Datasheet

Waguespack c01.tex V2 - 08/30/2008 1:44pm Page 10
10 CHAPTER 1 INVENTOR DESIGN PHILOSOPHY
In the subassembly called Bottom are additional files: Bottom-Back:1, Bottom-Front:1, Lower
Mount:1, Spring:1, and Bottom-Anvil:1. Each of these files represents a separate part within the
subassembly. The 1 that follows each part represents the first instance of that part name within the
assembly. If a second identical part name is inserted within the same assembly, the number would
be incremented according to the number of times that part is instanced within the assembly.
In the browser, note that two of the parts, Lower Mount and Bottom-Anvil, have a red and
green icon preceding the part name. This icon tells the user that these two parts are set to Adap-
tive, meaning that these two parts will automatically adjust to changes in the part they reference.
Right-clicking the Adaptive icon will display a context menu, allowing the user to turn adaptiv-
ity on or off. Next to each part name within the subassembly is a small plus sign, signifying that
the part or subassembly can be expanded to show more of the contents of that specific part (see
Figure 1.8). When the part or subassembly has been expanded, the plus sign switches to a minus
sign, which allows the user to compress the part or assembly back to a smaller state and save room
for reviewing other items within the Model browser.
Figure 1.8
Expanded contents in
the Model browser
At the bottom of this section within the browser, you will see the words Flush and Mate.The
Flush and Mate references are two of several 3D constraints used to ‘‘assemble and constrain’’
various parts. Right-clicking a constraint in the browser allows the user to locate the other part to
which this part is constrained within the assembly.
Learning the File Types in Inventor
In AutoCAD, you might be used to having the DWG file format as your main file format. Inventor,
on the other hand, follows the structure common to most other 3D modelers in the engineering
field today. Instead of placing all information in one file, the data load is distributed into many dif-
ferent files. Placing the data in multiple files permits higher performance, promotes file integrity,