Autodesk Inventor 2008 Essentials Plus Book

Introduction     xix
Getting Started     1
Objectives     1
Getting Started with Autodesk Inventor     1
Open     2
New Files: Quick Launch     2
File Information     3
File Types     3
Opening Multiple Documents     4
Save Options     5
Projects     5
Projects in Autodesk Inventor     6
Project Setup     6
Project File Search Options     6
Creating Projects     7
What Type of Project are you Creating?     8
Autodesk Vault     11
Projects     11
Application Options     14
Design Support System     16
User Interface     17
Toolbars, Panel Bar, and Command Entry     19
Command Entry     19
Toolbars and the Panel Bar     19
Shortcut Menus     20
Windows Shortcuts     20
Autodesk Inventor Shortcut/Alias Keys     20
Command Tooltips     21
Repeat Last Command     22
Customizing Shortcuts and Aliases     22
Keyboard Tab     22
Auto-HideCommand Dialogs     24
Undo and Redo     24
Viewpoint Options     25
Isometric View     25
Camera Views     25
Shadow     26
ViewTools     26
Viewing a Model     28
Project Exercise     33
Checking Your Skills     33
Sketching, Constraining, and Dimensioning     35
Objectives     35
Sketching and Part Application Options     35
Sketch Options     35
Part Options     38
Units     40
Templates     41
Creating a Part     42
Sketches and Default Planes     43
Autoproject Center (Origin) Point     44
New Sketch     44
Sketch the Outline of the Part     45
Sketching Overview     45
Sketching Tools     45
Common Sketch Tools     48
Selecting Objects     50
Deleting Objects     50
Measure Tools     50
Creating a Sketch with Lines     53
Creating a Sketch with Tangencies     56
Constraining the Sketch     58
Constraint Types      58
Adding Constraints     60
Showing and Deleting Constraints     60
Construction Geometry     62
Snaps     63
Dragging a Sketch     63
Adding and Displaying Constraints     64
Adding Dimensions     67
General Dimensioning     67
Entering and Editing a Dimension Value     70
Auto Dimension     73
Dimensioning a Sketch     74
Opening and Importing AutoCAD Files     76
Copy and Paste a 2D DWG File from Autodesk Inventor or AutoCAD     76
Inserting 2D AutoCAD Data into a Sketch     79
Importing DWG Data through a Wizard     82
Move and Scale Tools     84
Move     84
Scale     84
Importing Other Filetypes     85
SAT     85
STEP     85
PRO/E     85
DXF     86
IGES     86
Inserting an AutoCAD File     86
Project Exercise     87
Applying Your Skills     88
Skill Exercise 2-1     88
Skill Exercise 2-2     88
Checking Your Skills     89
Creating and Editing Sketched Features      91
Objectives     91
Understanding Features     91
Consumed and Unconsumed Sketches     92
Using the Browser for Creating and Editing     92
Switching Environments     94
Feature Tools     95
Extruding a Sketch     95
Shape     96
Match Shape     98
More     99
Extruding a Sketch     100
Revolving a Sketch     101
Shape     102
Operation     102
Extents     103
Output     104
Match Shape     104
Infer iMates     104
Centerlines and Diametric Dimensions     104
Linear Diametric Dimensions     105
Revolving a Sketch     106
Editing a Feature     108
Editing Feature Size     109
Editing a Feature Sketch     110
3D Grips     111
Move Feature     112
Renaming Features and Sketches     113
Feature Color     113
Deleting a Feature     113
Failed Features     114
Editing Features and Sketches     114
Sketched Features      117
Defining the Active Sketch Plane     117
Face Cycling     118
Slice Graphics     119
Sketch Planes     120
Projecting Part Edges     122
Direct Model Edge Referencing     122
Project Edges     123
Project Exercise     124
Applying Your Skills     124
Skill Exercise 3-1     124
Skill Exercise 3-2     126
Skill Exercise 3-3     127
Checking Your Skills     128
Creating Placed Features     131
Objectives     131
Fillets     132
Edge Fillet     133
Face Fillet     137
FullRound Fillet     138
Chamfers     139
Method     140
Edge and Face     141
Distance and Angle     141
Edge Chain and Setback     141
Creating Fillets and Chamfers     142
Holes     145
Editing Hole Features     146
Holes Dialog Box     146
Center Points     149
Creating Holes     150
Threads     153
Location Tab      154
Specification Tab     155
Creating Threads     155
Shelling     157
Direction     158
Remove Faces     159
Thickness     159
Unique Face Thickness     159
Shelling a Part     159
Face Draft     161
Draft Type     162
Pull Direction and Fixed Plane     162
Faces     162
Draft Angle     162
Creating Face Drafts     163
Work Features     165
Creating a Work Axis     166
Creating Work Points     166
Creating Work Axes     169
Creating Work Planes     170
Types of Work Planes     172
Feature Visibility     172
Creating Work Planes     173
Patterns     178
Rectangular Patterns     179
Circular Patterns     182
Linear Patterns-Pattern along a Path     184
Creating Rectangular Patterns     185
Creating Circular Patterns     186
Creating Path Patterns     188
Project Exercise     192
Applying Your Skills     192
Skill Exercise 4-1      192
Skill Exercise 4-2     192
Checking Your Skills     193
Creating and Editing Drawing Views     195
Objectives     195
Drawing Options, Creating a Drawing, and Drawing Tools     196
Drawing Options     196
Creating a Drawing     198
DWG TrueConnect     199
Drawing Tools     199
Drawing Sheet Preparation     199
Title Blocks     201
Inserting a Default Title Block     201
Edit Property Fields Dialog Box     201
Styles     202
Style Name/Value     202
Creating a New Style     202
Creating Text and Dimension Styles     203
Templates     205
Creating Drawing Views     205
Using the Drawing View Dialog Box     206
The Component Tab     207
The Model State Tab     209
The Display Options Tab     210
Base Views     212
Projected Views     212
Creating a Multiview Drawing     213
Auxiliary Views     217
Section Views     218
Hatching Isometric Views     223
Crosshatching by Material Type      224
Slice Views     225
Detail Views     227
Break Views     230
Breakout Views     233
Creating a Breakout View Using the From Point Option     234
Creating Perspective Views     243
Creating Break, Section, Auxiliary, and Detail Views     246
Editing Drawing Views     252
Moving Drawing Views     252
Editing Drawing View Properties     252
Deleting Drawing Views     254
Editing Drawing Views     254
Dimensions     257
Retrieving Model Dimensions     258
Dimension Visibility     261
Changing Model Dimension Values     261
General Dimensions     262
Moving and Centering Dimension Text     263
Adding Dimensions to Isometric Views     264
Annotations     266
Center Marks and Centerlines     266
Automated Centerlines from Models     269
Text and Leaders     271
Additional Annotation Tools     272
Hole and Thread Notes     273
The Chamfer Note Tool     276
Adding Dimensions and Annotations     277
Opening a Model from a Drawing to Edit     285
Managing Drawing Sheets     287
Creating Multiple Sheets     287
Baseline Dimensions     289
Baseline Dimension Set     291
Creating Baseline Dimensions     293
Ordinate Dimensions     297
Hole Tables     301
Editing the Hole Table     304
Creating Hole Tables     305
The Table Command     309
Creating a General Table     309
Creating a Table from an Excel Spreadsheet     312
Creating a Revision Table     313
Multi-Sheet Plotting     316
Project Exercise     317
Applying Your Skills     318
Skill Exercise 5-1     318
Skill Exercise 5-2     318
Checking Your Skills     319
Creating and Documenting Assemblies     321
Objectives     321
Creating Assemblies     322
Assembly Options     323
The Assembly Capacity Meter     325
The Assembly Browser     325
Bottom-Up Approach     326
Create Components in Place     327
Grounded Components     330
Inserting Multiple Components into an Assembly      330
Assembly Constraints     331
Types of Constraints     333
Assembly Constraint Types     335
Motion Constraint Types     338
Transitional Constraint     341
Applying Assembly Constraints     341
Moving and Rotating Components     343
Editing Assembly Constraints     345
Additional Constraint Tools     346
Browser Views     346
Other Half     347
Constraint Tool Tip     347
Constraint Offset Value Modification     348
Isolating Assembly Components     348
Isolating Constraint Errors     349
Assembling Parts     350
Designing Parts in Place     358
Designing Parts in the Assembly Context     360
Assembly Browser Tools     368
In-Place Activation     368
The Assembly Return Tool     369
Visibility Control     370
Adaptivity     371
Assembly Tab Options     371
Underconstrained Adaptive Features     372
Adaptive Subassemblies     375
Adapting the Sketch or Feature     376
Creating Adaptive Parts      377
Enabled Components     384
Patterning Components     384
Component Patterns     385
Associative Patterns     385
Rectangular Patterns     386
Circular Patterns     386
Pattern Editing     387
Additional Component Pattern Options     388
Patterning Components     389
Analysis Tools     394
Minimum Distance Tool     394
Center of Gravity     395
Interference Checking     395
Analyzing an Assembly     397
Driving Constraints     401
Driving Constraints     404
Skeletal Modeling Techniques     407
Creating a Skeletal Model     412
The Frame Generator     417
Using Solids for Frame Generation     420
Using the Frame Generator     421
Creating Presentation Files     427
Creating Presentation Views     428
Tweaking Components     429
Animation     432
Creating Presentation Views     434
Creating Drawing Views from Assemblies and Presentation Files     439
The BOM Editor     440
Sorting Items in the BOM      442
Renumbering Items in the BOM     443
Choosing Extra Columns for the BOM     443
Changing the View Options of the BOM     444
Editing a BOM Column     444
Editing the BOM     445
Creating Balloons     452
BOM Properties Dialog Box Options     453
Auto Ballooning     454
Parts Lists     460
Editing Parts List BOM Data     461
Parts List Tools     462
Parts List Operations (Top Icons)     462
Creating Custom Parts     464
Creating Assembly Drawings     464
Project Exercise     473
Applying Your Skills     473
Skill Exercise 6-1     473
Assembly Tip     474
Skill Exercise 6-2     475
Checking Your Skills     477
Advanced Part Modeling Techniques     479
Objectives     479
Using Open Profiles     480
Rib and Web Features     481
Shape     482
Thickness     483
Extents     483
Options     483
Taper     484
Creating Ribs and Webs     484
Rib Networks      485
Creating Ribs and Webs     485
Embossed Text and Closed Profiles     488
Creating Text     488
Embossing Text     489
Creating Text and Emboss Features     491
Sweep Features     494
Profile     495
Path     495
Output Buttons     496
Operation Buttons     496
Type Box     496
Optimize for Single Selection     498
Preview     498
Creating a Sweep Feature     498
Creating Sweep Features     499
3D Sketching     501
3D Sketch-Sweep Features     509
Coil Features     511
Coil Shape Tab     511
Coil Size Tab     512
Coil Ends Tab     513
Loft Features     514
Sections     515
Rails     515
Centerline     515
Points     516
Map Points     516
Create a Loft     516
Curves Tab     517
Conditions Tab     518
Transition Tab     520
Creating Loft Features     521
Split Part and Split Face      525
Method     526
Faces     526
Splitting a Part     526
Bend Part     529
Copying Features     531
Dependent     531
Independent     531
Mirroring Features     533
Suppressing Features     534
Conditionally Suppress Features     535
Reordering Features     536
Feature Rollback     537
Derived Parts     538
Derived Part Symbols     539
Derived Part Dialog Box     540
Derived Assembly Symbols     541
Creating a Derived Part     542
Center of Gravity     545
Part Materials and Colors     546
Overriding Mass and Volume Properties     546
Autolimits     547
Project Exercise     550
Applying Your Skills     550
Skill Exercise 7-1     550
Checking Your Skills     552
iComponents and Parameters     555
Objectives     555
iMates     555
Composite iMates     561
Creating and Using iMates     562
Dimension Display, Relationships, and Equations      573
Dimension Display     574
Dimension Relationships     575
Equations     575
Parameters     576
User Parameters     578
Linked Parameters     579
Relationships and Parameters     582
iParts     589
Creating iParts     589
Editing iParts     596
iPart Placement     596
Standard iPart Libraries     598
Custom iParts     599
Auto-Capture     600
Edit Member Scope Example     600
Drawings     602
Creating and Placing iParts     603
iAssemblies     610
Creating iAssemblies     610
Placing iAssemblies     614
Documenting iAssemblies     615
Working with iAssemblies     617
iFeatures     627
Create iFeatures     628
Insert iFeatures     631
Editing iFeatures     634
Inserting Table-Driven iFeatures     637
Creating and Placing iFeatures     637
Applying Your Skills     641
Skill Exercise 8-1     641
Checking Your Skills     650
Advanced Assembly Modeling Techniques     653
Objectives     653
Design View Representations     654
Creating a New Design View Representation     656
Increasing Performance through Design View Representations     658
Importing Design View Representations from Other Assemblies     660
Creating a Private Design View Representation     661
Creating Drawing Views from Design View Representations     662
Flexible Assemblies     664
Positional Representations     667
Creating Drawing Views from Positional Representations     672
Creating Overlay Views     673
Positional Representations     674
Capacity and Performance     682
Capacity Meter     683
Levels of Detail Representations     684
Contact Solver     686
Mirroring an Assembly     690
Mirroring Assembly Components     691
Copying an Assembly     694
Mirroring Assembly Components     696
Assembly Work Features     698
Assembly Features     699
Assembly Sketches     700
Creating Assembly Features     700