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Inventor 2014
by: Mike Thomas
Sketching Tips & Tricks
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t Autodesk University 2013, I was fortunate to be selected to present four classes. The class that had the best reaction and the most interaction was the class I presented on Auotdesk Inventor® Sketching. I presented this class in a tips & tricks style, which went over well. After all, who doesn’t love to learn new things to shave some time off common, day-to-day activities? [The class was MA1743 “Sketching with Autodesk Inventor” for those who want to look it up on the Autodesk University website.] Before I dive into the content, the first question always asked is, “Where did you get all of these tips, tricks, and suggestions?” First would be from my 14+ years of using Inventor. A person picks up a lot by just using the software for that length of time.
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Autodesk Knowledge Network (AKN) – Replaces the Autodesk Wiki Design and Motion (Scott Moyse and John Evans) TEDCF Publishing: Autodesk Inventor Tips & Tricks CAD Geek Speak Blog Paul Munford (aka the CAD Setter Out) Inventor From the Trenches (Curtis Waguespack) Autodesk Digital Prototyping Blog IMAGINiT Manufacturing Solutions Blog (Mark Flayler)
Without further delay, here are the top tips and tricks from my presentation.
Working with Sketch Planes Quickly Creating an Offset Workplane
There’s an old saying: “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” But with Inventor, it’s really both. I’m always on the lookout for any step that will reduce the time or amount of work needed to get things done. I’ve gained significant insight by watching others using the software, across multiple industries. I would love to give credit to each and every person from whom I was able to get a little “nugget” of information; unfortunately, I have forgotten most of the sources. However, here are some of my current favorite places from which to get information on using Inventor to its fullest: 26
www.augi.com
Figure 1 February 2014