Datasheet

6 CHAPTER 1 INVENTOR DESIGN PHILOSOPHY
Using a Wheel Mouse and 3D Input Device
Using a wheel mouse with Inventor is recommended. Scrolling the wheel will perform a Zoom
In/Out, while pressing the wheel will perform the Pan function. In Inventor, the wheel zoom is
reversed from AutoCAD. You can change this setting by going to the Tools tab, clicking Application
Options, selecting the Display tab, and selecting Reverse Direction in the 3D Navigation group.
Another useful tool for navigating in Inventor is a 3D pointing device. A popular brand is the Space
series made by 3Dconnexion. These devices are small spheres or pucks that sit on your desk. The
user grasps the sphere or puck, and by making very s light movements to the device, the model
on-screen moves. Pulling, pushing, and twisting the puck allows you to zoom, pan, and orbit the
model on-screen. Although s ome users find these devices awkward at first, most say they could
neverworkasefficientlywithoutone.
The Ribbon Bar
The Ribbon bar is similar to AutoCAD 2009 and Microsoft Office 2007 in that it is composed
of tabs and panels. Each tab contains commands for a particular task, such as creating drawing
views, and each panel contains related commands. The Ribbon will change to the proper tab based
on the current environment (for example, sketching or assembly modeling), but you can select a
different tab as needed.
You can customize the Ribbon bar by doing the following:
◆ Turning off command text, reducing icon size, or using a compact icon layout
◆ Turning off panels that you don’t use
◆ Adding frequently used commands to a tab
◆ Minimizing the Ribbon
◆ Undocking the Ribbon so it becomes a floating tool palette
◆ Docking the Ribbon on the left, right, or top of the Inventor window
The Get Started Tab
Most of the icons on the Get Started tab, shown in Figure 1.8, link to help topics. The Show Me
Animations tool is one of the most useful help tools. It links to a comprehensive set of short videos
that show you how to accomplish tasks in Inventor. You can use these to your benefit as quick
reminders for tasks that you may not complete often and just need a helpful reminder of how a
particular tool works.
Figure 1.8
The Get Started tab
The View Tab
The View tab, shown in Figure 1.9, has controls for object visibility and appearance, window
control, and navigation. There are some variations in the icons, depending on the environment,
but most of the icons are used in all of the modeling environments.