Datasheet

10
|
CHAPTER 1 Inventor DesIgn PhIlosoPhy
As you can see, the collection of tabs (called the Ribbon menu) changes intuitively with every
task or environment you switch to. With a task-based user interface, there is no need to display
every possible tool all at once. In the next section you will explore more of the user interface.
Using General Tools vs. Specific Commands
In this section you’ll compare the way Inventor tools are set up with those of AutoCAD. If you’ve
never used AutoCAD, you can still gain some insight from this section, although you may have to
use your imagination concerning the references to AutoCAD. A key difference between AutoCAD
and Inventor is that in AutoCAD many commands are very specific. For example, there are dif-
ferent dimension commands for lines, angles, and circles. In contrast, Inventor has one General
Dimension tool that creates the appropriate dimension based on what you select.
For instance, in AutoCAD you might select the horizontal dimension tool to place a dimen-
sion on a horizontal line, then select the diameter dimension tool to place a dimension on a hole,
then select a radius dimension tool to place a dimension on a fillet, and so on. But in Inventor
you select the General Dimension tool, select a horizontal line, and you get a horizontal dimen-
sion; then without exiting the dimension tool, you select a circle, and you automatically get a
diameter dimension. And of course to dimension a fillet, you continue with the general dimen-
sion tool, and you will automatically get a radius dimension.
When in Doubt, Right-Click
Inventor is very right-click driven, meaning that many of the options are context specific and can
be accessed by right-clicking the object in question. For instance, if you want to edit a sketch, you
right-click the sketch in the browser and choose Edit Sketch. The same is true of a feature. If you
wanted to change a hole feature from a countersink to a counterbore, you would right-click it in
the browser and choose Edit Feature. You can right-click many objects in the graphics window,
with no need to locate them in the browser.
Also worth mentioning are the options in the context menus. For instance, if you are editing a
part in an assembly, and want to finish the edit and return to the assembly level, you could use the
Return button on the Sketch tab menu, or you could just right-click (taking care not to click any
sketch object) and choose Finish Edit from the context menu. Both options do the same thing.
Drawing in AutoCAD Becomes Sketching in Inventor
The fundamental difference between traditional AutoCAD and Inventor is that in AutoCAD you
draw and in Inventor you sketch. The difference sounds subtle but is very important. In AutoCAD
you likely construct lines precisely to specific dimensions to form the geometry required. In Inventor
you create lines and geometry that reflect the general form and function of the feature and then use
constraints and dimensions to massage it into the desired shape. This is probably the single biggest
stumbling block that experienced AutoCAD users face when starting to use Inventor.
882870c01.indd 10 7/8/10 1:11:49 PM