inventor parts tutorial

8/3/2019 Inventor Parts Tutorial

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Inventor-Parts-Tutorial

By: Dor Ashur

For Assignment:

http://www.maelabs.ucsd.edu/mae3/Assignments/CAD/Inventor_Parts.pdf

Open Autodesk Inventor: Start-> All Programs -> Autodesk -> Autodesk Inventor 2010 (orlatest version)

Tutorials

File types

Welcome Screen

Open an existing file

Make a New File

File types:

.ipt: part file

Use Standard.iptNot Sheet Metal.ipt

.iam: assembly files

.idw: drawing file

Projects

o Projects make file management in your computer or among a group of collaboratorseasy, as assemblies of many parts work better when all parts are linked and

common.

o Starting a new project:1. Select Projects from the Welcome Screen Ribbon, or under Manage when

clicking on the yellow I in the top left of the screen2. Click on New and follow the given directions.3. Choose New Vault Project if this will be a shared project, or New Single

User Project if these files will only reside on your computer.

4. Enter the name and location of the project and click Finish

5. IMPORTANT: double click on the file you want to be working on and acheck will appear beside that project. You can only switch projects when all

files are closed.
http://www.maelabs.ucsd.edu/mae3/Assignments/CAD/Inventor_Parts.pdfhttp://www.maelabs.ucsd.edu/mae3/Assignments/CAD/Inventor_Parts.pdf


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Tutorials: very easy to use and highly recommendedo Interface Overview: understanding access to toolbar access tips, and for

getting used to the new ribbon for those with experiencewith the previous Inventor version.

o Tutorials: very useful and easy introductions, and videos about all the

features of AutoCAD. Highly recommended for brand

new users.

Customizing and Preferences

In the tools ribbon toolbar Applications Options and Customize both allow you to

change the user interface, file settings etc. It is recommended that, once adjusted, usersdefine their own settings to increase modeling efficiency. There are many many different

options, but the main ones that apply to this course are:

Applications Options

o Colors change the colors to ease your eyes ( I suggest millennium)

o

Sketch-Display I suggest you only show your axes, and minor gridlines

o NOTE: you may have to hid your Windows taskbar to find the apply button.

Customize

o I highly recommend that for extended use you set your keyboard shortcuts tomake modeling much faster, you can also see the set shortcut for a given

function/tool/button when hovering over that button with your mouse.

o Use this to change your toolbars if needed.

Part Tutorials

http://www.maelabs.ucsd.edu/mae3/Assignments/CAD/Inventor_Parts_Dimensions.pdf

Base Plate

1. Sketch the part using the tools in the Sketching Toolbar similar to AutoCAD

1.1. Draw the basic shape. For clarity, at least one point should coincide with the origin.1.2. Lines are drawn by clicking on the start and endpoint as in AutoCAD
http://www.maelabs.ucsd.edu/mae3/Assignments/CAD/Inventor_Parts_Dimensions.pdfhttp://www.maelabs.ucsd.edu/mae3/Assignments/CAD/Inventor_Parts_Dimensions.pdf


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1.3. Constrain the sketch before dimensioning (use auto-constrains if possible).

Auto-constraints: your mouse will snap to place lines and shapes parallel,

perpendicular, horizontal or vertical. A littleor || shape will appear, or dotted lineslinking to an existing feature will indicate that a constraint will be made.

Sketches can be manually constrained using the constrain toolbar

Points, lines and curves can be clicked and dragged if not already fully constrained.

Adding wise constraints can reduce the amount of dimensioning required, and thuschanges needed to modify a design. (ie: the top and bottom small lines can be

constrained to be "equal because they would have the same dimension)

Your lines will change color (in my color scheme from green to purple) when they

are fully defined. It is recommended for clarity and ease of modification that ALLshapes of every sketch be fully constrained so that if you go back and change a

feature your intended relationships will hold.

Inventor will not let you over constrain a sketch. If you see an error, it means that the

constraint has already been made, or conflicts with another previous constraint.

Make sure that your sketch contains only closed loops before dimensioning

1.4. Dimension the lines using the General Dimension tool or by hitting D Dimension the distance of a line by clicking on it and dragging the dimension

perpendicular from the line

Dimension the distance between two lines by clicking on one line, then the other, and

dragging the dimension parallel to those lines

Clicking on a circle creates a diameter or radius dimension, and clicking on a circleand then on a line, defines the distance from the circle to that line.

If you cannot view your entire sketch, use your scroll button to zoom in and out (For

further viewing, see Viewingbelow)

Double click on any dimension to edit it.

The dimension can do the math for you. You can input 3/2 or 1.5 or 1 + .5


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2. Click Finish Sketch

3. Click Extrude3.1. Make sure the inside of your shape is highlighted (it should as there is only one shape)

3.2. Input the distance of 3 inches

3.3. Select OK

Viewing Cube

Viewing Ribbon

Viewing

Now that we have our 3D part, lets make sure that we can properly view our part to

manipulate and edit it.

In the View ribbon panel, and in the opaque viewing toolbar on the right there are several

different viewing options including:

Pan: Move left and right with the screen. Also can be done by pressing on your scroll

button and dragging.

Zoom All: Show every feature/part in one window.

Orbit: Rotates around a part. Click and drag along the viewing circle or on any of thecross hairs to rotate only about that plane.

View Face: looks directly at a face. It is very important to be looking at a face when

you are sketching to make sure that vertical and horizontal likes are actually so.

You can also use the viewing cube (see picture above) by:

Clicking and dragging to rotate

Clicking on a face edge or corner to view from that perspective

Clicking on the home icon to view the isometric perspective

Clicking on the left or right arrows to rotate counterclockwise or clockwiserespectively in the viewing plane

Right clicking on the cube to reset your viewing perspectives.


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Modeling Toolbar

The modeling toolbar shows the steps and components that you have done to make this part,

and can be used to edit previous steps when modifying your part.

Double click on a sketch in the model tree to edit it, or right click on the modeling feature it

belongs to and select Edit Sketch.

Right click on a modeling feature and choose Edit Feature to edit previous functions.

When you are finished with your part you should check the modeling toolbar to make sure

that there are no unconsumed sketches, sketches that have not been used to extrude, revolve,or otherwise build your part.

If the modeling bar disappears or is not visible go to: View User Interface and make surethe browser box is checked.

Consumed Sketch

Unconsumed Sketch

4. Practice with the Modeling Tree

4.1. Click on the + sign in the Model Tree to reveal Sketch 1. Double click on Sketch 1

4.1.1. You can edit any of the dimensions if you previously made a mistake.4.2. Click Finish Sketch to return to your extruded part

4.3. Right click on Extrusion 1 and select Edit Feature

4.3.1. You can edit the extrusion depth if you previously made a mistake.

5. Making the large center hole5.1. Click on Sketch

5.2. Select the large face of the part, where the 3 holes are cut.

5.3. Use the Look at tool to view that face, and then Zoom All if necessary.5.4. Select the Project Geometry Tool

5.4.1.This tool projects the shadow of the current parts feature, which does not reside in

the sketch plane, onto the sketch. You cannot dimension or draw using that featurewithout projecting its geometry.

5.4.2.Click on the left most edge to include that feature in your sketch, and the shadow of

that edge should appear on your sketch


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Project Geometry

Projected Line

Construction

5.5. Draw a diagonal construction line between the corners of the part so that you can find,

and snap to the center of the rectangle.

5.5.1.Draw a line, then select that line and click on the construction line button, or clickthe button before drawing the line. Make sure to untoggle the construction button to

draw a real line. Select a construction line and click the

5.5.2.Construction lines are used only for reference and will not effect an extrusion,revolution etc.

5.6. Draw a circle in the center

5.6.1.Hover your mouse over the middle of the construction line until the cursor turns

green, indicating that midpoint has been found.5.6.2.Click once to set that midpoint as the center of your circle, and then click again to

set the diameter.

5.6.3.Give the circle its proper dimension (1.75 diameter) by selecting the dimensiontool, clicking on the circumference, clicking again to place the dimension and

double clicking on the dimension to edit it.5.7. Click Exit Sketch

5.8. Extrude out the circle.

5.8.1. Click the extrude button5.8.2. Click inside the circle to cut out.

5.8.3. Select Cut5.8.4. Under extents select All5.8.5. Click OK

Note: This circle could have been placed by

inserting a dimension between the circleand the top and side walls, however

drawing our construction lines allows our

part to adapt to changes in the design


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process and thus satisfies a better drawing

etiquette.6. Making the 2 threaded holes

6.1. These two holes can not be made in the same fashion as the larger ones as they are

threaded.6.2. Sketch the holes locations

6.2.1. Select Sketch and click on the large face where you just drew the big hole.6.2.2. Again, make sure that you are looking directly at the face before you sketch.6.2.3. Add a Point, Center Points to the left and right of the large circle

6.2.4. Constrain the points to be horizontal with the center of the large circle.

6.2.5. Dimension the center points to be each 1.75 from the center of the large circle

6.2.6. Click Finish Sketch6.3. Use the Hole feature to specify the holes parameters

6.3.1. Click on the Hole tool.

6.3.2. The hole function should recognize the unconsumed sketch and automaticallychoose the proper center points you drew

6.3.3. Make a tapped,

6.3.4. Size = .3756.3.5. Designation = 3/8-24

6.3.6. Termination = Through All

6.4. Click Ok


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7. Make the 2 small holes on the side of the part

7.1. Click Sketch and click on the small face on the outside of the part.

7.1.1. Look at that face7.2. Use the Project Geometry tool to project the edge of the opposing face in order to

dimension the holes that are not on the face you are sketching on.7.3. Draw 4 circles7.3.1. Constrain each of the circle to be equal

7.3.2. Constrain the centers of the bottom and top circle to be horizontal

7.3.3. Constrain the centers of the left and right circles to be vertical

7.3.3.1. These steps, and any steps possible to reduce the amount of dimensionsmake design easier.

7.3.4. Dimension the diameters and the distances as shown

7.3.5. Click Return Extrude (Cut, through all like step 5.8)

8. Fillet the appropriate corners using the Fillet tool.

8.1. Click on the radius to change its dimension to .125 inch.8.2. Select the edges to fillet and click Apply

8.2.1. Rotate your view around to see the other filleted edge, or you can select the edge

through your part by hovering over where it would appear.9. Save your part.


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3. Press Finish Sketch and extrude the part inch.

4. Define the centers of the small side holes

4.1. Create a sketch on the large face and look at it.4.2. Add 2 Point, Center points at the centers of the smaller circles

4.2.1. As these centers are already defined, no dimensions are needed.

4.3. Click on Finish Sketch

5. Define the holes parameters5.1. Click on the Hole tool

5.2. The center points should be selected by default

5.3. Input the holes parameters5.3.1. Type: Counter Bore

5.3.2. Termination: Through All5.3.3. Input the counterbores dimensions as given in the assignment.

5.4. Click OK

6. Create the large center column6.1. Make a sketch on the large main face

6.2. Sketch a circle by clicking on the center of the existing circle, and then on the circlescircumference.

6.2.1. No dimensions are need because the circle is concentric and collinear with the

circle below

6.3. Exit the sketch and Extrude the circle 1.5

7. Make the counterbore in the center column7.1. Create a sketch on the face of the extruded cylinder

7.2. Draw a center point at the center of the existing circle and exit the sketch

8. Define the counterbore parameters8.1. Click on the Hole tool and create a counter bored hole, like in step 5, according to the

dimensions given in the assignment.


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9. Create the side small hole

9.1. Create a working plane

9.1.1. Look at the top of the part9.1.2. Click the + next to Origin in the Model Tree on the left

9.1.3. Right click on the YZ plane and select visibility

9.1.4. Click on Plane in the Work Features section of the ribbon.

9.1.5. Click and drag the YZ plane right and input an offset of 1.25 and click the green

check, then turn the visibility of the YZ plane off.

Plane

Feature

YZ Plane


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9.2. Draw the Circle

9.2.1. Create a sketch on the new work plane, by clicking on its outline, and look at it9.2.2. Project the geometry of the center part of the base onto the sketch as in step 5.4 of

the base plate

9.2.3. Draw a construction line down from the center of the projected line, and a circleat its end.

9.2.4. Dimension the line to 1.25 and the circle to 3/89.3. Extrude the circle by selecting the circle and choosing To Next so that the circle doesnot cut all the way through the part.

9.4. Right click on the work plane in the model panel and turn off its visibility.

10. Fillet the outer edges of the part with a 1/8 radius

11. Save your part.

Final Note:

There are infinite ways to draw each part. I have tried to show you the fastest and most

professional method. When drawing a new part, try to find the quickest, easiest method possiblethat requires the least amount of dimensions/parameters, and make sure that every line in every

sketch is fully constrained.

inventor parts tutorial

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