chapter 18 Routed Systems... 675 Chapter 19 Plastics Design Features...701 Appendix A The Bottom Line... 721 Appendix B About the Companion DVD...751 Index... 755
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
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...100 Creating Basic Part Features... 107 Simplifying Your Sketches... 110
CONTENTS xiii Creating a Base Feature... 110 Creating a Second Feature... 112 Creating a Sketch-Based Hole Feature...114 Creating a Rectangular Hole Pattern...116 Editing Sketches and Features... 118 Repairing Features and Sketches...120 Exploring the Extrude Tool... 123 Extruding with Cut and Taper... 123 Extruding with Intersect... 123 Extruding Surfaces from Open Profiles...124 Extruding Solids from Open Profiles...125 Extruding with To... 126 Extruding with To Next... 128 Extruding with From To... 129 Extruding Multibodies... 130 Creating Revolved Parts and Threads... 131 Creating Revolved Cylindrical Parts...131 Creating Extruded Cylindrical Parts...132 Creating Threaded Features... 135 Creating Work Features... 137 Work Planes... 137 Work Axes and Work Points... 143 Creating Fillets... 148 Edge Fillets... 148 Face Fillets... 150 Full Round Fillets... 150 Hole Features... 151 Using the Thread and Clearance Spreadsheets...151 Creating Holes in Parts... 152 Setting Tolerance Values in Holes... 155 Bend Parts... 156 The Bottom Line... 156 Chapter 5 Advanced Modeling Techniques... 159 Creating Complex Sweeps and Lofts... 159 Creating and Using Sweeps... 159 Exploring Sweep Options... 161 Creating Loft Features... 164 Creating a Part Using Loft and Sculpt...171 Creating Multi-body Parts... 172 Creating Derived Parts and Assemblies...178 Creating Derived Parts... 179 Deriving a Part File... 179 Deriving an Assembly File... 179 Modifying Derived Parts... 180 Using the Component Derive Tool... 181
xiv CONTENTS Using Nonlinear-Derived Part Scaling...181 Working with Patterns... 182 Rectangular Patterns... 182 Circular Patterns... 183 Patterns Along Curves... 185 Spiral Patterns... 186 Pattern Solids... 187 Dynamic Patterns... 191 Setting Parameters and iproperties... 192 Part Parameters... 193 Assembly Parameters... 197 Adding Part Tolerances... 197 Setting Global File Tolerances...198 Using Standard Tolerances... 199 Troubleshooting Failures with the End-of-Part Marker...199 Step 1: Editing the First Feature... 200 Step 2: Moving the EOP Marker Down One Feature at a Time...201 The Bottom Line... 202 Chapter 6 Sheet Metal...205 Understanding Sheet-Metal Parts... 205 Getting to Know the Features... 206 Starting with a Base... 206 Creating Flanges... 210 Adding, Removing, or Deforming Material...212 Using Sheet-Metal Templates and Rules...218 What Are Sheet-Metal Rules?... 218 Unfolding Your Part... 220 Working with Styles and Templates...223 Authoring and Reusing Punches... 224 Exploring Punches and ifeatures...224 Creating Successful Punches... 225 Using Alternate Representations...226 Placing Your Punch... 227 Patterning Your Punch... 227 Working with the Flat Pattern... 228 Exploring the Flat Pattern Edit Features...229 Adding Manufacturing Information to the Flat Pattern...229 Using the Flat Pattern Definition Dialog Box...229 Manufacturing Your Flat Pattern...230 Using Sheet-Metal ipart Factories... 231 Consuming Sheet-Metal Rules... 231 Using Folded and Flat Members...232 Modeling with Non-Sheet-Metal Features...232 Selecting Problematic Features... 233 Using Surface-Based Workflows...233
CONTENTS xv Working with Imported Parts... 233 Setting Yourself Up for Success... 234 Converting Components... 234 Annotating Your Sheet Metal Design... 234 Creating a View of Your Sheet-Metal Design...234 Adding Bend, Punch, and Flat Pattern Annotations...235 Harvesting Legacy Sheet-Metal Templates...239 Parameter Indirection... 239 The Hidden Tools of Harvesting...239 The Bottom Line... 242 Chapter 7 Part and Feature Reuse...245 Working with iparts... 245 Creating and Modifying iparts... 246 Using iparts in Designs... 256 Working with ifeatures... 257 Creating ifeatures... 258 Creating Punch Features... 262 Reusing Existing Geometry... 266 Copying Features... 266 Cloning... 267 Linking Parameters Between Two Files...267 Copying Sketches... 269 Introducing Content Center... 270 Configuring Content Center... 271 Using Content Center... 273 Customizing Content Center Libraries...276 Publishing Parts to Content Center...280 The Bottom Line... 284 Chapter8 Assembly Design Workflows...285 Understanding Subassemblies... 285 The Power of Subassemblies... 286 Flexibility... 288 Top-Down Design... 288 Developing an Efficient Assembly Workflow...289 Layout Sketches... 292 Adaptivity... 293 Creating Adaptivity... 294 Removing Adaptivity from Parts...295 3D Constraints... 296 How Constraints Work... 296 Degrees of Freedom... 297 Types of 3D Constraints... 298 Motion Constraints... 301 Transitional Constraints... 302
xvi CONTENTS Driving Constraints... 302 Redundant Constraints and Constraint Failures...304 Contact Solver... 304 Assembly Features... 305 Managing the Bill of Materials... 306 Parts-Level BOM Control... 306 Assembly-Level BOM Control... 306 Assembly Reuse and Configurations... 313 Copying Designs... 313 Using Representations... 315 Using iassemblies... 321 The Bottom Line... 325 Chapter 9 Large Assembly Strategies...327 Selecting a Workstation... 327 Physical Memory vs. Virtual Memory...327 64-bit Systems vs. 32-bit Systems...328 Hardware... 329 Working with Performance Settings...331 Working with Drawing Settings...331 Working with Model Display Settings...332 Working with General Settings... 335 Working with System Settings... 337 Large Assembly Best Practices... 339 Working with the Model... 339 Reducing Assembly Constraints... 339 Opening the Model... 345 Working with Large Assembly Drawings...346 Managing Assembly Detail... 348 LOD Strategies... 348 Substitute LODs... 350 Subassembly LODs... 352 Simplifying Parts... 354 Removing or Suppressing Unneeded Features...354 Working with Colors... 356 The Bottom Line... 357 Chapter 10 Weldment Design...359 Exploring Weldment Design Methodologies...359 Modeling Preparations... 362 Exploring Cosmetic Welds... 364 Creating Weld Beads... 367 Creating Fillet Welds... 368 Creating Intermittent Fillet Welds... 371 Creating Groove Welds... 372
CONTENTS xvii Performing Machining Operations... 375 Exploring Weld Properties and Combinations...376 Weld Properties... 376 Replication... 377 Groove and Fillet Weld Combinations...377 Split Technique... 378 Using the Weld Symbol... 380 Understanding Bead Property Report and Mass Properties...381 Creating Drawing Documentation... 382 Weldment Design Stages... 383 End Fill... 385 Drawing Weld Symbol... 386 Caterpillar... 386 Generating a Bill of Materials and Parts List...388 The Bottom Line... 389 Chapter 11 Functional Design... 391 Geometric Modeling vs. Functional Design...391 A General Introduction to Design Accelerators...393 Design Accelerators Input... 393 Design Accelerators Output... 394 Design Generators and Content Center...398 Bolted Connections... 399 Calculators... 404 Generators... 408 Gear Generator... 408 Key Connections... 411 Shaft Generator... 414 Cam Generator... 420 Spring Generator... 425 The Bottom Line... 428 Chapter 12 Documentation... 431 Working in the Presentation Environment...431 Creating a Basic Explosion... 431 Creating Advanced Presentations... 434 Using the Drawing Manager... 439 Creating Templates and Styles... 440 Utilizing Drawing Resources... 441 Editing Styles and Standards... 453 Creating Drawing Views... 459 Annotating Part Drawings... 471 Annotating Assembly Drawings...490 Working with Sheet-Metal Drawings... 497 Working with Weldment Views... 501 Working with iparts and iassembly Drawings...503
xviii CONTENTS Sharing Your Drawing Outside Your Workgroup...504 The Bottom Line... 505 Chapter 13 Inventor Tools Overview...507 Exploring the AEC Exchange... 507 Model Simplification... 507 Model Authoring... 508 Model Publishing... 508 Using AutoLimits... 510 Creating AutoLimits... 512 Editing AutoLimits... 514 Using the Design Assistant... 515 Using the Find Files Tool... 517 Using the Where Used Tool... 518 Renaming, Copying, and Replacing Files...519 Using Pack And Go... 520 Using the Drawing Resource Transfer Wizard...523 Using Style Tools... 524 Using the Style Library Manager...524 Using the Style Management Wizard...526 Exploring the Supplier Content Center...528 Using the Task Scheduler... 529 Creating a Task for Migrating Files...530 Performing Sequential Tasks... 532 Performing Custom Tasks... 532 Tweaking Multiprocess Settings... 532 Publishing DWF Files and Filenames...533 Using iproperties... 533 Copying iproperties to Drawings...535 Creating Expressions with iproperties...536 Working with the DA and iproperties...537 Creating Design Property Reports... 538 Using the Measure Tools... 539 Using Measurement Helpers... 539 Measuring in Assemblies... 540 Participating in the CIP and CER... 541 Participating in the CIP... 541 Participating in CER... 541 Using Miscellaneous Tools... 542 Using the Autodesk Multi-Sheet Plot Tool...542 Using the Add-In Manager... 542 Using the Project Editor... 542 The Bottom Line... 543 Chapter 14 Exchanging Data with Other Systems...545 Importing and Exporting Geometry...545
CONTENTS xix DWG... 546 Mechanical Desktop (MDT) DWG... 549 STEP and IGES... 550 SAT... 554 Using Inventor File Translators... 555 CATIA... 556 Pro/ENGINEER... 557 Unigraphics and Parasolids... 558 SolidWorks... 560 IDF Board Files... 561 Placing Components from Other CAD Systems...562 Working with Imported Data... 562 Working in the Construction Environment...562 Editing Imported Data... 566 Viewing DWF Markup... 568 Publishing a DWF or DWFx File...568 Reviewing and Marking Up DWF and DWFx Files...570 Accessing DWF or DWFx Markups in Inventor...570 The Bottom Line... 571 Chapter 15 Frame Generator...573 Accessing the Frame Generator Tools... 573 Exploring the Frame Generator File Structure...574 Exploring the Anatomy of a Frame Member...575 Inserting Frame Members... 576 Specifying a Structural Shape... 576 Changing the Orientation... 577 Selecting Placement Geometry... 579 Aligning Frame Members... 583 Adding End Treatments... 584 Miter... 584 Trim to Frame Member... 585 TrimandExtendtoFace... 586 Notch Frame Members... 588 Lengthen Shorten Frame Member... 588 Maintaining Frames... 589 Remove End Treatments... 589 Frame Member Information... 589 Refresh... 589 Performing Analysis... 590 Model Tab... 590 Beam Calculation Tab... 592 Beam Graphs... 595 Column Calculator... 596 HTML Results... 596 Publishing Frame Members... 597
xx CONTENTS Authoring a Part... 597 Publishing a Part... 599 Frame Assemblies and BOMs... 600 The Bottom Line... 601 Chapter 16 Inventor Studio...603 Exploring the Inventor Studio Environment...603 Creating and Managing Studio Styles...604 Exploring the Surface Styles Dialog Box...605 Exploring Lighting and Lighting Styles...611 Exploring the Scene Styles Dialog Box...617 Composing and Rendering Images...621 Animating with Studio... 626 Using Animation Tools... 626 Using Video Producer... 635 Rendering Video or Animations...637 The Bottom Line... 639 Chapter 17 Stress Analysis and Dynamic Simulation... 641 Introduction to Analysis... 641 Conducting Stress Analysis Simulations...642 Static Stress vs. Modal Analysis... 642 Simplifying Your Model... 643 Specifying Materials... 643 Applying Simulation Constraints...644 Applying Loads... 645 Specifying Contact Conditions... 647 Generating a Mesh... 649 Running the Simulation... 651 Interpreting the Results... 651 Using the Result, Scaling, Display, and Report Tools...652 Conducting Parameter Studies... 653 Conducting Dynamic Simulations... 657 Working with Joints... 657 More on Working with Joints... 661 Working with Redundancy... 662 Working with Environmental Constraints...662 Running a Simulation... 668 Exporting to FEA... 671 Using the Dynamic Simulation Information in Stress Analysis...672 The Bottom Line... 673 Chapter 18 Routed Systems...675 Tube and Pipe... 675 Understanding Routes, Runs, and Assembly Structure...675 Exploring the Tube and Pipe Styles...677
CONTENTS xxi Placing Fittings... 682 Creating Routes... 682 Exporting ISOGEN Files... 685 Cable and Harness... 685 Creating and Placing Electrical Parts...686 Creating a Harness... 689 Placing Wires... 690 Using the Cable And Harness Library...692 Placing Cables... 693 Placing and Editing Segments... 694 Copying Cable and Harness Designs...697 Creating Nailboard Drawings... 698 The Bottom Line... 699 Chapter 19 Plastics Design Features... 701 Using Plastic Part Templates... 701 Creating Thicken/Offset Features... 702 Creating Shell Features... 703 Creating Split Features... 704 Creating Grill Features... 705 Creating Rule Fillet Features... 707 Creating Rest Features... 708 Creating Boss Features... 710 Creating Lip and Groove Features... 712 Creating Snap Fit Features... 713 Creating Rib and Web Features... 715 Creating Draft Features... 716 The Bottom Line... 718 Appendix A The Bottom Line... 721 Chapter 1: Inventor Design Philosophy...721 Chapter 2: Data and Projects... 722 Chapter 3: Sketch Techniques... 724 Chapter 4: Basic Modeling Techniques...725 Chapter 5: Advanced Modeling Techniques...727 Chapter 6: Sheet Metal... 729 Chapter 7: Part and Feature Reuse... 731 Chapter 8: Assembly Design Workflows...733 Chapter 9: Large Assembly Strategies... 734 Chapter 10: Weldment Design... 735 Chapter 11: Functional Design... 736 Chapter 12: Documentation... 737 Chapter 13: Inventor Tools Overview... 738 Chapter 14: Exchanging Data with Other Systems...740 Chapter 15: Frame Generator... 741 Chapter 16: Inventor Studio... 742
xxii CONTENTS Chapter 17: Stress Analysis and Dynamic Simulation...746 Chapter 18: Routed Systems... 747 Chapter 19: Plastics Design Features...748 Appendix B About the Companion DVD... 751 What You ll Find on the DVD... 751 PDF of the Book... 751 Adobe Reader... 751 Tutorial Files... 752 Inventor 2010 Video Tutorials... 752 iprop Editor... 752 Make Transparent... 752 FeatureRename... 752 System Requirements... 752 Using the DVD... 753 Troubleshooting... 753 Customer Care... 754 Index... 755
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 2010. 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.
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.
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 2010. 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
xxvi INTRODUCTION (available at www.sybex.com/go/masteringinventor2010) and in reprints. Please email us at inventormasters@gmail.com or contact Wiley customer service at http://support.wiley.com. 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.
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.
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