How do I use the Sculpt Command

[Atkinson]

I am new to AutoCAD Inventor but it seems similar in many ways to OneSpace CoCreate which I have used in the past. I am having trouble learning to use the Sculpt command to remove material from a model part. I think the equivilent in CoCreate is the Mill command. Is this correct ? I find the "Show Me" in Inventor Help not to be very helpful. I try to follow it but get nowhere. Does anyone know where I can find a more detailed explanation of Sculpt and how to use it. Thanks, John.

[JD Mather]

I am new to AutoCAD Inventor...

There is no such program "AutoCAD Inventor". The proper name is Autodesk Inventor.

I don't have a complete description, but there are some tutorials in my signature. The Sculpt command can be used to cut material or to find an enclosed volume and fill material. To cut it must of course go all the way through the solid.

Maybe the best way to figure it out is attach what you have so far.

BTW - I would not consider Sculpt to be a tool a beginner should be using. Learn the basics first.

[Atkinson]

As I explained, I am new to Auto..xx Inventor. So new, in fact, that I got the name wrong. Sorry :?. I will check out your link, thank you. If "Sculpt" is for advanced users only, is there any other way of removing material from a model part ? One that simply involves drawing a shape (a Sketch) and then "Milling" the part a specified distance according to the sketch ? Thanks, John.

[JD Mather]

Many ways.

Extrude-cut, Revolve-cut, Hole, Shell, Loft-cut, Sweep-cut, Fillet, Chamfer

[JD Mather]

As I explained, I am new to Auto..xx Inventor. So new, in fact, that I got the name wrong.

The reason I bust your chops on that is because I have seen even Autodesk employees refer to the product as AutoCAD Inventor. There is a real problem with identification of the software in the employment advertisements. Head hunters and human resource officers don't know the difference - they just call it AutoCAD. Everyone has heard of AutoCAD. With even Autodesk employees referring to Inventor as AutoCAD it adversly skews the impression of the actual market penetration of the software IMO.

[Atkinson]

Extrude-cut. Eureka. An extrude with a negative distance, of course. That's the simple solution I was looking for - the opposite of extrude. Thank you very much for removing my blinkers.

I checked out your Tutorials and, whilst complex, they are very well composed and easy to follow. I look forward to exploring these advanced features further when I have mastered some of the more fundamental elements of Autodesk Inventor. Regards, John.

[Atkinson]

I think, perhaps, their various different products add to the confusion for someone not totally familiar with their whole range of products. I'm realy not sure what the difference is between AutoCAD Mechanical and Autodesk Mechanical Desktop either, but that can wait for another day. I must learn to walk before I run. Thank you again, John.

[JD Mather]

I'm realy not sure what the difference is between AutoCAD Mechanical and Autodesk Mechanical Desktop either, but that can wait for another day.

Forget about Mechanical Desktop (MDT) it is obsolete technology that has not been sold on its own for 6 years. (free with Inventor) It doesn't even ship on the Inventor 2009 disks - you have to download it or special order the disk.
MDT = 3D
AutoCAD Mechanical = 2D (although it does have the AutoCAD vanilla 3D tools)

[JD Mather]

I checked out your Tutorials and, whilst complex, they are very well composed and easy to follow. I look forward to exploring these advanced features...

Go through the MA13-3 and MA105-L papers before you develop bad habits.

[Atkinson]

Go through the MA13-3 and MA105-L papers before you develop bad habits.

OK, will do.

[Atkinson]

Go through the MA13-3 and MA105-L papers before you develop bad habits.

MA105-L or MA105-1L ?

[JD Mather]

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/item?siteID=123112&id=10078511&linkID=9242016