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CHAPTER 1 Inventor DesIgn PhIlosoPhy

too have the ways we design. However, it is possible to use new design tools in the same man-

ner we used the old tools if we are not careful. As companies moved from the drafting board to

AutoCAD, many users continued to use AutoCAD in much the same way they used the board.

Not reusing data in the form of blocks and block libraries and not employing block attributes to

pack those blocks with intelligence are common examples of this.

In much the same way, it is possible to use Inventor as if it is AutoCAD. Creating 3D models

simply for the sake of generating a 2D shop print is a common example of this. To ensure that

you are getting the most out of Inventor, you want to make sure your designs are more than just

3D models. You want to use Inventor to create 3D virtual prototypes. You want to ensure that

your 3D models are more than a collection of features and instead relate parameters from one

feature to update based on the edits of another. You want your model to reﬂect the intent of the

overall design accurately, anticipating change and revision and making it as robust and intel-

ligent as you can. You want your model to be more than just 3D; you want it to be a 3D virtual

prototype.

Too Busy Getting Drawings to the Shop to Build Virtual Prototypes?

You have deadlines to meet, you’re trying to learn a new design tool (Inventor), and you are being

told to spend more time building models? Deciding when to build a virtual prototype depends

on your business and the complexity of the design. At some point, everyone has probably given

rough sketches to the shop to get a part made, but no one wants to do that on a regular basis. In the

beginning, the work you do with Inventor will probably lean more toward just a 3D model and less

toward a 3D prototype, and that’s okay.

As you continue to work, look for areas where you can improve your models and make them more

intelligent. If you know a design is likely to change, build your model with those changes in mind. The

better the model, the easier it is to verify that a replacement component will ﬁt properly, and doing

a major redesign on a product will go more smoothly if you have a solid base from which to work.

Keep in mind that Inventor has a large and deep tool set, but if you’re like most people who use it

in the real world, you’ll probably not use many of these tools. If you create a lot of steel frames and

weldments, it’s likely that you will not have a big need for the plastic features tools. Take the time

to understand and learn all of the tools available so that you know what Inventor has to offer, but

then focus on the parts you need and use most often, and get the most out of those tools.

Understanding Functional Design

Part of creating a fully functioning, 3D Virtual Prototype is using the Functional Design tools.

Functional design is an Autodesk term for a knowledge content tool that moves the user from creat-

ing geometrical descriptions (mere 3D modeling) to capturing knowledge. For instance, if you had

the need to create a spring, what tools would you use? You could use the coil tool and develop

a nice spring-shaped model. However, if the actual goal was to determine what size spring you

needed for a particular set of load inputs, then you’d want to use the Compression Spring genera-

tor. You can use the functional design tools to analyze the function (load of a spring) and solve the

design problems (what size spring is required), rather than spending time on modeling a solution

needed to create 3D representations.

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