Inventor Simplification Technology Preview available on Autodesk Labs

[scott-sheppard-autodesk]

Inventor Simplification is a free technology preview of a new and easy way to simplify parts and assemblies for downstream consumption. The shrinkwrap feature was added to Autodesk^® Inventor^® software several releases ago. Since that time we’ve collected feedback on various ways to improve the workflow. We think we have a much better way to simplify models and wanted to share it with you as soon as possible.

http://labs.autodesk.com/utilities/inventor_simplification/

You can post your feedback on this thread.

[karthur1]

What versions of Inventor does this work with?

Check the links on the Autodesk //Labs_ page.

[DarrenP]

it looks like 2013 only

[jdits7]

Here is a Blog Post I did about this.

http://inventortopix.blogspot.com/2012/04/inventor-simplification-technology.html

[mcgyvr]

WOW FINALLY!!!

Now I have a reason to load 2013... And here I just told our IT guy that I probably won't load the new version of Inventor at all this year and just hope for something good in 2014.. I'm taking that comment back.. 2013 will be installed JUST so I can use the simplification tool..

Excellent job Autodesk.. Thats probably the best thing to come to Inventor in the past 5 years or so..

Any time a customer calls asking for a dumb solid of one of our products I just shudder knowing that I need to fire up the junky shrinkwrap tool and spend 30+ minutes or more just getting 1 assembly to where I'm happy with it.. This looks like a HUGE time saver..

and now we know 1 thing that will be in INV 2014 (it better be)

[mflayler]

I am very happy to see the Cap Holes in the Part Environment.  That was something the inital purchase of technology Autodesk purchased did very nicely (the old iShell tool).  I was very upset when I lost it in favor of simply adding the Derive tools.  This allows patching and solid filling of holes but allows you to exclude holes you need to retain for mounting purposes.

[Maxim-CADman77]

High promising add-in, but

Could anybody do the following:

Open ...\Inventor 2013\Samples\Models\Parts\Hairdryer\Hairdryer.ipt (samples should be installed).

press "Cap Holes"

press "Detect" ... in 5 sec it says "2 patches"....

press "OK" in 20 sec ... "A software problem has caused Autodesk Inventor to close unexpectedly..."

Is it my personal problem or could be reproduced by others?

[WHolzwarth]

I tried it, and I didn't get the error message. But:

- There are 8 further gaps, that need to be selected manually

- If you select the middle loops of the 7 cooling slots, you get no useable result

- The whole thing is too slow

- I don't like the mini toolbar

- The part is not the very best sample. I think, there will be several problems with the slots in plastic part tooling,

Walter

[Maxim-CADman77]

Have found the root of issue on my PC - 3rd party addin from Autodesk Apps ("iProperties Manager" ) is to blame.

[Anonymous]

Simplification worked perfectly the first couple of times I used it, but then I downloaded the service pack and now it fails every time....

[Anonymous]

Some problems I'm experiencing with this;

I tried simplying an assembly with 2000 occurances, it returned an error.

Also the area, where you select include/exculde compoents disapeared and then re-apeared.

[EvanGu]

Hi Jeff,

Could you please let me know which command fails and what the error message is?

Regards,

Evan

[scottmoyse]

This is a very nice tool, the various selection filters are phenomenal, well done. But there are some workflow issues:

1. Why is it using View Reps instead of LOD's?
2. Once you use the Combine Components tool, there doesn't appear to be a way to use the resulting part file as a substitute in the assembly without placing it in the assembly as a reference component and controlling it all via an LOD.
3. If you have Voids to fill then you have to edit the derived assembly from within the part file, jump to the options tab then turn on 'Remove all internal voids'. Which is fine, however, it fails if you do this after having capped any holes.
4. Often there are 'open' pockets or slots between components which need to be filled, but there's no option to do this with any of the simplification tools in Inventor to date, it would be nice if this tool addressed that in the future by 'welding' faces together within a certain tolerance of each other, but also with a manual override if needed.

I think that covers the issues I've discovered.

Cheers

Scott.

[scott-sheppard-autodesk]

Thank you for the detailed suggestion.

Scott

[Anonymous]

Some times if I have parts with holes I want to block in an assembly as I go round to each part and open, I perform detect holes and press accept and it will crash. This happens on different parts each time I do this, not the same part.

[Anonymous]

Today I found out that this tool can be usefull to quickly simplify an assembly for Stress analysis.

[scott-sheppard-autodesk]

I am glad you find this technology useful. That's what we need to hear during the preview stage to encourage us to continue to develop the technology.

[Anonymous]

I am NOT an Inventor user but a Revit user.  I recieved a large SAT file and Im trying to reduce it by using this tool.

I do NOT see the Simplify tab, is there a way to get it to display?

I do have the BIM Exchange tool which worked but would like to try this new tool out.

[blair]

Then you will like the new tool in IV2014 for conversion to Revit

[Anonymous]

Simplify seems like it could be a great addition! but i'm encounter an error when trying to "combine compnents" i get an error dialog stating "the operation failed" and takes me back to the original assembly.

 What am i doing wrong? or is there a bug?