Benefits of Inventor 2012/2013 compared to Inventor PRO 11 (2007)

[Anonymous]

Hi

I work with Inventor PRO 11 but I want to change the version to use Inventor 2012 or 2013. My boss asks me what are the benefits of changing the version!

So I need strong argument for my boss buys me the latest version ...

Can you tell me what are the major changes that were made to Inventor for 4 years.

thanks

[JDMather]

A search on What's New for each of those releases should turn up the info.

[jletcher]

I sent you an email read that before you buy............

[ampster401]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I sent you an email read that before you buy............

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care to share or have I already read what your "recommendations" are?

[jletcher]

well just told him to download a trial and try it out. And told him my feelings on it told him to go to 2011 or 2012 and read blogs on 2013..

And seeing he is on Inventor 11 (2007) I  let him know that 2013 has a useless interface that causes you to do more clicks for the same command in Inventor 11. Icon changes... and so on..

If autodesk wants me to praise it fix it I tell the turth even if it hurts your feelings..

[ampster401]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I tell the turth even if it hurts your feelings..

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sadly mistaken that you are...

[jletcher]

amster said:

sadly mistaken that you are...

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About what?

[rhasell]

If I had to go back to ver 11 I would be lost.

Resistance to change is a global problem, I got used to the new inteface a few versions back, and quite enjoy it. 2013 has made it eaisier to switch between the two on an adhoc basis.

There are so many benifits working with the new version. When I read through the "Whats new" for 2013, I did not hesitate to install it, as all I saw was things to make my life easier and design quicker. Yes there may be a few extra clicks with the the new interface, but the overall benifits overrule this.

I did find a bug in the drawing environment in 2013, but a work around has been found and I have not looked back since.

When it comes to justifying the upgrade, it will depend on your environment and what the new features can do for you. (eg, a simple thing like arc length dimensions has cut at least 5 min off each part design, in my environment I create a LOT of arcs)

Just my 2 cents.

[stevec781]

What type of modelling capabilities do you need and what sort of improvements are you chasing?  I bought Inv in 2010 and have seen no significant improvements in 2011 to 2013, a few nice things but  nothing that makes me work significantly faster.  I have seen plenty of bugs and problems reported here though.

I dont know your version but there may be very little to gain depending on what and how you model for the price you will pay.  I assume from wiki that you dont have sheet metal, frame generator, skeletal modelling or FEA and if that works for you then Inv 2012/13 is probably over kill for you. 

I think we are at a point where in terms of value for money 'low cost' CAD is very good and 'mid range' CAD isnt good enough, brand loyalty isnt rewarded and inventors development has stalled.

I would start with a look at Spaceclaim, Ironcad and Alibre, and of they dont work out then compare solidedge v's inventor.  Forget Solidworks until they sort out their kernel selection.  Just my 2c, plenty here will disagree..

[jletcher]

I don't disagree and now I just read in 2013 you no longer have the option to DXF out.  

What I read was you have to save as a dwg then open autocad and save as a dxf. I asked for this to be checked because if this is true there will be a lot of upset business owners. You just added hours of work for most of the shops I consult.  And I don't know who's bright idea that would have been at autodesk but it would be the biggest flop autodesk did.

Waiting to find out there is a thread on it..

The thing is you really need to look at the type work you do because right now I do not see any benifit to upgrade to 2013 to me they are turning Inventor into a movie maker not a manufacturing cad package.

And sorry to tell the other guy the new interface really stinks oh and I have tried it and now stuck with it because 2012 will not let me go back to classic. I just hope they put an option in for it in 2014 if not most of my clients total of 250 seats will never upgrade. 3 clients are looking to drop subscription also.

[mrattray]

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@Anonymous wrote:
I just read in 2013 you no longer have the option to DXF out. 

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This is not true. I'm running 2013 and make DXF's daily for CNC programming. There was no change at all in that functionality.

For what it's worth, I use nearly all of the major new features very regularly. If I began work at a company that was on IV 2007, I would feel like someone cut off my right arm. I would keep trying to use something instinctually that wasn't there anymore.

Don't forget to add to that list iLogic, forms, and the marking menu (some may hate it, but I love it) off of the top of my head.

[jletcher]

rhasell said:

Resistance to change is a global problem..

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If you make the change for the better I have no problems with it.. But when the change cost time and money why would I want to change?

That would be like buying a new car because it has a better radio but you lose 10 miles a gallon so to drive the car it will cost you more then the old car even if the radio worked...

1 extra click 3000 times a day, 2 sec for extra click = 6000 sec = 100 mins = 1.67 hours /

Engineer gets 35.00 an hour 58.33 a day extra cost

10 engineers in shop 10 x 58.33 = 583.30 a day 2916.50 a week $151,658.00 a year

Yeah that don't seem like a good change......

[jletcher]

Oh glad to here that but if you go find that thread it was an autodesk employee that said it was no longer there.

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/Autodesk-Inventor/Inventor-2013-export-to-dxf/td-p/3554956

[mrattray]

Well, I'm not sure what's in the water at AutoDesk. 2013 exports to DXF, I assure you.

[Anonymous]

hello,

I would like to thank you for all your answers that will help me.

But I got a nasty surprise while watching the features of the latest version of Inventor, there is no fluid management! The upgrade loses interest, the friend who advised me the update was wrong in saying that I was able to simulate the flow of water ...

If I understood correctly, I must buy "CFD Simulation".? Does Autodesk sells "pack" with  "Inventor + Simulation"?

Otherwise, is it possible to import a ". Aim" or ". Ipt" of "Inventor 2007" inside of "Simulation 2013"?

Thanks

[stevec781]

Well that requirement brings Solidworks back into the mix.  As far as I know its the only one that includes fluid flow in the base version.

[jdits7]

If you are just wanting to know the What's New in each release, I have each one starting with R11 to the current release of 2013 on my blog that you can refer to.

Here is the link: http://inventortopix.blogspot.com/p/whats-new-docs.html

[Anonymous]

1 click = 0.1 secs

i doubt that you run 3000 commands a day more like 200 - 300 max

about $1200 per year of extra clicks in an office with 10 engineers

maths can be abused to provide unrealistic results

The projects we design these days with 10 to 20 Engineers and 10 to 20 drafters take 1/8th of the time it used to take 50 engineers and 100 drafters on drawing machines and slide rules.

extra clicks mean sweet FA in the scheme of things

the whole extra click story was invented by lazy drafters trying to come up with excuses for there poor performance

for every extra click in a new release, there are usually a myriad of other time saving improvments that actually impact on productivity in a positive way

[Anonymous]

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@richos69 wrote:

extra clicks mean sweet FA in the scheme of things

the whole extra click story was invented by lazy drafters trying to come up with excuses for there poor performance

for every extra click in a new release, there are usually a myriad of other time saving improvments that actually impact on productivity in a positive way

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Haha, wow, I've heard some doozies but this takes the cake. So your logic is one step forward one step back?

Put your car in neutral & let me know how far you get.

[ampster401]

This isn't directed at you Vlad, but this whole anti-ribbon thing is being laid out as a chicken little thing (the sky is falling the sky is falling)

Do any of you actually believe that once any software makes it to point X, it will never change in the future and will always be the same, or it will always offer you the same way to do Feature XY with the same ole tools they first gave you when that software was produced?

I for one would rather see software take a different approach every now and then...how else will it change (eventually) for the better?

I'll will admit however they should provide a way to revert back to the "Classic" interface. But I have a feeling the code (or amount of coding needed) will prevent them from doing that.

But why keep beating the same ole dead horse here?  This forum isn't for anybody to submit requests (or polls) to Autodesk, nor is it suppose to be a place to post your complaints about the software ('kay, that last bit could be debatable, but some posts made by ppl here come close to going against the #'s 1 and 6 of the ground rules for this forum, I'm referring to posts made elsewhere and not necessarily here).

Sorry for the sort of off topic banter.

Not sure if this was mentioned, but at least you can revert back to the "Classic" interface in 2012 with a registry edit.  That is not available however for 2013.