Inventor 2011 Dynamic Input for Sketching

Dynamic Input in the Sketch environment provides a Heads-Up Display (HUD) command interface near the cursor to help you keep your focus in the sketching area. Dynamic Input is active for the most commonly used sketch commands.

When Dynamic Input is on, value input fields near the cursor display information that is dynamically updated as the cursor moves. When a Line, Circle, Arc, Rectangle, or Point sketch command is active, the value input fields provide a place for user entry.

The ability to automatically place persistent dimensions can be disabled by clicking Persistent Dimension on the Format panel of the Sketch tab.

Benefit:

Less steps needed while using everyday functionality.

Video link: http://www.screencast.com/t/ZjMwZDE3M2Mt Created by one of the Cad Geeks

Sketches and Simulation

The ability of Inventor to integrate AutoCAD means that previous efforts will not go to waste. Today, we will see this in action as blocks created in AutoCAD almost come to life in the Simulation environment of Inventor Professional.

With the ability to reuse designs from AutoCAD, analyzing concepts in the first few phases of the Digital Prototype becomes a snap.

Video Link:

http://www.screencast.com/t/NzY2ZGY5OT

Blogged by Jason, yet another Cad Geek

Arc Text....Another cool feature in Inventor 2009

Ever had a need to put a screen printing of text on a part like a wheel?

Well now you can do just that in a model sketch. This is one of the many feature enhansments to Inventor 2009.

It is very easy to do and gives you a ton of control of the text, even the ability to do it in reverse for inside printing on glass.

Check out my Video here:

Enjoy,
Jim.........Another INCAT CAD Geek!

New Options for Importing From Excel into a Sketch

Back in release 2008 of Inventor the ability to import from an excel spreadsheet was added but at that time it was only point data. Now with 2009 you have the ability to import that point data with two new options. You can have Inventor create line geometry between those points or spline geometry. This will work for x,y coordinates from a 2d import or x,y,z coordinates from a 3d import.Check it out

http://screencast.com/t/0O14gD4sd

Submitted by Dave of the INCAT CAD Geeks

Inventor 2009 Sketching Improvements - A new view of freedom

Inventor 2009 has improved in the area of sketch constraints. Here are three that caught my eye:

1) Tangent constraints are automatically inferred when using the arc command. It is no longer required to add an additional tangent constraint after sketching a slot.

2) The display of the coincident sketch constraints has been removed and replaced with a dot at the coincident location instead. This dramatically cleans up the display of sketch constraints, and allows us a simpler view of only relevant constraints.

3) A new degree of freedom display is now available in sketches. It has always been possible to determine which geometry was underconstrained by the color of the geometry, but this was sometimes hard to see if using certain background colors. It is now much easier to determine where additional dimensions and constraints are required without "stretching" the geometry.

Take a look at the new techniques in this short video:
Watch Video Here

Contributed by Ben of the INCAT CAD Geeks

360 Degrees of Freedom...In Sketches

By now I'm sure you have all gotten used to using derees of freedom in 3D solids. The great people at Autodesk have now broadened the use of this great tool from assemblies to now helping to understand how sketch features are constrained or unconstrained in Inventor 2009.

And can I just say....I love this feature.

You can quickly analize a sketch and see how it will react to changes based on how tightly it is constrained.

Check out my video here:

Give this new feature a try on your next model.

Enjoy,

Jim......Another one of the INCAT CAD Geeks.

Picking out your names.........dimension names that is

One of the most commonly overlooked features within Inventor is the ability to create realtionships between your part dimensions. However out of the box your dimenisons only get a generic name using some D value that increments when you place each one. Check out this video to see how you might be able to benefit from the naming.

http://screencast.com/t/DMXYh4pwb

Before Naming....

After Naming.......

Enjoy Kevin with the INCAT CAD Geeks