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Include 3D mechanical in your modeling workflow. Autodesk® Inventor LT™ software introduces 3D mechanical CAD into your 2D workflows. Use Digital Prototyping workflows and compete more effectively. Get powerful part-level parametric modeling, multi CAD translation capabilities, automated DWG™ drawing views, and other CAD capabilities found in Inventor software to expand your 2D engineering process.
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Inventor has the ability to create OLE links to non-native files such as images, PDFs, and spreadsheets. Proper use and management of OLE objects as an embedded or linked object is important to proper management of files and collaborative efforts. View this whitepaper to learn how to create and remove OLE links in Inventor files.
Author: Mark Flayler – Senior Applications Expert, Manufacturing, IMAGINiT Technologies
Learn Joint Functionality and upgrade your Inventor assemblies by mastering the easiest joint of all.
Author: Walt Jaquith – Manufacturing Applications Expert, IMAGINiT Technologies
View this whitepaper to see how you can successfully copy an Inventor design using two of the simpler tools, the Design Assistant tool and the iLogic Design Copy tool.
Author: Harpreet Waraich – Manufacturing Applications Expert, IMAGINiT Technologies
This whitepaper provides a comparison of Autodesk Inventor and Fusion 360 and explains the capabilities of each of the softwares and when they should be implemented.
Author: Jason Swiercz – Applications Expert, IMAGINiT Technologies
Sometimes after updating to a newer version of Autodesk Inventor, it doesn’t save the changes you made to the Application Options. When you restart Inventor, it resets to the default. This whitepaper explains this issue and a possible solution.
In this whitepaper IMAGINiT expert, Mark Flayler, explores the “Duplicate Files” and “Different than Expected” dialog boxes in Autodesk Inventor and explains how to correct the issues that cause them to appear.
Author: Mark Flayler – Senior Applications Expert, IMAGINiT Technologies
Autodesk has been working toward the addition of generative design technology in your design workflow for a few years now. The Shape Generator is Inventor’s first step into this modeling world and its capabilities can already drastically change your design process. This article takes a look at how to use the mesh output to refine your parametric models, to include it in your assemblies and to manufacture the generated parts.
Author: David Ponka - Senior Manufacturing Applications Expert, IMAGINiT Technologies
In today’s industry, creating parts and assemblies that function as they should, quickly and accurately, is the name of the game. So why not take advantage of iFeatures? iFeatures are perfect for features that need to change size, or features that can be inserted into multiple parts quickly. It ensures placement of the feature as well as consistency and saves on design/drafting time. So please follow along and use this whitepaper to update your skillset.
Author: Chris Griffith – Manufacturing Application Expert, IMAGINiT Technologies
In today’s industry, creating parts and assemblies that function as they should, quickly and accurately, is the name of the game. iMates are a perfect fit to quickly assemble your parts or subassemblies. These mates are perfect for parts that need to be quickly replaced with a part that is similar but may differ just a little in size or shape. They also allow the drafter/designer to cut down on their design time and utilize their time elsewhere.
Author: Chris Griffith – Manufacturing Application Expert – IMAGINiT Technologies
In today’s industry, creating parts and assemblies that function as they should - quickly and accurately is the name of the game. So why not take advantage of iParts? By creating a part that changes size, features, or placement, quickly and accurately can speed up your design process and lead to less possibility for error. So let’s get to it!
This whitepaper discusses how to optimize a design in Autodesk Inventor with the Shape Generator and covers the entire process on how to set up the Shape Generator and run multiple tests to get different results.
Author: Jason Swiercz – Application Expert, IMAGINiT Technologies
In the whitepaper you will learn how to model a frame with compound curves and the use of the split command in the part file. IMAGINiT expert Jason Swiercz covers how to use the frame generator and the editing commands that go with it. In the assembly Jason covers how the frame generator saves and inserts data into the BOM for each part and discusses turning on surfaces and how to use the realistic view to create a rendering. Finally, Jason covers how to insert the image into the drawing and how to create a parts list and materials list in the drawing file.
Author: Jason Swiercz, Manufacturing Applications Expert
This whitepaper will shed light on some detailed processes to enhance the sheetmetal modeling experience. You can learn how to create and use custom punch for sheetmetal, how to create cut across bend and some description about the multi-body support for sheetmetal added in Autodesk Inventor 2016.
The whitepaper shows static and buckling analysis in Autodesk Inventor and Nastran in CAD. Inventor was enhanced with several simulation options since Nastran in CAD was implemented last year.
Author: Radu Stancescu – Manufacturing Solutions Consultant, IMAGINiT Technologies
As industries use more of the collaboration tools from the Autodesk products, designs are becoming more dependent on products like AutoCAD Electrical and Inventor to streamline the process. But if the process is difficult to use or to understand, it’s usually pushed aside. When using the Inventor Cable & Harness from an AutoCAD Electrical XML file, most designers hope the result turns out the way they need. If not, they usually do a tedious manual edit or scrub the process completely.
Edit Wire Sequence in AutoCAD Electrical can help with the sequence control between multiple component or pin connections in a circuit, before outputting the XML file for Inventor Cable & Harness. This whitepaper will help you understand how the tool can make you a more efficient designer.
Author: Thayne Wickam - Manufacturing Applications Expert, IMAGINiT Technologies
Often times when working in the sheet metal environment we will have to create punched features for structure or clearance. In this whitepaper we will explore the process of creating a custom punch and how it is used.
Author: Chris Griffith - Manufacturing Applications Expert
People often wish there were more appearances in our Inventor appearance libraries. Previously we looked at creating custom materials, but what happens when you want a custom texture or appearance? Well join me as we walk through the steps in creating them.
Author: Chris Griffith - Manufacturing Applications Expert, IMAGINiT Technologies
In this whitepaper we will cover how to create assembly instructions in Autodesk Inventor. To do this we will be using an Inventor Presentation file that has an .IPN file extension. These presentation files create an exploded representation of a model and are great for assembly instructions or videos. If you are unfamiliar with this file type or how to use the presentation file don’t be worried. It is both straight forward and simple, but often not utilized.
Have you ever used the coil command and wanted the spring to compress? Well it is possible and much easier than you think, so follow along and let’s create an adaptive spring that will allow you to test for interference and filament.
Ever wanted to work or see multiple views of one model or assembly in inventor? Well you can, and it is great for modeling or making changes without rotating your model!
Often times our Inventor model browser can be difficult to navigate. Here are a few tips to help keep it condensed and organized.
Author: Chris Griffith – Manufacturing Applications Expert, IMAGINiT Technologies
Most Inventor users have use or have tried to use Bolted Connection, but I have found that they limit it to the basics. Well let’s explore this design accelerator a little more in depth so that you may better understand all of the options and uses it provides us.
Learn how to standardize your tube and pipe styles, file naming, and part numbering in Autodesk Inventor’s Routed System module.
Author: Mark Flayler – Manufacturing Solutions Consultant, IMAGINiT Technologies
Often times it is easier to create sub-assemblies after we model our entire model. Lucky for us, Inventor has Demote and Promote to help us with this. This tools makes creating sub-assemblies easy while maintaining most, if not all of your features and constraints.
Often times the need arises where we need to change the materials of multiple items in the BOM due to engineering changes, customer changes or even FEA needs. The typical work flow is opening each item and changing it, but what if we could do it all at once? Follow along and learn how.
View this whitepaper to learn how you can better utilize the Bill of Materials (BOM) tool in Autodesk Inventor.
In this whitepaper you will learn how to create custom materials and add and create custom material libraries in Autodesk Inventor. Once you follow the steps you will be well on your way to creating something you can utilize and even add to as you continue to need different materials.
This whitepaper outlines the process of adding custom features and parameters to an Autodesk Inventor Custom Content Library and automatically applying these to every member of the family using one command.
Author: John Hackney, Manufacturing Solutions Consultant
When designing new parts in the context of an assembly, there are often times you need to borrow an edge, a hole center or a sketch entity from one part to another. Inventor calls this Cross Part Geometry Projection (CPGP) and it makes top down design a lot faster and easier. This article will outline the process of creating this type of geometry and give a few tricks along the way.
Broken Links in Inventor are typically preventable, especially if you have a data management application such as Vault installed. If you get a Broken Link error, this paper will show you why it is happening and how you can fix the issue as well as avoid it in the future.
Author: James “Jim” O’Flaherty – Manufacturing Applications Expert
Learn how you can protect your Intellectual Property and ready a simple model for export to Revit with Simplify in Autodesk Inventor.
Learn best practices on generating Lofts using Guide Rails for shape control purposes. This option of the Loft command is usually needed when the shape is more complex than a standard Profile to Profile Loft. Using Guide Rails gives the user the ability to control the shape of the Lofted profile between the start and end profiles. This whitepaper also shows the adverse effects of using too many Guide Rails.
Author: James “Jim” O’Flaherty – Manufacturing Applications Expert, IMAGINiT Technologies
Learn how you can “defrag” your CAD files to clean, rebuild and compact the file, resulting in a more stable file with quicker reaction times. The process is similar to one doing a “defragmentation” of their computer’s Hard Drive, organizing the fragments of the files that tend to get scattered on the HD, resulting in faster call up time of those files. Considering all the iterations CAD files typically go through, this process is much more important than the one most people do for their PC. The process should be run whenever a part file begins to act in an odd fashion, react slowly or even better, when the file is complete and ready for release.
Waiting for large, complicated part or assembly files to generate and build up on activation can be very time consuming. In this whitepaper, you will learn about the adjustments that you can make to your software settings and workflow practices to reduce wasted time and increase productivity.
Author: James “Jim” O’ Flaherty
Understanding Simplify In Autodesk Inventor. Learn how to send a model to customers that use other types of software such as Autodesk Revit by using the simplify tab within Autodesk Inventor. This is a two part process and in this paper we will focus on the first step.
Creating an assembly in the Autodesk Inventor software was for years done by using Constraints to remove a components six degrees of freedom one by one until its final resting position was established. And if the component was intended to have motion, that particular degree of freedom was not removed. This process is enhanced and made more efficient with the use of Joint Connections starting in the 2014 version of the Autodesk Inventor software. The thought process using Joint Connections is the opposite from using Constraints, but it also has some additional advantages, such as limit capabilities. Enhance your productivity of assembly creation by using Joint Connections and see why they are the new assembly Constraints.
Author: Elvis Sverko, Senior Manufacturing Applications Expert
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