Autodesk Inventor ®

Getting Started

8
52708-000000-5000A September 29, 2003
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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Introducing Autodesk Inventor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Data Files for Exercises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
File Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Application Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Document Settings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Using Short Cut Keys and Hot Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Viewing Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Zoom Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Camera View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Importing and Exporting Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
AutoCAD Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Autodesk Mechanical Desktop Files. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
SAT Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
STEP Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
IGES Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Using the Design Support System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Feedback Loops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Skill Builders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Contents | iii
Chapter 1 Creating Sketches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Understanding Sketches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Sketch Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Sketch Coordinate System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Model Edges Referenced for Sketches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Sketch Geometry Styles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Precise Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Creating Sketches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Start a Sketch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Create Profiles with Tangencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Tips for Creating Sketches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Refine Geometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Constraining Sketches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Add Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Open Data Files for Exercises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Add Constraints to the First Sketch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
Show All Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
Add Constraints to Existing Sketches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Delete and Add Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
Tips for Constraining Sketches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
Dimensioning Sketches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
Place Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
Automatic Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36
Dimension Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Dimension Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Delete and Add Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
Tips for Creating Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
Modifying Sketches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Chapter 2 Working with Sketched Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Parametric Part Modeling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Part Modeling Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
Workflows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
Base Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
Adding Sketched Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Extrude Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Revolve Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Sweep Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Loft Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
Coil Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Rib and Web Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Modifying Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

iv | Contents
Chapter 3 Creating and Editing Placed Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Creating Placed Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Fillet Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Chamfer Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Add Chamfers and Fillets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Add Hole Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Add Thread Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Add Shell Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Creating Pattern Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Add Rectangular Patterns. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Suppress Pattern Occurrences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Add Circular Patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

Chapter 4 Creating and Editing Work Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Defining Work Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Work Planes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Work Axes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Work Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Grounded Work Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Modifying Work Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Chapter 5 Managing Assemblies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Introduction to Assembly Modeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Bottom-Up Assembly Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Top-Down Assembly Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Middle-Out Assembly Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Assembly Coordinate System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Assembly Constraints. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Assembly Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Working in the Assembly Browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
In-Place Activation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Control Visibility of Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Assembly Structures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Restructure Assemblies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Browser Display Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Graphics Window Display Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Documenting Assemblies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Create Design Views. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Producing Bills of Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Packaging Assemblies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Tips for Working with Assemblies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Use Efficient File Structures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Manage Assembly Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Contents | v
Chapter 6 Placing, Moving, and Constraining Components . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Placing Components In Assemblies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104
Sources of Placed Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105
Drag Components into Assemblies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105
Enabled Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106
Grounded Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106
Moving and Rotating Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107
Constraining Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107
iMates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108
Place Constraints. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108
Motion Constraints. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
Viewing Constraints. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Editing Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Tips for Managing Assembly Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116

Chapter 7 Creating Assemblies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

Creating Components in Assemblies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118
Parts In Place . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118
Projected Edges and Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120
Subassemblies In Place . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121
Creating Component Patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122
Using Work Features in Assemblies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124
Replacing Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125

Chapter 8 Analyzing Assemblies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

Checking for Interference in Assemblies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .128
Analyze Interference Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .128
Degrees of Freedom. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129
Unconstrained Drag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130
Constrained Drag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130
Constraint Drivers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130
Drive Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131
Animating Movements of Parts in Assemblies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133

Chapter 9 Working with Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

Introduction to Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138
Create Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139
Drawing Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .140
Edit Model Dimensions in Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .140

vi | Contents
Chapter 10 Formatting Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Setting Drafting Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Customize Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Using Drawing Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Sheet Layouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Edit Default Sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Format Sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Drawing Borders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Title Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Hole Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Parts Lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Tips for Creating Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

Chapter 11 Creating Views in Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

Creating Drawing Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Drawing View Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Editing Views. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Creating Multiview Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Base Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Section Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Auxiliary Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Detail Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Broken Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Draft Views. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Modifying Views and Sections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
DeleteViews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Align Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Edit Hatch Patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Rotate Views. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Move Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Tips for Creating Drawing Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168

Chapter 12 Annotating Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169

Annotating Drawing Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Creating Dimensions in Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Change Dimensions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Place Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Controlling Dimension Styles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Dimension Style Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Dimension Styles in the Drawing Organizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175

Contents | vii
 Creating Annotations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .175
Center Marks and Centerlines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .176
Notes and Leader Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .176
Hole and Thread Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .176
Thread Representation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177
Title Block Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177
Add Dimensions and Annotations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .178
Edit Drawing Views. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .179
Printing Drawing Sheets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .190
Tips for Annotating Drawings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .190

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191

viii | Contents
Introduction

In This Chapter

Welcome to Autodesk Inventor®. This book is intended ■ Autodesk Inventor software

■ Using projects
to give you the fundamental skills you need to get
■ Application settings
started using Autodesk Inventor and be productive
■ Hot keys

quickly. The basic features of Autodesk Inventor are ■ Viewing modes

■ Importing and exporting data
highlighted in these chapters, and are presented

through examples and step-by-step procedures. The

data files used in the procedures are installed with the

Autodesk Inventor software.

1
Introducing Autodesk Inventor
Autodesk Inventor is a 3D mechanical design system built with adaptive
technology and solid modeling capabilities.
The Autodesk Inventor software includes features for 3D modeling,
information management, collaboration, and technical support. With
Autodesk Inventor, you can:
■ Create 3D models and 2D manufacturing drawings.
■ Create adaptive features, parts, and subassemblies.
■ Manage thousands of parts and large assemblies.
■ Use third-party applications, with an Application Program Interface (API).
■ Use VBA to access the Autodesk Inventor API. Create programs to
automate repetitive tasks. On the Help menu, choose Programmer Help.
■ Import SAT, STEP, and AutoCAD® and Autodesk® Mechanical Desktop®
(DWG) files for use in Autodesk Inventor. Export Autodesk Inventor files
to AutoCAD, Autodesk Mechanical Desktop, and IGES formats.
■ Collaborate with multiple designers in the modeling process.
■ Link to Web tools to access industry resources, share data, and
communicate with colleagues.
■ Use the integrated Design Support System (DSS) for help as you work.

Getting Started
When you start Autodesk Inventor, the Getting Started dialog box displays
the window you had active during your last session of Autodesk Inventor.
You can use this window to specify a project, add a new project, edit an
existing project, start a new file, and open an existing file.

Projects
Autodesk Inventor uses projects to organize files and to maintain valid links
between them. Because using projects is a critical part of managing your
designs within Autodesk Inventor, there is a companion manual to this book
called “Managing Your Data,” which is available in the Autodesk Inventor
Series product box, and in PDF format on the Autodesk Inventor product CD.

2 | Introduction
 Data Files for Exercises
When you install Autodesk Inventor, a project called tutorial_files is created.
You need to make this project active so that you can locate the data files that
are used for some exercises in this book.

TRY IT: Make the tutorial_files project active

1 In the Standard menu, click Files > Projects.
2 In the Project Editor, top pane, click the tutorial_files project to make it the
active project.
In the lower pane, in Options > Location, the path to the folder containing
the tutorial data files is displayed. This is the folder where the files you create
and edit while performing the exercises are saved.
3 In the side pane, click Open.
The data files contained in the tutorial_files project are listed in the Open
dialog box.
4 Click a file to see a preview of it, and double-click a file to open it.
The file opens in Autodesk Inventor.

File Types
Once you define your project, you can open an existing file or start a new file.
The Open dialog box provides templates for a new part, assembly,
presentation file, sheet metal part, weldment, or drawing. You can choose
from several templates with predefined units.
Templates are stored in the Autodesk\Inventor(version number)\Templates
directory or in the English or Metric subdirectories. Subdirectories in the
Templates directory are displayed as tabs in the New dialog box. You can
create and save custom templates in the Templates directory.

NOTE If you select Part from the drop-down menu beside the New button,
the standard Part template opens. If the Standard.ipt file is not in the
Autodesk\Inventor(version number)\Templates directory, an error dialog box is
displayed.

A template can also contain property information, such as part and project
data, material properties, units of measure, status, and color. The
information on the Summary, Project, Status, and Custom tabs is available
outside of Autodesk Inventor through the Design Assistant or Microsoft®
Windows® Explorer.

Getting Started | 3
 Application Settings
Autodesk Inventor provides a dialog box for you to change the look and feel
of the application. If you select Tools > Application Options, the Options
dialog box is displayed. Using the tabs on the Options dialog box, you can
control the color and display of your Autodesk Inventor work environment,
the behavior and settings of files, the default file locations, and a variety of
multiple-user functions.

Document Settings
In addition to application options, you can control settings in individual
files. If you select Tools > Document Settings, the Document Settings dialog
box is displayed. Using the tabs on this dialog box, you can control various
settings for the active document.

Using Short Cut Keys and Hot Keys

Autodesk Inventor provides hot keys to help you perform certain tasks more
quickly. It’s important to remember that some hot keys are active in specific
environments only.

TRY IT: View a complete guide to short cut keys

1 Open the Autodesk Inventor application.
2 On the Standard menu, click Tools > Customize > Commands tab. For each
category, there is a list of the command name and its associated shortcut if
one exists.

The following is a list of some of the commonly used hot keys.

Key Result

F1 Displays Help for the active command or dialog box.

F2 Pans the graphics window.

F3 Zooms in or out in the graphics window.

F4 Rotates objects in the graphics window.

F5 Returns to the previous view.

4 | Introduction
Key Result

F6 Returns to isometric view

B Adds a balloon to a drawing.

C Adds an assembly constraint.

D Adds a dimension to a sketch or drawing.

E Extrudes a profile.

F Adds a feature control frame to a drawing.

H Adds a hole feature.

L Creates a line or arc.

O Adds an ordinate dimension.

P Places a component in the current assembly.

R Creates a revolved feature.

S Creates a sketch on a face or plane.

T Tweaks a part in the current presentation file.

ESC Quits a command.

DELETE Deletes selected objects.

Backspace In the active Line tool, removes the last sketched segment.

ALT + drag mouse In assemblies, applies a mate constraint.

In a sketch, moves spline shape points.

CTRL + SHIFT Adds or removes objects from selection set.

SHIFT + right-click Activates the Select tool menu.

SHIFT + Rotate tool Automatically rotates model in graphics window. Click to quit.

CTRL +ENTER Disables inferencing when entering precise input sketch points.

CTRL + Y Activates Redo (revokes the last Undo).

CTRL + Z Activates Undo (revokes the last action).

Spacebar When the 3D Rotate tool is active, switches between dynamic

rotation and standard isometric and single plane views.

Using Short Cut Keys and Hot Keys | 5

Viewing Models
There are several ways to view a part. You can select the Look At tool and
select a flat face to view the model normal to the selected face. If you right-
click in the graphics window, and then select Isometric View from the menu,
the view vector changes to the isometric orientation. You can select Previous
View from the menu or press F5 to return the model to the last view.
You can rotate a view in 3D. Using the Rotate tool in the Standard toolbar,
you can rotate a view around one of the coordinate axes. When Rotate is
active, press the SPACEBAR to use the Common View tool, a “glass box” with
a view vector on each face and corner.

Zoom Tools
The zoom tools are located in the Standard toolbar.

Zoom
Use the Zoom button on the standard toolbar to zoom the view in the
graphics window in or out to achieve the desired scale. You can zoom the
view while other tools are active.

6 | Introduction
Zoom All
Use the Zoom All button on the Standard toolbar to zoom a part or assembly
so that all elements display in the graphics window. You can zoom a drawing
so that the active sheet fit within the graphics window.

Zoom Window
Use the Zoom Window button on the Standard toolbar to define an area of a
part, assembly, or drawing to fill the graphics window.

Zoom Selected
Use the Zoom Selected button on the Standard toolbar to zoom a selected
edge, feature, or other element to the size of the graphics window.

Viewing Models | 7
 Pan
Use the Pan button on the Standard toolbar to move the view in the graphics
window in any direction planar to the screen. You can pan the view while
other tools are active.

Look At
Use the Look At button on the Standard toolbar to zoom and rotate the
display in the graphics window. You can position a selected planar element
parallel to the screen or position a selected edge or line horizontal to the
screen.

8 | Introduction
Rotate
Use the 3D Rotate tool on the Standard toolbar to:

■ Rotate a part or assembly in the graphics window.

■ Display standard, isometric, and single plane projections of a part or
assembly.
■ Redefine the isometric view.

Change Display
Use one of the Change Display tools to switch between the three display
modes: Shaded, and Shaded with Hidden Edge Display, and Wireframe.
Display modes can be applied to part and assembly models, and to views in
the Engineer's Notebook.

Camera View
In Perspective Camera mode, part or assembly models are displayed in three-
point perspective, a visual effect where parallel lines converge on a vanishing
point. This is the way real objects are perceived by the human eye or by a
camera.

Viewing Models | 9
 Display Shadows
Use the Display Shadow tool to cast a shadow on the plane beneath the
model.

Camera View
The Camera View tool has two settings: Orthographic Camera mode and
Perspective Camera mode.
The following chart shows how the other viewing tools behave and can be
modified in each camera mode.

Orthograp Perspective
Zoom or Pan Type hic Camera Camera Keys/Commands
mode mode

Camera Translation Pan Yes Yes F2 / Pan

Camera Pivot Pan Yes Yes SHIFT+F2 / Pan

Camera Position Zoom Yes Yes F3 / Zoom

Camera Position/Camera No Yes SHIFT+F3 / Zoom

Target Point Zoom

Lens Focal Length Zoom No Yes CTRL+F3 / Zoom

Set Perspective Distortion Shift+CTRL+F3 / Zoom

10 | Introduction
Importing and Exporting Data
You can import SAT, STEP, IGES and AutoCAD and Autodesk Mechanical
Desktop (DWG) files for use in Autodesk Inventor. You can save Autodesk
Inventor parts and assemblies in a number of file formats, and you can save
Autodesk Inventor drawings as DXF or AutoCAD drawing (DWG) files.
The options for opening AutoCAD files in Autodesk Inventor are:

■ Layer mapping.
■ Selection of an AutoCAD template.
■ Support for DFX files back to version 12.
■ Creation of AutoCAD Mechanical files, if AutoCAD Mechanical is
installed.

NOTE Mechanical Desktop files can be linked to Autodesk Inventor assemblies

without importing.

AutoCAD Files
You can open AutoCAD (DWG or DXF) files back to version 12. When you
open an AutoCAD file in Autodesk Inventor, you can specify the AutoCAD
data to translate. You can select:

■ Model space, a single layout in paper space, or 3D solids.

■ One or more layers.

You can also place 2D translated data:

■ On a sketch in a new or existing drawing.

■ As a title block in a new drawing.
■ As a sketched symbol in a new drawing.
■ On a sketch in a new or existing part.

If you translate 3D solids, each solid becomes a part file containing an ACIS
solid body.
When you import AutoCAD (DWG) drawings into a part sketch, a drawing,
or a drawing sketch overlay, the converter takes the entities from the XY
plane of model space and places them on the sketch. In a drawing, certain
entities, such as splines, cannot be converted.

Importing and Exporting Data | 11

 Autodesk Mechanical Desktop Files
When you export Autodesk Inventor drawings into AutoCAD, you get an
editable drawing. The converter creates a new AutoCAD drawing and places
everything into paper space in the DWG file. If there are multiple sheets in
the Autodesk Inventor drawing, each sheet is saved as a separate DWG file.
The exported entities become AutoCAD entities, including dimensions.
Autodesk Inventor can translate Autodesk Mechanical Desktop parts and
assemblies so the design intent is retained. You can import a Mechanical
Desktop file as either an ACIS body or a full conversion. To import model
data from a Mechanical Desktop part or assembly, Mechanical Desktop must
be installed and running on your system. Features that are supported in
Autodesk Inventor are converted. Features that are not supported are not
translated. If Autodesk Inventor can’t translate a feature it skips that feature,
places a note in the browser, and then completes the translation.

SAT Files
SAT (*.sat) files contain non parametric solids. They may be Boolean solids or
parametric solids with the relationships removed. A SAT file can be used in
an assembly. You can add parametric features to the base solid.
When you import a SAT file that contains a single body, it produces an
Autodesk Inventor part file with a single part. If it contains multiple bodies,
it produces an assembly with multiple parts.

STEP Files
STEP files are the international format developed to overcome some of the
limitations of data conversion standards. Past efforts in developing standards
have resulted in localized formats such as IGES (U.S.), VDAFS (Germany), or
IDF (for circuit boards). Those standards do not address many developments
in CAD systems. The STEP converter for Autodesk Inventor is designed for
effective communication and reliable interchange with other CAD systems.
When you import a STEP (*.stp, *.ste, *.step) file, only 3D solid, part, and
assembly data are converted. Drafting, text, wireframe, and surface data are
not processed by the STEP converter. If a STEP file contains one part, it
produces an Autodesk Inventor part file. If it contains assembly data, it
produces an assembly with multiple parts.

12 | Introduction
 IGES Files
IGES (*.igs, *.ige, *.iges) files are a standard in the United States. Many
NC/CAM software packages require files in IGES format. Autodesk Inventor
imports and exports IGES files.
For information about other Autodesk products, go to www.autodesk.com, and
navigate to Product Center.

Using the Design Support System

You can use the online Design Support System in Autodesk Inventor to assist
with your specific work tasks. The DSS integrates software tools, knowledge,
and interactive learning to provide a comprehensive set of tools for increased
productivity.

Feedback Loops
Included in this tool set are two feedback loops that provide you with direct
communication to the DSS development team:

■ Comments Link
■ Survey link

These feedback loops give you the opportunity to address specific content
topics, provide general feedback about the DSS, and provide input about
what you want and need from the Autodesk Inventor DSS.

Using the Design Support System | 13

 Click the Comments Link on a Help topic page to send your comments to
the DSS development team.

Click the Survey button at the top of the Help home page to participate in
the survey and send comments to the DSS development team.

14 | Introduction
 Skill Builders
The Autodesk Inventor DSS provides extended learning through its Skill
Builders. These learning modules are available in PDF format on the Web.
Skill Builders are posted at any point during a release cycle to address
customer needs and requests.
To see the Skill Builders, use the Skill Builder dialog box that is displayed a set
number of times after you install the product, or click Skill Builders on the
right-click menu in any Help topic. The Skill Builders Web page is displayed,
where you can click on a Skill Builder of your choice.

Using the Design Support System | 15

 Navigation
The DSS Web-like navigation provides easy access to Help, tutorials, and
Show Me animations. You can navigate quickly to the information you need,
using a Web-like interface. Consolidated site maps provide a broad access
method for advanced topics.

16 | Introduction
Creating Sketches

In This Chapter
1
In Autodesk Inventor®, sketching is the first step in ■ About sketching
■ Creating sketches
creating a part. This chapter gives you an overview of
■ Constraining sketches
the sketch environment and the work flow for creating
■ Dimensioning sketches

sketches. ■ Modifying sketches

17
Understanding Sketches
Every part starts with a sketch. A sketch is the profile of a feature and any
geometry (such as a sweep path or axis of rotation) required to create the
feature.
All sketch geometry is created and edited in the sketch environment.
Geometry is created using the Sketch tools in the panel bar or from the
Sketch toolbar. You can select tools to control the sketch grid, and to draw
lines, splines, circles, ellipses, arcs, rectangles, polygons, or points. You can
fillet corners, extend or trim curves, and offset and project geometry from
other features.
To start a sketch from scratch, open a new part file, select a tool from the
Sketch toolbar, and then start sketching in the graphics window. Sketching
in Autodesk Inventor is gesture based. That is, as you sketch, constraints are
automatically applied to the various sketch elements based on references
that you imply as you sketch. Any implied sketch constraint can be modified
or deleted. Constraints can also be added manually to any sketch element.To
exit a given sketch tool right-click and then select Done, or press ESC.
You create a 3D model from a sketch by projecting the profile or revolving it
around an axis.

From sketch... ...to 3D model

The model you create in Autodesk Inventor is linked to its underlying

sketches and sketch information. If you change a sketch, the model is
automatically updated.

18 | Chapter 1 Creating Sketches

Sketch Environment
You work in the sketch environment when you create or edit a sketch. The
sketch environment consists of a sketch and sketch tools to control the
sketch grid, and to draw lines, splines, circles, ellipses, arcs, rectangles,
polygons, or points.
When you open a new part file, the sketchenvironment is automatically
active. The 2D Sketch button is selected, and the Sketch toolbar is available,
along with a sketch plane on which to sketch. You can control the initial
setup using template files or settings in the Tools > Application Options
dialog box, Sketch tab.
In an existing part file, first activate the sketch in the browser. This action
activates the tools in the sketch environment so you can create geometry for
part features.
After you create a model from a sketch, you can reenter the sketch
environment to make changes or start a new sketch for a new feature. The
changes you make to a sketch are reflected in the model.
When you create a sketch, a sketch icon is displayed in the browser. When
you create a feature from a sketch, a feature icon is displayed in the browser
with the sketch icon nested under it. When you point to a sketch icon in the
browser, the sketch is highlighted in the graphics window. Double-click the
sketch in the browser to edit it.

Sketch Coordinate System

When you start a new sketch, the sketch coordinate system is displayed as X
and Y axes of the sketch grid, and another 3D indicator is displayed at the
sketch origin. The default grid lies on the sketch plane.
You can reposition and change orientation of the sketch coordinate system
to:

■ Change the orientation of dimensions you create.

■ Aid in precise input for sketch geometry.

Understanding Sketches | 19
 TRY IT: Reposition the sketch origin in the coordinate system
1 Click the Edit Coordinate System tool.
2 Move the cursor over the icon origin, pause to highlight it, and then drag it
to any vertex, work point, or sketch point to specify a new sketch origin. (You
cannot place it off the part.)
3 Press the SPACEBAR, and then click the check mark to accept the new position.
4 Right-click, and then select Done to activate the new origin.

When the Edit Coordinate System tool is active, you can also rotate the
coordinate system around the Z axis.

TRY IT: Rotate the axis in the coordinate system

1 Click the Edit Coordinate System tool.
2 Select (highlight) the X or Y axis, and then select an edge, work axis, or sketch
line to align the axis with.
3 Rotate the coordinate system. Then right-click, and select Flip Axis to rotate
it 180 degrees.

Model Edges Referenced for Sketches

While you sketch, you can use direct model edge referencing to:

■ Automatically project edges of the part to the sketch plane as you sketch
a curve.
■ Create dimensions and constraints to edges of the part that do not lie on
the sketch plane
■ Control the automatic projection of part edges to the sketch plane.

Workflow overview: Project part edges to a sketch plane

■ Click the Project Geometry tool, and then select any part edge.

■ Select an edge of the part while creating a dimension or constraint.

NOTE You can also use model edge referencing of continuous loops or points.

20 | Chapter 1 Creating Sketches

 Sketch Geometry Styles
There are two styles for sketch geometry.
Normal The default style, used for creating features.
Construction Geometry that is required to sketch a profile, but is not
used for creating the feature, or for paths, sweeps, and lofts.
You specify a geometry style from the Style field above the graphics window
before you begin sketching new geometry. To change the style of existing
geometry, select the geometry first, and then specify a style from the Style field.

Precise Values
In the sketch environment, you can input relative X and Y distances from the
last point selected. Precise input is possible only when specific tools are
active. For example, you can use precise input to define a line, a sketch point,
and a three point arc, among others.
To display the Precise Input toolbar, click View > Toolbar, and then click
Precise Input. The toolbar is displayed in the graphics window. The toolbar
will accept input when an appropriate sketch tool is activated.
You can enter precise values for geometry as you sketch. The tools for precise
input are located on the Precise Input toolbar. Precise input works with any
sketch tool that requires placement of a point. The precise input tool has X
and Y fields. You can enter both values to define a point, or enter just the X
or Y value to limit the placement of the point to a vertical or horizontal line.

Workflow overview: Input precise values

1 Start a Sketch tool.
2 Click a start point or enter a value in the X field of the Precise Input dialog box.
3 Press TAB to activate the Y field, and then enter a value.
4 Press ENTER to accept your input.

Understanding Sketches | 21
Creating Sketches
In this exercise, you create a new part file, and then you create sketch
geometry using basic sketching techniques. You learn how to use the
Autodesk Inventor Design Support System to assist in the design process. The
following illustrates a completed sketch and sketched feature.

Start a Sketch
Begin sketching with the Sketch environment active.

TRY IT: Start a sketch

1 On the Standard toolbar, click File > New. On the Metric tab, double-click
standard(mm).ipt.
A new part is created and listed in the browser.
2 On the Sketch toolbar or in the panel bar, click the Line tool. Click the left
side of the graphics window to specify a first point, move the cursor to the
right approximately 100 units, and then click to specify a second point.
The position of the current line point, line length, and line angle are dynam-
ically displayed in the lower right corner of the window. The position of the
current line point is relative to the sketch 0,0 coordinates. The line angle is
relative to the sketch X axis. Symbols to indicate implied constraints are dis-
played next to the current line point as you sketch.

horizontal constraint symbol

The current grid setting provides a visual clue to the size of the line.

22 | Chapter 1 Creating Sketches

TRY IT: Modify the sketch grid display
1 On the Tools menu, click Application Options.
2 On the Sketch tab, adjust the grid display, as desired. You can also select the
Snap to Grid setting.

TRY IT: Modify the grid spacing

1 On the Tools menu, click Document Settings.
2 Select the Sketch tab and make the desired adjustments.

TRY IT: Complete the sketch

1 Move the cursor up approximately 40 units, and then click to create a
perpendicular line.

2 Move the cursor to the left and create a horizontal line of approximately 30
units. The parallel constraint symbol is displayed.

3 Move the cursor down and create a vertical line of approximately 10 units.

4 Move the cursor to the left to create a horizontal line of approximately 40 units.

Creating Sketches | 23
 5 Move the cursor up until the parallel constraint symbol is displayed and a
dotted line appears. Click to specify a point.

6 Move the cursor left until the parallel constraint symbol is displayed and a
dotted line appears, and then click to specify a point.

7 Move the cursor down until it touches the first point you specified at the
beginning of the exercise. When the coincident constraint symbol is
displayed, click to close the sketch.

8 In the graphics background, right-click, and then click Finish Sketch on the
menu.
The sketch is completed.

Do not save the file.

End of exercise.

24 | Chapter 1 Creating Sketches

 Create Profiles with Tangencies
In this exercise, you create a new part file, and then you create a simple
profile using basic sketching techniques. The profile consists of lines and
tangential arcs.
This exercise illustrates how you can use the Autodesk Inventor Design
Support System to assist in the design process.

TRY IT: Create a sketch

1 Click the New tool on the Standard toolbar, select the Metric tab, and then
double-click standard(mm).ipt. A new part is created and listed in the
browser.
2 From the menu bar, select View > Toolbar > Inventor Precise Input to display
the Precise Input toolbar.
3 Click the Line tool in the panel bar or from the Sketch toolbar. Click the
center of the graphics window, and then enter 65 in the X field of the Precise
Input toolbar. When the horizontal constraint symbol is displayed, click to
create a 65mm horizontal line.
4 Click in the Y field, and then enter 15. Click a second point when the
perpendicular constraint symbol is displayed.

NOTE Use the Zoom tool to view the entire line if it is not visible on your
screen.

Creating Sketches | 25
 5 Move the cursor up and to the left, and then click to create a sloping line.
The exact angle is not important.

TRY IT: Complete the sketch

1 Click the end of the line, hold and drag the endpoint to create a tangent arc.
Release the mouse button to place the endpoint of the arc.

2 Move the cursor to the start point of the profile and click when the
coincident constraint symbol is displayed.

3 In the graphics background, right-click, and select Done, and then right-click
and select Finish Sketch.
The sketch is completed.
Do not save the file.
End of exercise.

26 | Chapter 1 Creating Sketches

Tips for Creating Sketches
■ Start a line by dragging off a circle or an arc.
Drag radially for a perpendicular line or drag tangentially for a tangent
line.
■ Start a line by dragging off the interior (not the endpoints) of another
line.
The new line will be constrained perpendicular to the existing line.
■ Create an arc by dragging off the end of a line.
Return the pointer to the endpoint of the line to change the direction of
an arc.
■ Start a spline tangent to a line by dragging off the line.
Select the endpoint of a line, and then drag it in the direction of tangency
to end a spline tangent to a line.
■ Create coincident constraints.
When you start a new line, arc, or circle from an existing line, Autodesk
Inventor can infer a coincident constraint to the midpoint, endpoint, or
interior of the line.

Refine Geometry
■ Use SHIFT to drag.
All drag features, except for a tangent spline, are also available by pressing
and holding SHIFT while moving the cursor.
■ Drag multiple lines, curves, or points at the same time.
Select the geometry, press CTRL, and then drag the last item you selected.
■ Switch between the Trim and Extend tools.
Press SHIFT or select the other tool from the context menu to switch between
Trim and Extend.

Tips for Creating Sketches | 27

Constraining Sketches
Constraints are automatically applied when you sketch. For example, if the
horizontal or vertical symbol is displayed when you create a line, then the
associated constraint is applied. Depending on how accurately you sketch,
one or more constraints may be required to stabilize the sketch shape or
position.
Constraints limit changes and define the shape of a sketch. For example, if a
line is horizontally constrained, dragging an endpoint changes the length of
the line or moves it vertically, but does not affect its slope. You can place
geometric constraints between two objects in the same sketch, or between a
sketch and geometry projected from an existing feature.
Although you can use unconstrained sketches, fully constrained sketches
result in more predictable updates.

NOTE The term constraints is often used in Autodesk Inventor to refer to both
geometric constraints and dimensions. Keep in mind that dimensions and
geometric constraints work together to create a sketch that meets design intent.

Add Constraints
Define your design intent by adding geometric constraints to the sketch. You
can use autodimensioning to confirm whether a sketch is fully constrained
and apply any needed constraints. You can also create constraints by
inference by dragging geometry until the cursor brushes the geometry you
want to constrain.

vertically aligned

dragged geometry

snap indicator

Constraint symbol appears when Vertical constraint symbol

the dragged geometry touches the appears as the geometry is
endpoint dragged into position

28 | Chapter 1 Creating Sketches

 Constraints can be viewed and removed using the Show Constraints tool on
the Sketch toolbar, or you can right-click in the graphics window, and then
use options on the menu to view all constraints at once and hide all
constraints. Delete a constraint by selecting a constraint symbol, right-click,
and then select Delete.
Some geometric constraints work only with lines, while others work only
with arcs, circles, or radial features.

Open Data Files for Exercises

Make the project called tutorial_files active for access to the data files
required for the exercises.

TRY IT: Make the tutorial_files project active

1 In the Standard menu, click Files > Projects.
2 In the Project Editor, top pane, double-click the tutorial_files project to make
it the active project.
3 In the side pane, click Open.
4 In the Open dialog box, click a file to see a preview of it, and double-click a
file to open it.
The file opens in Autodesk Inventor.

Add Constraints to the First Sketch

In this exercise, you practice adding geometric constraints to an existing
sketch containing three closed loops. In some cases, you can greatly reduce
the number of dimensional constraints required on a sketch.
This exercise involves geometry that does not meet design criteria and
requires additional geometric constraints to comply with the design intent.

TRY IT: Add constraints to the first sketch

1 With the project tutorial_files active, open the file consketch.ipt.
2 Click the Look At tool on the Standard toolbar, and then select any curve.
3 Click the Zoom All tool on the Standard toolbar to view the three loops.

Constraining Sketches | 29
 4 In the browser, double-click Sketch1 to make it active.
5 On the Standard toolbar, click the Zoom Window tool, an then draw a
window around the sketch loop on the left.
The sketch loop is centered on your screen.
6 Click the Show Constraints tool in the panel bar or from the Sketch toolbar.
Pause the cursor over the sloping line on the left side of the sketch. The
current constraints are displayed.

7 Move the cursor over the constraint symbols to highlight the sketch
geometry that is constrained.
In this example, there are two coincident constraints.
The sloping lines in the sketch should be vertical, so you will now add a
vertical constraint.
8 Click the down arrow beside the Constraint tool in the panel bar or the
Sketch toolbar to open the pop-up menu, and then click the Vertical
constraint tool.
Click the three sloping lines (ensure that you do not select the midpoint of
the lines).
Your sketch should look like the one in the following figure.

NOTE The cursor displays the constraint type. In the previous step, the vertical
symbol is displayed

Show All Constraints

The Show All Constraints tool and the Hide All Constraints tools are located
on right-click menus.

30 | Chapter 1 Creating Sketches

TRY IT: Show all constraints
1 Right-click the graphics window, and then choose Done.
2 Right-click the graphics window again, and then choose Show All Constraints.

All constraints are displayed, as shown in the following figure.

3 Right-click the graphics window, and then choose Hide All Constraints.
4 Click the Return button on the Standard toolbar to exit the sketch.

Add Constraints to Existing Sketches

Constraints can be added to a sketch after it is created. In this procedure, you
add constraints to the second sketch.
To redisplay all of the sketches, use the Zoom All tool on the Standard
toolbar.

TRY IT: Add constraints to a sketch

1 Double-click Sketch2 in the browser.
2 On the Standard toolbar, click the Zoom Window tool, and then drag a
window around the second sketch loop.
The second sketch loop is centered on your screen.

Constraining Sketches | 31
 3 Click the arrow beside the Constraint tool in the panel bar or from the Sketch
toolbar to open the pop-up menu. Click the Colinear constraint tool. Click
the horizontal lines at the top of the sketch.
Your sketch should look like the following figure.

colinear lines

4 Press ESC to cancel the Colinear constraint tool. Drag the top-right
horizontal line down and note how the sketch changes. This is known as
constrained drag.
5 Click the down arrow beside the Constraint tool again, and then click the
Equal constraint tool. Click the horizontal line at the lower left of the sketch
and then click the horizontal line at the upper left.
Make the two horizontal lines on the right side equal to the line at the lower
left.
Your sketch should look similar to the following figure

6 Press ESC to cancel the Constraint tool. Drag the right vertical line and note
how the sketch changes. With the equal constraint applied, the sketch
retains its symmetry as you drag the vertical lines.
7 In the graphics background, right-click and select Done, and then right-click
Finish Sketch to exit the sketch.

32 | Chapter 1 Creating Sketches

 Delete and Add Constraints
Constraints can be removed from sketches. Show constraints, and then use
the Delete option on the right-click menu.

TRY IT: Delete a constraint and add a constraints

1 Activate Sketch3.
2 On the Standard toolbar, click the Zoom Window tool, and then drag a
window around the third sketch loop.
The third sketch loop is centered on your screen.

3 Click the Show Constraints tool in the panel bar or from the Sketch toolbar.
Pause the cursor over the vertical line at the left of the sketch. The constraints
are displayed.
Your sketch should look like the following figure.

4 Move the cursor over the Equal constraint symbol, and then click to select it.
Right-click, and then select Delete to remove the constraint.
5 Click the down arrow beside the Constraint tool in the panel bar or the
Sketch toolbar to open the pop-up menu. Click the Horizontal constraint
tool.
6 Click the center point of the arc at the left of the sketch, and then click the
center point of the arc in the center of the sketch.
Repeat this process for the third center point.

Constraining Sketches | 33
 Your sketch should look like the following figure.

7 Apply a tangent constraint to the arc and line at the left side of the sketch.
8 Apply equal constraints to the radii of the three arcs.
Your sketch should look like the following figure.

9 In the graphics background, right-click, and then click Finish Sketch to exit
the sketch.
Do not save the file.
End of exercise.

Tips for Constraining Sketches

■ Turn off automatic constraints.
Press and hold CTRL while sketching.
■ Infer a constraint.
Move the cursor over other geometry while sketching to infer a constraint.
■ Define dimensions with equations.
Double-click a dimension to open the Edit Dimension dialog box. Click
the reference geometry, and its dimension identifier appears in the dialog
box. You can use the dimension identifier in a mathematical expression
(for example, D1*2).
■ Override the units on a particular dimension.
For example, in a part file set to metric dimensions, you can enter 1 inch
in the Edit Dimension dialog box.

34 | Chapter 1 Creating Sketches

Dimensioning Sketches
Sketch geometry generally requires dimensional information, in addition to
geometric constraints, to maintain size and position for design intent.
Geometric constraints, such as horizontal, vertical, or parallel can be applied
while you sketch. Dimensions are typically added after your sketch geometry
is in place.
In general, all dimensions within Autodesk Inventor are parametric. That
means you can modify the dimension to change the size of the item
dimensioned. You can also specify that a dimension be driven, that is, the
dimension reflects the size of the item but cannot be used to modify the size
of the item.
When you add parametric dimensions to sketch geometry, you are applying
constraints that control the size and position of objects in the sketch. The sketch
is automatically updated when changes are made to the dimension values.
Examples of dimensioned sketches are shown in the following illustration.

To create dimensions, you use the General Dimension tool in the panel bar
or from the Sketch toolbar. You select the sketch geometry you want to
dimension, and then place the dimension.
The selection of geometry and the placement of the dimension determine
the kind of dimension that is created. For example, if you select the edge of
one circle, a radial dimension is created. If you select the edges of two circles,
then a linear dimension is established between their center points.

Place Dimensions
Parametric dimensions define the size of your sketch. After you add a
dimension, you cannot change the size of a line or curve by dragging it. In
Autodesk Inventor, you cannot apply double dimensions to a sketch.

Dimensioning Sketches | 35
 TRY IT: Create a parametric dimension
1 Create a sketch, or open an existing sketch.
2 In the Sketch environment, on the panel bar or on the Sketch toolbar, click
the General Dimension tool.
3 Select the sketch geometry you want to dimension, and then drag to a point
to display the dimension.
4 Double-click the dimension.
The Edit Dimension dialog box is displayed.
5 Enter a dimension value. You can enter numeric values or the parameter
names associated with other dimensions or equations.

Automatic Dimensions
You can also use the Auto Dimension tool in the panel bar or from the Sketch
toolbar to speed up the dimensioning process. You individually select sketch
geometry such as lines, arcs, circles, and vertices and dimensions and
constraints are automatically applied. If you don’t individually select sketch
geometry, all undimensioned sketched objects are automatically
dimensioned. The Auto Dimension tool provides a fast and easy way to
dimension sketches in a single step.
You can:

■ Use Auto Dimension to fully dimension and constrain an entire sketch.

■ Identify specific curves or the entire sketch for constraining.
■ Create only dimensions, only constraints, or both.
■ Use the Dimension tools to provide critical dimensions, and then use
Auto Dimension to finish constraining the sketch.

36 | Chapter 1 Creating Sketches

■ Use AutoDimension in complicated sketches when you are unsure which
dimensions are missing in order to fully constrain the sketch.
■ Remove automatic dimensions and constraints.

NOTE To ensure your sketch is fully dimensioned, project all reference

geometry to the sketch prior to using the Auto Dimension tool.

You can define dimensions with other dimension values. The names of
dimensions are parameters. When you edit a dimension, you can enter an
equation that uses one or more parameters.
You can display sketch dimensions in one of three forms:

■ Calculated value
■ Parameter name
■ Parameter name and calculated value

You can modify dimensions using the Edit Dimension dialog box. To display
the Edit Dimension dialog box, click the dimension when it is placed, or
double-click the dimension when the General Dimension tool is not active.
There are two ways to display the Edit Dimension dialog box upon
placement of a dimension:

■ On the Tools menu, choose Application Options > Sketch tab, and turn on
Edit Dimension when Created
■ With General Dimension active, right-click in the graphics window and
select Edit Dimension.

Dimension Types
In some cases the dimension preview does not meet the design intent. You
can change the dimension type by repositioning the dimension, or you can
right-click, and then select the desired type from the menu. You can also
control which type of linear dimension is applied by selecting and edge or a
vertex. For example, when you dimension an edge to a vertex, the dimension
automatically aligns itself with the edge.

Diametric Dimensions
In the design process of creating a revolved part, you can add a centerline as
the axis of rotation. If this centerline is used in a sketch dimension, it is
placed as a diametric dimension by default.

Dimensioning Sketches | 37
 Driven Dimensions
You can place driven dimensions with Autodesk Inventor, and you can
change the dimension type of an existing dimension to driven. A driven
dimension reflects the size of the geometry, but you can’t edit the dimension
value. Use driven dimensions to display dimension values for reference
purposes only.

Workflow overview: Apply a driven dimension

■ For an existing dimension, select the dimension, and then select Driven
from the Style drop-down list on the main toolbar.
■ To create driven dimensions on the fly, while the General Dimension tool
is active, select Driven from the Style drop down list on the main toolbar.

Driven dimensions are displayed in parentheses.

You can also create driven dimensions automatically on constrained sketch
objects. When you try to place a dimension on a constrained sketch object,
a dialog box is displayed where you can choose to accept a driven dimension
or cancel the placement.

Dimension Profiles
In this exercise, you add dimensional constraints to a sketch. The completed
exercise is shown in the following figure.

38 | Chapter 1 Creating Sketches

TRY IT: Apply dimension to linear objects
1 With the project tutorial_files active, open the file dimsketch.ipt.
The sketch geometry requires dimensional constraints to maintain its overall
size. Geometric constraints have already been applied to maintain the shape
of the sketch.
2 In the browser, double-click Sketch1 to make it the active sketch.
3 Click the Look At tool on the Standard toolbar, and then select any line to
obtain a plan view of the sketch.
Click the Zoom All tool to view the entire sketch.
4 Click the General Dimension tool in the panel bar or from the Sketch toolbar.
5 Click the top horizontal line of the sketch, and then place the dimension.

6 Click the dimension to display the Edit Dimension dialog box. Enter 135,
and then click the check mark.

Dimensioning Sketches | 39
 In this example, you clicked the dimension to display the dialog box. If you
are placing many dimensions, you can display the Edit Dimension dialog
box automatically.
7 With the General Dimension tool active, right-click the graphics window
background, and select Edit Dimension from the context menu.
8 Complete the dimensional constraints as follows:
Add a dimension of 10.

Add a dimension of 60.

40 | Chapter 1 Creating Sketches

Add a dimension of 35.

Add a dimension of 10.

Add dimensions of 25 and 30.

Dimensioning Sketches | 41
 9 Right-click the graphics window and select Done from the context menu to
exit the General Dimension tool.

Delete and Add Dimensions

Next, you remove the existing dimensions and use the Auto Dimension tool
to quickly dimension the sketch.

TRY IT: Remove dimensions and add dimensions to the sketch

1 Press the SHIFT key and hold it down while you select each of the dimensions
on your sketch.
2 When all the dimensions are selected, press DELETE to remove them.
3 Click the Auto Dimension tool in the panel bar or the Sketch toolbar.
4 When the Auto Dimension dialog box is displayed, click Apply to accept the
default settings and begin to dimension the sketch.

The dimensions are applied to the sketch.

Notice that the Auto Dimension dialog box now indicates that two dimen-
sions are required. This is due to two missing Fix constraints.
5 Click Done in the Auto Dimension dialog box to close it.

42 | Chapter 1 Creating Sketches

 6 In the sketch, select and reposition dimensions so they are easier to read.

Your dimensions should look similar to the following figure.

Close the file without saving changes.

End of exercise.

Tips for Creating Dimensions

■ Place critical dimensions using the General Dimension tool, and then use
Auto Dimension to speed up the dimensioning process. For remaining
objects to dimension, you may find it faster to automatically dimension
all sketch geometry. You can then delete undesired dimensions instead of
selecting sketch geometry individually for automatic dimensioning.
■ If Auto Dimension doesn’t dimension your sketch as desired, you can
experiment with selecting some of the sketch geometry to control how
automatic dimensions are applied.
■ If you use automatic dimensions, you may find it easier to accept sketch
default dimension values, and then edit them with correct values in an
order (usually large to small) that lets you control sketch behavior.
■ Use geometric constraints when possible. For example, place a
perpendicular constraint instead of using a dimension value of 90 degrees.
■ Place large dimensions before small ones.
■ Incorporate relationships between dimensions.
■ Consider both dimensional and geometric constraints to meet the overall
design intent.

Tips for Creating Dimensions | 43

Modifying Sketches
After you create sketch geometry, you can refine and adjust the proportions
of the sketch by applying dimensions or geometric constraints. You can also
drag any unconstrained or underconstrained geometry.

perpendicular

horizontally aligned

Constraints are applied Drag the active endpoint

as you sketch to create a tangential arc

Drag to resize geometry Use the Show/Delete Constraints

tool to display constraints

44 | Chapter 1 Creating Sketches

Working with
Sketched Features

In This Chapter
2
In this chapter, you learn about parametric part ■ Parametric part modeling
■ Analyzing models for workflow
modeling and the process for creating sketched features
■ Using part templates
on parts.
■ Creating base features
■ Creating sketched features
■ Modifying features

45
Parametric Part Modeling
A part model is a collection of features. Parametric modeling gives you the
flexibility to design solid models that are intelligent. In parametric modeling,
when you adjust the parameters that control the size and shape of a model,
you can quickly see the effect of your modifications.
To create a 3D part model in Autodesk Inventor®, you extrude sketch
geometry, sweep or project sketch geometry along a path, or revolve sketch
geometry around an axis. These models are often called solids because they
enclose volume, unlike wireframe models which only define edges. The solid
models in Autodesk Inventor are feature-based and persistent.
Feature-based means that a part is a combination of features such as holes,
flanges, fillets, and bosses.
Persistent means that you can edit the characteristics of a feature by returning
to its underlying sketch or changing the values used in feature creation. For
example, you can change the length of an extruded feature by entering a new
value for the extent of the extrusion. You can also use equations to derive one
dimension from another.
You can create five kinds of features using Autodesk Inventor. They are
sketched, placed, work, pattern, and catalog. Some features require that you
create sketches or paths, while others do not. Some represent visible
geometry, and some, such as work features, help you precisely position
geometry on a part. A feature can be edited at any time.
Parent/child relationships exist between features, which means that one
feature controls another. There can be multiple levels of parent/child
relationships. A child feature is created after the parent feature. A child
feature cannot exist without a parent feature. For example, you can create a
boss on a casting, and it may or may not have a hole drilled in it, depending
on the application. The boss (the parent) can exist without the hole (the
child), but the hole cannot exist without the boss.

base part child features removed finished part

46 | Chapter 2 Working with Sketched Features

Part Modeling Environment
The part modeling environment is active any time you create or edit a part.
Use the part modeling environment to create or modify features, define work
features, create patterns, and combine features to create parts. Use the
browser to edit sketches or features, show or hide features, create design
notes, make features adaptive, and access properties.
Your first sketch for a part can be a simple shape that is easy to create. You
can edit features after you add them, so you can develop your design quickly.
Throughout the design process, add geometric and dimensional detail and
constraints to improve your models. Evaluate design alternatives by
changing relationships and constraints, or adding and deleting features.
The browser display of an open part file is the top-level entry. Under the part
icon, the part features are listed. To edit a feature, right-click it in the browser or
the graphics window, and from the context menu, select Edit Feature to revise
the feature creation parameters or Edit Sketch to revise the underlying sketch.

Workflows
Before you begin, it is important to analyze the part to determine which
features you need to create, and the most efficient order in which to create
them. A part that takes hours to create with a bad strategy can take minutes
to complete with a good one.
Answer these questions before you start to model your design:

■ Are you creating a stand-alone part, a component in an assembly, or the

first of a family of parts?
Determine whether to create the part in a part file or within an assembly
file, and whether you create constraints using fixed values or equations.
■ Which view of the part best describes its basic shape?
The most prominent feature in that view is usually the best feature to
begin modeling. The first feature in your part is called the base feature.
■ Which features require the use of work planes and work points to precisely
position the model geometry?
■ What are the most important features of your part?
Create these features early in the modeling process so that the dimensions
of other features can be based on their dimension values.
■ Which features of your part can be added with sketched features, and
which features can be added with placed features?
■ Based on these feature decisions, which features should be created first?

Parametric Part Modeling | 47

 Base Features
The first feature you create in a part is called the base feature. The base feature
is most commonly based on a sketch profile, and represents the most basic
shape in the part. The base feature may also be an imported base solid (.sat
or .step file format). You can also create a work feature as the base feature.
You create additional features to complete your part. Since these features are
dependent on the base feature, good planning can dramatically reduce the
time required to create a part.

Workflow overview: Create a parametric solid model and associated drawings

1 Create a new part in a part file (.ipt) or assembly (.iam) file. If you are working
on a very small assembly or it is early in the design process, you may want to
create your part in a part file.
2 Use tools from the panel bar or from the Sketch toolbar to sketch the basic
shape of the base feature.

Geometric constraints define the shape of objects in your sketch.

3 Analyze your sketch geometry and, if required, choose the appropriate
geometric constraint from the panel bar or from the Sketch toolbar.

You can add or delete constraints later to modify the shape of the sketch.
Dimensions define the size of the objects in your sketch.
4 Click the General Dimension tool in the panel bar or from the Sketch toolbar
and apply dimensions.
You can later change the lengths of lines and the radii of arcs within the
sketch.

48 | Chapter 2 Working with Sketched Features

5 Extrude, revolve, sweep, loft, or coil the parametric sketch to create the first,
or base feature of the part.

6 Repeat the process to create additional features, selecting join, cut, or

intersect to complete the part.

7 Document the part in an Autodesk Inventor drawing file to create the desired
annotated 2D drawing views.
Any time during the part modeling process, you can create a drawing file
(.idw) and begin making a fabrication drawing of your part. Changes you
make to your part are automatically reflected in drawing views of the part.

Parametric Part Modeling | 49

Adding Sketched Features
Sketched part features depend on sketch geometry. The first feature of a part,
the base feature, is typically a sketched feature.
You can select a face on an existing part, and sketch on it. The sketch is
displayed with the Cartesian grid defined. If you want to construct a feature
on a curved surface, or at an angle to a surface, you must first construct a
work plane.
After you plan your strategy, decide how to create the base feature. Each of
the following operations creates a solid extrusion from a sketch profile.
Extrude Projects a sketch profile along a straight path. Use to
create surfaces as well as solids.
Revolve Projects a sketch profile around an axis.
Sweep Projects a sketch profile along a sketched path.
Loft Constructs a feature with two or more sketch profiles
sketched on multiple part faces or work planes. The model
transitions from one shape to the next, and can follow a
curved path.
Coil Projects a sketch profile along a helical path.
Rib Creates a rib or web extrusion from a 2D sketch.
The same procedure for creating a sketched base feature is used to create
additional sketched features.

Extrude Features
Use the Extrude tool to create a feature by adding depth to an open or closed
profile or a region. In the Assembly environment, the Extrude tool is
available on the Assembly panel toolbar when you are creating an assembly
feature. In the Weldment environment, the Extrude tool is available on the
Weldment panel toolbar when you are creating a preparation or machining
feature. In the Part environment, the Extrude tool is available on the Part
Features toolbar when you are creating n extrusion for a single part.

50 | Chapter 2 Working with Sketched Features

Workflow overview: Create a parametric solid model and associated drawings
1 Start with a sketch, or select a profile or region that represents the cross
section of the extruded feature you want to create. Open profiles cannot be
used when creating extrusions as assembly features.
2 Click the Extrude tool.
If there is only one profile in the sketch, it is automatically selected.
3 If there are multiple profiles, click Profile, and then select the profile to
extrude. Use Select Other to cycle through selectable geometry, and then
click to select.
4 In Output, click Solid or Surface.
For base features, only Surface is available for open profiles.
For assembly extrusions, only Solid is available.
5 In Operation, click Join, Cut, or Intersect with another feature.
For assembly extrusions, only the Cut operation is available.
6 In Extents, click the down arrow, and then select the method to terminate
the extrusion. Some methods are not available for base features.
Distance: Enter the distance of the extrusion
To Next: Click the direction of the extrusion
To Next is not available for assembly extrusions.
To: Click the End termination plane
From-To method: Click the Start and End termination planes
By default, the extrusion terminates on the maximum-distance plane
To and From-To extents:
Click Minimum Solution to terminate on the nearest-distance plan
All: Click the direction of the extrusion or to extrude equally in both directions.

NOTE If termination options are ambiguous, such as on a cylinder or irregular

surface, click the More tab, and then click Flip to specify direction

7 On the More tab, enter a Taper angle, if desired.

In the graphics window, an arrow shows the taper direction.
Click OK.
The sketch is extruded.

Close the file without saving.

Adding Sketched Features | 51

 Revolve Features
Use the Revolve tool on the Feature toolbar to create a feature by rotating one
or more sketched profiles around an axis. The axis and the profile must be
coplanar. If this is the first feature, it is the base feature.

Workflow overview: Create a revolved feature

1 To begin, sketch a closed profile that represents the cross section of the
revolved feature you want to create. Except for surfaces, profiles must be
closed loops.
2 Click the Revolve tool.
If there is only one profile in the sketch, it is automatically highlighted.
3 If there are multiple profiles, click Profile, and then select the profile to
revolve.
Use only unconsumed closed sketches in the active sketch plane.
4 Click Axis, and then select an axis from the active sketch plane.
5 In Operation, click Join, Cut, Intersect with another feature, or Surface.
Surface outputs, along with cut and intersect operations, are not allowed as
base features.
6 In Extents, select Angle or Full.
7 Click a direction button to revolve the feature in either direction or equally
in both directions.

Results are previewed on the model.

Sweep Features
Use the Sweep tool on the Feature toolbar to create a feature by moving a
sketched profile along a planar path. Except for surfaces, profiles must be
closed loops.

52 | Chapter 2 Working with Sketched Features

Workflow overview: Create a sweep feature
1 To start, sketch a profile and path on intersecting planes.
2 Click the Sweep tool.
If there is only one profile in the sketch, it is automatically highlighted.
3 If there are multiple profiles, click Profile, and then select the profile to
sweep.
4 Click Path, and select the path sketch.
5 Click the More button, and then enter a Taper angle, if desired.
In the graphics window, a symbol shows taper direction.Use the Extrude
toolto create a feature by adding depth to an open or closed profile or a
region.
6 Click Join, Cut, Intersect with another feature, or Surface.
Some methods are not available for base features.
7 Click OK.
The sweep feature is created.

Loft Features
Use the Loft tool on the Feature toolbar to blend the shapes of two or more
profiles on work planes or planar faces.
To use an existing face as the beginning or end of a loft, create a sketch on
the face so the edges of the face are selectable for the loft. If using the loop of
a planar or non planar face, select it directly without creating a sketch on the
face.

Adding Sketched Features | 53

 Workflow overview: Create a loft feature
1 Sketch profiles on separate planes to represent cross sections of the loft
feature.
2 Click the Loft tool.
3 On the Curves tab, in Output, click solid or surface.
4 In Sections, click the profiles to loft in the sequence you want the shapes to
blend. If you select multiple profiles on any plane, they must intersect.

NOTE If there is more than one loop in a sketch, first select the sketch, and
then select the curve or loop.

5 In Rails, click to add 2D or 3D curves for shape control.

Profiles must intersect rails. This option is not available when rail curves are
specified.
6 If desired, click the Closed Loop check box to join the beginning and ending
profiles of the loft.
7 In Operation, click Join, Cut, or Intersect.
8 On the Conditions tab, the start and end profiles are listed. Click each, and
specify a boundary condition:
Free Apply no boundary conditions. This is the default.
Tangent to Face If you selected a loop or the profile is in a separate sketch
on the boundary of a face.
Direction Specify an angle measured relative to the profile plane.
9 On the Transition tab, Automatic Mapping is selected by default. If desired,
clear the check box to modify automatically created point sets or add or
delete points.
■ Click the point set row to modify, add, or delete.
■ A default calculated map point is created for each profile sketch. Click
position to specify a unitless value (Zero represents one end of the line;
one represents the other end. Decimal values represent positions between
ends).
10 Click OK.
The loft is created.

54 | Chapter 2 Working with Sketched Features

 Coil Features
Use the Coil tool on the Feature toolbar to create a helix-based feature. Use
this feature to create coil springs and threads. If the coil is the first feature
created, it is the base feature.

Workflow overview: Create a coil springs

1 To begin, sketch a profile that represents the cross section of the coil feature,
and then use the Line tool or the Work Axis tool to create an axis of
revolution for the coil.
2 Click the Coil tool.
If there is only one profile in the sketch, it is automatically highlighted.
3 If there are multiple profiles, click Profile, and then select the profile.
4 Click the axis of revolution.
It can be at any orientation but cannot intersect the profile.
5 Click the Coil Size tab, click the down arrow on the Type box, and then select
one of the following types:
Pitch and Revolution
Revolution and Height
Pitch and Height
Spiral
Enter the Pitch, Height, number of Revolutions, or Taper as appropriate.
Taper is not available for a Spiral.
6 Click the Coil Ends tab, and then choose one of the following methods to
define the start and end of the coil, for example, to stand upright on a flat
surface:
Flat Create a transition in the pitch of the coil. Enter a Transition Angle and
then a Flat Angle (up to 360 degrees).
Natural End the coil without transition.

Rib and Web Features

Use the Rib tool to create ribs (thin-walled closed support shapes) and webs
(thin-walled open support shapes).
Use the Zoom and Rotate tools to position the part so the face where the rib
is located is visible.

Adding Sketched Features | 55

 Workflow overview: Set the sketch plane and create profile geometry for a rib
1 Create a work plane to use as the sketch plane.
2 Click the 2D Sketch tool, and then click the work plane or a planar face to set
the sketch plane.
3 Use the Look At tool to reorient the sketch.
4 Use tools on the Sketch toolbar to create an open profile to represent the rib
shape.

Workflow overview: Create a rib

1 Click the Rib tool on the Feature toolbar, and then click the profile, if it is not
already selected.
2 Click the Direction button to set the direction of the rib.
Pause the cursor over the open profile to see direction arrows that indicate if
the rib extends parallel or perpendicular to your sketch geometry.
3 The Extend Profile check box is displayed if the ends of the profile do not
intersect the part.
The ends of the profile automatically extend. If you prefer, clear the check
box to create a rib or web the exact length of your profile.
4 In the Thickness box, enter the rib thickness.
Click a Flip button to specify the direction of the rib thickness.

56 | Chapter 2 Working with Sketched Features

 5 Click one of the following buttons to set the depth of the rib:
To Next Terminate the rib on the next face.

Finite Enter a value in the box to set a depth.

6 Click OK. The rib is created.

rib web

NOTE To create a rib or web network, sketch multiple intersecting or

nonintersecting profiles on the sketch plane, and then follow the previous steps.

Modifying Features
In the browser, right-click a feature, and then use one of three options on the
menu to modify a feature: Edit Feature, Edit Sketch, or Show Dimensions.
Edit Feature opens the dialog box for that feature. Edit Sketch activates the
sketch. Show Dimensions displays the sketch dimensions so you can edit
them.
After you modify a part sketch, exit the sketch and the part updates
automatically.

Modifying Features | 57
58
Creating and Editing
Placed Features

In This Chapter
3
In this chapter, you learn about placing and editing ■ Fillets
■ Chamfers
features on parts. You will become familiar with fillets,
■ Holes
chamfers, holes, threads, shells, and patterns.
■ Threads
■ Shells
■ Patterns of features

59
Creating Placed Features
Placed features are common engineering features that you can create with
Autodesk Inventor without a sketch. When you create these features, you
usually provide only the location and a few dimensions. The standard placed
features are shell, fillet, chamfer, face draft, hole, and thread.
A single placed feature can be used to create feature patterns. A pattern
feature is a rectangular, circular, or mirrored duplication of features or groups
of features. Individual occurrences in a pattern can be suppressed, as
necessary.
These common tools for placed features are located on the Features toolbar:
Fillet Places a fillet or round on selected edges.
Chamfer Breaks sharp edges. Can add material to an inside edge.
Hole Places a specified hole in a part.
Thread Creates regular and tapered external and internal threads
on parts.
Shell Produces a hollow part with a wall thickness you define.
Rectangular Creates a rectangular pattern of features.
Pattern
Circular Creates a circular pattern of features.
Pattern
Mirror Feature Creates a mirror image across a plane, line, or axis
Dialog boxes are provided to defined placed feature, such as the Hole dialog
box in the following illustration.

Corners and hole center point Holes defined as 8-32 UNC x 0.75 inch deep,
selected as hole centers with a 0.375 x 0.25 inch counterbore

60 | Chapter 3 Creating and Editing Placed Features

Fillet Features
Fillet features consist of fillets and rounds. Fillets add material to interior
edges to create a smooth transition from one face to another. Rounds remove
material from exterior edges. You create fillets by specifying values in a dialog
box and selecting the edges to apply the fillet. You can create constant radius
and variable radius fillets and rounds.

You can use the All Fillets and All Rounds selection modes to apply fillets to
multiple edges as shown in the following figure.

The corner style can be set to either rolling ball or blend.

Rolling ball and blended corners

When you create variable radius fillets and rounds, you choose between a
smooth blend from one radius to another and a straight blend between radii.
The method you choose depends on your part design and the way adjacent
part features blend into the edge.

Creating Placed Features | 61

 You can also specify points between the start and endpoints of a selected
edge, and then define their relative distances from the start point and their
radii. This provides flexibility when creating variable radius fillets and
rounds. This illustration shows smooth and straight transitions on variable-
radius rounds.

You can model special fillet applications where more than three edges
converge. You can choose a different radius for each converging edge, if
needed.

To find the radius of an existing fillet, right-click the feature in the browser,
and then choose Show Dimensions. The fillet radius is displayed on your
part.

Workflow overview: Edit the type and radius of a fillet

1 In the browser, right-click the fillet name, and then click Edit Feature on the
menu.
2 Change the fillet settings as needed.
3 To edit only the dimensional value of a fillet, in the browser, double-click the
fillet name or icon, or change the select priority to Feature Priority, and then
double-click the fillet that is on the part.
The dimensions are displayed on the part.
4 Double-click the dimension to change, and then enter new values in the Edit
Dimension dialog box. Click the check mark in the dialog box, or click
ENTER.
5 Click the Update tool to update the part.

62 | Chapter 3 Creating and Editing Placed Features

Chamfer Features
Chamfers are similar to fillets, except that the edge is beveled rather than
rounded. When you create a chamfer on an interior edge, material is added
to your model. When you create a chamfer on an exterior edge, material is
cut away from your model.
When you create a chamfer, you can specify one of three operations:

■ Distance
■ Distance and Angle
■ Two Distances

A distance chamfer creates a new face at an equal distance along the two faces
that meet at the selected edge. A Distance and Angle chamfer is established
at a distance from the edge and at an angle from a selected face. A two
distances chamfer creates a new face at different offset distances from the
edge.

distance distance and angle two distances

Add Chamfers and Fillets

In this exercise, you add chamfer and fillet features to complete the shaft
socket bracket model.

Creating Placed Features | 63

 The completed exercise is shown in the following figure.

TRY IT: Add a chamfer

1 With the project tutorial_files active, open the file chamfillet.ipt.
The file contains a model of a shaft socket bracket.

2 Click Chamfer from the Features toolbar or the panel bar.

For the edges, select the four vertical edges of the base.

NOTE You may need to rotate the model to select the appropriate edges.
Press F6 to return to the default isometric view.

64 | Chapter 3 Creating and Editing Placed Features

3 In the Chamfer dialog box, make sure the chamfer type Distance is selected.
Enter 10 mm for the distance, and then click OK.

The chamfers are added to the model and the browser

Next, you add equal distance chamfers to top-hole edges.
4 Click Chamfer, and then select the top edge of each of the three holes in the
part. In the Chamfer dialog box, change the distance to 1 mm, and then click
OK.

Next, you add different distance chamfers to complete the basic shape of the
socket support.

Creating Placed Features | 65

 5 Click Chamfer, and then click the Two Distances button. Select the edge
shown in the following figure.

edge selection

6 Enter the following values:

Distance 1: 14 mm
Distance 2: 18 mm

Click the Direction button to see how the preview changes when the dis-
tances are switched.
7 Click the Direction button again to return to the original settings, and then
click OK to create the chamfer feature.

8 Repeat this process to add the same size chamfer to the other side of the part.

Your part should now look like the following figure.

Next, you add fillets to complete the final shape of the part.

66 | Chapter 3 Creating and Editing Placed Features

TRY IT: Add fillets to a part
1 Click Fillet from the Features toolbar or the panel bar. Select the two edges
shown in the following figure.

two selected edges

2 Rotate the part, and then select the same two edges on the other side. In the
Fillet dialog box, change the radius to 16 mm.
3 Under the edges and radius text, click the line that reads Click to Add. For the
next set of edges, select the two vertical edges at the corners at the top of the
part.
4 Change the radius for the fillet to 32 mm. When your dialog box and preview
look like the following figure, click OK.

The fillet feature is added to the part and to the browser.

Creating Placed Features | 67

 5 Click Fillet, and then select the two horizontal edges on the front of the rib,
as shown in the following figure.

two selected edges

6 In the Fillet dialog box, enter 30 mm for the radius, and then click the Click
to Add text button.
7 Select the two horizontal edges shown in the following figure.

two selected edges

8 In the Fillet dialog box, change the radius for the second selection set to
22 mm. Click the Click to Add text button to create a third selection set.
9 Rotate the model and select the horizontal edge on the back face directly
opposite the second selection set. Enter 10 mm for the radius. When your
dialog box and preview look like the following figure, click OK.

68 | Chapter 3 Creating and Editing Placed Features

 The fillet feature is added to the part.

10 Click Fillet, and then select the three edges where the rib meets the cylinder
at the top of the part. Change the radius to 2 mm, and then click OK.

intersection of rib and cylinder

11 Click Fillet. Select the two front edges of the rib, and then select the back
edge of the rib (A). These edges are added to the selection set.
12 Select the three edges on each side where the base meets the other features (B).
13 In the Fillet dialog box, select the Loop option in the Select Mode section.
Select anywhere on the back edge of the part above the base (C). Notice how
the Loop option automatically selected additional edges.
14 Verify that the fillet radius is set to 2 mm. When your preview looks like the
following figure, click OK. The fillet fails.

Creating Placed Features | 69

 15 When the Fillet feature fails, click Edit. In the Fillet dialog box, select the
Edge selection mode. Press SHIFT, and then select the six edges where the
base meets the other features of the part. When these edges have been
removed from the selection set, click OK.

16 Add a 2 mm fillet to the edges where the base meets the other features of the
part. Notice how the fillets from Fillet 4 connect all the edges so only one
selection point is required on each side. The completed part should look like
the following figure.

Do not save the file.

End of exercise.

70 | Chapter 3 Creating and Editing Placed Features

 Add Hole Features
With Autodesk Inventor, you can create different types of holes using the
following modeling operations:

■ Drill
■ Counterbore
■ Countersink

Custom thread and end options can be specified in these hole operations.
Use the Drill Point option to set flat or angle drill points.
The following illustration shows examples of drilled, counterbored,
countersunk, and tapped holes.

When you create a tapped hole, the tap data is stored with the hole and the
threads are displayed when any isometric view is active.
You can specify hole depth using one of three termination options: Distance,
Through All, and To.

TRY IT: Place a hole feature using arc centers

1 With the project tutorial_files active, open file hole.ipt.
The part should look like the one in the following figure.

Creating Placed Features | 71

 2 Click the Sketch tool on the standard toolbar, and then click the rectangular
face.
The edges of the face and arc centers are projected onto the new sketch,
allowing you to position the hole features.

3 In the graphics background, right-click, and then click Finish Sketch to close
the sketch tool.
4 Click the Hole tool in the panel bar or on the Part Features toolbar, and then
click the four arc centers.
5 In the Holes dialog box, in Termination, select To.
In the preview window, edit the value of the hole diameter to read 6 mm.

Click the Selection button located below the Termination field.

You are ready to select the termination face.
6 Hold the cursor over the side face of the flange to highlight the underside
face, as shown in the following figure, and then click to select it.

72 | Chapter 3 Creating and Editing Placed Features

7 Click OK.
The hole feature is created and the icon is added to the browser.

Notice that one feature defines all four holes.

Close the file without saving.

Add Thread Features

Use the Thread tool to create custom threads on mating faces of a plastic
bottle and cap.

Creating Placed Features | 73

 TRY IT: Add threads
1 With the project tutorial_files active, open the file threads.iam. The file
contains a model of a plastic bottle and cap.

2 Zoom in on the area shown in the following figure.

3 In the graphics window or browser, select the cap, and then right-click and
turn off visibility in the context menu.
4 In the graphics window or browser, double-click the bottle to activate editing
mode.
5 Click the Thread tool from the Part Features toolbar or panel bar.

74 | Chapter 3 Creating and Editing Placed Features

6 On the Location tab, enter settings to match the following figure.

7 Select the split surface as shown in the following figure.

Notice how the thread is previewed on the model.

8 Select the Specification tab, adjust settings as necessary to match the
following figure, and then click OK.

Creating Placed Features | 75

 The Thread feature is created and added to the browser, as shown in the
following figure.

NOTE You can temporarily change the part color in order to see the threads
more easily.

9 Click the Return button to exit edit mode for the bottle, and then turn off
visibility for the bottle.
10 In the browser, double-click cap:1 to activate editing mode.
11 Repeat steps 5 through 8 and select the inside surface of the cap as shown in
the following figure.

The completed thread is shown in the following figure.

76 | Chapter 3 Creating and Editing Placed Features

12 Double-click the assembly in the browser, turn on visibility of the bottle, and
then restore the Isometric view.
Your completed model should look like the following figure.

13 Close the file. Do not save changes in any of the files.

End of exercise.

Add Shell Features

The Shell tool uses a specified wall thickness to create a hollow cavity in a
part. It removes material from a part by offsetting existing faces to create new
ones on the inside, outside, or both sides of the part. Use the shell feature to
create multisided parts like casings or enclosures. A part can have multiple
shell features.
When you start the shelling process, you specify which parts faces to
removed, or offset, and you can specify a unique wall thickness for each face
on your part.
Use the Shell tool on the Feature toolbar to remove material from a part
interior, creating a cavity with walls of a specified thickness.
Start with a single feature, a part, or a part in an assembly.

Creating Placed Features | 77

 Workflow overview: Create a shell feature
1 For this exercise, create a simple block or cube.
2 After extruding the sketch profile, click the Shell tool.
3 Select the faces to remove in the graphics window.
4 Click a Direction button to specify the direction of the shell from the surface
of the selected face (inside, outside, or both).
5 Enter the face thickness, and then click OK.

This time, create a shell feature with varying shell thicknesses.

Workflow overview: Create a shell feature with varying thicknesses

1 Select the shell feature in the browser, and then press the Delete key.
2 Click the Shell tool, and then select the faces to remove.
3 Click a Direction button to specify the direction of the shell from the surface
of the selected face (inside, outside, or both).
4 In the Thickness field, enter the face thickness.
5 Click the More button in the Shell dialog box.
6 Select Click to Add, and then select a face to add a specific shell thickness to.
In the Unique Face Thickness section, edit the shell thickness to have a value
different from the main thickness value.
7 Click OK.

The shell is created.

Close the file without saving it.

Creating Pattern Features

Many designs call for the repetitive use of one or more features on a single
part. Single features or groups of features can be duplicated and arranged in
patterns. For example, a rectangular pattern of identical holes is cut from a
calculator case.
The pattern tools require reference geometry to define the pattern. You can
create patterns using the Rectangular Pattern, Circular Pattern, and Mirror
Feature tools.

78 | Chapter 3 Creating and Editing Placed Features

 Pattern creation methods include:
Identical All occurrences use an identical termination.
Adjust to The termination of each occurrence is calculated
Model individually.
You can suppress components in a component pattern without removing
them from the assembly. This makes it easy to replace parts and to create
unique members in assemblies.

Add Rectangular Patterns

Features can be duplicated and arrayed in a rectangular or circular pattern. In
the first part of this exercise, create a single hole and then use it to add a
rectangular pattern of holes to a plastic cover plate. You also complete an
exercise that uses a circular pattern.
The following is an illustration of the completed exercises.

TRY IT: Create a hole feature

1 With the project tutorial_files active, open the file recpattern.ipt.

2 Click the Sketch tool on the standard toolbar, and then click the top surface
of the part.

Creating Pattern Features | 79

 3 Click the Point, Hole Center tool in the panel bar or on the Sketch toolbar.
Click a point anywhere in the lower left corner of the part.

4 Zoom in to the left corner of the part, and then position the hole center using
dimensions, as shown. The hole center is located 20 mm from the leftmost
edge and 10 mm above the bottom edge, as shown in the following figure.

5 Press the H key to activate the Holes dialog box.

Add a hole with a diameter of 3 mm using the termination Through All.

Add the Hole Pattern

Use the hole feature to create the hole pattern.

80 | Chapter 3 Creating and Editing Placed Features

TRY IT: Create a hole pattern from a hole feature
1 Click the Zoom All tool on the Standard toolbar to display the entire part.
2 Click the Rectangular Pattern tool in the panel bar or on the Part Features
toolbar, and then click the hole feature.
3 Click the Direction 1 Select button, and then click the bottom horizontal
edge of the part.
Click the Flip button to change the direction.
Verify that Spacing is selected in the drop-down list, and then enter 5 in the
count field, and 17.5 mm for spacing.
A preview of the pattern is displayed.
4 Click the Direction 2 Select button, and then click the leftmost vertical edge
of the part.
Verify that Spacing is selected in the drop-down list, and then enter 4 in the
count field, and 17.5 mm for spacing.
A preview of the pattern is displayed.

5 Click OK.

The rectangular hole pattern is added.

In the next portion of this exercise, you suppress pattern occurrences.

Creating Pattern Features | 81

 Suppress Pattern Occurrences
A review of the design intent for the part shows that two unneeded
occurrences have been added. You can suppress all or individual occurrences
in a pattern.

TRY IT: Suppress pattern occurrences

1 Expand Rectangular Pattern1 in the browser to display the occurrences.
2 In the browser, point to the occurrences. Each occurrence highlights in the
graphics window as you point to it in the browser.
3 Hold the CTRL key down and click the occurrences to suppress, as shown in
the following figure.

occurrences to suppress

4 Right-click either of the highlighted occurrences in the browser, and then

choose Suppress.

5 Close the file. Do not save changes.

Add Circular Patterns

In a previous exercise, you added hole features to a cylinder head for a face
valve pump. In this exercise, you create a circular pattern using the
counterbored hole.

82 | Chapter 3 Creating and Editing Placed Features

 TRY IT: Create a circular pattern
1 With the project tutorial_files active, open file circpattern.ipt.

2 Click the Circular Pattern tool in the panel bar or from the Features toolbar.
3 Click the counterbored hole feature.
4 Click the Rotation Axis button in the Circular Pattern dialog box. In the
browser, click Work Axis1. A preview of the pattern is displayed.

5 Verify that 6 is displayed in the Count field.

In this example, you can enter an incremental value of 60 or a fitted value of
360 for the positioning method.
6 Click the More button. In Positioning Method, verify that Fitted is selected.
Click OK. The circular pattern is added to the part.

Close the file without saving changes.

End of exercise.

83
84
Creating and Editing
Work Features

In This Chapter
4
In this chapter, you learn about creating and editing ■ About work features
■ Work planes
work features.
■ Work axes
■ Work points
■ Editing work features

85
Defining Work Features
Work features are abstract construction geometry that you can use when
other geometry is insufficient for creating and positioning new features. To
fix position and shape, constrain features to work features.
Work features include work planes, work axes, and work points. The proper
orientation and constraint conditions are inferred from the geometry you
select and the order in which you select it.
The work feature tools provide on-screen prompts to help you with selection
and placement. You can:

■ Create and use work features in the part, assembly, sheet metal, and 3D
sketch environments.
■ Use and refer to work features in the drawing environment.
■ Project work features into a 2D sketch.
■ Create work features on the fly to help you define a 3D sketch. Work
features can be adaptive.
■ Turn the visibility of work features on or off.

Work Planes
A work plane is a flat plane extending infinitely in all directions along one
plane. A work plane is similar to the default origin YZ, XZ, and XY planes.
However, you create the work plane as needed, using existing features,
planes, axes, or points to locate the work plane.
Use a work plane to:

■ Create a sketch plane when no part face is available to create 2D sketched

features.
■ Create work axes and work points.
■ Provide a termination reference for an extrusion.
■ Provide a reference for assembly constraints.
■ Provide a reference for drawing dimensions.
■ Provide reference for a 3D sketch.
■ Project into a 2D sketch to create curves for profile geometry or reference.

86 | Chapter 4 Creating and Editing Work Features

 The following are illustrations of some of the methods you can use to define
a work plane.

bisecting two offset from at an angle to normal to a tangent to a

parallel planes face face or plane curve, point cylinder
on the curve

Work Axes
A work axis is a straight vector extending infinitely in two directions. A work
axis is similar to the default origin X, Y, and Z axes, however, you create the
work axis as needed, using existing features, planes, or points to locate the
work axis.
Use a work axis to:
■ Create work planes and work points.
■ Project into a 2D sketch to create curves for profile geometry or reference.
■ Provide a line of rotation for a revolved feature.
■ Provide a reference for assembly constraints.
■ Provide a reference for drawing dimensions.
■ Provide reference for a 3D sketch.
■ Provide reference for a circular pattern.
■ Create lines of symmetry.

The following illustrations show some of the methods you can use to define
a work axis.

through a through two coincident with along a linear along a 3D

revolved face points line endpoints edge sketch line
or feature

Defining Work Features | 87

 Work Points
A work point is a point that exists relative to, and is dependent on, features
or work features. A work point is similar to the default origin center point,
however, you create the work point as needed, using existing features, planes,
or axes to locate the work point.
Use a work point to:
■ To create work planes and work axes.
■ Project into a 2D sketch to create a reference point.
■ Provide a reference for assembly constraints.
■ Provide a reference for drawing dimensions.
■ Provide a reference for a 3D sketch.
■ Define coordinate systems.
The following illustrations show some of the methods you can use to define
a work point.

intersection of intersection of on a midpoint on a vertex intersection of

two lines a plane, work three planes
axis, or line

Grounded Work Points

Similar to the work point is the grounded work point, with one major
difference. As mentioned, the existence and location of a work point is
always dependent on the features to which it is associated. A grounded work
point uses features or work features to initiate the grounded work point tool,
but its position is then fixed in space and not dependent on, or associated to,
those or other features. You can use a grounded work point in the same ways
that you would a work point. However, the grounded work point has the
characteristic that it is not subject to modifications to surrounding geometry.
You can move a grounded work point with the 3D Move/Rotate tool.

88 | Chapter 4 Creating and Editing Work Features

 Workflow overview: Define a grounded work point
1 Click the Grounded Work Point tool, and then select a vertex, sketch point,
or work point to initiate the 3D Move/Rotate tool.

2 Reposition the 3D Move/Rotate tool, as needed, and then create the

grounded work point.

Modifying Work Features

Other than the grounded work point, all work features are associatively tied
to the features or geometry used to create them. If you modify or delete the
locating geometry, the work feature is affected accordingly. Conversely, any
feature or geometry that is dependent on a work feature for its definition is
also affected by changes to the work feature. Both scenarios are illustrated in
the following illustrations.

Modifying Work Features | 89

 The work plane was created at a 45 degree angle to the top face.

The hole was created from a sketch on the work plane, making the hole
dependent on the work plane.

A work axis was added to the hole, making the work axis dependent on the
hole.

The angle of the plane is modified to 15 degrees and the hole and work axis
adjust accordingly.

90 | Chapter 4 Creating and Editing Work Features

Managing Assemblies

In This Chapter
5
This chapter provides an introduction to assembly ■ About assembly modeling
■ Assembly environment
modeling and general information about working in
■ Working in the Assembly
assemblies. In this chapter, you will learn about the browser
■ Restructuring assemblies
assembly browser and working in the assembly
■ Bills of material
environment. ■ Packaging assemblies.
■ Tips for working in assemblies

91
Introduction to Assembly Modeling
Assemblies are collections of parts and subassemblies. In Autodesk Inventor,
when you create or open an assembly file, you are in the assembly
environment. With assembly tools and menu options, you manipulate
whole parts and subassemblies that combine to form assemblies.
Traditionally, designers and engineers create a layout, design the parts, and
then bring everything together in an assembly. With Autodesk Inventor®,
you can streamline the design process by creating parts in-place, or placing
existing parts as you create an assembly. This assembly-centric design
methodology supports top-down, bottom-up, and middle-out design
strategies.
The order in which you create parts and subassemblies depends on how you
answer the following questions:

■ Can you modify an existing assembly or do you have to start a new one?
■ Can you break the larger assembly down into subassemblies?
■ Can you use existing parts or iFeatures?
■ Which constraints drive the functionality of the design?

NOTE The assemblies you build can be inserted as subassemblies into other
assemblies.

With Autodesk Inventor, you can create an assembly at any point in the
design process instead of at the end. If you are doing a clean sheet design, you
can start with an empty assembly and create the parts as you develop the
design. If you are revising an assembly, you can create the new parts in-place
so they mate with existing parts. Changes you make to external components
are automatically reflected in your assembly models, and the drawings you
use to document them.

Bottom-Up Assembly Design

When you design from the bottom up, you place existing parts and
subassemblies into an assembly file, positioning components by applying
assembly constraints, such as mate and flush. If possible, components should
be placed in the order in which they would be assembled in manufacturing.

92 | Chapter 5 Managing Assemblies

Unless component parts are built from adaptive features in their part files,
they might not fit the requirements of an assembly design. You can place
such a part in an assembly, and then make the part adaptive in the assembly
context. The part resizes in the current design when you constrain its features
to other components.
If you want all underconstrained features to adapt when positioned by
assembly constraints, designate a subassembly as adaptive. When a part in
the subassembly is constrained to fixed geometry, its features resize as
needed.

Top-Down Assembly Design

When you design from the top down, you begin with design criteria and
create components that meet those criteria. Designers list known parameters
and may create an engineering layout (a 2D design that evolves throughout
the design process).
The layout may include contextual items such as the walls and floor where
an assembly will stand, machinery that feeds into or receives output from the
assembly design, and other fixed data. Other criteria such as mechanistic
characteristics may also be included in the layout. You can sketch the layout
in a part file, then place it in the assembly file. Develop sketches into features
as the design evolves.
The final assembly is a collection of interrelated parts that are uniquely
designed to solve the current design problem.

Middle-Out Assembly Design

Most assembly modeling combines the strategies of bottom-up and top-down
design. Some requirements are known and some standard components are
used, but new designs must also be produced to meet specific objectives. This
combined strategy is referred to as middle-out design.
Usually, you begin with some existing components and design other parts as
required. You analyze the design intent, then insert or create the grounded
(base) component. As you develop the assembly, you place existing
components or create new ones in place, as required.

Introduction to Assembly Modeling | 93

 Assembly Coordinate System
A new assembly file contains three default work planes and work axes. The point
of intersection of the work axes is the origin of the assembly coordinate system.
In the browser, the default work planes, work axes, and the center points are
listed under the Origin icon. These features are initially hidden on your
screen, but you can right-click them and select Visibility to display them. You
can constrain components to the work planes and the origin.
In the following illustration, visibility has been activated for the assembly
default work planes, axes, and center point, with the default isometric view.

Each default workplane is coplanar with its respective axes. For example, the
YZ plane is coplanar with the Y axis and the Z axis.

YZ plane

Y axis

Z axis

Assembly Constraints
In this manual, the term component refers to a part or a subassembly.
Assembly constraints are applied to components to define positional
relationships in the assembly. For example, you can force two planes on
separate parts to mate, or specify that a hole and a bolt always remain
concentric. These constraints bind your assembly model together and tell
Autodesk Inventor how to adjust the model as its component definitions
change over time.

Assembly Analysis
After you create your assemblies, you can analyze them to calculate mass
properties and check for part interference. Properly constrained assemblies can
be animated through a range of motion, so you can check for design problems.

94 | Chapter 5 Managing Assemblies

Working in the Assembly Browser
The Assembly browser displays the hierarchy of all component occurrences
in the assembly, and their relationships and dependencies. The top-level
assembly is shown at the top of the browser, and the parts and subassemblies
are located directly below it. These components are described as first-level
children of the assembly. Subassemblies contain their own first-level
components, some of which may also be subassemblies.
Each occurrence of a component is represented by a unique name. From the
browser, you can select a component for editing, move components between
assembly levels, control component status, rename components, edit
assembly constraints, and manage design views.

In-Place Activation
The level of the assembly that is currently active determines whether
components or features can be edited. Some actions can only be taken in the
active assembly and its first-level children, while other operations are valid
at all levels of the active assembly.
Double-click any subassembly or component occurrence in the browser to
activate it, or right-click the occurrence in the browser, and then select Edit.
All components not associated with the active component are shaded in the
browser. If you are working with a shaded display, the active component
appears shaded in the graphics window, and all other components appear
translucent. If you are working with a wireframe display, the active
component appears in a contrasting color.
The following actions can be performed on the first-level children of the
active assembly:

■ Delete a component
■ Display the degrees of freedom of a component
■ Designate a component as adaptive
■ Designate a component as grounded
■ Edit or delete the assembly constraints between first-level components

The features of an activated part can be edited in the assembly environment.

The panel bar and toolbars change to reflect the part environment when a
part is activated.
Double-click a parent or top-level assembly to reactivate it.

Working in the Assembly Browser | 95

 Control Visibility of Components
Controlling the visibility of components is critical to managing large
assemblies. You may need some components only for context, or the part
you need may be obscured by other components. Assembly files open and
update faster when the visibility of nonessential components is turned off.
The visibility of any component in the active assembly can be changed, even
if the component is nested many layers deep in the assembly hierarchy.

Workflow overview: Change the visibility of a component

1 Expand the browser until the component occurrence is visible.
2 Right-click the occurrence, and then deselect Visibility.

Combinations of visible components can be stored in design views, described

later in this chapter.

Assembly Structures
The structure of an assembly is the organization of the components.
Grouping parts into subassemblies simplifies the browser. Subassemblies can
also reflect manufacturing processes. With Autodesk Inventor, you can
change the contents of subassemblies or create new ones at any point during
the design process and over the life span of a product.
The top level of an assembly structure can consist of parts and subassemblies.
Each subassembly can consist of parts and more subassemblies. Moving a
component (a part or subassembly) into a subassembly is demoting. Moving
a component out of a subassembly is promoting. If you promote or demote a
component, the system deletes the constraints.

assembly with flat structure assembly after restructuring

Components restructured as a group maintain constraints between them.

Constraints to components outside the group are lost.

96 | Chapter 5 Managing Assemblies

 Restructure Assemblies
In the browser, components are initially listed in the order in which they
were placed in the assembly. You can rearrange the order of components by
dragging components to a new position or by using the context menu.
Collapse subassemblies at the same level in the browser to ensure that the
dragged components remain at the same assembly level. Moving
components in the browser does not affect their position in the graphics
window.

Workflow overview: Create a new subassembly containing selected components

1 Start with an open assembly.
2 Select components from the assembly browser or in the graphics window.
3 Right-click, and then select Demote from the context menu. The Create In-
Place Component dialog box is displayed.
4 Enter a file name for the new assembly, select a new template if necessary,
and then click OK.

A new subassembly is created and populated with the selected components.

Workflow overview: Promote components within the assembly hierarchy

1 Select components from the assembly browser or in the graphics window.
2 Right-click, and then select Promote from the context menu.

The selected components are moved to the parent assembly.

NOTE Promote is not available if the selected component is a child of the top-
level assembly.

Browser Display Controls

Display controls are located in the Browser toolbar:
Filters button Lists five browser filters that limit and organize what is
shown in the Assembly browser. The filters can be turned
off and on, and multiple filters can be applied to the
browser at the same time.
Design Views Lists recently created design views or opens the Design
View dialog box so that you can retrieve or define an
assembly display configuration.

Working in the Assembly Browser | 97

 System. A default design view that clears the screen so that the
nothing visible assembly is not visible.
System. A default design view that restores the visibility of the
all visible assembly.
Position View Nests assembly constraint symbols below both
constrained components. Part features are hidden.
Selecting this button disables Modeling View.
Modeling View Places assembly constraint symbols in a folder at the top
of the browser tree. Part features are nested below parts,
just as they are in part files. Selecting this button disables
Position View

Graphics Window Display Controls

The physical appearance of a part in a shaded view of an assembly is initially
determined by the material or color style assigned in the part file. You can
override the color style of parts and subassemblies in an assembly and save
the results in a design view.
Some examples of the use of color override in an assembly are:

■ Changing the color style of adjacent parts to provide contrast

■ Assigning a semitransparent color style to a component for better
visualization
■ Grouping components based on similar functionality or origin, such as all
hydraulic components, all components from a specific vendor, or all
critical failure parts

Parts take on the color style defined by the material applied in the part file.
This color style can be overridden either in the part file or in an assembly file.
A color style override in the part file becomes the default or As Material color
of the part in all assemblies. A color style override of a part or subassembly in
an assembly is local to that assembly only.
Component color styles can be repeatedly changed and saved in separate
assembly design views. Autodesk Inventor includes a range of standard
materials and color styles, as well as tools to create custom color styles and
material definitions.
To define a color or to modify the characteristics of a defined color, such as its
brightness, intensity, or opacity, select Format > Colors from the menu bar.

98 | Chapter 5 Managing Assemblies

Documenting Assemblies
You can document your assemblies by creating drawing views in the
Autodesk Inventor drawing environment, and manage parts lists that
accurately reflect the parts and subassemblies in your assembly.

Create Design Views

A design view preserves an assembly display configuration so that you can
recall it by name later. You can save the following settings:

■ Visibility on/off
■ Enabled on/off
■ View orientation
■ Zoom factor
■ Browser expansion
■ Color overrides

The Design Views icon in the browser toolbar displays the Design View dialog
box for creating, storing, recalling, and updating design views. When
naming design views, do not use the default name. The program uses the
default name to save the current view when you close the assembly.

Documenting Assemblies | 99
Producing Bills of Material
You can create a bill of material (BOM) for an assembly, which lists all
components and their properties. The order in which the components
appear in the browser is the default order for components in a BOM. You can
sort components in a BOM by any property type. You can also create a BOM
listing only selected parts.

Packaging Assemblies
The Pack and Go function in Autodesk Inventor packages your assembly and
all of its referenced files in a single location. This is useful when you need to:

■ Archive files on a CD or other media.

■ Send a complete set of files to a vendor or contractor.
■ Isolate referenced files from other files in the same source folders.
■ Test alternate configurations with the packaged files without changing the
source files.

To use Pack and Go from Microsoft® Windows® Explorer, right-click an

Autodesk Inventor file (.iam, .ipt, .idw, .ipn), and then select Pack and Go.
To use Pack and Go from within Autodesk Inventor, click File ➤ Design
Assistant. In the Design Assistant browser, right-click, and then select Pack
and Go.

Tips for Working with Assemblies

■ Turn off visibility of nonessential components.
Access the parts you need and update graphics faster.
■ Use design views.
Create design views that highlight specific design problems or assembly
subsystems, and apply them when opening the assembly model.
■ Turn off part adaptivity.
After you size a component, turn off adaptivity to speed up solutions and
prevent accidental changes.

100 | Chapter 5 Managing Assemblies

Use Efficient File Structures
■ Plan your work.
Before you create parts, plan the top-level assembly and its subassemblies.
■ Use subassemblies.
Create small subassemblies and combine them in larger assemblies.
■ Use logical projects.
Define and use projects to simplify your design project.
■ Use shared directories.
Use projects to facilitate sharing both work in progress and defined
libraries of completed parts across projects and within your design team.

Manage Assembly Components

■ Assign different colors to components.
Select colors from the Color list on the Standard toolbar.
■ Use the browser to find components.
Point to a component in the browser to highlight it in the graphics
window.
■ Use color to identify component groups.
Using attributes, find components in specific subsystems or from specific
vendors and color code them in named design views.

Tips for Working with Assemblies | 101

102
Placing, Moving, and
Constraining
Components
In This Chapter
6
This chapter provides basic information and concepts ■ Placing the first component
■ Placing subsequent components
for working with assembly components. In this chapter,
■ Dragging components into
you learn how to place and constrain components, and assemblies
■ Moving and rotating
to edit constraints using the Edit Constraints
components
dialog box. ■ Applying constraints
■ Viewing constraints
■ Editing constraints

103
Placing Components In Assemblies
In the assembly environment, you combine parts and subassemblies to create
an assembly. You can add existing parts and subassemblies or you can create
parts and subassemblies in-place. When you create a new component (a part
or subassembly) in-place, you can place the sketch on one of the assembly
origin planes or constrain it to the face of an existing component. A
component can be an unconsumed sketch, a solid part or any mixture of
both. A component can also be a surface, which is neither a solid nor a sketch.
When a component is active, the rest of the assembly dims in the browser.
Only one component can be active at a time.
When you place existing components in an assembly, choose a fundamental
part or subassembly (such as a frame or base plate) for the first component of
an assembly. You can place an existing component or create one in the
assembly.

If the first component is placed, it is automatically grounded (all degrees of

freedom are removed). Its origin and coordinate axes are aligned with the
origin and coordinate axes of the assembly. It is a good practice to place
assembly components in the order in which they would be assembled in
manufacturing.
Additional nongrounded occurrences of the first component can be placed
in the assembly by clicking in the graphics window. To finish placing a the
first component, right-click, and then select Done, or press the ESC key.
The second and subsequent components placed from external files are
positioned in the graphics window with the cursor, which is attached at the
component center of gravity. Click in the graphics window to place an
occurrence of the component. All placed components are unconstrained and
ungrounded —you add constraints, as needed.

104 | Chapter 6 Placing and Constraining Components

You create a component in place using the Create In-Place Component tool.
The created component appears in the browser as nested under the main
assembly, or under a subassembly if that subassembly was active when the
component was created. If a sketch profile for the in-place component uses
projected loops from other components within the assembly, then that
sketch profile is associatively tied to the projecting components.

Sources of Placed Components

Most assembly components are parts and subassemblies you have previously
created with Autodesk Inventor.
Autodesk Inventor can place components created in other CAD systems that
have been saved as SAT files (ACIS) or IGES files, or exported through a STEP
translation process. Imported SAT, STEP, and IGES files do not retain the
parametric information used to create their features. You can add parametric
features to these files, but you cannot edit their existing features.

Drag Components into Assemblies

You can place multiple components in an assembly file in a single operation
by dragging them into the graphics window. You can drag components to an
open assembly window from the following locations:

■ From an open folder in Microsoft® Windows® Explorer. Use this technique

to quickly populate a new assembly with components.
■ From an open Autodesk Inventor part file. Drag the top-level icon from
the part browser to the assembly graphics window.
■ From an open Autodesk Inventor assembly file. Drag parts, subassemblies,
or the top-level assembly from the browser to the assembly graphics
window.

You must drop the files over the graphics window where the assembly model
is displayed. A single occurrence of each component is placed in the
assembly file. The dropped components appear at the bottom of the browser
in the receiving assembly.

Placing Components In Assemblies | 105

 Enabled Components
In addition to visibility, components can be either enabled or not enabled.
Enabled components are fully loaded in the assembly and are available for
any operation within the assembly environment.
A component that is not enabled is selectable in the browser, but is not
available for operations in the graphics window. You can in-place edit a
component that is not enabled, which automatically switches the
component to Enabled. Components that are not enabled consume fewer
resources than enabled components, giving better performance in large
assemblies.
If you are working in shaded mode, components that are not enabled appear
as nearly transparent in the graphics window. In wireframe mode, they are
displayed in a distinct color in the graphics window. A different green
colored icon in the Assembly browser identifies the component as not
enabled.
Parts and subassemblies that are required only for context, or components
that do not require editing, are good candidates to be designated as not
enabled. To set a component to not enabled, right-click the component in
the browser, and then clear the check mark next to Enabled.

Grounded Components
Grounded components are fixed in position, relative to the assembly
coordinate system. A grounded component will not move when you apply
assembly constraints. The first component placed or created in an assembly
is automatically grounded, so that subsequent parts may be placed and
constrained in relation to it. You can remove the grounded status of a
component, including the first component.
To restore the degrees of freedom (unground) of a component, right-click the
component occurrence in the graphics window or the Assembly browser, and
then clear the check mark beside Grounded. Grounded components are
displayed with a pin icon in the assembly browser.
There is no limit to the number of grounded components you can have in an
assembly, but most assemblies have only one. Grounded components are
appropriate for fixed objects in assemblies because their position is absolute
(relative to the assembly coordinate origin), and all degrees of freedom are
removed.

106 | Chapter 6 Placing and Constraining Components

Moving and Rotating Components
When constraining assembly components, you may need to temporarily
move or rotate a constrained component to enhance the visibility of other
components, or position a component to facilitate constraining. Rotating or
moving a component temporarily suspends a component’s constraints. The
next assembly update restores the position of the component as determined
by its constraints.

If a component is not grounded, or is unconstrained or underconstrained,

you can drag it in the assembly space by clicking the component and
dragging.

Constraining Components
After you place or create components in an assembly file, you use assembly
constraints to establish the orientation of the components in the assembly
and to simulate mechanical relationships between components. For
example, you can cause two planes to mate, specify that cylindrical features
on two parts remain concentric, or constrain a spherical face on one
component to remain tangent to a planar face on another component.
Each time you update the assembly, these assembly constraints, or rules, are
enforced.

■ Adaptive technology in Autodesk Inventor allows part features to change

size, shape, and position based on the applied assembly constraints.

Moving and Rotating Components | 107

 ■ Assembly constraints remove degrees of freedom from components,
positioning them relative to one another. As you modify the geometry of
your components, the assembly constraints ensure that the assembly stays
together, following the rules you have applied.
■ The correct application of assembly constraints also provides Autodesk
Inventor with the information it needs to perform interference checking,
collision and contact dynamics and analysis, and mass property
calculations. When you apply constraints properly, you can drive the
value of an essential constraint and view the movement of components
in the assembly.

iMates
Component interfaces called iMates can be applied to a part. An iMate is a
constraint that is saved with a component and reused later. iMates use
predefined knowledge stored within a component to tell it how to connect
with other components in an assembly. When you insert a component with
iMates, it intelligently snaps into place. The component can be replaced by
another component while preserving these intelligent iMate constraints. The
iMate technology speeds accurate placement and replacement of
components in assemblies.
A composite iMate is a collection of individual iMates into a single entity.
Parts drawn from standard libraries snap together quickly with composite
iMates. Visual and audio cues are provided to assist in the placement of
components with iMates.

Place Constraints
In Autodesk Inventor, four types of 3D assembly constraints define
positional relationships between components: mate, angle, tangent, and
insert. Each type of constraint has multiple solutions. The solutions are
defined by the direction of a vector normal to the component. The
constraint solution is previewed to show the orientation of the affected
components before you apply the constraint.
Use the Place Constraint dialog box to control the type, solution, and offset
for the constraint. Use the Selection buttons to specify the geometry to be
constrained. Use the Predictive Offset and Orientation button with Mate,
Flush, and Angle constraints. When turned on, it gives the offset value for
the current location for the selections you are constraining. It also changes
the orientation to a flush constraint if you have it set to mate, then pick two
faces with the vectors pointing in the same direction, and visa versa. The
dialog box remains open as you place constraints, so you can place multiple
constraints of all types.

108 | Chapter 6 Placing and Constraining Components

 In the following workflow, the Constraint tool on the Assembly toolbar is
used to place a tangent constraint between assembly components. A tangent
constraint positions faces, planes, cylinders, spheres, cones, and ruled splines
tangent to one another.

Workflow overview: Place a tangent constraint in an assembly

1 To begin, place the components to constrain in an assembly file.
2 On the Assembly panel, click the Constraint tool.
3 In the Place Constraint dialog box, Assembly tab, in Type, click the Tangent
button.
4 The First Selection button is already active. Select a face, curve, or plane for
your first selection.
5 The Second Selection button is activated after you pick the first selection.
Select the geometry that will be tangent to the first.
6 If applicable, select Inside or Outside to specify the tangency position.
7 Enter an offset value, if applicable.
8 If Show Preview is selected, observe the effects of the applied constraint. If
either component is adaptive, constraints are not previewed.
9 Click Apply to continue to place constraints or click OK to create the
constraint and close the dialog box.

NOTE Availability of objects for selection differs, depending upon the

particular constraint tool you select in the Place Constraint dialog box.

If other components obscure the required geometry, do one of the following:

■ Temporarily turn off the visibility of the foreground objects before you
place a constraint.
In the Place Constraint dialog box, select Pick Part First. Click the
component you want to constrain. Clear the check box to restore the
ability to select all components.
Selectable geometry is limited to features on the selected component.
■ Point the cursor to the required geometry. Right-click, and then choose
Select Other.
Click the arrows in the Select Other box to cycle through the underlying
face, curve, and point selections.
Click the green center button to accept the highlighted selection.
If you find it difficult to select faces, edges, or points, you can adjust the
Locate Tolerance option to change selection priority.

Constraining Components | 109

 Workflow overview: To edit constraints
1 In the browser, right-click a constraint you previously placed.
The Edit Constraint dialog box is displayed.
2 In the Edit Constraint dialog box, specify a new constraint type (Mate, Angle,
Tangent or Insert).
3 Enter a distance to offset constrained components from one another.
If you apply an angular constraint, enter the angle between the two sets of
geometry. You can enter positive or negative values. The default value is zero.
If Show Preview is selected in the Constraint dialog box, the position of the
components is adjusted to match the offset or angle value.
4 Apply the constraint through the Constraint dialog box or the context menu.
The dialog box remains open, and you can apply as many assembly
constraints as required.

Motion Constraints
You can also add motion constraints to components in an assembly. Motion
constraints provide the ability to animate the motion of gears, pulleys, rack
and pinions, and other devices. By applying motion constraints between two
or more components, you can drive one component and cause the others to
move accordingly.
Two types of motion constraints are possible:
Rotation Use to apply motion constraints to wheels, pulleys, and
gears.
Rotation/ Apply motion constraints to rack and pinion or wheel and
Translation rail components. These constraints are bidirectional and
accept a specified ratio or distance.
Motion constraints do not maintain positional relationships between
components.
Fully constrain assembly components before you apply motion constraints.
Then, suppress constraints that restrict the motion of the components you
want to animate. To return components to their original positions,
unsuppress any suppressed constraints.

110 | Chapter 6 Placing and Constraining Components

The following figures show before and after examples of applied assembly
constraints.

Mate Constraint
The mate constraint makes a set of geometry on one component coincident
with geometry on another component.
Mate Type-Mate Solution Use the mate constraint with the mate solution to
make two planes face each other and make them coplanar, make two lines
colinear, or place a point on a curve or plane.

first plane selected second plane selected constraint applied

first face selected second face selected constraint applied

first centerline selected second centerline selected constraint applied

first point selected second point selected constraint applied

first point selected second point selected constraint applied

Constraining Components | 111

 Mate Type-Flush Solution Use the mate constraint with the flush solution to
align two components so that the selected planes face the same direction, or
have their surface normals pointing in the same direction. Faces are the only
geometry that can be selected for this constraint.

Angle Constraint
The angle constraint specifies an angle between planes or lines on two
components.
Angle Type Specifies an angle between planes, axes, or lines on two
components. The two sets of geometry need not be of the same type. For
example, you can define an angle constraint between an axis and a plane.
Constraints of this type are often used to drive assembly motion.
Angle Solution Orients the surface normal of a selected plane or the direction
of the axis described by a selected line. When you select a face or line, an
arrow shows the default direction of the solution.
■ Direct Angle applies the right-hand rule. Some cases, such as zero or 180°,
may flip in the opposite direction.
■ Undirected Angle applies either right-hand or left-hand rule. The left-
hand rule is applied automatically if the solved position more closely
resembles the last-calculated position. This is the default behavior.

112 | Chapter 6 Placing and Constraining Components

Tangent Constraint
The tangent constraint causes surfaces of planes, cylinders, spheres, or cones
to contact at the point of tangency.
Tangent Type At least one surface must be nonplanar. Surfaces defined by
spline curves cannot be used in a tangent constraint. Tangency may be inside
or outside a curve, depending on the direction of the selected surface normal.
Outside Solution Positions the first selected part outside the second selected
part at their tangent point. Outside tangency is the default solution.

Inside Solution Positions the first selected part inside the second selected part
at their tangent point.

Insert Constraint
The insert constraint causes a circular edge on one component to be
concentric and coplanar with a circular edge on another component. The
offset value for an insert constraint is the distance between the two faces
containing the circular edges. For example, you can use this constraint to
place a pin or a capscrew in a hole.
Solutions Specifies the direction of the face normal for the planes containing
the circular edges. An arrow indicates the normal direction. The opposed
solution has the two planes facing each other, as in a mate constraint. An
aligned solution has the normals pointing in the same direction.

Constraining Components | 113

Viewing Constraints
The assembly browser provides two schemes for showing assembly
constraints. You select Position View or Modeling View on the assembly
browser toolbar to switch between the two schemes.
Position View Shows each constraint under component occurrences in
the browser. Constraints are listed under both constrained
components.
Modeling View Shows all assembly constraints collected into a folder
labeled Constraints, located immediately below the top-
level assembly. Each constraint is listed only once, in the
order of placement.
When you hover the cursor over an assembly constraint in the browser, the
constrained components are temporarily highlighted in the graphics
window. Selecting the constraint in the Assembly browser highlights the
geometry in the graphics window until you click again in the graphics
window or the browser.

Editing Constraints
You can edit assembly constraints in two ways.

Workflow overview: Edit constraint values by selecting in the browser

1 In the assembly browser, select an assembly constraint.
The Offset or angle value is displayed in the edit box at the bottom of the
browser.
2 Enter a new value in the edit box, open the drop-down list to select recent
values, or use the Measure tool to find a value.

114 | Chapter 6 Placing and Constraining Components

 Workflow overview: Edit constraint values in the Edit Constraints dialog box
1 Right-click a constraint in the assembly browser, and then select Edit from
the menu, or double-click a constraint in the assembly browser.
2 In the Edit Constraint dialog box, edit any of the constraint parameters
displayed.
You can change the selected geometry for one or both components, change
the solution, and revise the offset, angle, or depth value of the constraint.
Under certain conditions, the constraint type can be changed without losing
the current selections. For example, you can change a mate constraint
between two planar surfaces to an angle constraint. The OK button is not
available if you select a new constraint type that cannot be applied.

Tips for Managing Assembly Constraints

■ Start constraining components by mating planar faces.
Add tangent, angular, and flush constraints later.
■ Apply constraints after features are stable.
Avoid constraints between features that might be removed later in the
design process.
■ Drag components to check translational degrees of freedom.
You can see how a component is constrained.
■ Use adaptivity only when needed.
Mark components as adaptive only when the adaptivity is actually needed
to construct or analyze an assembly.

■ Create component iMates for repeated use.

Using component interfaces called iMates, you can define placement
information on parts and assemblies to use repeatedly.

Tips for Managing Assembly Constraints | 115

116
Creating Assemblies

In This Chapter
7
This chapter provides the basic information and ■ Creating parts in place
■ Projecting edges for new parts
concepts for creating components in assemblies. In this
■ Creating subassemblies
chapter, you will learn how to create parts and
■ Adaptivity and assemblies

assemblies in place, as well as learn about adaptive parts ■ Component patterns

■ Independent instances in
and assemblies. component patterns
■ Using work features in
assemblies
■ Replacing components

117
Creating Components in Assemblies
Assembly modeling combines the strategies of placing existing components
in an assembly, and creating other components in place within the context
of the assembly. In a typical modeling process, some component designs are
known and some standard components are used, but new designs must also
be created to meet specific objectives.
The Autodesk Inventor assembly-centric workflow provides tools to create
parts and subassemblies in the assembly environment. When you create
components in place, you can refer to edges and features of existing
components when sketching features.
You may find that, for your workflow, creating at least some of the
components in the assembly environment is more accurate and efficient.

Parts In Place
You can use the Create Component tool to create a component in place in an
assembly. You have the option to create a work feature and constrain it to an
existing face, or to place the sketch plane normal to the view with the origin
at a selected point.
Most components created in the assembly environment are created in
relation to existing components in the assembly. When creating an in-place
component, you can sketch on the face of an existing assembly component
or a work plane. Optionally, you can click the graphics window background
to define the current view orientation as the XY plane. If the YZ or XZ plane
is the default sketch plane, you must reorient the view to see the sketch
geometry.
The following illustration shows the sketch plane for an in-place part created
on the plane used for a section view.

118 | Chapter 7 Creating Assemblies

 The following illustration shows the sketch plane for an in-place part created
by clicking in the graphics window.

Workflow overview: Set a default sketch plane to create a component in place

1 On the Tools menu, select Application Options > Part tab.
2 Select a sketch plane for the default.
3 Click the Create Component tool.

When you create a new component, you can select an option in the Create
In-Place Component dialog box to automatically constrain the sketch plane
to the selected face or work plane. After you specify the location for the
sketch, the new part immediately becomes active, and the browser, panel bar,
and toolbars switch to the part environment. The Sketch tools are available
to create the first sketch of your new part.
After you create the base feature of your new part, you can define additional
sketches based on the active part or other parts in the assembly. When
defining a new sketch, you can click a planar face of the active part or
another part to define the sketch plane on that face. You can also click a
planar face and drag the sketch away from the face to automatically create
the sketch plane on an offset work plane.
When you create a sketch plane based on a face of another component,
Autodesk Inventor automatically generates an adaptive work plane and
places the active sketch plane on it. The adaptive work plane moves as
necessary to reflect any changes in the component on which it is based.
When the work plane adapts, your sketch moves with it. Features based on
the sketch then adapt to match its new position.
After you finish creating a new part, return to assembly mode.

Workflow overview: Return to the assembly mode

■ Double-click the assembly name in the browser.

Creating Components in Assemblies | 119

 In assembly mode, assembly constraints are visible in the browser. If you
selected the Constrain Sketch Plane to Selected Face or Plane option when
you created your new part, a flush constraint appears in the assembly
browser, and it can be deleted at any time. No flush constraint is generated
if you create a sketch by clicking in the graphics window.

Projected Edges and Features

Parts created in place often need to match one or more features on existing
components. Holes may be required to be concentric, or the outer edges of
the new part must match those of an existing component. Faces, edges, and
features on any visible component can be projected onto the current sketch.
You can then use the projected points and curves to form sketch profiles or
paths, or you can combine projected geometry with new sketch geometry if
necessary.
The following illustration shows how edges from an adjacent part are
projected into the sketch for an in-place part.

Projected geometry remains linked to the part from which it was projected
and automatically updates to match changes in the original part's geometry.
When you project geometry from an existing component onto a new sketch
it becomes a reference sketch. You can use a reference sketch to create an
adaptive matching part that automatically updates to reflect any
modifications to the outer boundary of the component from which the
geometry was projected.
Use the Project Geometry tool on the Sketch toolbar to project faces, edges,
and features onto the current sketch.
Projected geometry is positioned normal to the current sketch plane. If the
selected edge lies in a plane that is not parallel to the sketch plane, the
projected geometry is different from the original sketch. Reorient the view to
the sketch to see a true view of the projected geometry.

120 | Chapter 7 Creating Assemblies

Subassemblies In Place
When you create a subassembly in place, you define an empty group of
components. The new subassembly automatically becomes the active
subassembly, and you can start to populate it with placed and in-place
components. When you reactivate the parent assembly, the subassembly is
treated as a single unit in the parent assembly.
Optionally, you can select components at the same assembly level in the
browser, right-click, and then select Demote to place them into a
subassembly. You can then move components between assembly levels by
dragging components in the browser.
Subassemblies can be nested many layers deep in a large assembly. By
planning and building subassemblies, you can efficiently manage the
construction of very large assemblies. Additionally, you can create
subassemblies that match the intended manufacturing scheme to facilitate
creating your assembly documentation.

Guidelines for Selecting Subassembly Components:

When designing a subassembly for modeling, select:

■ Component groups that repeat in an assembly.

■ Combinations of standard parts that are common to many assemblies.
■ Components that combine to perform a common function in an
assembly.

When designing a subassembly for documentation purposes, select

components that match your intended manufacturing scheme.
As you change the active assembly, the appearance of components in the
graphics window changes. If you are working with a shaded display, the
active subassembly is shaded and all other components appear translucent.
If you are working with a wireframe display, all components other than the
active subassembly are shaded light gray.
Any placed or new in-place components become part of the active assembly
or subassembly. Double-click the parent assembly in the browser to make it
the active assembly.

Creating Components in Assemblies | 121

Creating Component Patterns
Components can be arranged in a rectangular or circular pattern in an
assembly. Using component patterns can increase productivity and
efficiently match your design intent. Typically, you may need to place
multiple bolts to fasten one component to another or place multiple parts or
subassemblies into a complex assembly.
As with feature patterns, you can create a rectangular pattern by specifying
column and row spacing, or a circular pattern by specifying the number of
components and the angle between them.
In addition, you can create associative component patterns of parts or
subassemblies by selecting an existing pattern. For example, you could create
a component pattern of a nut and bolt by selecting an existing bolt hole
pattern. Edits to the bolt hole pattern control the location and number of
bolts and nuts.
Associative component patterns:

■ Include and retain constraints of the original component. If the original

component is constrained, then the component pattern is constrained.
■ Are associative to a part feature such as a pattern of bolt holes.
■ Contain individual elements that can be suppressed for display or
functional purposes.

Workflow overview: Create an associative component pattern

1 Place a component in an assembly file.
2 Constrain the position of the component relative to a feature pattern.
3 Click the Pattern Component button, and then select the Associative tab.
4 From either the browser or in the graphics window, select the placed
component.
5 On the Associative tab, click the selection arrow, and then select an
occurrence of a feature in a pattern from the graphics window.
6 Click OK.

The placed component is patterned relative to the placement and spacing of

the feature pattern. Changes made to the feature pattern automatically
update the number and spacing of the components.

122 | Chapter 7 Creating Assemblies

Workflow overview: Create a rectangular component pattern
1 Place a component in an assembly file.
2 Click the Pattern Component button, and then select the Rectangular tab.
3 From either the browser or in the graphics window, select the placed
component.
4 On the Rectangular tab, click the Column Direction selection arrow and then
select an edge or work axis from the graphics window. Click flip to the
column direction, if necessary.
5 Enter the number of components to be created in the column and the
spacing between each.
6 On the Rectangular tab, click the Row Direction selection arrow, and then
select an edge or work axis from the graphics window, enter the number of
components in the row, and the distance between the components.
Click flip to the row direction, if necessary.
7 Click OK.

Workflow overview: Create a circular component pattern

1 Place a component in an assembly file.
2 Click the Pattern Component button, and then select the Circular tab.
3 From either the browser or in the graphics window, select the placed
component.
4 On the Circular tab, click the Axis Direction selection arrow, and then select
an edge or work axis from the graphics window. Click flip to the axis
direction, if necessary.
5 Enter the number of components to be created in the circular pattern and the
angular spacing between each.
6 Click OK.

Independent Instances
You can also make one or more component pattern elements independent of
a pattern. When you make an element independent:

■ The selected pattern element is suppressed.

■ A copy of each component contained within the element is placed in the
same position and orientation as the suppressed element.
■ The new components are listed at the end of the assembly browser.
■ Replacement components obey the rules for component replacement.

Creating Component Patterns | 123

 Workflow overview: Make a pattern element independent of a pattern
1 Expand the pattern in the browser.
2 Right-click an element other than the source component, and then select
Independent.
The element is suppressed and a copy of the components it contains is added
to the browser.

NOTE To create a new component based on another component, save a copy

with a different name and place the copy in the assembly.

You can restore an independent element to the pattern at any time by right-
clicking it in the browser, and then selecting Independent again to clear the
check mark. The copied components created when the element was made
independent are not automatically deleted from your model.

Using Work Features in Assemblies

In the assembly environment, you can create work features to help you
construct, position, and assemble components. Create work planes and axes
between parts in an assembly by selecting an edge or point on each part.
These work features remain tied to each part and adjust accordingly as the
assembly is modified. Use assembly work features to parametrically position
new components, check for clearance in an assembly, and as construction
aids. You can also use work planes to help you generate section views of your
assemblies.
By default, all types of work geometry are initially selected for display. Thus,
any work feature with its individual visibility turned on in the browser is
visible in the assembly file.
The visibility of work features in Autodesk Inventor can be controlled
globally. This is important in the assembly environment, where the display of
work features from individual parts can quickly clutter the graphics window.

Workflow overview: Control visibility of work features in an assembly

1 On the main menu, select View > Object Visibility.
2 On the menu, turn off or on the work features by type.
This overrides the visibility setting for individual work features of that type
in the assembly and in each part in the assembly. Although the work feature
visibility in the assembly is suppressed, individual visibility control remains
turned on.

124 | Chapter 7 Creating Assemblies

Replacing Components
You may need to replace a component in an assembly as the design evolves.
A simple representation of a component may be used during the design
concept stage, which is replaced by the actual part or subassembly when
detailed design is required. Parts from one vendor may be replaced with
similar parts from another supplier.
In the following illustration, the Replace Component tool is used to replace
a simple sketched representation with the actual part.

When you replace a component in an assembly, the new component is

positioned with its origin coincident with the origin of the component it
replaces. All assembly constraints from the original component are lost. You
must place new assembly constraints to eliminate degrees of freedom of the
new component. If the part you are placing with is an ancestral part of the
original part (a copy of the part that contains edits), then constraints are not
lost when you do a replace.

Replacing Components | 125

126
Analyzing Assemblies

In This Chapter
8
In this chapter, you learn to analyze assembly ■ Checking for interference
■ Animating assemblies
components for interference by simulating the motion
■ Degrees of freedom
of the assembly components.
■ Drive constraints

127
Checking for Interference in Assemblies
In the physical assembly built from your design, two or more components
cannot occupy the same space at the same time. To check for such errors,
Autodesk Inventor can analyze assemblies for interference.
Analysis is performed between two selected sets of components. If
interference is found, the interfering volumes are temporarily displayed, and
a report is generated describing the components and the interference
volumes. You can then modify or move the components to eliminate the
interference.
Analysis takes longer when complex components are involved. An efficient
strategy is to analyze only a few components at a time, such as those in close
proximity to one another. It is a good idea to analyze, reposition, and
redesign components on a regular basis rather than analyzing the complete
assembly all at once.
Creating components in place, using faces of adjacent components as sketch
planes, and projecting geometry from other component faces for use in
sketches reduces the chance of interference between parts.

Analyze Interference Tool

The Analyze Interference tool checks for interference between sets of
components and among the components in a set. If an interference exists,
Autodesk Inventor displays the interference as a solid and displays the volume
and centroid in a dialog box.
For checking interference within a set, select all components in the set. All
parts in the set are analyzed against each other, and interferences are shown in
red. To speed up the process, you can select only the components that you
want to check. For example, if you revise a part in an assembly, you can limit
the interference check to the components affected by the change.

128 | Chapter 8 Analyzing Assemblies

 The interference between two parts is displayed in the following illustration.
The volume and location data are displayed when you click More in the
dialog box.

interference

Workflow overview: Analyze interference between parts

1 Verify that the assembly mode is active. Interference analysis is only available
in the assembly environment.
2 On the main menu, click Tools > Analyze Interference.
3 Select the two sets of components to be analyzed.
4 Click OK. The Interference Detected dialog box is displayed.
5 Expand the dialog box to see a detailed analysis report in table form. The
report table can be copied to the clipboard or printed.

Degrees of Freedom
Each unconstrained component in an assembly has six degrees of freedom
(DOF). It can move along or rotate about each of the X, Y, and Z axes. The
ability to move along X, Y, and Z axes is called translational freedom. The
ability to rotate around the axes is called rotational freedom.
Whenever you apply a constraint to a component in an assembly, you
remove one or more degrees of freedom. A component is fully constrained
when all degrees of freedom (DOF) have been removed.
Autodesk Inventor does not require you to completely constrain any
component in an assembly. You can save time by removing only critical DOF
for your model. There are situations in which you do not remove DOF: For
example, do not remove DOF to allow Autodesk Inventor to correctly
interpret the design intent when the assembly is animated, or to leave
yourself design flexibility for a later phase in the design process.
To see the DOF symbol for all components in an assembly, select Degrees of
Freedom from the View menu.

Checking for Interference in Assemblies | 129

 The straight lines with arrows at one end represent the translational degrees
of freedom along the X, Y, and Z axes. The arcs represent rotational degrees
of freedom about each axis.

Unconstrained Drag
You can move unconstrained components by dragging them in the graphics
window.
Partially constrained components sometimes need to be moved or rotated to
facilitate constraint placement. Use the Move Component and Rotate
Component tools to temporarily release all assembly constraints so you can
reorient a component. Any assembly constraints that have been placed are
reapplied to the assembly as soon as you click Update.

NOTE Movement or rotation of a grounded component is not recovered

with an assembly update.

Constrained Drag
Dragging a single constrained component causes other components in the
assembly to move, according to the relationships defined by their assembly
constraints. This technique is very useful in determining the suitability of
assembly constraints placed on a component.
Drag a component after applying an assembly constraint to quickly gauge
the effects of the constraint. Grounded components cannot be moved in this
manner.
Careful planning and placement of assembly constraints is the key to
obtaining proper assembly motion. Apply as many assembly constraints as
needed to position, or in the case of an adaptive part, size your component.
Temporarily suppress assembly constraints that interfere with assembly
motion.

Constraint Drivers
Dragging a small component in a large assembly, or dragging a component
about an axis of rotation can be difficult. Autodesk Inventor provides a
unique tool to drive the value of an assembly constraint. You can specify
movement range and step size, determine movement cycling, and set a pause
time between steps. Mate and angle constraints between faces are common
choices for driven constraints.

130 | Chapter 8 Analyzing Assemblies

Assembly motion can be halted if interference is detected between
components. Refine the increment value and drive the constraint to
determine a precise constraint value where interference occurs. When
interference is detected, the motion stops and the interfering components
are highlighted in the browser and graphics window.
Adaptive parts can be resized to match the varying assembly constraint.
Adaptive features and parts are presented earlier in this manual.
The motion can be recorded as an AVI file using any code available on your
computer.

Drive Constraints
After you constrain a component, you can animate mechanical movement
by changing the value of the constraint. The Drive Constraint tool
repositions a part by stepping through a range of constraint values. You can
rotate a component, for example, by driving an angular constraint from zero
to 360 degrees. The Drive Constraint tool is limited to one constraint. You
can drive additional constraints by using the Parameters tool to create
algebraic relationships between constraints.

Drive constraint used to simulate a clock. Minute

and hour hands are constrained to the dial. Drive
constraint rotates the minute hand. Parameters
tool defines the hour hand position as a function
of minute hand position.

Checking for Interference in Assemblies | 131

 You enter information in the Drive Constraint dialog box to define the drive
constraint and to control motion.

Stop Reverse Step

Forward Maximum
Reverse Forward Step
Record Minimum

Constraints may limit the motion of parts. Depending on the geometry,

degrees of freedom are removed or restricted. For example, if you apply a
tangent constraint to two spheres, all six degrees of freedom remain, but you
can’t translate one of the spheres in just one direction.

Tangent constraint applied to two spheres. All six

degrees of freedom remain, but they are restricted.

Tangent constraint applied to cylinder and hole. Cylinder and

hole are the same size, so only two degrees of freedom remain.

132 | Chapter 8 Analyzing Assemblies

Animating Movements of Parts in Assemblies
Mechanical assemblies are rarely static. By animating the movement of
constrained assemblies with Autodesk Inventor, you can examine your
model throughout its range of motion. Use Autodesk Inventor assembly
animation to visually check for component interference and examine
mechanism movement to improve your designs.
In this two-part exercise, you first constrain a component in a lift fixture
assembly. You examine degrees of freedom as constraints are applied, and
examine the motion of the assembly by dragging a strategic component in
the graphics window.
In the second part of the exercise, you replace a simplified representation of
a component in an assembly, define an angle constraint for a pivot, and then
animate the assembly using the unique constraint driving capabilities of
Autodesk Inventor to check where component interference occurs.
You can view degrees of freedom for a part in the Properties dialog box
available from the right-click menu in the browser. In the Properties dialog
box, on the Occurrence tab, you can turn the Degrees of Freedom option on
or off. The Degrees of Freedom option is also located in the View menu.
This exercise demonstrates how to properly constrain an assembly for
motion analysis.
The completed exercises are shown in the following figure.

Animating Movements of Parts in Assemblies | 133

 TRY IT: Remove a degrees of freedom constraint
1 With the project tutorial_files active, open the file remDOFs.iam. The
assembly should look like the following figure.

2 Select Degrees of Freedom from the View menu. The NewSleeve.ipt part is
unconstrained, so all six degrees of freedom are available.

degrees of freedom symbol

3 Click the Constraint tool in the panel bar or from the Assembly toolbar. Place
a mate constraint between the major axis of NewSleeve.ipt and the axis
through the cylinder feature of NewSpyder.ipt. This constraint removes two
translational degrees of freedom and two rotational degrees of freedom from
the sleeve.

134 | Chapter 8 Analyzing Assemblies

4 Remove the last rotational degree of freedom from the sleeve. Place a mate
constraint between the axis (not a hole center) through the open bolt hole
of the NewAdjust_Link.iam, and the axis through the bolt hole in one of the
sleeve tabs. If required, zoom in or use the Select Other tool to select the axes.

second selection

first selection

5 The sleeve is now constrained to move only along the axis of the spider.
Select View > Degrees of Freedom to hide the DOF symbols.
6 Use the Rotate and Zoom tools to orient your view of the assembly as shown
in the following figure.

7 Slowly drag the NewLiftRing.ipt. All components with constraints that are
linked to the dragged component move in response, while honoring their
own assembly constraints.

Close the file.

Do not save changes.

Animating Movements of Parts in Assemblies | 135

136
Working with
Drawings

In This Chapter
9
Use drawings to document parts and assemblies. This ■ Introduction to drawings
■ About creating drawings
chapter provides an overview of the drawing concepts

in Autodesk Inventor™.

137
Introduction to Drawings
After you create a model, you can create a drawing file (with .idw extension)
to document your design. In a drawing file, you place views of a part model
that can include any combination of model dimensions (parametric
dimensions extracted from the part file) and drawing dimensions (created in
the drawing file). You can add and suppress dimensions in each view as
needed, and place dimensions, annotations, and symbols that adhere to
ANSI, BSI, DIN, GB, ISO, and JIS standards. You can also define your own
custom standards.

You can change the alignment, label, scale, and displayed dimensions in any
view. You can also edit your part by changing the parametric model
dimensions from within the drawing file. Similarly, your drawing file will
automatically update with any changes saved in the part file.

138 | Chapter 9 Working with Drawings

Create Drawings
Autodesk Inventor comes with standard templates to use as the starting point
for your drawings. The default drawing template is determined by the
drafting standard you select when you install Autodesk Inventor. Template
files have the standard drawing extension (.idw). Autodesk Inventor stores
template files in the Autodesk\Inventor (version number)\Templates folder. You
can also create your own templates, specifying unique characteristics, and
save them in the Templates folder.

NOTE When you select New Drawing from the drop-down menu next to the
New button, Autodesk Inventor looks for a file named Standard.idw in the
Autodesk\Inventor (version number)\Templates folder.

You start with a drawing template when you create a new drawing. When
you select File ➤ New or click the New button, choose a drawing template
from the Default, English or Metric tab. When you select Drawing from the
the pull-down list next to the New button, you open the template based on
the standard you chose when installing Autodesk Inventor. The default
drawing is a blank sheet of paper with a border and title block. The English
and Metric tabs contain the templates for those units of measure.
Since Autodesk Inventor maintains links between components and
drawings, you can create a drawing at any time during the creation of a
component and, by default, the drawing will update automatically to reflect
changes. However, it is usually a good idea to wait until a component is stable
before you create a drawing, since you need to edit the drawing details (to
add or delete dimensions or views, or to change the locations of notes and
balloons) to reflect the revisions.
Any changes to a component are reflected in the drawing. You can also revise
parts and assemblies by changing model dimensions while you are in a
drawing. This two-way link helps ensure the documentation represents the
latest version of a component.
Sometimes it is more efficient to create a quick 2D drawing than it is to
design a solid model. With Autodesk Inventor, you can create 2D parametric
drawing views, which you can also use as sketches for 3D modeling.

Introduction to Drawings | 139

 Drawing Environment
The drawing environment is activated when you open a drawing or when
you start a new drawing with a template for an .idw file. You create a drawing
to document a part for manufacturing. When you revise a part, you can make
changes to the part, the assembly, or the drawing. Autodesk Inventor updates
all instances of the part. Whenever you revise a part in the drawing
environment, check the assemblies where the part is used to confirm there is
not an interference.

Edit Model Dimensions in Drawings

You can view and edit model dimensions in a drawing using the Retrieve
Dimension command. Autodesk Inventor updates all instances of the part to
reflect your changes. If you change the value of a drawing dimension,
Autodesk Inventor does not revise the part. The new nominal value appears
on the drawing, but it will not be to scale.

140 | Chapter 9 Working with Drawings

Formatting Drawings

In This Chapter
10
This chapter provides basic information and concepts ■ Using drafting standards
■ Customizing drawings
about defining drafting standards for drawings and
■ Drawing resources
working with title blocks.
■ Sheet formats
■ Title blocks
■ Parts lists

141
Setting Drafting Standards
The current drafting standard controls many attributes of a drawing. Before
you create views of your model, you should review the current standard and
choose between first and third angle projections, set units of measurement,
text font, type of decimal marker, lineweights and linestyles, and symbols.
You can apply a drafting standard to a drawing, modify an existing standard,
or create a custom standard based on ANSI, BSI, DIN, GB, ISO, or JIS drafting
standards. You can automatically assign a drafting standard to all new
drawing files by adding it to a template file that you use to create new files.
Although you can create a custom drafting standard based on an existing
standard, the ANSI, BSI, DIN, GB, ISO, and JIS drafting standards are
internationally recognized standards and it is recommended that you do not
modify these standards. If you want to change any of the default settings for
a standard, create a new template based on the standard you want to modify.
Drafting standards include control of:

■ Lineweights, linestyles, and text fonts

■ Dimension values
■ Dimension geometry
■ Centerlines and center marks
■ Terminators (arrowheads)
■ Welding symbols
■ Weld bead symbols
■ Surface finish symbols
■ Geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GDT)
■ Balloons and parts lists

The active drafting standard controls the measurement units used by

dimensions in drawings. If the units of measurement in the model are
different than the units set in the drafting standard, dimensions shown in
the drawing are automatically converted to the units dictated by the
standard.

NOTE Selecting a different drafting standard has no effect on dimensions that

have already been placed. However, if the active standard is modified, the
existing dimensions are updated.

142 | Chapter 10 Formatting Drawings

Customize Drawings
You can modify the drawing border and title block to comply with your
company specifications. Any changes apply only to the current drawing,
unless you save them in a drawing template.
With a drawing template open on your screen, select Format ➤ Standards to
display the Drafting Standards dialog box. With the Drafting Standards
dialog box, you can create and modify drafting standards.
The Format menu also contains tools to define borders, title blocks, and
symbols, and to display the Dimension Styles and Text Styles dialog boxes.
You save drawings with custom settings in the Autodesk\Inventor (version
number)\Templates folder.

Setting Drafting Standards | 143

Using Drawing Resources
The first folder at the top of the browser is Drawing Resources. You can
expand Drawing Resources to show the sheet formats, borders, title blocks,
and sketched symbols that are available to use in the drawing. You can
customize, add to, or delete items from Drawing Resources.

Sheet Layouts
When a new drawing is created, it automatically includes at least one sheet.
You can change the default sheet size to a standard or custom sheet size, and
specify its orientation.
You can insert borders, title blocks, and views onto the sheet. Available
borders and title blocks are listed in the Drawing Resources folder in the
browser. Icons in the browser represent the sheet and all its component
elements.
You can add multiple sheets to a drawing. Use the browser to move views
between sheets. Only one sheet is active at a time. Inactive sheets are
dimmed in the browser.

cursor touching Sheet 1 icon

insertion bar indicates where

view is displayed
view dragged to Sheet 1

Edit Default Sheets

The default sheet can be edited to modify the following information:

■ Sheet name
■ Sheet size
■ Orientation
■ Count attribute
■ Print attribute

144 | Chapter 10 Formatting Drawings

To edit the sheet attributes, right-click the sheet in the browser, and then
select Edit Sheet. The Edit Sheet dialog box is displayed.

Format Sheets
You can create a new sheet with a predefined layout of border, title block, and
views by using a sheet format from Drawing Resources > Sheet Formats.
Right-click the sheet resource, and then select New Sheet. The format
corresponds to a standard sheet size with an appropriate title block and
border.
If the format you choose contains one or more views, the Select Component
dialog box is displayed when you create a new sheet. Use the Browse button
to specify the component to be documented. Default views of the
component are then created automatically.

Sketch Overlays
You can create a sketch overlay sheet to add graphics or text to your drawing
without affecting drawing views. You can redline a drawing, for example, by
working on the sketch overlay.

Drawing Borders
The Default Border is parametric. It automatically adjusts its size and labeling
if the sheet is resized. When you insert a border, the Default Drawing Border
Parameters dialog box is displayed. The default setting for the number of
horizontal and vertical zones depends on the current sheet size.
Click the More button to modify the text, zone layout, and sheet margins.

Using Drawing Resources | 145

 Custom borders can be created and saved in the current drawing. Unlike the
Default Border, custom borders are not parametric and do not resize when a
sheet is resized. Once a custom border is inserted, it cannot be edited. It must
be deleted and replaced with a new border.
To insert a border, expand Borders in the browser, right-click the border you
need, and select Insert Drawing Border. If you select the Default Border, the
Default Drawing Border Parameters dialog box is displayed.

Title Blocks
The title blocks in an Autodesk Inventor drawing are intended to be dynamic
and to reflect information about the drawing, the sheet, and the design
properties. As this information changes, the title block is automatically
updated to display the current information.

146 | Chapter 10 Formatting Drawings

Examples of the information that can be displayed in a title block include:

■ Title
■ Author
■ Part number
■ Creation date
■ Revision number
■ Sheet size
■ Number of sheets
■ Approved by

The dynamic information in a title block is referred to as a property field. Use

the Drawing Properties dialog box to enter most of the information for your
title block.

The standard drawing templates contain title block formats that you can
customize and use. You can also create your own title block formats.

Using Drawing Resources | 147

 Workflow overview: Define a new title block
1 With an .idw file open, on the Format menu, click Define New Title Block.
The current sheet becomes an active sketch plane, and the Sketch toolbar is
activated.
2 Use the tools on the Sketch toolbar to draw the title block. Define and use a
grid to accurately sketch the lines for the title block.
3 Click the Property Field button on the Sketch toolbar, and then click in the
graphics window to place the insertion point for the text box, or drag to
define the area of the text box.
4 In the Format Field Text dialog box, enter static text and property fields. Set
the text formatting.
When you use the Property fields, information in the drawing is automati-
cally updated when changes are made to the model.
5 Enter the name of the new title block in the dialog box.
Autodesk Inventor completes the title block based on information stored in
Drawing Properties.

NOTE The new title block is added to the Drawing Resources folder in the
drawing browser.

Align Title Blocks

A title block can be positioned in any of the four corners of your drawing
sheet. You can set the default position for title blocks using the Alternative
Title Block Alignment control in the Drawing tab of the Options dialog box.
To access the Options dialog box, select Tools > Application Options from the
Autodesk Inventor menu.
Autodesk Inventor determines the appropriate corner of the title block
extents and uses that point to position the title block in the specified corner
of the sheet.
You can also edit the position of the title block on any drawing sheet in the
Edit Sheet dialog box. In the browser, right-click the sheet you want to
modify and select Edit Sheet.

Edit Title Blocks

You can edit an existing title block and save the changes in the drawing. All
sheets in the drawing using that title block will be updated. When you select
a title block for editing, the Sketch toolbar is activated, and you can add or
modify geometry, text, and property fields.

148 | Chapter 10 Formatting Drawings

 The tools for sketching in the drawing environment are the same tools used
for sketching part profiles. Tools to place text and property fields are unique
to the drawing environment.
These tools may be selected from the panel bar or from the Sketch toolbar.

Hole Tables
Hole tables in drawings show the size and location of some or all of the hole
features in a model. Hole tables eliminate the need to add notations for each
hole feature in a model.

Parts Lists
To create a parts list in a drawing in Autodesk Inventor, use the Parts List tool.
You can generate a parametric parts list for an assembly. The properties for each
part or subassembly are displayed in the parts list. You can specify the items
you want in the list, such as part number, description, and revision level. Parts
lists can be edited.

Tips for Creating Drawings

■ Use drawing formats with predefined views.
If you define views in a drawing template, the Drawing Manager prompts
you for a file when you add a sheet. Autodesk Inventor automatically
places the model in the view.
■ Use the Select filters.
In addition to the Edge, Feature, and Part filters, you can specify various
drawing elements for the Select filter.
■ Drawing formats override units of measure.
If components in an assembly have different units, the drawing format
overrides them. The model dimensions have consistent units in the
drawing environment.
■ Use property field text.
Title blocks can use the property fields of the drawing file to automatically
populate title block fields.

■ Use templates to maintain drawing standards and ensure consistent title

blocks and borders among drawings.

Tips for Creating Drawings | 149

 ■ Use the Selection Filters to control which entities on a sheet can be
selected.
■ Use the default border to ensure that the border will resize if the sheet size
changes.
■ Use formats to save the sheet size, title block, border, and views on the
sheet for quick layouts.
Section, auxiliary, and detail views cannot be saved in a format.
■ Select multiple objects within a drawing or within a drawing view using a
selection or containing window.
■ Move a drawing view by clicking and dragging the border.

150 | Chapter 10 Formatting Drawings

Creating Views in
Drawings

In This Chapter
11
This chapter provides basic information and concepts ■ About drawing views
■ Base views
about the types of drawing views you can create using
■ Section views
Autodesk Inventor®.
■ Auxiliary views
■ Broken views
■ Detail views
■ Modifying views

151
Creating Drawing Views
Drawing views are referenced from, and associative with, external part files.
You can produce multiview drawings consisting of principal orthographic
views and auxiliary, detail, section, and isometric views. You can also create
views from assembly design views and presentation views. Autodesk
Inventor calculates and displays hidden lines as required.
The first view in any drawing is a base view. This view is the source for
subsequent views, such as projected and auxiliary views. A base view sets the
scale for dependent views, except detail views. A base view also sets the
display style for dependent projected orthographic views.
For a part model, the first view is usually a standard view such as a front or
right-side view.

NOTE A draft view is a special view in a drawing that does not contain a
representation of a 3D model. A draft view has one or more associated sketches.
You can place a draft view and construct a drawing without an associated model,
or use a draft view to provide detail that is missing in a model.

Drawing View Types

With Autodesk Inventor, you create and manipulate a variety of views. The
tools for creating and working with drawing views are located on the Drawing
Views panel bar. Click the Base View button on the Drawing View toolbar to
display the Drawing View dialog box. The Drawing View dialog box is used to
add a design view from an assembly, and to create base views. A base view can
be used to create a projected view, an auxiliary view, a section view, a detail
view and a broken view.
You can also create an isometric view using the projected view tool. When
placing a projected view, move the preview to change the orientation of the
projected view to an isometric view.
Projected view Projects from the base view to a desired location. The
relationship of the projected view to the base view is
determined by the orientation of the projected view. Use
this tool to create an isometric view.
Auxiliary view Projects from an edge or line in a base view. The resulting
view is aligned with its base view.

152 | Chapter 11 Creating Views in Drawings

Section view Creates a full, half, offset, or aligned section view from a
base, projected, auxiliary, detail, or broken view. Creates a
view projection line for an auxiliary or partial view. A
section view is aligned with its parent view.
Detail view Creates and places a detailed drawing view of a specified
portion of a base, projected, auxiliary, break-out, or
broken view. The view is created without an alignment to
the base view.
Draft view Creates a blank view with the sketch environment
activated for drafting. You can import AutoCAD® data
into a draft view, and you can copy a draft view and paste
it into the same or another drawing.
Broken view Creates a view with breaks for situations where the
component view exceeds the length of the drawing, or
contains large areas of nondescript geometry, like the
center portion of a shaft.
Break out view Removes a defined area of material to expose obscured
parts or features in an existing drawing view. The parent
view must be associated to a sketch that contains the
profile defining the break out boundary.

Base Views
The first view in a new drawing is a base view. You can add additional base
views to a drawing at any time. Use the Base View button on the Drawing
Views panel bar to create a Base view.

Projected Views
Projected views are created with a first-angle or third-angle projection,
depending on the drafting standard specified in the drawing. You must have
a base view before you can create a projected view. Projected views can be
orthographic or isometric. You can create multiple views with a single
activation of the tool.
Orthographic projections are aligned to the base view and inherit scale and
display settings. If the base view is moved, view alignment is maintained. If
the scale of the base view is modified, the scale of the projected view changes.

NOTE Isometric projections are not aligned to the base view. They default to
the same scale as the base view, but do not update if you change the scale of the
base view. The default display style is Remove Hidden Lines.

Creating Drawing Views | 153

 The position of the cursor relative to the base view determines the
orientation of the projected view. A view preview is displayed as you move
the cursor. Clicking a point on the sheet places the view. You can continue
to place views until you right-click, and then select Create, or press ESC.

Editing Views
After you create a view, you can edit it to make changes. If the view is a base
view, changes to the view parameters will be reflected in the dependent
views. You can remove the association between dependent views and base
views by editing the dependent view. Independent scale, style, and
alignment can then be set for the derived views.
To edit view parameters, select the view, right-click, and then select Edit
View. The Edit View dialog box is displayed.

Creating Multiview Drawings

A multiview drawing contains a set of single plane orthographic views which
are used to display an object through one view plane per projection. For
example, a first angle projection is one view in a multiview projection set.

Base Views
In this exercise, you create a base view, and then project views to create a
multiview orthographic drawing. Finally, you add an isometric view to the
drawing.

Workflow overview: Create a Base View

1 With the project tutorial_files active, open the file baseview-2.idw. The
drawing file contains a single sheet with a border and title block.
2 Click the Base View tool in the Drawing Views panel bar. The Drawing View
dialog box is displayed.

154 | Chapter 11 Creating Views in Drawings

3 Click the Browse button, and then double-click basevsource.ipt to use it as the
view source.
4 Verify that Front is selected in the View list. Set the Scale to 1.

5 Click the Options tab, and then select Hidden Edges from the Line Style drop
down list. Verify that All Model Dimensions is not selected.

Creating Multiview Drawings | 155

 6 Position the view preview in the lower left corner of the sheet, in Zone B7.
Click the sheet to place the view.

7 Click the Projected Views tool in the Drawing Views Panel.

Click the base view and move the cursor vertically to a point above the base
view. Click the sheet in Zone E6 to place the top view.
8 Move the cursor to the right of the base view. Click the sheet in Zone C2 to
place the right-side view.
9 Right-click, and then choose Create from the context menu.

Now create an isometric view.

10 Click the Projected View tool in the panel bar or from the Drawing Views
panel bar.
Click the base view and move the cursor above the right-side view. Click the
sheet in Zone E3 to place the isometric view.
11 Right-click the sheet, and then choose Create.

156 | Chapter 11 Creating Views in Drawings

Your drawing should look like the following illustration.

Section Views
Autodesk Inventor can create a full, half, offset, or removed section view
from a base view. The crosshatching, section line, and labels are placed
automatically.
You can also use the Section Views tool to create a view projection line for an
auxiliary or partial view. By default, a section view is aligned to its base view.
Press and hold CTRL as you position the section view to place it without
alignment.
The section line arrowheads on the base view automatically orient to reflect
the position of the section view relative to the base view. You can reverse the
direction by dragging the view, or by editing it later.
You can also display multisegmented section lines by clicking the section line
and disabling the Show Entire Line option in the right-click context menu.
Section view labels can be edited at any time by right-clicking the section
view and choosing Edit View.

Defining Section Views

Use the Section Views tool to define a projection line for a section view. You
can hover the cursor over view geometry to infer the position or orientation
of the cutting line. The cutting line can consist of a single straight segment
or multiple segments.

Creating Multiview Drawings | 157

 When you have defined the view projection line, the Section View dialog box
is displayed.

NOTE You can use the CTRL key to prevent constraining the view projection
line.

In this exercise, you create section, detail, and auxiliary views.

TRY IT: Create a section view

1 With the project tutorial_files active, open the file sectionview.idw. The
drawing contains orthographic views and an isometric view.

2 Click the Zoom Window tool on the Standard toolbar, and then create a
window around the top view.
3 Click the Section View tool in the Drawing Views panel.
4 Click inside the top view.
Place the cursor over the midpoint of the left edge of the part (A'), move the
cursor to extend the projection line away from the part (A), and then click to
place the start point of the section line.

5 Drag horizontally past the center of the part (B), and then click to define the
first segment of the section line.
6 Drag the cursor to create an inferred constraint along the slot center (C').
Next, drag horizontally until a perpendicular constraint appears (C), and
then click to define the second segment of the section line.

158 | Chapter 11 Creating Views in Drawings

7 Drag horizontally to the right of the part (D), and then click to create the last
segment of the section line.
Right-click, and then select Continue.
The projection line is defined, and the Section View dialog box is displayed.

8 Zoom out. Drag the section preview down to Zone D6, and then click to place
the view.

NOTE Press F5 to return to the previous view after zooming in to place the
cutting plane.

9 The transition in the offset cutting plane is displayed in the section view. To
suppress the display of this edge, select it, right-click, and then choose
Visibility.

Creating Multiview Drawings | 159

 Auxiliary Views
With Autodesk Inventor, you can create and place a full auxiliary view of a
selected view. The auxiliary view is projected from and aligned with a
selected edge or line in the base view. The selected edge or line in the base
view defines the projection direction.
Auxiliary views are labeled, and display a projection line to the base view.

Auxiliary View Tool

Use the Auxiliary View tool to create views aligned to nonorthogonal
geometry in a selected view.

Auxiliary View Dialog Box

When you select the base view, the Auxiliary View dialog box is displayed.
You can set the view Label, Scale, and Display options.

NOTE To create a partial auxiliary view, select the objects to be removed from
the auxiliary view, right-click, and then set Visibility off. Or, use the Section View
tool to place a projection line that excludes the geometry you do not want in the
view.

An auxiliary view is required to document the features on the inclined face.

TRY IT: Create an auxiliary view

1 Click the Auxiliary View tool in the Drawing Views panel bar.
2 Click the front view.
The Auxiliary View dialog box is displayed.
3 Select the edge that defines the auxiliary projection.

160 | Chapter 11 Creating Views in Drawings

4 In Style, click the Hidden Line Removed button.

5 Move the preview down and to the left. Click the sheet in Zone B7 to place
the auxiliary view.

Detail Views
With Autodesk Inventor, you can create and place a detail view of a specified
area of a drawing view. A detail view is created without alignment to its
parent view.
By default, the scale of the detail view is double the scale of the parent view,
but you can select any scale.
Autodesk Inventor labels the detail view and the area it is derived from on its
parent view. Either a circular or rectangular fence can be set for the detail.

Detail View Tool

Use the Detail View tool to define a detailed view of a selected area of any
view. Specify the area to be detailed, and then drag the detail view to any
location.

Detail View Dialog Box

When you select the parent view, the Detail View dialog box is displayed. You
can set the detail label, scale, and view display options.

Creating Multiview Drawings | 161

 The center point of the fence positions the detail, and the fence determines
the extent of the viewed detail. Right-click to select fence shape, click the
center point of the detail, and then click a point to set the fence for the detail.
Next, you create a detail view to show a portion of the parent view at an
enlarged scale.

TRY IT: Create a detail view

1 Zoom in on the top view.
2 Click the Detail View tool in the panel bar or from the Drawing Management
toolbar. Select the top view. The Detail View dialog box is displayed.

3 Right-click the sheet, and then select Rectangular Fence.

4 Click to place the center of the detail, move the cursor, expanding the
rectangle that defines the view, and then click to define the detail fence.

5 Zoom out enough to drag the preview to the left of the top view, and then
click.

162 | Chapter 11 Creating Views in Drawings

The view is placed.

Save the file.

End of exercise.

Broken Views
With Autodesk Inventor, you can create broken views from existing base,
projected, section, detail, and auxiliary views. You select the existing view,
define the appearance of the break, and then specify the location of the break
lines in the view. The broken view retains the scale of the original view.

Broken View Tool

Use the Broken View tool to modify a view of a long component that cannot
be scaled to fit the drawing sheet without obscuring important details. Select
the view, and then place the break lines to specify the portion of the view to
be removed.

Broken View Dialog Box

When you select the view you want to break, the Broken View dialog box is
displayed. You can set the break style, orientation, gap, symbol size, and
number of symbols displayed in the break lines.

Creating Multiview Drawings | 163

 Select the Rectangular or Structural style to define the general appearance of
the break lines in your view. Then use the Orientation controls to specify the
direction of the break lines. Use the Gap control to set the distance between
the remaining segments of the view after it has been broken. Adjust the value
in the Symbols field to control the number of break symbols displayed each
break line. You can set the symbol size in proportion to the gap size by using
the slider control. Finally, click in the drawing view to specify the location of
each break line.

Draft Views
A draft view is a special view in a drawing that does not contain a
representation of a 3D model. A draft view has one or more associated
sketches. You can place a draft view and construct a drawing without an
associated model, or use a draft view to provide detail that is missing in a
model.
When you import an AutoCAD file to an Autodesk Inventor drawing, the
data is placed in a draft view. Dimensions, text, and other annotations are
placed on the drawing sheet and geometry is placed in the associated sketch

Modifying Views and Sections

With Autodesk Inventor, you can constrain the relative positions of two
views. One of the views acts as the base view. If the base view moves, the
aligned view also moves. If a view is aligned vertically, the position of that
view relative to the base view is constrained to points along the Y axis of the
base view. Horizontal alignment constrains the position to points along the
X axis of the base view.
An in-position alignment establishes the relative angular position between
the view and the base view. An auxiliary view is an example of in-position
alignment. The view is constrained to maintain the alignment as the base
view is repositioned.
To remove the constraints between views, select the view from which to
remove the alignment. Right-click, and then select Alignment > Break. You
restore broken alignments to views. Select the view to align, right-click, and
then select one of the choices on the context menu. Select the base view to
set the alignment.

NOTE To place a section view without an alignment constraint, press and hold
the CTRL key as you place the view.

164 | Chapter 11 Creating Views in Drawings

 DeleteViews
Views that are no longer needed can be deleted. If you delete a base view,
dependent projected and auxiliary views can either be deleted or retained.
Section and detail views require a base view and cannot be retained.
To delete a view, select the view, right-click, and then select Delete. In the
Delete View dialog box, click the More button (>>) to select the dependent
views to retain.

TRY IT: Delete a base view

1 With the project tutorial_files active, open the file delbasev.idw. The drawing
contains three orthographic views, an isometric view, and a section view.

2 In the browser, right-click View1:view1-4.ipt, and then choose Delete.

The Delete View dialog box is displayed.
Click the More button, highlight View2, and then click Yes in the Delete
column to switch it to No.
Repeat for View3.
Click OK to delete the base view and retain the two dependent views.

Modifying Views and Sections | 165

 Align Views
Alignment is the constraint relationship between a dependent view and its
parent view. An aligned view can be moved only within its constraints. If the
parent view is moved, the aligned view moves to maintain its alignment.
Most dependent views are created with an alignment, but you can add,
change, or remove alignment relationships. There are four possible
alignment relationships between a dependent view and its parent view:
Vertical, Horizontal, In Position and Break.

TRY IT: Align views

1 Select the projected view in zone B2, right-click, and then select Alignment
> Break.
2 Select this view again, right-click, and then select Alignment > Horizontal.
3 Select the section view as the base view.
4 Select the section view, and then drag the view vertically to the location
previously occupied by the front view.
The right-side view remains aligned to the section view. A view direction
indicator is added to the original, projecting base view, and a view label is
added to the projected view. This ensures that an indication of the projected
view orientation and view direction is retained, regardless of where you
move the view.
5 Right-click the isometric view and select Alignment > In Position.
6 Select the section view as the base view.
7 Move the section view, and notice that the isometric view now moves with
the section view.

166 | Chapter 11 Creating Views in Drawings

 Edit Hatch Patterns
You can apply double-hatching, and you can modify the following aspects of
a section view hatch pattern:

■ Pattern
■ Angle
■ Line weight
■ Scale
■ Shift

In the following steps, you edit the section view hatch pattern to represent
the material as bronze using the ANSI 33 hatch pattern.

To modify a hatch pattern

1 Right-click the hatch pattern in the section view, and then choose Modify
Hatch. The Modify Hatch Pattern dialog box is displayed.
2 Select ANSI 33 from the Pattern list, and then click OK.

Save the file.

End of exercise.

Rotate Views
You can rotate views by edge or by angle. Views rotate as rigid bodies,
including any sketches. When a view is rotated, annotations maintain their
associativity to the view and model geometry. Depending upon the drawing
standard used, additional information may be provided in the View label
indicating that the view is rotated out of its normal position.

NOTE When you rotate a view, if a section view cutting plane line is not
updated, you can edit the section line as you would edit a sketch, including
constraints.

Modifying Views and Sections | 167

 Move Views
You can move a view by clicking and dragging the red border. You can move
multiple views with a crossing selection. Specify a crossing selection by
clicking, moving your pointing device from right to left, and then clicking
again. Views that are fully or partly within its borders are selected. To move
the selected views, click and drag one of the red borders.

Tips for Creating Drawing Views

■ Create views on different sheets.
When you create a new view, select the parent view, and then click the
New Sheet button to activate the new sheet. The view is previewed for
placement.
■ Create nonaligned section views.
Press and hold CTRL while placing section views to break the alignment.
■ Move views between sheets.
Click a view in the browser and drag it to another sheet. The cursor must
be on a sheet name or icon to enable drop.
■ Copy views or sheets between drawings.
Right-click the view or sheet, and then select Copy. Paste it into the other
drawing.
■ Redline drawings.
Use sketch overlay to redline drawings without affecting the drawing
views or annotations.
■ View assembly model structure.
Right-click a view, and then select Show Contents. The assembly structure
is displayed under the sheet.

Use these techniques to effectively layout drawings and document model

design.
■ Use the CTRL key to suppress alignment when placing section views.
■ Use the context menus for quick access to editing operations and
common commands.

168 | Chapter 11 Creating Views in Drawings

Annotating Drawings

In This Chapter
12
This chapter provides basic information and concepts ■ About annotations
■ Dimensions
about annotating drawings using dimensions, center
■ Dimension styles
marks, centerlines, hole notes, and leader text.
■ Center marks and centerlines
■ Notes and leader text
■ Hole notes
■ Creating dimensions in drawings
■ Printing sheets

169
Annotating Drawing Views
While the drawing views define the shape of a component, drawing
annotation provides the additional information needed to complete
documentation of the component. In Autodesk Inventor®, a full palette of
drawing symbols and notes for annotating drawings is available. The
symbols vary, depending on which drafting standard you use. Custom
drawing elements, such as graphical symbols, standard notes, or revision
blocks can be added to drawings.
The following tools are located on the Drawing Annotation toolbar:
General Dimension Add drawing dimensions to a view.
Baseline Dimension Add baseline drawing dimensions to a view when you
want to add multiple dimensions to drawing views in an automated fashion.
Ordinate Dimension Set, and Ordinate Dimension Add two types of ordinate
dimensions to your drawings. Individual ordinate dimensions provide
support for importing AutoCAD drawings containing ordinate dimensions.
Hole/Thread Notes Add hole and thread notes to features created using the
Hole feature or Thread feature tools in parts.
Center Mark Center mark extension lines are automatically sized to fit the
geometry. You can copy and paste center marks.
Centerlines Autodesk Inventor supports three types of centerlines: bisector,
centered pattern, and axial.
Symbols Add Symbols for surface texture, welding, feature control frames,
and feature identifiers. You can create leaders for symbols.
Datum target leaders Create one or more leaders for datum target symbols.
The color, target size, line attributes and measurement units of the symbol
are determined by the active drafting standard.
Text or Leader Text Both Text and Leader Text use a word processor with
minor formats such as font type, bold, and special symbols. Leader Text
attached to geometry is associative, and moves with the drawing view.
Balloons Add balloons to individual parts or all parts at once. You can add
balloons to a custom part after it is added to the parts list.
Parts list Inserts a parts list into a drawing.
Hole table Add a hole table to a drawing view.

170 | Chapter 12 Annotating Drawings

 Caterpillar Add a caterpillar annotation to geometry in a drawing view. The
annotation is not associated with weldments in the model.
Revision table Use the Revision table button on the Drawing Annotations
toolbar to place a revision table on a drawing sheet.
Symbols Add symbols to a drawing as annotations.
Retrieve Dimensions Select the model dimensions to display in a drawing
view.

Creating Dimensions in Drawings

The process for creating a drawing dimension is like the process for placing a
model dimension in the part or assembly environment. When you select a
feature or relationship between features to dimension, Autodesk Inventor
creates a horizontal, vertical, or aligned dimension, depending on the
direction you move the cursor. Snap is activated to help place a dimension at
a standard distance from the view and to align dimensions with each other.
You can specify how a dimension should look, capture the dimension style,
and apply the style to any dimension in a drawing.
Snap indicator shows that you selected As you drag the new dimension into position,
this dimension as the reference for the snap indicator turns on when you are
aligning a new dimension aligned with the selected dimension

Change Dimensions
After you place a dimension, you can change the tolerance type, nominal
value, tolerance, and fit. Options to make these changes are located in the
Dimension Tolerance dialog box. The Dimension Tolerance dialog box is
displayed when you double-click a dimension.

Creating Dimensions in Drawings | 171

 When you select a tolerance type, Autodesk Inventor previews the new
tolerance type on the drawing. Enter a new nominal value for the dimension
and set the precision
If the nominal value of a model or drawing dimension is changed, Autodesk
Inventor changes the value on the drawing but does not update the part or
the assemblies.
You can specify the display characteristics for dimension lines and
arrowheads in drawings.

Place Dimensions
You can use two types of dimensions to document your design in a drawing:
model dimensions and drawing dimensions.

Model Dimensions
Model dimensions define the sizes of sketched features and control the sizes
of features. If you change a model dimension in a drawing, the source
component updates to match. Model dimensions are also referred to as a
bidirectional or driving dimensions.
Only model dimensions parallel to the view plane are available in that view.
If you select the modify a model dimension from a drawing option when
installing Autodesk Inventor, you can edit a model dimension and the source
component will also update.Like the format of drawing dimensions, the
format of model dimensions can be changed.
Model dimensions are displayed using the Retrieve Dimension command.
The right-click menu in a view lists options to retrieve, remove, and edit
model dimensions.
When you place a view, you can choose to display model dimensions. Only
those dimensions that are planar to the view are displayed. Usually, model
dimensions are in the first, or base view in a drawing. In subsequent
projected views, only those model dimensions not shown in the base view
are displayed. If it is necessary to move a model dimension from one view to
another, delete the dimension from the first view and retrieve model
dimensions in the second view. As an alternative, you can add a drawing
dimension to the second view.
If you choose to change the model dimensions in the drawing, make only
minor changes to single dimensions. If there are significant changes, or if
you need to modify dimensions that are referred to by other dimensions,
open the part and edit the sketch or feature there.

172 | Chapter 12 Annotating Drawings

 You can also prevent the editing of driven dimensions in read-only parts that
are referenced to the drawing file. This prevents you from accidentally
making modifications to standard parts.
If you change the size of a part that is used multiple times in an assembly or
is used in multiple assemblies, all occurrences of the part are resized.

Drawing Dimensions
Drawing dimensions are unidirectional. If the part size changes, the drawing
dimension updates. However, changing a drawing dimension will not affect
the size of a part. Drawing dimensions are used to document, but not to
control, the size of a feature.
Drawing dimensions are placed in the same way as sketch dimensions.
Linear, angular, radial, and diameter dimensions are all placed by selecting
points, lines, arcs, circles, or ellipses, and then positioning the dimension.
Constraints are inferred to other features as you place drawing dimensions.
Autodesk Inventor displays symbols that indicate the type of dimension
being placed. Visual clues are also used to position dimensions at fixed
intervals from the object.

Controlling Dimension Styles

Autodesk Inventor provides control of drawing view dimensions through
dimension styles and a drawing organizer. A dimension style is a named
group of dimension settings that determine the appearance of a dimension
to which it is applied.
This figure shows several dimensions that were modified by dimension styles.

If you spend a significant amount of time creating and modifying dimension

styles, you can use the drawing organizer to help you manage them. You can
use the drawing organizer to copy dimension styles from existing drawings
to the active drawing.

Controlling Dimension Styles | 173

 Use dimension styles to control dimension text, arrowheads, dimension
lines, and extension lines. A dimension style is provided for each drafting
standard, but you can create new styles based on them to suit your own
annotation requirements.
These examples show a dimension that uses the default ISO dimension style,
and one with custom style settings applied.

default ISO dimension style custom dimension style

Workflow overview: Access the Dimension Styles dialog box

1 Open an existing drawing or create a new drawing.
2 Choose Format > Dimension Styles.

Dimension Style Settings

Every dimension has a style, whether it's the default or one you define. All
dimensions are initially created using the active dimension style set in the
Drafting Standards dialog box.
The settings for the default dimension style cannot be changed, but you can
create your own variation of the default style and save it under a new name.
You can apply a dimension style to any number of drawing dimensions.
Changes made to a custom dimension style are automatically reflected in any
dimensions that reference that style.
To override dimension style settings, right-click a dimension, and then
choose New Style. To override tolerance settings, right-click, and then choose
Tolerance.

174 | Chapter 12 Annotating Drawings

 When an override setting is common to one found in the Drafting Standards
or the Dimension Style dialog boxes, the rule of thumb is:

■ Override settings supersede the Dimension Style settings.

■ Dimension Style settings supersede the Drafting Standard settings.

NOTE If you apply a dimension style to a dimension, any overrides on that

dimension are lost.

Dimension Styles in the Drawing Organizer

The Drawing Organizer dialog box provides a convenient way to copy
dimension styles from one drawing to another by opening existing drawings
and copying selected dimension styles from them to the active drawing. It
works exactly like the organizer for materials, color styles, and lighting styles.
The Drawing Organizer is available only when a drawing is active in
Autodesk Inventor.

Workflow overview: Access the Drawing Organizer dialog box

1 Open an existing drawing or create a new drawing.
2 Choose Format > Organizer.

Creating Annotations
Some of the commonly used annotations besides dimensions are:

■ Center marks and centerlines.

■ Notes and leader text.
■ Hole and thread noes
■ Thread representation
■ Title block information

Creating Annotations | 175

 Center Marks and Centerlines
Autodesk Inventor has simplified the tasks of placing center marks and
centerlines. There are four tools to assist you:

■ Center Mark
■ Center Line
■ Center Line Bisector
■ Centered Pattern

Add center marks and centerlines before adding drawing dimensions. You
can dimension to the ends of the center marks and centerlines and maintain
correct gapping.

Notes and Leader Text

Use the Text tool to add general notes to a drawing. General notes are not
attached to any view, symbol, or other object in the drawing.
Use the Leader Text tool to add notes to elements in a drawing. If you attach
the leader line to geometry in a view, the note is moved or deleted when the
view is moved or deleted.
The Format Text dialog box is used to set the text parameters.

Hole and Thread Notes

Hole and thread notes document both internal and external hole features or
threaded objects. These notes typically consist of all information necessary
to manufacture a threaded feature:

■ Hole diameter and depth

■ Thread size and depth
■ Counterbore or countersink size
■ Quantity, especially for hole patterns

Use the Hole/Thread Notes tool to add hole notes and thread information to
holes and threaded features in drawing views.
Autodesk Inventor captures the information used when creating holes and
threaded features on a part. This information can then be used to accurately
generate the hole or thread notes in drawing views. If you modify a hole or
threaded feature, the hole or thread note is automatically updated.

176 | Chapter 12 Annotating Drawings

Hole and thread notes are generated according to the current drafting
standard. Right-click a hole note, and then choose Text from the context
menu to make changes to its format and choice of parameters.
A thread is always considered right-hand unless otherwise specified. A left-
hand thread is always labeled LH on a drawing.

Thread Representation
Autodesk Inventor drawings present threads using the simplified method.
Visible external threads display in side views, sections views, and shaded
views.
To qualify for a hole note, the selected geometry must be a hole feature or a
thread feature.
In section views, the hole must either be displayed in its face normal position
or seen as a profile.
You can also annotate holes in isometric views.

Title Block Information

Title block information that is typically entered at the completion of a
drawing is obtained from the drawing properties. The information is entered
in a dialog box, and the values are displayed in the corresponding locations
in the title block.
The Drawing Properties dialog box has six tabs for entering information:

■ General
■ Summary
■ Project
■ Status
■ Custom
■ Save

While some of the title block information is entered when you start the drawing,
approvals and approval dates are not entered until the drawing is complete.
Other information displayed in the title block is derived from the operating
system, the drawing, and the sheet.

NOTE The date format is set by the system Regional Settings application,
located in the Control Panel folder.

Creating Annotations | 177

 Add Dimensions and Annotations
Both model dimensions and drawing dimensions are used to document
feature size.
In this exercise, you create drawing views, edit a view, and then add
dimensions and annotations to a drawing of a clamp that is used to hold a
work piece in position during machining operations.

TRY IT: Add views to a drawing

1 With the project tutorial_files active, open the file dimsannot.idw. The
drawing file contains a single sheet with a border and title block.
2 Click the Base View tool in the panel bar or from the Drawing Views panel
bar. The Drawing View dialog box is displayed.
3 Click the Browse button, and then double-click views-5.ipt to use it as the
source for the view.
4 Verify that Front is selected in the View list. Set the Scale to 1.

178 | Chapter 12 Annotating Drawings

 5 Click the Options tab. Make sure Hidden Edges is highlighted and the All
Model Dimensions is not selected.

6 Position the view preview in the lower left corner of the sheet (in Zone C6).
Click the sheet to place the view.
7 Click the Projected View tool in the panel bar or from the Drawing Views
panel bar.
Click the base view and move the cursor vertically to a point above the base
view. Click the sheet in Zone E6 to place the top view.
8 Move the cursor horizontally to the right of the base view. Click the sheet in
Zone C3 to place the right-side view.
9 Move the cursor above the right-side view. Click the sheet in Zone E3 to place
the isometric view.
10 Right-click the sheet, and then select Create.

Edit Drawing Views

Turn off the display of tangent edges in the isometric view.

Creating Annotations | 179

 TRY IT: Modify a drawing view
1 Right-click the isometric view, and then select Edit View.
2 In the Drawing View dialog box, click the Options tab, and then clear the
check mark from Tangent Edges. Click OK.

The following are orthographic and isometric views of the clamp.

TRY IT: Show tangent edges

1 Right-click the isometric view, and then choose Edit View.
2 In the Drawing View dialog box, click the Options tab, and then select the
Tangent Edges check box. Click OK.

Adding Model Dimensions

Next, you add model and drawing dimensions to the views using the Retrieve
Dimensions command. Some model dimensions are removed, while others
are repositioned.

180 | Chapter 12 Annotating Drawings

TRY IT: Add model dimensions
1 Zoom in on the front view.
2 Right-click the front view, and then choose Retrieve Dimensions. In the
Retrieve Dimensions dialog box, click the Select Dimensions tool. The model
dimensions that are planar to the view are displayed.

3 Select each of the dimensions except for the 45.0 horizontal dimension and
the 40.0 horizontal dimension.
4 Click apply. Each of the dimensions that were selected are displayed. The
dimensions that were not selected are hidden. Click Cancel to exit dialog
box.

Repositioning Model Dimensions

To reposition dimension text, click a dimension text object, and then drag it
into position. The dimension will be highlighted when it is a preset distance
from the model.
Radial dimensions can be repositioned by selecting the handle at the end of
the leader.

Creating Annotations | 181

 TRY IT: Reposition radial dimensions
1 Drag the dimensions until they appear as illustrated in the following figure.

2 Pan to display the top view, right-click, and then choose Done.
3 Right-click the top view, and then choose Retrieve Dimensions. In the
Retrieve Dimensions dialog box, click the Select Dimension tool. The model
dimensions that are planar to the view are displayed.

4 Select each of the dimensions except the 13.0 horizontal dimension, and the
R6.0 and R2.0 radial dimensions.
5 Click apply. Each of the dimensions that were selected are displayed. The
dimensions that were not selected are hidden. Click Cancel to exit dialog
box.
6 Drag the remaining dimensions until they appear as shown in the following
figure.

Adding Centerlines and Center Marks

Centerlines and center marks are added to aid in the placement of drawing
dimensions.

182 | Chapter 12 Annotating Drawings

TRY IT: Add centerlines and center marks
1 In the panel bar, click the arrow next to Drawing Views panel, and then select
Drawing Annotation. Click the Center Mark tool in the panel bar or from the
Drawing Annotation toolbar.
2 Click the outer circle of the boss and the two arcs of the slot.

3 Pan to display the front view.

4 Click the Center Line Bisector tool in the panel bar or from the Drawing
Annotation toolbar.
5 Select the two hidden lines that represent the drilled hole through the boss.

The bisecting centerline is added.

6 Pan to display the right-side view.
7 Select the two hidden lines that represent the drilled hole through the boss.

The bisecting centerline is added.

Adding Drawing Dimensions

Drawing dimensions are added to complete the documentation of the model.

Creating Annotations | 183

 TRY IT: Add drawing dimensions
1 Pan to display the front view.
2 Click the General Dimension tool in the panel bar or from the Drawing
Annotation toolbar.
3 Click the right endpoint of the bottom edge, and then click the right
endpoint of the top of the boss.
4 Move the cursor to the left and place the 16.0 dimension between the 13.0
and 19.0 vertical dimensions, as shown in the following figure.

5 Pan to display the top view.

6 Use the General Dimension tool to add the 13.0, 45.0, and 40.0 horizontal
dimensions as shown in the following figure.

NOTE To align a dimension when dragging it, move the cursor over an
existing dimension and acquire an alignment point. Move the cursor back to the
dimension being placed. The dotted line indicates an alignment inference. Click
to place the dimension.

7 Use the General Dimension tool to add the R21.0 radial dimension, right-
click, and then choose Done.
8 Drag the 16.0 dimension to a position that avoids crossing the extension
lines.

The drawing dimensions are added.

184 | Chapter 12 Annotating Drawings

 Formatting Dimensions
The dimensions can be formatted to add additional information, to adjust
precision, or to add tolerances.

TRY IT: Format dimensions in a drawing

1 Right-click the 15° dimension, and then choose Text.
2 In the Format Text dialog box, enter TYP, and then click OK.
3 Right-click the 16.00 dimension, and then select Text.
4 In the Format Text dialog box at the insertion point, press the space bar, and
then enter BOSS. Press ENTER.
Select ∅ from the symbol list in the dialog box.
Select Arial from the font drop-down list.
Press the space bar, and then enter 12.0 THRU.

Click OK.

Creating Annotations | 185

 The formatted dimensions are displayed.

Add Notes and Leader Text

In the following steps, you add a general note and use leader text to
document the round.

TRY IT: Add a note and leader text to a drawing

1 Click the Text tool in the panel bar or from the Drawing Annotation toolbar.
2 Click a point below and to the right of the top view.
3 Enter TOLERANCE FOR, and then press ENTER.
4 On the next line, enter ALL DIMENSIONS (space).
5 Select the tolerance icon from the symbol list, enter 0.5, and then click OK.
Right-click, and then choose Done.
6 Click the Leader Text tool in the panel bar or from the Drawing Annotation
toolbar.
7 Select the bottom arc on the right end to define the leader start point.
8 Click a point below and to the right to define the end of the leader, right-
click, and then select Continue.
9 Enter ROUNDS R2. Click OK.

186 | Chapter 12 Annotating Drawings

 Edit Model Dimensions
When a model dimension is edited, the part model is updated along with the
drawing views.

TRY IT: Edit a model dimension in a drawing

1 Right-click the 15° dimension, and then choose Edit Model Dimension.
2 In the Edit Dimension dialog box, enter 10 deg for the new dimension, and
then click the check mark.
The model and drawing are updated.
3 Click the 10° dimension, and then drag to position it correctly. Reposition
any other dimensions that were moved.

Notice how the position of the boss was affected by the change to the model
dimension.

WARNING! Modifying a model dimension directly affects your model.

Autodesk Inventor automatically updates the part file with the changes you
make.

Complete a Title Block

The drawing properties are used to complete the title block information.

Creating Annotations | 187

 TRY IT: Complete a title block
1 From the File menu, select iProperties.
The Drawing Properties dialog box is displayed.
2 On the Summary tab, in Author, enter your name.

3 Click the Status tab and select the current date from the Checked Date list.

4 In Checked By, enter your initials.

5 Click OK.

188 | Chapter 12 Annotating Drawings

The title block is updated.

The drawing is complete.

Save the file.

End of exercise.

Creating Annotations | 189

Printing Drawing Sheets
Autodesk Inventor uses any Microsoft® Windows® configured printer to
print a copy of your design documentation. Most large-format plotters can
be configured as Windows system printers. In the Print Drawing dialog box,
you can control the following:

■ Printer selection
■ Print range if you have a multisheet drawing
■ Scale
■ Print all colors in black and white
■ Remove object line weights
■ Number of copies

From the Print Drawing dialog box, you can display a preview of the plot
based on the selected printer and the current settings.

Tips for Annotating Drawings

■ Use text parameters to display drawing properties and other information
in the title block.
■ Use the visual cues (cursor symbols) to place and align dimensions.
■ Drag the dimension text and dimension handles to reposition
dimensions.
■ Edit model dimensions (not drawing dimensions) to update the model.

190 | Chapter 12 Annotating Drawings

Index

A assembly coordinate system 94

auxiliary view 160
analyze Interference tool 128 Auxiliary View dialog box 160
angle constraint 112 auxiliary views in drawings 152
annotations in drawings 170, 175
application options 4
assemblies 92 B
bills of material (BOMs) 100
browser, using 100 base features 48
component visibility 101 base views 154, 164
components, creating in place 118 base views in drawings 153
constraining 94, 107, 115 bills of material (BOMs) 100
creating subassemblies in place 121 break out views in drawings 153
design methods 92 Broken View 163
design views 99 Broken View dialog box 163
interference, checking 128 broken views in drawings 153
packaging 100
restructuring 97 C
structures 96
viewing constraints 114 Camera View Tool 10
assembly browser 95 center marks in drawings 170, 176, 182
displays, controlling 97 centerlines in drawings 170, 182
assembly components chamfer features 60, 63
animating movements 133 Change Arrowhead dialog box 172
constraining 107 change Display tool 9
creating 104, 118 Coil tool 55
creating in place 118, 121 constraints
demoting and promoting 96 assemblies 94, 111, 115
dragging 130 degrees of freedom 134
enabled 106 editing in assemblies 114
grounded 106 motion, adding 110
moving and rotating 107 showing 114
patterns, associative 122 sketching 28
placed 105 Create In-Place Component dialog box 105
replacing 125 Create Parts List dialog box 149
visibility, controlling 96

Index | 191
D drawings (continued)
dimensions, creating 171, 183
data files for exercises 3 multiview, creating 154
datum target leaders 170 parts lists, creating 149
degrees of freedom 134 plotting and printing 190
degrees of freedom (DOF) templates 139
DOF (degrees of freedom) 129 views, creating 152, 178
Design Support System (DSS) 13 views, moving 144
Design Views dialog box 99 Drive Constraint dialog box 132
design views in drawings 152 driven dimensions 38
Detail View dialog box 161 DSS (Design Support system 13
detail views in drawings 153
dialog boxes
Application 4 E
Auxiliary View 160
Edit Dimension dialog box 34, 37, 172
Broken View 163
Edit Feature dialog box 57
Change Arrowhead 172
Edit Parts List dialog box 149
Create In-Place Component 105
enabled components 106
Create Parts List 149
environments 92
Design Views 99
drawing 140
Detail view 161
part modeling 47
Dimension Styles 143
Extrude tool 50
Dimension Tolerance 171
document settings 4
Drafting Standards 143 F
Drawing Organizer 175
Drive Constraint 132 features
Edit Dimension 34, 37, 172 base 48
Edit Feature 57 coils 55
Edit Parts List 149 editing 57
Interference Detected 128 extruding 50
New file 3 lofted 53
Properties 133 patterns 78
Text Styles 143 persistent 46
Dimension Styles dialog box 143 placed 60
Dimension Tolerance dialog box 171 revolving 52
dimensioning sketches 35 ribs and webs 55
dimensions sketched 50
driven 38 swept 52
model, in drawings 171, 173, 180, 187 work 86
styles in drawings 173 fillet features 61
Display Shadow tool 10 filllet features 60
Document Settings dialog box 4
draft views 164
draft views in drawings 153 G
Drafting Standards dialog box 143 graphics window displays, controlling 98
drafting standards in drawings 142, 143 grid displays 23
drawing borders 145 grounded 88
drawing dimensions 173 grounded components 106
drawing files (*.dwg), managing 11
Drawing Organizer dialog box 175
Drawing Resources folder 144 H
drawing sheets, printing 190 hatch patterns, editing 167
drawings 138 hole features 60, 71
adding sheets 144 hole notes in drawings 176
annotating 170 hole tables in drawings 149
creating 139 hot keys 4
customizing 143

192 | Index
I parts lists in drawings 149
pattern features 60, 122, 123
iMates 108 persistent features 46
import/export data perspective camera mode 9
AutoCAD (*.dwg) 11 plotting drawings 190
IGES (*.igs, *.ige, *.iges) 13 precise values in sketches 21
Mechanical Desktop (*.dwg) 12 printing drawings 190
SAT (*.sat) 12 profiles 18
STEP (*.stp, *.ste, *.step) 12 projected views in drawings 152
insert constraint 113 projects 2
interfaces, component 108 Properties dialog box 133
Interference Detected dialog box 128

R
L
restructuring assemblies 97
leader text in drawings 176 Retrieve Dimensions command 180
Loft tool 53 Revolve tool 52
Rib tool 55
Rotate tool, 3D 9
M
mate constraint 111
mirror features 60 S
model dimensions in drawings 172 section views in drawings 153
motion constraints 110 sheets, drawing 144
multiview drawings 154 shell features 60, 77
short cut keys 4
sketch coordinate system 19
N sketch environment 19
New file dialog box 3 sketch planes 50, 119
notes in drawings 176 sketches 18, 19
completing 23
constraining 28
O dimensioning 35
Options dialog box 4 edges, projecting 120
edges,projecting 20
modifying 37, 44
P precise values 21
Pack and Go function 100 profiles with tangencies 25
parameters 35 starting 22
parent/child parts in models 46 solids 46
part models 46 structures, assembly 96
creating 3, 47 subassemblies 121
displaying 9 Sweep tool 52
editing in drawings 140, 172 symbols in drawing annotations 170
feature-based 46
holes, adding 60
modifying 57
T
parent/child relationships 46 tangent constraint 113
pattern features 78 templates 3
placed features 60 templates, drawing 139
planning 47 Text Styles dialog box 143
sketch planes 50 thread features 60, 73
templates, creating for files 3 thread notes in drawings 176
viewing 6 title blocks in drawings 143, 146, 148, 177, 187

Index | 193
V W
viewing tools 6 work axes 87
views work features 86
adding to drawings 178 modifying 89
aligning 166 visibility 124
creating 154 work planes 86
deleting 165 work points 88
editing 154, 179
modifying 164
moving 168 Z
moving in drawings 144 zoom tools 6
rotating 167
visibility, assembly component 96

194 | Index