Autocad user trying to adapt to inventor

[Lucid]

I've been using Autocad for about 10 years now and needless to say I'm quite used it it. Recently I've been trying to learn other programs just to expand my skillset. One of those programs is Inventor. As you can imagine there are lots of things that that I'm used to in Autocad that don't translate.

First thing I noticed about Inventor was that there is no command line/window as far as I can tell. It's too bad because I like to be able to retrace my steps to see where I made a mistake, or recall information that I might need. Is there anything similar to this in Inventor?

Second thing I noticed was the reach of the undo command. In autocad, you can pretty much undo ANYTHING. Zooms, options, etc. are all included in the undo history. Not so in Inventor. Can I change this?

Also, what is the best way to draw objects at a specific size. For example, in Autocad I can start a line, drag it to the right and type in 20 and I'm done, or I can easily set the radius of a circle at creation. In Inventor, so far I've only managed to draw the object at an arbitrary size, then add a dimension, then change that dimension to modify the object. This seems like more work than is needed. Is there a quicker way? I realize that you can use the grid system, but that's somewhat ridiculous. It's much easier to just type and go.

What about snaps? Can you toggle certain snaps on and off? Can you toggle them all on or off at the same time?

Can you use a coordinate system like in autocad? For example can I draw a rectangle from 275.5,121,0 to 322,128,0 ?

[JD Mather]

http://home.pct.edu/~jmather/AU2007/MA105-1L%20Mather.pdf

[Lazer]

First thing I noticed about Inventor was that there is no command line/window as far as I can tell. It's too bad because I like to be able to retrace my steps to see where I made a mistake, or recall information that I might need. Is there anything similar to this in Inventor?

You do have the information line at the bottom L/H side like Autocad, this will guide you in completing commands, as for retrace, Inventor has the history tree on the left of the screen, with this you can do many things, one you can backtrack on what you have done, and how you did it.


Second thing I noticed was the reach of the undo command. In autocad, you can pretty much undo ANYTHING. Zooms, options, etc. are all included in the undo history. Not so in Inventor. Can I change this?

Inventor will not undo the zooms, why would you want it to? Remember you have the history tree to carry out quick undo commands to go back in time, or delete commands.



Also, what is the best way to draw objects at a specific size. For example, in Autocad I can start a line, drag it to the right and type in 20 and I'm done, or I can easily set the radius of a circle at creation. In Inventor, so far I've only managed to draw the object at an arbitrary size, then add a dimension, then change that dimension to modify the object. This seems like more work than is needed. Is there a quicker way? I realize that you can use the grid system, but that's somewhat ridiculous. It's much easier to just type and go.

You sketch using Inventor, Inventor is not Autocad with practice you will do it second nature.


What about snaps? Can you toggle certain snaps on and off? Can you toggle them all on or off at the same time?

Again were sketching now so use you sketch constraints to gain control.


Can you use a coordinate system like in autocad? For example can I draw a rectangle from 275.5,121,0 to 322,128,0 ?

Yes you can do this importing an Excel spreadsheet as points.

[Lucid]

How do I acces the history screen? I don't see it by default.

[JD Mather]

How do I acces the history screen? I don't see it by default.
Are you sure? Post a screen capture. Unless someone turned if off it should be on the left side of you screen. You can reverse analyze how anyone built any part by going back through the history tree and edit each sketch and feature. I drag the End of Part marker up just below the first feature and analyze then pull it down one feature and repeat. The nice thing (unlike AutoCAD) is you can edit the history. You can even alter history by dragging up the EOP and adding a feature earlier in history that will effect features later in history (for example add a hole before Shell and then the Shell will include a boss around the hole).

As far as sketching (vs AutoCAD Direct Distance Entry) it is the same number of keystrokes/mouse clicks (if you have set Edit Dimensions When Created as I suggested in the cited paper).
In AutoCAD you type in the numbers for the length when you create a line and later dimension.
In Inventor you create the line and type in the dimension length. No difference except that in Inventor you now have a powerful driving dimension where AutoCAD is a driven dimension.

Give it some time. Do the tutorials. Read my paper. Take a class. In 6 months you will wonder why anyone is still using AutoCAD for mechanical design.

[Mr T]

Re- Coords/Command Line
Use the Planes within the Explorer tree.

As others have said you probably won't go back to acad once you learn IV.
In autocad you cannot constantly edit/change/modify parts and features like you can in IV. This is possibly the biggest benefit. Assemblies are excellent too and of course you can create orthographics, isometrics and aux. views etc in a snap, well in less than 1 minute.

Nick

[Mr T]

How do I acces the history screen? I don't see it by default.

Pull down the view menu then Toolbars > in there ??

When sketching and feature modelling you see it but the menus
change otherwise.

Nick

[Lucid]

Here is a screen shot of my UI.

[Mr T]

So you need to open the part, at the moment you are in an assembly. RMB the part you need to edit then select OPEN.

The menu/interface then changes back to PART so you can edit that part, change sketchs in it edit features etc.

Does that help ?

Nick

[Lucid]

I'm confused, I thought we were talking about some kind of history window. You know like in autocad if I move something 20 inches but it doesn't look like it really moved 20 inches I can look in the command window and easily see that I mistakenly typed "2" instead of "20". Or if I copy something and it seems to have disappeared, I look back and see that I accidently invoked the move command instead of copy.

[Mr T]

I'm confused, I thought we were talking about some kind of history window. You know like in autocad if I move something 20 inches but it doesn't look like it really moved 20 inches I can look in the command window and easily see that I mistakenly typed "2" instead of "20". Or if I copy something and it seems to have disappeared, I look back and see that I accidently invoked the move command instead of copy.

Sorry, no. Although the UNDO history can be stored where you want.

I tend to explore thru sketches or turn on visibilty to see dims while I model a complex part. I can then see dims live as I model other stuff. I also like the extrude 'to' option, allows better modelling.

Nick

[Lazer]

No!, the history in Inventor not like Autocad, it's better. I suggest you take a course on how to use Inventor.:wink:

[Mr T]

From the screenshot, looks like a complex model.

So he is well on the road or is flying down it !

Nick

[Lucid]

Actually it's just a premade assembly. I'm going through all the supplied tutorials at the moment :P

[Lazer]

Keep up the good work:)

[Mr T]

Actually it's just a premade assembly. I'm going through all the supplied tutorials at the moment :P

Ok, right.

Get yer head around -

1) Workplanes - always start a sketch on these

2) Always sketch going right, +ve, on a workplane so the sketch does not move when constrained

3) Always dim your sketches

4) Always sketch in a part NOT in an assembly

5) To create a sketch on a feature just hit sketch

6) learn WORKPLANES a great tool

7) Learn Projecting geometry/sketches

8) Experiment with constraints in assemblies

Nick

[JD Mather]

2) Always sketch going right, +ve, on a workplane so the sketch does not move when constrained.

Not sure I understand that one. Actually I'm sure I don't understand that one. Can you expand?