Quick Start

You can think of history like a recipe. You can replay a history of features and
the same model will result every time. You can change dimensions in a feature
and then replay the history to generate new geometry for a new model.
As an example: we create a 500mm x 300mm x 100mm Extrusion to create a
plate. Next we create a hole with diameter of 20mm and a depth of 80mm.
The hole is located 25mm from a corner of the plate.
If you change the size of the plate the hole updates. If the plate is made
thinner, in this case less than 80mm the hole would punch through the plate.
History free modeling does not create a repeatable recipe. History free models
are geometry. In a history free modeler, features are created independent of
other features. When an edit is made, only the selected geometry is affected.
You can make changes to geometry that may not be possible in a history based
modeler because relationships prevent the specific change. To contrast, history
based modelers are better at dealing with edits to a model where geometry
changes (model faces become consumed are reappear depending on size).
Dialog box editing compared to Direct Manipulation
Direct manipulation refers to how a change is performed . With direct editing
to make a change, you push, pull or otherwise modify geometry. With dialog
editing changes are made by entering data into the dialog box and then either
committing the change or a preview is updated.
Think of a cube as an example of this. Using direct edit modeling, you edit
the cube by pushing and pulling faces. Using indirect modeling, you edit the
cube by changing the value of parameters in a dialog box.
Inventor Fusion
Inventor Fusion is a direct manipulation, feature based history free modeler.
Autodesk Inventor is a feature based history parametric modeler. In both
applications, you create sketches, dimensions, and features to generate a 3D
model. The difference is how the information is stored and modified. Inventor
Fusion stores the information with the geometry. You modify geometry directly
to change the model. Changes only affect the geometry being manipulated.
Autodesk Inventor stores the information in parameters features and their
history. To make a change, you modify parameters or relationships between
features and the remaining features are recalculated based on that information.
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