Autodesk InventorTips and Tricks

Carsten John Jacobsen

Tips and Tricks Summary

• If you are new to the Autodesk collection or you have been using the

application for a decade you will learn something from this short quick paced

presentation of tips and tricks

• We will outline tips and tricks in the Autodesk applications that are most

familiar to you

• These tips and tricks will outline some of the less obvious commands or

features that may be used in your daily design tasks

Inventor

Interface

Autodesk Screen Cast

• Illustrate your point with screencast

• Capture video and mouse clicks

• Record, edit and share

• Share online with other users or keep private

Download here, for FREE: https://knowledge.autodesk.com/community/screencast

Interface

Annotation Scale – Application Options

• Tools>Application Options>General>Annotation scale

• Struggle to see annotation no more with this options

• Increase the value and watch your annotations scale up

• Including constraint glyphs

Interface

New Window

• View Tab on Ribbon>Window Panel>New

• Have multiple windows of your model open at the same time

• This will not open another session of Inventor

• Activate the windows by using the open file tabs in the status bar

Interface

Supplier Content

• In combination with Inventor Any CAD function

• Use supplier content directly in the application

• Inventor ribbon>Collaborate>Supplier Content

• Save and import from PARTSolutions, 3DModelSpace and TraceParts

NOTE: try GrabCAD too! https://grabcad.com/

Interface

Mini Toolbar

• Turn on and off the mini toolbar

• The mini toolbar was introduced in earlier versions, with no on and off

• Inventor ribbon>View>User Interface>Mini Toolbar

• When on you will only use the mini toolbar all dialog boxes will be collapsed

Sketch

Trim in extend and extend in trim

• As you use the trim or extend tool in the sketch environment hold shift

• Trim and extend in one command (as per ACAD)

• Hold Ctrl to specify the trim segment

• Left click and drag to get lasso

Sketch

Create construction or centerlines lines during line creation

• When drawing lines in sketches

• Right click and choose construction or centerline

• All in one command

• No need to exit the line command to convert lines

Sketch

Disable infer constraints temporarily

• Hold ctrl when sketch command is active

• This will disable infer constraints

• Allow to work with no constraints

• Release ctrl to work as normal

Sketch

Extrude Interfering Sketches

• Problems selecting extruded profiles?

• Add sketch points to line intersections, this will allow a clear profile

selection when extruding

Sketch

Sketch dimensions to line not point

• Apply dimensions as intended

• Select lines for linear dimensions

• If points are selected, when the

geometry is edited constraints can

fall from the sketch and cause

unconstrained sketches

Part

Sketch driven pattern

• Drive the location of a feature using sketch points

• Stop replicating the same feature and save time

• One sketch can drive the feature positions

Part

Split Tool & Move Bodies

• When creating Multi-Body designs consider:

• Using the split tool to split one solid to two solids

• Then using the move bodies command create gaps

• Linear or rotation directions

Part

Extend start – hole creation

• When using the hole command tick the box for extend start

• This will extend the start face of the hole

• The new option removes the fragment that used to be left after certain holes where created

Assembly

Perspective View in Assemblies

• Orthographic view is set as default

• Changing this view to perspective within and assembly allows:

• Zoom movement passes through parts/components

• Allowing visibility of internal parts/components

Assembly

Move faces in Assembly

– Move faces command within the assembly environment:

• Move faces parametrically within assemblies

• Changes can be made to reflect future variations (concept)

Assembly

Alt-Drag constrain

• Hold down Alt key on the keyboard

• Click and hold on a component in the graphics window near where constraint will be placed

• Drag to location

• Constraint is created

NOTE: When there are options, use Space bar to cycle though constraint placement

Assembly

Place and drag constraints

– Place parts and add constraints by:

• During placement of parts select faces, edges or points

• Then select the corresponding face, edge or point

• Constraints will be placed

Assembly

Ground and root components

• Use ground and root component to move and ground a component to

the assembly origin

• Choose from the new list:

• Ground at origin

• Create origin flush constraints

• Reposition to the top of the browser

Drawings

Automated Centerlines

• After view creation right click and choose automated

centerlines

• This will create centerlines selected by feature or

pattern

• Save time applying each centerline individually

Drawings

Hold Ctrl when creating sections

• When creating Section views

• Hold down the Ctrl key

• This will break alignment as you place the view

Drawings

Copy drawing recources folder

– Right click the Drawing resources folder from the drawing browser

– Then select Copy

– In the new drawing, right click on the drawing resources folder and paste

– Any resources that exist in the new drawing with the same name can be replaced or created as new resources

Drawings

Text Border

• Annotate tab>text panel>Text or Leader Text

• Format Text dialog box

• Border Options dropdown list

• Detail view will move geometry if change is made

NOTE: Text box grips can resize the border

Q & A