Datasheet

UnDerstanDIng the “Feel” oF Inventor
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9
Understanding the Intuitive Interface
The overall interface of Inventor might be called context intuitive, meaning that it changes
menus depending on task and environment. Inventor works by grouping tools onto tabs that
offer only the tools needed for the appropriate task at hand. If you are sketching a base feature,
the tools you see are sketch tools. In Figure 1.8 the 2D Sketch tab is active, and displayed are
tools you use to create and dimension sketches.
Upon the completion of a sketch, click the Finish Sketch button on the far right and you will
exit the sketch. In doing so, the Model tab becomes active and the Sketch tab is hidden. This
allows you to see the tools that are appropriate for the immediate task and only those tools,
without having to hunt around for them. If you create a new sketch or edit an existing one, the
Sketch tab is immediately brought back. Figure 1.9 shows the active Model tab.
When you work with assemblies, the tool tab changes to the Assemble tab (as shown in
Figure 1.10), allowing you to place components, create new components, pattern them, copy
them, and so on. There are also a number of other tabs shown that you can switch to at any time
in order to use those tools.
When you create a 2D drawing of parts or assemblies, you are automatically presented with
tools needed to create views and annotation. By default the Place Views tab is displayed because
you need to create a view of a model before annotating it. However, you can manually switch to
the Annotation tab by double-clicking it. Figure 1.11 shows the active Place Views tab and the
inactive Annotate tab next to it.
Figure 1.8
The Sketch tab and
sketch tools
Figure 1.9
The Model tab and
model tools
Figure 1.10
The Assemble tab
and assembly tools
Figure 1.11
The drawing tabs
and drawing tools
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