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Autodesk®
Inventor ®
2010
Autodesk Official Training Guide
Advanced
527B1-050000-CM15AJuly 2009
Cable and Harness Design Learn the fundamental principles and recommended workflows for creating anddocumenting 3D electrical parts and wire harness designs.
© 2009 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.
Except as otherwise permitted by Autodesk, Inc., this publication, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced inany form, by any method, for any purpose.
Certain materials included in this publication are reprinted with the permission of the copyright holder.
Trademarks
The following are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USAand other countries: 3DEC (design/logo), 3December, 3December.com, 3ds Max, ADI, Algor, Alias, Alias (swirl design/logo),AliasStudio, Alias|Wavefront (design/logo), ATC, AUGI, AutoCAD, AutoCAD Learning Assistance, AutoCAD LT, AutoCADSimulator, AutoCAD SQL Extension, AutoCAD SQL Interface, Autodesk, Autodesk Envision, Autodesk Intent, AutodeskInventor, Autodesk Map, Autodesk MapGuide, Autodesk Streamline, AutoLISP, AutoSnap, AutoSketch, AutoTrack,Backburner, Backdraft, Built with ObjectARX (logo), Burn, Buzzsaw, CAiCE, Can You Imagine, Character Studio, Cinestream,Civil 3D, Cleaner, Cleaner Central, ClearScale, Colour Warper, Combustion, Communication Specification, Constructware,Content Explorer, Create>what’s>Next> (design/logo), Dancing Baby (image), DesignCenter, Design Doctor, Designer’sToolkit, DesignKids, DesignProf, DesignServer, DesignStudio, Design|Studio (design/logo), Design Web Format, Discreet,DWF, DWG, DWG (logo), DWG Extreme, DWG TrueConvert, DWG TrueView, DXF, Ecotect, Exposure, Extending the DesignTeam, Face Robot, FBX, Fempro, Filmbox, Fire, Flame, Flint, FMDesktop, Freewheel, Frost, GDX Driver, Gmax, GreenBuilding Studio, Heads-up Design, Heidi, HumanIK, IDEA Server, i-drop, ImageModeler, iMOUT, Incinerator, Inferno,Inventor, Inventor LT, Kaydara, Kaydara (design/logo), Kynapse, Kynogon, LandXplorer, Lustre, MatchMover, Maya,Mechanical Desktop, Moldflow, Moonbox, MotionBuilder, Movimento, MPA, MPA (design/logo), Moldflow PlasticsAdvisers, MPI, Moldflow Plastics Insight, MPX, MPX (design/logo), Moldflow Plastics Xpert, Mudbox, Multi-Master Editing,NavisWorks, ObjectARX, ObjectDBX, Open Reality, Opticore, Opticore Opus, Pipeplus, PolarSnap, PortfolioWall, Poweredwith Autodesk Technology, Productstream, ProjectPoint, ProMaterials, RasterDWG, Reactor, RealDWG, Real-time Roto,REALVIZ, Recognize, Render Queue, Retimer, Reveal, Revit, Showcase, ShowMotion, SketchBook, Smoke, Softimage,Softimage|XSI (design/logo), Sparks, SteeringWheels, Stitcher, Stone, StudioTools, Topobase, Toxik, TrustedDWG,ViewCube, Visual, Visual Construction, Visual Drainage, Visual Landscape, Visual Survey, Visual Toolbox, Visual LISP, VoiceReality, Volo, Vtour, Wire, Wiretap, WiretapCentral, XSI, and XSI (design/logo).
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Disclaimer
THIS PUBLICATION AND THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS MADE AVAILABLE BY AUTODESK, INC. “AS IS.”AUTODESK, INC. DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIEDWARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE REGARDING THESE MATERIALS.
Published by: Autodesk, Inc. 111 Mclnnis Parkway San Rafael, CA 94903, USA
Contents ■ iii
Contents
Introduction ....................................................................................................... ix
Chapter 1: Getting Started Creating Cable and Harness Designs ............................................................................................... 1
Lesson: Creating Cable and Harness Designs ...................................................... 2About Cable and Harness ......................................................................... 3Creating a Cable and Harness Design ....................................................... 5Creating a Harness Assembly .................................................................. 11Configuring Harness Settings .................................................................. 13Inserting Electrical Parts .......................................................................... 16Setting Unique Part Properties for Electrical Parts .................................. 19Exercise: Review and Navigate a Design ................................................. 21Exercise: Create a Harness Assembly ...................................................... 24
Chapter Summary ............................................................................................. 28
Chapter 2: Wire a Harness Assembly .............................................................. 29Lesson: Adding Wires and Cables ..................................................................... 30
Adding Wires ........................................................................................... 31Adding Cables ......................................................................................... 35Global Settings ........................................................................................ 39Exercise: Add Wires and Cables .............................................................. 41
Lesson: Routing Wires and Cables .................................................................... 45About Route Segments ........................................................................... 46Creating Route Segments ........................................................................ 48Creating Segment Branches .................................................................... 51Segment Properties ................................................................................. 54Manual Routing ....................................................................................... 57Automatic Routing .................................................................................. 62View Path Tool ........................................................................................ 64Unrouting Wires and Cables ................................................................... 65Exercise: Route Wires and Cables ........................................................... 69
Lesson: Importing Wire and Cable Data ........................................................... 75Importing Wire and Cable Data .............................................................. 76Reviewing Data Before Import ................................................................ 78Correcting Import Issues ......................................................................... 81Exercise: Import Wire and Cable Data .................................................... 85
iv ■ Contents
Lesson: Adding Ribbon Cables ...................................................................... 88About Ribbon Cables .......................................................................... 89Adding Ribbon Cables ......................................................................... 90Adding a Fold ...................................................................................... 95Editing a Twist ..................................................................................... 98Ribbon Cable Properties ................................................................... 102Exercise: Add a Ribbon Cable ........................................................... 106Exercise: Add Ribbon Cable Folds ..................................................... 111
Chapter Summary ....................................................................................... 116
Chapter 3: Refine a Cable and Harness Design .......................................... 117Lesson: Modifying Wires, Cables, Segments, and Ribbon Cables ................ 118
Common Edits ................................................................................... 119Toggling Display as Rendered ............................................................ 120Changing Definitions and Connection Points .................................... 123Deleting Wires, Cables, Ribbon Cables, or Route Segments .............. 126Adding and Modifying Points ............................................................ 128Checking Bend Radius ....................................................................... 135Copying a Design .............................................................................. 138Exercise: Edit Display, Settings, and Properties ................................. 143Exercise: Add and Modify Points ...................................................... 146Exercise: Check the Bend Radius ...................................................... 150
Lesson: Working with Splices ...................................................................... 152About Splices .................................................................................... 153Adding a Splice .................................................................................. 155Splice Modifications .......................................................................... 158Editing a Wire to a Splice .................................................................. 160Exercise: Working with Splices .......................................................... 164
Lesson: Working with Virtual Parts ............................................................. 167About Virtual Parts ........................................................................... 168Assigning Virtual Parts ...................................................................... 169Editing Virtual Parts .......................................................................... 172Exercise: Work with Virtual Parts ...................................................... 174
Chapter Summary ....................................................................................... 178
Chapter 4: Communicate the Design ......................................................... 179Lesson: Creating Drawing Views of Cable and Harness Designs .................. 180
Creating 2D Drawings ....................................................................... 181Creating Nailboard Drawing Views ................................................... 183Modifying a Nailboard View ............................................................. 187Adding Connector Views ................................................................... 192Exercise: Create Drawing Views of a Cable and Harness Design ........ 195
Contents ■ v
Lesson: Annotating Nailboards ................................................................... 199Adding Harness Dimensions ............................................................. 200Displaying Harness Properties ........................................................... 202Loom and Label Virtual Parts ............................................................ 206Display As Actual Diameter ............................................................... 208Adding Tables with Data from Another File ...................................... 210Exercise: Annotate Nailboards .......................................................... 212
Lesson: Exporting and Reporting Design Data ............................................ 216About Exported Data ........................................................................ 217Exporting Data .................................................................................. 218Generating Report Data .................................................................... 220Exercise: Create External Files of Exported and Reported
Data .......................................................................................... 224Chapter Summary ....................................................................................... 226
Chapter 5: Configure Library and Report Configuration Files ..................... 227
Lesson: Library Definitions and Library Files ............................................... 228About the Cable and Harness Library ............................................... 229Adding a New Library Type ............................................................... 231Adding Library Definitions ................................................................. 233Exporting and Importing Library Objects .......................................... 237Data File (CSV) Format ...................................................................... 238Exercise: Create Library Definitions .................................................. 240
Lesson: Configuration Files for Reports, Imports, and Exports ......................................................................................... 244
About Configuration Files ................................................................. 245Editing a Report Configuration File ................................................... 248Link Types and Name Values ............................................................ 254Defining an Import/Export Configuration File ................................... 257Exercise: Modify a Report Configuration File .................................... 259Exercise: Create a Library Configuration File ..................................... 262
Chapter Summary ....................................................................................... 265
Chapter 6: Create, Author, and Publish Electrical Content ......................... 267Lesson: Defining Electrical Parts and Connectors ........................................ 268
About Electrical Parts ........................................................................ 269Creating an Electrical Part ................................................................. 271Adding a Pin to an Electrical Part ..................................................... 274Adding a Group to an Electrical Part ................................................. 278Exercise: Define an Electrical Part ..................................................... 283
Lesson: Managing Libraries ......................................................................... 287About the Content Center ................................................................ 288Installation Options ........................................................................... 293Adding a Custom Library ................................................................... 296Configuring the Content Center File Path ......................................... 299Transferring Library Content ............................................................. 301Exercise: Create a Custom Library ..................................................... 304
vi ■ Contents
Lesson: Creating Library Content ................................................................ 306Creating Custom Content .................................................................. 307Authoring Electrical Connectors ........................................................ 308Publishing Electrical Parts and Connectors ....................................... 310Exercise: Author an Electrical Part .................................................... 316Exercise: Publish to the Content Center ........................................... 319
Lesson: Managing Library Content .............................................................. 322Content Center Editor ....................................................................... 323Copying Content to a Custom Library ............................................... 326Exercise: Copy and Move Content .................................................... 330Document Settings for Published Parts ............................................. 333Adding and Editing Family Column Values ........................................ 335Adding a Custom Display Name ........................................................ 340Exercise: Add a Column to a Part Family .......................................... 342Editing Family Table Data in Excel ..................................................... 346Exercise: Edit Family Data in Excel .................................................... 348Creating New Families or Adding Members Using Material Guide .... 352Exercise: Create Family Members Using Material Guide ................... 359
Chapter Summary ....................................................................................... 366
Appendix .................................................................................................... 367
Acknowledgements ■ vii
Acknowledgements
The Autodesk Learning team wishes to thank everyone who participated in thedevelopment of this project, with special acknowledgement to the authoringcontributions and subject matter expertise of Ron Myers and CrWare, LP. CrWare, LP began publishing courseware for Autodesk® Inventor® in 2001. Sincethat time, the company has grown to include full-time curriculum developers,subject matter experts, technical writers, and graphics specialists, each with aunique set of industry experiences and talents that enables CrWare to createcontent that is both accurate and relevant to meeting the learning needs of itsreaders and customers. The company's Founder and General Partner, Ron Myers, has been usingAutodesk® products since 1989. During that time, Ron Myers worked in alldisciplines of drafting and design, until 1996 when he began a career as anApplications Engineer, Instructor, and Author. Ron Myers has been creatingcourseware and other training material for Autodesk since 1996, and has writtenand created training material for AutoCAD®, Autodesk Inventor, AutoCAD®Mechanical, Mechanical Desktop®, and Autodesk® Impression.
viii ■ Acknowledgements
ix
Introduction
Welcome to the Autodesk Inventor 2010: Cable and Harness Design training guide, training coursewarefor use in Authorized Training Center (ATC®) locations, corporate training settings, and other classroomsettings.
Although this courseware is designed for instructor-led courses, you can also use it for self-pacedlearning. The courseware encourages self-learning through the use of the Autodesk® Inventor® Cableand Harness 2010 Help system.
This introduction covers the following topics:
■ Course objectives■ Prerequisites■ Using this guide■ CD contents■ Completing the exercises■ Installing the exercise data files from the CD■ Projects■ Notes, tips, and warnings■ Feedback This guide is complementary to the software documentation. For detailed explanations of features andfunctionality, refer to the Help in the software.
Course Objectives
After completing this guide, you will be able to:
■ Describe the functionality of Cable and Harness and the basic workflow to add and documentcable and harness designs.
■ Wire a harness assembly by adding or importing wires and cables, adding ribbon cables, addingroute segments, and routing wires and cables through the segments.
■ Refine a cable and harness design by editing the wires, cables, routes, or cable ribbons; by addingand editing splices; or by adding and editing virtual parts.
■ Communicate your cable and harness to others by creating and annotating 2D drawings andexporting the design data.
■ Create and manage the library file and configuration files.■ Create, author, and publish electrical parts and connectors to a custom Content Center library.
x ■ Introduction
Prerequisites
This guide is designed for experienced Autodesk Inventor users.
It is recommended that you have a working knowledge of:
■ Autodesk Inventor Part and Assembly Modeling and Drawing View Creation and Annotating.■ Microsoft® Windows® XP or Microsoft® Windows® Vista. Students should have completed the Learning Autodesk Inventor 2010 course or have an equivalentunderstanding of the Autodesk Inventor 2010 user interface and working environments.
Using This Guide
The lessons are independent of each other. However, it is recommended that you completethese lessons in the order that they are presented unless you are familiar with the concepts andfunctionality described in those lessons.
Each chapter contains:
■ Lessons Usually two or more lessons in each chapter.■ Exercises Practical, real-world examples for you to practice using the functionality you have just learned.
Each exercise contains step-by-step procedures and graphics to help you complete the exercisesuccessfully.
CD Contents
The CD attached to the back cover of this book contains all the data and drawings you need tocomplete the exercises in this guide.
Introduction ■ xi
Completing the Exercises
You can complete the exercise in two ways: using the book or on screen.
■ Using the book Follow the step-by-step exercises in the book.■ On screen Click the Autodesk Inventor 2010 Cable and Harness Design icon on your desktop, installed from
the CD, and follow the step-by-step exercises on screen. The onscreen exercises are the same asthose in the book. The onscreen version has the advantage that you can concentrate on the screenwithout having to glance down at your book.
After launching the onscreen exercises, you might need to alter the size of your application window toalign both windows.
Installing the Exercise Data Files from the CD
To install the data files for the exercises:
1. Insert the CD. 2. Double-click the self-extracting archive setup.exe.
Unless you specify a different folder, the exercise files are installed in the following folder:
C:\Autodesk Learning\Inventor 2010\Cable and Harness Design
After you install the data from the CD, this folder contains all the files necessary to complete eachexercise in this guide.
xii ■ Introduction
Projects
Most engineers work on several projects at a time, and each project might consist of a number offiles. You can use Autodesk Inventor projects to organize related files and maintain links between files.This guide has a project file that stores the paths to all the files that are related to the exercises. Whenyou open a file, Autodesk Inventor uses the paths in the current project file to locate other requiredfiles. To work on a different project, you make a new project active in the Project Editor. Follow theinstructions in the guide to locate the project file for the course and make it active. Follow the instructions below to locate the Cable and Harness Design project file for this coursewareand make it active.
1. Start Autodesk Inventor. 2.
On the ribbon, click the Getting Started tab > Launch panel > Projects.
3. At the bottom of the Projects dialog box, click Browse.
■ Browse to C:\Autodesk Learning\Inventor 2010\Cable and Harness Design.■ Click Cable and Harness.ipj.■ Click Open.
Notes, Tips, and Warnings
Throughout this guide, notes, tips, and warnings are called out for special attention.
Notes contain guidelines, constraints, and other explanatory information.
Tips provide information to enhance your productivity.
Warnings provide information about actions that might result in the loss of data, systemfailures, or other serious consequences.
Feedback
We always welcome feedback on Autodesk Official Training Guides. After completing this course, ifyou have suggestions for improvements or if you want to report an error in the book or on the CD,please send your comments to [email protected].
Introduction ■ xiii
Digital Prototyping
A digital prototype is created with Autodesk® Inventor® software and is a digital simulation of aproduct that can be used to test form, fit, and function. The digital prototype becomes more and morecomplete as all associated industrial, mechanical, and electrical design data are integrated. A completedigital prototype is a true digital representation of the entire end product and can be used to visualizeand simulate a product to reduce the necessity of building expensive physical prototypes.
xiv ■ Introduction
What is Digital Prototyping?
Digital Prototyping gives conceptual design, engineering, and manufacturing departments theability to virtually explore a complete product before it becomes real. With Digital Prototyping,manufacturers can design, visualize, and simulate products from the conceptual design phase throughthe manufacturing process, boosting the level of communication with different stakeholders whilegetting more innovative products to market faster. By using a digital prototype created in Inventor,manufacturers can visualize and simulate the realworld performance of a design digitally, helpingreduce their reliance on costly physical prototypes.
What is the Autodesk Solution for Digital Prototyping?
Autodesk Inventor software takes manufacturers beyond 3D to Digital Prototyping. With Inventor,you can create a single digital model that gives you the ability to design, visualize, and simulate yourproducts:
■ Design: Integrate all design data into a single digital model, streamlining the design process and
increasing communication.■ Visualize: Create a virtual representation of the final product to review design intent, secure early
customer validation, and market products before they’re built.■ Simulate: Digitally simulate the real-world performance of your product, saving the time and
money required to build multiple physical prototypes. Inventor enables manufacturers to create a digital prototype, helping reduce reliance on costlyphysical prototypes and get more innovative products to market faster. The Autodesk® solution forDigital Prototyping brings together design data from all phases of the product development processinto a single digital model created in Inventor.
What Pain Points Does Digital Prototyping Address?
The manufacturing product development process today is dominated by islands of competency, eachpresenting its own technical challenges:
■ In the conceptual design phase, industrial designers and engineers often use paperbased methods
or digital formats that are incompatible with the digital information used in the engineeringphase. A lack of digital data, compatible formats, and automation keeps this island separate fromengineering—the conceptual design data must be recreated digitally downstream, resulting in losttime and money.
■ In the engineering phase, mechanical and electrical engineers use different systems and formats,and a lack of automation makes it difficult to capture and rapidly respond to change requests frommanufacturing. Another problem in the engineering phase: the geometric focus of typical 3D CADsoftware makes it difficult to create and use a digital prototype to validate and optimize productsbefore they are built, making it necessary to build multiple costly physical prototypes.
■ Manufacturing is at the downstream end of all the broken digital processes—the disconnectionbetween the conceptual design phase, the engineering components, electrical, and mechanical—and they receive this analog information in the form of drawings. The result is a heavy reliance onphysical prototypes and the subsequent impact on productivity and innovation.
■ Disconnected product development processes make it difficult to bring customer and marketingrequirements into the process early so customers can see exactly what the product will look likeand validate how it will function before it is delivered. The inability to involve the customer earlyin the product development process means that the customer can’t validate a design beforethe product goes to manufacturing. Customer requests for changes become exponentially moreexpensive to address the further along the product is in the manufacturing process. The result:companies have to build multiple physical prototypes for customer validation.
Introduction ■ xv
Hasn't the Concept of Digital Prototyping Been Around for Years?
Although there has been talk about the benefits of Digital Prototyping for years, the budget for thetools required to build and test a true digital prototype has been out of reach for most manufacturingcompanies. Digital Prototyping solutions are usually expensive, customized installations for largeenterprises. Most out-of-the-box 3D modeling applications provide only part of the functionalityneeded to create a complete digital prototype.
What is Unique About the Autodesk Approach to Digital Prototyping? Scalable: The Autodesk solution for Digital Prototyping is scalable, flexible, and easy to integrate into
existing business processes. Using Inventor to create a single digital model, manufacturers can realizethe benefits of Digital Prototyping at their own pace, with minimal disruption to existing productiveworkflows. Attainable: The Autodesk solution for Digital Prototyping provides an easy to deploy and managesolution for mainstream manufacturers to create and maintain a single digital model that can be usedin all stages of production. Cost-effective: Delivering cost-effective software for design and manufacturing workgroups, anInventor-based Digital Prototyping solution delivers the fastest path to ROI. Autodesk has a provenrecord of making powerful desktop technology available to mainstream manufacturers.
How Do the Autodesk Manufacturing Products and Technology Drive Digital----Prototyping?
Inventor takes you beyond 3D to Digital Prototyping. The Autodesk solution for Digital Prototypingenables manufacturing workgroups to develop a single digital model, created in Inventor, that can beused in every stage of production—bridging the gaps that usually exist between conceptual design,engineering, and manufacturing teams. This single digital model simulates the complete product andgives engineers the ability to better design, visualize, and simulate their product with less reliance oncostly physical prototypes—thereby improving time to market, and increasing competitive advantage.Autodesk provides the interoperable tools required to create a complete digital prototype from theconceptual phase of a project through manufacturing.
xvi ■ Introduction
The Autodesk® Alias® product line enables you to work digitally from project outset using best-in-class industrial design tools. Capture ideas digitally—from initial sketches to 3D concept modelsusing products in the Alias product line—then share those designs with the engineering team usinga common file format, allowing a product’s industrial design data to be incorporated into the digitalprototype created in Inventor. Today, the look and feel of a machine or device is more important thanever for consumers, so industrial designers and engineers must share housing and user interfacesearly in the process.
With Autodesk® Showcase® software, you can quickly evaluate multiple design variations by creatingrealistic, accurate, and compelling imagery from 3D CAD data—helping reduce the time, cost, andneed for building physical prototypes. You can then interactively view the digital prototype in realisticenvironments, making it faster, easier, and less expensive to make design decisions. Autodesk Inventor software moves engineers beyond 3D and enables them to develop completedigital prototypes of their products. The Autodesk Inventor family of software provides the powerful—yet cost-effective and easy to learn—desktop technology engineers need to take advantage ofDigital Prototyping. Autodesk Inventor software enables engineers to integrate AutoCAD drawings and3D data into a single digital model, creating a virtual representation of the final product. Using thissingle digital model, you can design, visualize, and simulate products digitally. The model serves as adigital prototype that is refined and used to validate design functions, helping to reduce reliance onphysical prototypes and minimize manufacturing costs.■ Functional Design: Autodesk Inventor software products combine an intuitive 3D mechanical
design environment for creating parts and assemblies with functional design tools that enableengineers to focus on a design’s function, not geometry creation—letting the software drivethe automatic creation of intelligent components such as plastic parts, steel frames, rotatingmachinery, tube and pipe runs, and electrical cable and wire harnesses. Reducing the geometryburden helps engineers spend more time rapidly building and refining digital prototypes thatvalidate design functions and help optimize manufacturing costs.
Introduction ■ xvii
■ DWG™ Interoperability: Inventor provides direct read and write of native DWG files whilemaintaining full associativity to the 3D model without risking inaccurate translations. (DWG fromAutodesk is the original format for storing and sharing design data when working with AutoCADsoftware. With billions of DWG files circulating throughout every industry, it’s one of the mostcommonly used design data formats.) This gives engineers the freedom to safely reuse valuable2D DWG files to build accurate 3D part models, then communicate insights gained from DigitalPrototyping with partners and suppliers that rely on AutoCAD software.
■ Dynamic simulation: Autodesk Inventor delivers the best integrated simulation tools in theindustry. Tightly integrated tools for calculation, stress, deflection, and motion simulation makeit possible for engineers to optimize and validate a digital prototype before the product is built.Simulation is performed based on real-world constraints, so you know you can rely on thesimulation results. The dynamic simulation tools in Inventor enable engineers to evaluate multiplepotential solutions to a motion problem, making it possible to make the best design decisions andavoid costly mistakes.
■ Documentation: Autodesk Inventor software includes comprehensive tools to generateengineering and manufacturing documentation directly from a validated 3D digital prototype,helping design teams communicate more effectively. Inventor combines the benefits of associativedrawing views, so any changes made to the model are reflected in the drawing—with the powerand widespread acceptance of the DWG format to help reduce errors and deliver the design inless time.
■ Routed Systems: Inventor software’s automated tools for designing routed systems, includingcomplex tube and pipe runs, and electrical cable and harness design, allow you to createand validate a more complete digital prototype, which helps reduce errors and ECOs prior tomanufacturing and get to market faster.
■ Tooling: The tooling capabilities of Inventor software give designers and engineers intelligent toolsand mold base catalogs to quickly and accurately generate mold designs directly from a digitalprototype. Using the Inventor digital prototype, mold, tool, and die manufacturers can validatethe form, fit, and function of a mold design before it’s built, reducing errors and improving moldperformance.
To help validate and optimize designs before manufacturing, you can use the broad range of finiteelement analysis (FEA) and simulation tools in Algor simulation software, which will enhance theAutodesk solution for Digital Prototyping.
xviii ■ Introduction
AutoCAD Mechanical software is built to help mechanical designers and drafters simplify complexmechanical design work, enhancing productivity. Quickly detail production drawings using industry-specific manufacturing tools, reducing errors and saving hours of time. AutoCAD, one of the world’sleading design and professional drafting software, plays an important role in Digital Prototypingworkflows. AutoCAD gives you the power and flexibility to explore, document, and communicateideas. Both AutoCAD Mechanical and AutoCAD software enable engineers to accurately documentdigital prototypes created in Inventor, and communicate insights gained from Digital Prototyping withcolleagues, partners, and suppliers that rely on AutoCAD software. AutoCAD® Electrical software passes electrical design intent information for cables and conductorsdirectly to Autodesk Inventor software, adding valuable electrical controls design data to the digitalprototype created in Inventor. Inventor users can pass wire-connectivity information to AutoCADElectrical and automatically create the corresponding 2D schematics. The smooth integration betweenInventor and AutoCAD Electrical helps your electrical and mechanical teams work collaboratively andefficiently on 2D and 3D mechatronic product designs.
Introduction ■ xix
To optimize plastic part and injection mold designs, use Autodesk® Moldflow® injection moldingsimulation software.
Autodesk® 3ds Max® software enables you to leverage engineering data to create advanced software-rendered and -animated visualizations of digital prototypes created in Inventor. 3ds Max contains acomplete suite of CAD data preparation, modeling, effects, and rendering tools to create the highestquality photorealistic and stylistic still and animated visualizations. Autodesk® Navisworks® software for manufacturing enables manufacturing companies to visualizecomplete manufacturing facilities, industrial machinery, factory floor models, and production lines ina single environment. The software supports complete assembly visualization and optimization, andenables you to combine CAD data from various design systems regardless of file format or size. Autodesk’s data management tools allow design workgroups to manage and track all the designcomponents for a digital prototype, helping you to better reuse design data, manage bills of material,and promote early collaboration with manufacturing teams and clients. With the Autodesk® Vaultfamily of data management applications, design, engineering, and manufacturing workgroups canmanage the Digital Prototyping process by helping reduce time organizing files, avoid costly mistakes,and more efficiently release and revise designs. You can further facilitate Digital Prototyping workflowswith Autodesk® Design Review software, the all-digital way to review, measure, mark up, and trackchanges to designs—all without the original creation software.
xx ■ Introduction
What Can Customers Do with the Autodesk Solution for Digital Prototyping----Today?
Industrial designers use Autodesk Alias products to digitally sketch design ideas and create 3D digitalconcept models for validation that then can be shared with engineering or manufacturing teams.
Engineers use Autodesk Inventor to explore ideas with simple, functional representations that helpgenerate a digital prototype. Inventor software delivers the best bidirectional interoperability on themarket between 2D and 3D mechanical and electrical design applications. Integrated stress analysisand motion simulation help engineers optimize and validate complete designs digitally and confirmthat customer requirements are met even before a product is built.
Manufacturing teams benefit from accessing the most current and accurate data (release drawings,models, and BOMs)—avoiding mistakes caused by using outdated documents. They can provideexpertise earlier in the engineering process by sharing the digital prototype with Autodesk’s DWF™(Design Web Format™) technology to communicate, mark up, and measure designs—moving one stepcloser to true paperless manufacturing processes.
What Are the Business Benefits of Digital Prototyping?
According to an independent study by the Aberdeen Group, best-in-class manufacturers use DigitalPrototyping to build half the number of physical prototypes as the average manufacturer, get tomarket 58 days faster than average, experience 48 percent lower prototyping costs, and ultimatelydrive greater innovation in their products. The Autodesk solution for Digital Prototyping helpscustomers achieve results like these.
Introduction ■ xxi
How Does the Autodesk Solution for Digital Prototyping Help Get Customers----to Best-in-Class?
By giving you the tools to develop a complete digital prototype, Autodesk helps you build fewerphysical prototypes—and ultimately get to market ahead of the competition with more innovativeproducts. Autodesk’s position is that moving to 3D is only the first step in creating a digital prototype.In today’s increasingly competitive global market, being best in class means using technology to stayahead of the competition—incorporating Digital Prototyping into the product development processgives you that edge. Autodesk provides this functionality through a complete, easy-to-learn set ofdesign applications and a wide range of partners for consultation regarding what is needed to makeDigital Prototyping a reality.
xxii ■ Introduction
What is the Market Saying about Digital Prototyping?■ “To be best-in-class is not just about moving from 2D to 3D, but rather to push ahead to digital
prototyping to answer questions about your product before you start to build it.”—Start-IT
■ “IDC believes that with its new definition of digital prototyping, Autodesk is offering a productdevelopment solution to SMBs that will strengthen their competitiveness and give them thefunctional tools and processes required to achieve product excellence and profitability for years tocome."—Gisela Wilson and Michael Fauscette, IDC
■ “One of the primary reasons manufacturers aim to capture more product informationelectronically is to digitally prototype their product. As a result, they can reduce physicalprototyping and in turn, save time and development costs.”—Aberdeen Group
■ “It [Autodesk] provides a comprehensive range of software solutions for the manufacturingindustry including its flagship 3D design offering, Autodesk Inventor. The solutions redefineproduct design process by supporting and connecting all disciplines of product development, fromindustrial design to mechanical and electrical engineering, and manufacturing.”—Design News
■ “The ability to not only visualize product development in 3D but also to simulate how that productwould perform in the physical world are among the benefits assigned to digital prototyping.Research from consulting firm Aberdeen Group, in fact, shows that the use of digital prototypesfor top-performing companies both reduces their product development costs and speeds up howquickly products get to market.”—IndustryWeek
■ “The latest Autodesk manufacturing solutions redefine the product design process by supportingand natively connecting all of the disciplines involved in product development, from industrialdesign to mechanical and electrical engineering and manufacturing.”—The Manufacturer
■ “The Digital Prototyping approach is now embraced by some important manufacturers who oncepromoted enterprise PLM, including Boeing. Its new 787 Dreamliner, like the 777 before it, wasdigitally designed, but the digital definition from engineering was pushed into manufacturing vianew processes that replaced DCAC/MRM.”—Nancy Rouse-Tally, Desktop Engineering
■ “Autodesk is doing what it has always been good at—taking a technology idea and giving it thetop 80% of functionality at 20% of the price. Digital Prototyping is no different. It takes the idea of‘expensive’ out of PLM and brings it down to all those other users.”—Rachael Dalton-Taggart, PR, Marketing and the Business of CAD
■ “Before Inventor, it would typically take me 18 months to bring a new design to market,” JasonFaircloth, product manager and designer for Marin Bikes, Inc. says. “The finite-element andmotion analysis software have enabled me to almost eliminate physical prototypes. Withthe software, it’s now nine months, and getting faster—and the product is better. This is ourfuture.” The CAE capabilities of Inventor Professional enabled Faircloth to produce multiple“digital prototypes” so that the time-consuming process of physical prototyping was reduced oreliminated.—Desktop Engineering
