Struggling with Transition

[Anonymous]

Hello All,

I am working at a new company that uses Inventor. I am coming from a Solid Edge/Solidworks background (15 years). I am really having a hard time with the transition. Maybe some of you can provide some insight.

Q1:

How do I set the template so that Z+ is always up and Top. Every sketch created defaults to Y+ up and it drives me insane. I know this is driven from AutoCad but it bothers me. 

Q 2:

How do I place a triad at center that matches the direction of the world triad and have it permanently visible vs just the little point?

Q3:

When I have a 3D part can I add reference dimensions to the part without having to create planes and sketches and turning visibility on. The measurement tool is great but there are times when I need to see these dimensions together.

Q4:

Can a loop dimension be added to a sketch? I am working on a belt mechanism and I want to visibly see the belt length as I move components around in the assembly. This allows me to place parts based on available belt lengths.

I would ultimately like to learn how to do something like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsdaNITer48

But I know it will take some time to get used to the changes. 

Thank You

[CCarreiras · Accepted solution]

HI!

You had a plane and now you have a helicopter, both are very good, but slightly different, so, it is not a good idea to fly the helicopter in the same way as you were flying a plane.

So, with time you will need to have the same configurations as you have in the other programs (i'm sure of that, with me wwas the same).

So, my first advice is, don't try to work in Inventor the same way you worked in SE or SW, just learn and take the very best of another good tool. Of course your backgroud of CAD user will help you a lot.

Anyway, you can have what you need (or think you need) for now:

Q1:

Go to Tool TAb, select Aplication options and select Part tab. Select what you need in "SKetch on new part creation"

Q2:  

in Aplication options, Go to tab Display and able Both options in origin 3D indicator       or...

To view the coordinate system in sketch mode: go to the tabSketch and able "coordinate system indicator"

You dont need to see the axis, is better know that they are there, and when is need to select, we only need to go to the origin folder in browser tree, but , if you want to see them everytime, just turn the visibility on of the axis xyz...

Q3

Not in this version, next version, i believe.

Q4

Yes. Just turn the dimension as a "Driven Dimension"

Q4

There's is no tool like goal seek directly in inventor, but there's other tools to achieve the same results. Check for instance

"optimization tool" in the FEA analisys module. It will study several situations and choose the better for your boundary conditions.

 Good luck.... and be patient at the beggining.

[Anonymous]

Thank You for the quick reply. Those subtle changes definitely make it easier to move forward. I am looking forward to the added features in the future. If I can request a feature addition, a button to swap Y up to Z up would be pretty awesome. In the machine world Z is typically vertical in the 3D space. with Y pointing towards you. Inventor is still heavily oriented with 2D CAD and definitely adds some frustrations to us younger guys that never did 2D. 

Ok 1 more:

How do I make a sketch that is in the middle of a part visible without turning all hidden edges on?

[JDMather]

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@Anonymous wrote:

... In the machine world Z is typically vertical in the 3D space..... 

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In my experience in the machine world - Z was typically the axis of rotation.  Horizontal on most lathes and larger mills.

Vertical on larger lathes and smaller mills.

You can change it in Inventor to suit your preference.

[Anonymous]

Without using user coordinates, how is that done?

[JDMather]

Right click on the View Cube.

or Tools>Application Options

[Anonymous]

Might as well continue....

How do I make the tree highlight the feature when I highlight it on the model?

[JDMather]

The default selection filter is for Faces and Edges.

Shift Right Mouse Button (or go to Ribbon) to change selection filter to Features.

[Anonymous]

I really appreciate the tips. It really is making life easier for me. Any ideas on how to make sketches show through solids without turning on hidden lines? It is really a pain to make section views every time I want to add an internal feature or dimension to the origin.

[jeremy_wasserstrass]

Are you using F7? That is one of my favorite keys as it toggles a section/slice at the sketch.

[JDMather]

Tools>Application Options>Sketch tab >Sketch Display>Opacity of sketch display through shaded model.

[Anonymous]

I do not seem to have that option under my sketch settings. I am on 2016 R3

Whoever came up with the project geometry concept needs a thump in the head. The ability to native snap to features in other sketches would save a tremendous amount of time and also not clutter up the sketches. Also the ability to make a sketch feature tangent (or any other constraint) to a plane would be nice too.

[mcgyvr]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I do not seem to have that option under my sketch settings. I am on 2016 R3

Whoever came up with the project geometry concept needs a thump in the head. The ability to native snap to features in other sketches would save a tremendous amount of time and also not clutter up the sketches. Also the ability to make a sketch feature tangent (or any other constraint) to a plane would be nice too.

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What JD is showing is a new feature in 2017..

The project geometry functionality in Inventor is great IMO and functions very logically.. 

You can automatically have it do so if you want.. Go to.. tools..application options..sketch tab... and check the box for "Autoproject edges for sketch creation and edit"

You can also project planes into a sketch to make something tangent,etc.. to it..

But a "plane" is a line in a 3d sketch as the plan is going in the -/+Z direction and a 2d sketch is only 2d and does not have height..

[JDMather]

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@Anonymous wrote:

....I am on 2016 R3 

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In that case F7 while in active sketch.

[smokes2998]

As power user of SE and SW I feel your pain

Just remember  that Inventor take about ten to twenty more steps to do something that SE and SW will do in about two.

Also there is very little GUI customization like SE an SW.

Sketches in assemblies do not work like SE an SW. 

Also remember to use the F9 and F8 key to show hide constraints and f4 and left click to rotate a model as middle button pans model.

You can't drill down through the assemblies by double clicking, To get to a sketch or feature in a part you have switch assembly browser to modeling view and select select the part priority filter  and right click find in the browser to get to the part and open the part feature tree then select the feature then right click open edit sketch.

The Assembly constraints do not have the advance mechanical mate for slots as in SW. The constraints behavior are similar to SE but  with some differences.

Make sure you keep the constraints resolves or the assembly's will grind to a halt.

Avoid Patterning in assemblies it slow then down.

creation of  assembly explodes can only be done in and .ipn file.

Frame generator and routed systems are a lot more complex to understand get help with them,

They are created the opposite of how you would manufacture them.

Turn auto sketch relationships ,  off. There  glitches with what is horizontal and vertical on the sketch planes you need to look for the thick black line for horizontal and thin black line for vertical.

large assemblies performance is slow.

to dim a cylinder with Ø in front automatically in drawings you need add the center line bi sector the click dimension then select the bi sector then edge of the cylinder then right click and select dimension type for linear diameter. Then hit the esc button then right click the placed dimension line then select options for the menus and select full dimension line.

[CCarreiras]

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@smokes2998 wrote:

As power user of SE and SW I feel your pain

Just remember  that Inventor take about ten to twenty more steps to do something that SE and SW will do in about two.

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Although there is some truth in what you are saying, what you are saying is exaggerated. There is no such difference nor is needed so much steps as youre claiming.

And for the examples you give, there are also methods for doing it in inventor.

[Anonymous]

Well it is nice to hear from someone that has been through my frustrations. I will need to accept that Inventor is a few stages behind SW/SE and just deal with the differences.

[smokes2998]

Carlos

The offset tool is one, you cannot do of dimension offsets efficiently in inventor.

In SW you can select loop input offset distance the left click and hey presto you have a fully constrained an dimension offset if you are really smart and don't hit esc you can keep offsetting the loop so you end up with patterned offset loop.

Having to derive a part to represent five different manufacturing stages is also a ball ache.

You can configure the features in SW and SE to do the same job.

Inventor you have to select the loop hit enter drag mouse then left click then and dimension it to fully constrain the offset when you are creating a belt path with multiple sprockets it becomes a ball ache.

Having to write a macro to calculate the coated and un-coated surface areas is silly. This is used a lot for anode calcs for cathodic protection.

The only thing good about inventor are the tangent constraints are pretty stable.

[CCarreiras]

I'm not here to discuss which is better, because i like all 3: IV, SW and SE, and already worked with all of them.

There are differences, of course, but all them as ups and downs.
You claim inventor is some steps behind.... but also inventor has features that sw/se doesnt have.

...iLogic  is a great tool in inventor, in the other hand, i miss the mouse wheel, or the rigth mouse "enter" in SE... well.... you have to take the best from them... Of course we have to adapt,

BTW, i have programed a mouse button as "Enter", so, from the "20 more clicks" you claim, now i can save about 19... 🙂 is just an example.

[smokes2998]

The only reason ilogic is there is that Autodesk want you to develop the tools that are badly needed for free...

Solid work macros are a lot nicer to deal with but i digress..