How much can Inventor do?

[Anonymous]

Hi - I write with a general enquiry for how much Inventor can do/replace other software's to enable the most efficient process/workflow. Generally we are designing in Sketchup - model developed in detail in Revit and then it is split for the LOD-400 phase and sub-contractors take their packages and work as they intend to work e.g. steel is in Tekla. We are now looking to change and take on the fabrication phase - all packages. We have factories being set-up and partially investment will be for automated/robotic labour in the shop floor. Therefore it is more sensible that our workflow and choice of software is to take on a product that can do as much as possible in one tin. There may be a few required but it would be great if we can minimise and maximise the data output to a CAM solution. Hence I am looking at Inventor to see if we can feasibly build a house with Inventor to generate all component drawings, assembly drawings, run the necessary clash detection, analysis and also to see how much of what we generate in our house model in Inventor can then be directly manufactured from e.g. can my Inventor model replace the Tekla requirements and my Inventor files be used instead. At present I am thinking we can work with a Revit LT for the design phase and overview drawings/models to LOD-300 and then take this into Inventor and complete the houses as detailed units for construction and manufacture in Inventor and link the models back to Revit. Can we do more analysis in Inventor e.g. test the structures, U values analysis, what about MEP in Inventor? Is there a document that can help with my questions or some-one that may be able to have a detailed conversation with on this? Many thanks,

[IgorMir]

I think - it is all achievable. But you need to have a person in your team who is in the know of Inventor. That's the key factor. I even would like to get involved into helping you. But you are in the USA, aren't you?

Cheers,

Igor.

[SBix26]

@Anonymous Adding on to what Igor posted, it could all be done in Inventor if you have a programming genius on staff.  There are firms who customize Inventor almost beyond recognition to make it do specialized things.  A company I'm aware of can outfit a whole gymnasium with basketball goals and partition curtains, completely customized to the end users' desires, in Inventor.  Almost entirely automated with input through a wizard.

I hope your project becomes a demonstration or class at AU sometime in the next few years!

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Sam B
Inventor Pro 2019.0.0 | Windows 7 SP1
LinkedIn

[Cadmanto]

My suggestion would be to get in touch with your local VAR and setup some one on one sessions for you to explain your needs and them tell you what it can offer.  We can tell you all day long that Inventor can do it, but you are the ultimate one that has to make that decision and the only way to do that would be to see it for yourself.  Another thought would be to go on Youtube and search for what you are looking Inventor to do and see what the videos present.  If they satisfy.

[johnsonshiue]

Hi! To add to our experts' comments, this is a fairly typical BIM fabrication workflow. We have many customers levering Inventor to design custom building materials like ceiling, lighting fixtures, A/C piping, furniture, windows, and so on. Please contact Autodesk reseller near you. If you cannot find one, please feel free to post your requirements here, forum experts can comment further.

Many thanks!

[Xun.Zhang]

Yeah, LOD-300/400 is tightly targeted for Inventor to handle the details once the infrastructure was ready. You can import the structure to Inventor and modeling with the piece you want, export it and load to Revit to complete the design which is called BIM workflow right now and it was widely used already.

Hope it helps!