We have our constrained and dimensioned 2D sketch, and now we’re ready to make the leap to 3D part modeling. In Autodesk Inventor lingo that means you’ll move from Sketch mode to Feature mode. Now you’re ready to take your base sketch and turn it into your base feature.

(A) I’d say that 9 times out of 10 you’re going to use the Extrude tool first. This tool adds depth to your sketched feature. All the Feature tools have easy-to follow dialog boxes that dynamically change depending on the input you’ve provided.

There are two types of features in Autodesk Inventor software—sketched features and placed features. A sketched feature consists of a sketch drawn on a plane (an existing face or a work plane), transformed into a 3D feature by extruding, revolving, sweeping, or lofting it. A placed feature doesn’t require a sketch and can be added directly to an existing feature. Fillets, chamfers, and holes are examples of placed features.

In your browser you can find all your features displayed in the order you created them. You can edit them at any time by simply right-clicking on the desired feature and selecting Edit Feature from the shortcut menu. You can even reorder features from the browser.

Taking a Good Look
To survive in 3D you’ll need to learn how to control your viewing angle. It won’t take you long to realize that you can zoom in and out of the current display by using the wheel on your mouse. (If your mouse doesn’t have a wheel—run out right now and get one that does!) But here’s the glitch—in AutoCAD we’re used to pushing the wheel forward to zoom in, and pulling the wheel toward us to zoom out. It’s the exact opposite in Autodesk Inventor, and this will drive you crazy at first. Think of it like this: as you push the wheel forward, you’re pushing the object further away, as you pull the wheel toward you you’re pulling the object closer to you. It’s an easy adjustment, but it takes a little getting used to. There are seven different viewing commands on the Standard toolbar. The first two, Zoom All and Zoom Window,work exactly as they do in AutoCAD. The Zoom tool works the same as the wheel on your mouse—as you move your cursor up, the part moves farther away, and vice versa. The fourth tool is Pan (which you are a pro at). This leaves us with three tools that require just a little more explanation.

Zoom Selected:You pick a face and Autodesk Inventor fills the screen with the selected face (or faces).

Rotate: Similar to AutoCAD 3DORBIT, this option dynamically rotates the part. Pressing the space bar while in this mode displays the Glass Box as an additional viewing aid.

Look at:This option changes you to the plan view of the selected face or edge.

More Display Controls
Two function keys are worth mentioning at this point. F4 can also be used to dynamically rotate your part. F5 performs the equivalent of a Zoom Previous. If you press F5 too many times and want to step forward again through your zooms, simply press Shift F5. I use these three options often while designing in Autodesk Inventor (and I wish AutoCAD had the same function key setup!). Finally, life in Autodesk Inventor would not be complete without the frequently used Isometric View option. It’s easy to switch to a standard isometric view by right-clicking and selecting Isometric View. I do this all the time. If you don’t like the default isometric view, it’s easily changed to a view of your choice.

< back     next >