Autodesk Inventor Tips and Tricks

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Autodesk Inventor Tips & Tricks

Custom Autodesk Inventor 2013 Material Library, by David Melvin, PE
Learn how to create custom libraries using the new Material Library.

The Browser in Inventor is Not Visible!, by David Melvin, PE
It happens. For some reason the Browser is gone. Read this tip to learn how to get it back as well as how to make other features visible.

Fully Constraining Text with Autodesk Inventor, by David Melvin, PE
If you can't figure out how to fully constrain text boxes, read this tip.

Work Planes Still Visible with Autodesk Inventor, by David Melvin, PE
If you can't figure out why work planes are visible in your assemblies, read this tip.

Turn Off Inventor Automatic Constraints, by David Melvin, PE
Learn how to turn off automatic constraints.

Prevent Lost Geometry References with Autodesk Inventor, by David Melvin, PE
This tips shows you rules to follow that will help prevent lost reference geometry.

Rotating Views with Autodesk Inventor, by David Melvin, PE
Learn how to rotate drawing views to get the orientation you want.

Parallel Wall Cylindrical Cam with Autodesk Inventor, by David Melvin, PE
Learn how to create a cylindrical cam with a slot that has parallel walls.

Hole Patterns on Cylindrical Parts, by David Melvin, PE
How to make a pattern of round holes on a cylinder.

Projecting Geometry to Curved Surfaces, by David Melvin, PE
How to create complicated sweep paths and guide rails along surfaces.

Patterns on Cylindrical Parts, by David Melvin, PE
You really can create any shape using Autodesk Inventor. You just need to know how to combine the commands.

Cylindrical Cams with Autodesk Inventor, by David Melvin, PE
Constructing a cylindrical cam using Autodesk Inventor may seem like a daunting task, but it’s really quite simple.

Fixing Surface Gaps in Autodesk Inventor Files, by David Melvin, PE
How to turn a surface body into a solid body so that it can be edited.

Reducing Eye Strain by Customizing the Mini-Toolbar Position, by David Melvin, PE
How to reduce eye strain by customizing the position of the mini-toolbar in Autodesk Inventor 2012.

Component has no surfaces in Autodesk Inventor?, by David Melvin, PE
The easiest way to deal with a component that has no surfaces.

Edit Imported Files with Autodesk Fusion, by David Melvin, PE
The best way to edit an imported Autodesk Inventor 2012 file is with Fusion.

Repairing Imported Surfaces, by David Melvin, PE
How to deal with a component that has no surfaces.

Inventor 2012 Marking Menu Customization, by David Melvin, PE
Find the Marking Menu commands more easily by customizing them.

Inventor 2012 Marking Menu Accelerates Navigation, by David Melvin, PE
The new Marking Menu in Autodesk Inventor 2012 significantly speeds up navigation.

Mirror Sketch Command Tricks, by John Koop, Inventor Specialist
Learn how to quickly create asymmetrical profiles using the Mirror Sketch Command.

Improving Inventor Assembly Performance with Levels of Detail, by John Koop, Inventor Specialist
This article will show you how to keep your assemblies from getting sluggish by using Levels of Detail in Inventor.

Undo Command is Not Always the Best Fix, by John Koop, Inventor Specialist
The Inventor Undo command is not always the best way to fix mistakes in complex parts - this article shows you a better way.

Inventor Files Lost in Windows 7 or Vista Virtual Store, by John Koop, Inventor Specialist
If your computer is losing Inventor files or you are having trouble saving them you may need to turn off your Windows Virtual Store.

Contoured Keyways with Fewer Problems, by David Melvin, PE
The most common mistake in making a contoured keyway is to attempt to make a Sweep along a 3D spline. This usually causes more problems than it solves, and it’s really not necessary. This short exercise will show you how to do it.

Remove Edge Display for More Presentable Parts, by David Melvin, PE
Tangency edges are the lines that are formed when two adjacent surfaces meet. By default the lines are drawn on you parts, but you can turn them off to make your parts look more realistic.

PowerPoint Presentations with Embedded DWFs, by David Melvin, PE
Embedding Autodesk's DWF Viewer in your PowerPoint can greatly enhance your PowerPoint presentations. You can rotate and markup your DWF files within each slide while you give your presentations, which in turn promotes interactive discussion with your audience.

Inventor Presentations with jt Files Embedded in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, by David Melvin, PE
Install the JT2Go software and then export a JT file from Inventor. When you do your documents will come alive. Your readers will not only be able to see your Inventor documents, they will be able to dynamically pan, zoom, and rotate them.

Share Inventor Files with Free Autodesk Design Review Download, by David Melvin, PE
You can easily show your files to vendors, colleges, and clients using Autodesk Design Review DWF Viewer, and it's free. This short exercise will show you how to do this.

Create 3D Sweeps with 3D Spline Paths, by David Melvin, PE
You can use 3D splines to draw the path for 3D sweeps, but if you’ve ever tried to do this you may have found that it’s difficult to make the profile perpendicular to the path. This short exercise will show you how to do this.

Control Splines with Spline Commands, by David Melvin, PE
In this short exercise you will learn how to use Spline Commands to control the shape of splines.

Draw Splines More Accurately, by David Melvin, PE
In this short exercise you will learn a general process for drawing splines that will increase the accuracy of your splines and assure that your splines are fully constrained.

Constrain Splines Using Construction Lines, by David Melvin, PE
In this short exercise you will learn how to add Spline Points to a spline, and then you’ll use Construction Lines to gain more control over the shape of the spline. First you’ll create a spline loop, and then you’ll modify it to create a fully constrained elliptical shape.

Creating 2D Splines, by David Melvin, PE
For those special circumstances when you need to draw complex geometry, this exercise will show you how to draw and reshape a 2D Spline. Subsequent Tips and Tricks will show you how to take control of your splines by mastering all the commands associated with them, and learning how to constrain them.

Make Inventor Models More Realistic with Custom Surface Textures, by David Melvin, PE
This short exercise will show you how to create two types of custom texture maps. The first type is a standard texture map that can be made from a picture of a real surface or it can be designed manually using image-editing software. The second type of texture map has transparent pixels.

Control Inventor Models with Custom Part Templates, by David Melvin, PE
This training tip shows you how to create a custom template and how to take charge of the location of sketch geometry.

Edit Inventor Model Features with 3D Grips, by David Melvin, PE
You can use 3D Grips to edit features on your models, but how does this affect existing constraints on your sketches?

Add Feature Intelligence to Control Dynamic Geometry, by David Melvin, PE
You’ve mastered the art of creating iParts and iFeatures, but did you know you can apply logical operators to your parts and features to make them even more intelligent?

Controlling Inventor Assemblies, by David Melvin, PE
You can easily find the number of constraints required to fully constrain your sketches by using the Auto Dimension command, but how do you know when components in your assemblies are fully constrained?