Autodesk Inventor

[#1]

So as a Mechanical Engineer, Inventor tube jockey, I have no idea how to design ANYTHING in Revit. I barely knew it was an Autodesk product. So when the boss asked about the software, I got nothin'.

Our company is looking to hire another Inventor person and the best looking resume has Revit listed.

The questions are for those of you who can design in both software packages.

- Can a person familiar with Revit step into Inventor and understand ...

   - Parametric design methods?

   - Best Practices for 3D modeling?

   - Creation of a typical 3 view dimensioned drawing?

Thanks in advance for making me look good to the boss.

[#2]

Your biggest hurdle with a Revit jockey won't be the button pushing in Inventor, it will be the lack of understanding Mechanical design process and by extension the Inventor work process. Yeah Revit is a 3D parametric modeling program but it is significantly different in process from Inventor, there is a lot less "tweaking/messing" with the components and final product in Revit, though that all depends on what type of arch. jobs they worked on.

Probobly will have no idea about sheet metal, tooling, frame gen, tube & pipe, molds, etc.

So;

Parametric - Sure (at least in theroy)

Best Practices - The theroy sure but best practices for your particular work flow will need to be taught.

3 View Dwg - From a straight Arch perspective, no it just isn't something that comes up. But a good drafter will understand it.

All in my opinion of course, and yes I have Revit and Arch experiance. Also these are very broad generalizations the particular individual may be a perfect fit from day one.

[#3]

You are looking at two DIFFERENT worlds here.  There are similarities in that both software programs are parametric and design intelligent, but Revit is designed for Construction prints and usually not as detail oriented as a more Mechanical fabrication software like Inventor.  This user if you brought them on would need an Introduction to Inventor class by your VAR or Professional Services company to get up to speed.  Or you will have to train him on the differences.

To your line items...

Yes

Different in Inventor than Revit

Revit does this, but its probably not the same as you create.  In ARCH you are doing more secitons and plan views.  You need to take a hard look at their background.

Now if you are getting an AutoCAD MEP / Revit MEP user out of this, then you will probably be better off.  They are usually more Mechanical than they are Architectural.

[#4]

Your Broad answers are what I was hoping for with my broad questions. Thank you.

Is Revit parametric in a similar way to Inventor?

That seems odd somehow.

[#5]

Revit is parametric.  You can create floor levels for parmetric movement and terminiation and have family configurations of items to place into a project just to name a few.

Project, that brings up another point.  He is used to working in ONE file.  Not parts, assemblies, presentations, and IPNs.  Revit will use a single project that is usually between 50-200 MB in size on average depending on what is added to it.

[#6]

I agree with Mark's replies.  We use Revit and Inventor and a good Revit user will pick up Inventor quickly.  The workflow is different, but the concept of 3D is simiilar.  If everything was equal I would hire a Revit user before an AutoCAD user. 

Revit has parametrics, but it is lacking tools that Inventor has.  Our Revit guys will occasionaly use Inventor to figure out some complicated geometry because it has better parametrics.  Revit is also a design tool, not a fabrication tool.  The workflow of generating a model and documentint it to be made might be foreign to a Revit user.  As it has been stated before, you can teach a Revit user how to create a drawing in Inventor quickly, I would be concerned that they are doing it correctly. 

Joe Bartels

[#7]

I appreciate all the replies.

I'll mark this as solved soon, but I was hoping for more opinions.