Shorten the road

to done.
Autodesk ®

Inventor TM

Autodesk ®

Inventor
Routed Systems Suite 2009

Routed Systems
Experience your design before it’s built.

Autodesk Inventor™ software provides a comprehensive set

®

of design tools for producing, validating, and documenting

complete digital prototypes—helping manufacturers get
to market faster with fewer physical prototypes and more
innovative products.

Contents The Autodesk Inventor product family is redefining The Right Tools for Your Design Process
traditional CAD workflows by helping engineers Inventor helps designers to realize the benefits of
Tube and Pipe Design ............................... 4 focus on the functional requirements of a design Digital Prototyping by giving them the freedom
Cable and Harness Design . ...................... 6 to drive the creation of complex 3d geometry. to reuse their existing DWG™ designs in a 3d
AutoCAD Integration ................................ 8 Reducing the time spent on geometry allows design environment. Inventor lets users read and
engineers to spend more time innovating designs. write native DWG files without risking inaccurate
Part Design . ............................................... 10
By rapidly building digital prototypes that validate translations, and leverage valuable DWG data
Sheet Metal Part Design.......................... 12 a design’s function, engineers can catch errors to build accurate 3d part models the first time.
Assembly Design ...................................... 14 before they reach production. With creative Inventor includes tools to easily create and
Design and Manufacturing approaches to accelerate and simplify the concept- document 3d designs, and provides unparalleled
Documentation.......................................... 17 to-manufacturing process, Inventor has outsold all interoperability with competitive manufacturing
Data Management competitors for the seventh consecutive year. applications—simplifying collaboration with other
and Communication . ............................... 19 companies.
Customization and Automation............ 22
Learning Resources................................... 23
Learn More ................................................. 24


Specialized Tools for Your Design Needs
The Autodesk Inventor product line provides a
comprehensive and integrated set of design tools
for producing and documenting complete digital
prototypes that validate the form, fit, and function
of a design. The Inventor model is an accurate 3d
digital prototype that enables users to check design
and engineering data as they work, minimize the
need for physical prototypes, and reduce costly
engineering changes discovered after the design has
been sent to manufacturing. Inventor is tightly integrated with Autodesk
data management applications, enabling the
Autodesk Inventor software products combine an efficient and secure exchange of design data and
intuitive 3d design environment for creating parts promoting earlier collaboration between design and
and assemblies with functional design tools that manufacturing workgroups. Different workgroups
enable engineers to focus on a design’s function can manage and track all components of a digital
to drive the automatic creation of intelligent prototype with the free* Autodesk® Design Review
components such as steel frames, rotating software—the all-digital way to review, measure,
machinery, tube and pipe runs, and electrical cable mark up, and track changes to designs—allowing
and wire harnesses. for better reuse of crucial design data, management
of bills of materials (BOMs), and collaboration with
Validating the operating characteristics of designs other teams and partners.
before they are built usually requires hiring
expensive consultants. The Inventor product line With different product configurations that offer
includes easy-to-use and tightly integrated motion specific levels of functionality, no company is
simulation and stress analysis functionality, making more focused than Autodesk on helping designers
it possible for any engineer to optimize and validate create accurate digital prototypes and bring better
the digital prototype to predict how the design products to market faster at less cost.
will work under real-world conditions, before the
product or part is ever built.

Generating manufacturing documentation from a

validated 3d digital prototype helps reduce errors
and associated ECOs (engineering change orders)
before manufacturing. Inventor offers rapid and ac-
curate output of production-ready drawings directly
from the 3d model. Inventor product bundles also
include AutoCAD® Mechanical software for situa-
tions that require a high-productivity 2d mechanical
drafting tool.


Tube and Pipe Design

Autodesk Inventor™ Routed Systems Suite enables users

®

to reduce the time required to design tubing, piping, and

flexible hose.

The rules-based routing Functional Route Design

Simplify the design of pipe runs—or spools—to fit in
Fittings Library
Improve quality, easily organize parts, and eliminate
tools in Inventor Routed complex assemblies or tight spaces. Automatically tedious searching with automatic placement of
Systems Suite select the routed segments respect predefined routing styles
to present users with alternative pipe routes that
the correct part from an extensive library of piping
components. The library includes commonly used,
appropriate fittings and comply with routing rules such as minimum or maxi- industry-standard (ANSI, DIN, ISO, and JIS) fittings,
help enable pipe runs mum length criteria and bend radius. Alternatively, tubing, piping, and hose. Add or modify proper-
pipe runs can be defined manually by creating 3d ties, including part numbers to existing parts, and
to comply with design sketch geometry or built up interactively using the control file names used to instance fittings, pipes,
rules for minimum and route edit tools. Automatically routed segments tubes, and other content.
maximum length, round- can be combined with user-defined segments for
maximum control.
off increments, and bend
radius.

Flexible Hose
Make sure flexible hose and fittings fit properly
using a 3d digital prototype that drives accurate
manufacturing documentation. The system inserts
appropriate hose fittings from the Content Center
and checks for minimum bend radius based on the
selected hose style. Hose lengths are updated auto-
matically for use in length roll-up commands.


Rigid Tube Routing Hygienic Pipe Runs
Quickly create rigid tubes with superior control over Design process lines that comply with sterility and
the shape, bend angles, and radii. Create rigid tubes hygiene standards required for process equipment
with an arbitrary number of bends and variable in the pharmaceutical, food, and personal care in-
custom bend angles and radii. The radius and rota- dustries. Incorporate the correct slope into the pipe
tion handles offer greater control over the shape of route, including use of drainable angle fittings that
rigid tubes. comply with the American Society of Mechanical
Engineers (ASME) bioprocessing equipment where
needed.

Creating Runs
Automatically populate piping routes with real
parts that adhere to manufacturing standards. The
Populate Route tool turns tube, pipe, and hose
routes into physical pipe runs, automatically placing
fittings, pipe segments, rigid tubes, and hoses as
needed. Standard Inventor parts are created dur-
ing this process to make it easy to perform mass
property calculations and interference checks. In
addition, couplings are automatically placed when
pipes reach their maximum length, and users can
specify length cutoff increments.
Tube and Pipe Styles
Increase the quality and manufacturability of Tube and Pipe Documentation
designs by helping to ensure that tube and pipe runs Create manufacturing deliverables without redraw-
automatically adhere to preset design standards. ing—reducing errors and associated costs. Fully
Create tube and pipe styles to support the use of associative documentation for tube and pipe runs
threaded, welded, and flanged connections. Styles provides assembly drawings that update whenever
define the fittings to be used for both automatic and a change is made to the 3d design. ISOGEN PCF
manual routing, and enforce design rules, including file output creates isometric piping drawings in
minimum segment lengths and minimum bend radii, third-party ISOGEN software such as Alias ISOGEN,
as well as the maximum length between couplings. and tubing bend tables in ASCII format provide the
information required by tube bending machines.


Cable and Harness Design

Inventor Routed Systems Suite streamlines cable and

harness design by using wire list information imported from
schematic design packages, including AutoCAD Electrical ®

software.
Complex electrical Functional Harness Design
Design cable and harness components in 3d to
Wire Routing
Quickly route thousands of wires while providing
systems are present in reduce manufacturing problems, facilitate output control over the paths of crucial wires. Manual rout-
almost every product of manufacturing drawings, and avoid late-stage ing requires explicit selection of the wire’s path, in-
engineering change orders. In Inventor, wire list teractive routing requires selection of the start/end
or machine, and require and connector information is used to drive harness points and the algorithm chooses the shortest path,
increasingly careful design with built-in cross-checking of electrical and and in automatic routing the system find the short-
design of the physical mechanical data so users can make sure that all
wires and connectors in the wire list are represented
est possible path based on all available paths.

cables and harnesses. in the 3d cable design.

Incorporating cable and
harness runs—including
ribbon cables—into the
digital prototype saves
users time and money
by calculating accurate
path lengths, avoiding
small radius bends, and
making sure the electrical
components fit into the
mechanical assembly. Harness Path Definition
Optimize the design of cable and harness assem-
blies to help ensure proper spacing for manufactur-
Wire List Input ing and reduce errors in manufacturing caused by
Maintain electrical design intent and reduce errors incomplete product definition. Define harness and
when importing wire lists into the assembly. Quickly cable paths using a point-and-click methodology
import large wire lists from AutoCAD Electrical or that creates 3d virtual conduits (segments) in the
third-party schematic design applications with de- model. Create associative relationships that help
tection and correction of missing connectors, pins, ensure that the harness updates when design com-
and wire definitions. ponents change. Add points or move existing points
to refine the overall shape of the harness.


Ribbon Cables Harness Validation
Reduce errors in the design of electronic equipment Improve cable quality and manufacturability, and pre-
by incorporating ribbon cables in the 3d digital proto- vent costly recalls and product failures by adhering to
type. Add ribbon cables between connectors with full design standards. Inventor automatically calculates
control over the locations of twists and folds. quality parameters, including bundle diameter, bend
radius, and wire lengths, whenever changes are made
to the harness. As a result, users can eliminate the
time-consuming and error-prone process of manually
measuring a hardware prototype.

Harness Documentation
Quickly and easily create manufacturing docu-
mentation before building the first article. Since
cable and harness geometry is native to Inventor,
users can create assembly documentation showing
accurate details of cable and harness placement.
Comprehensive tools for the rapid generation of
harness documentation include the following:

• Automatic nailboard diagrams for 3d wire har-

nesses, cables, and ribbon cables that update
Connector Authoring automatically as the 3d design changes
Set up company-specific connector libraries to
encourage the use of preferred connectors in the • Reports including wire run lists, termination
design of electrical products. Inventor includes an charts, cut tables, and other reports needed for
extensive library of connectors to simplify selection the design and manufacture of the harness
and placement. The Content Center provides an
easy-to-use editor to add user-defined connectors, • XML output files for transferring the final wire con-
as well as add or modify properties such as part nectivity information to streamline the creation of
numbers and default file names used when instanc- schematics and wiring diagrams using AutoCAD
ing connectors. Electrical or other schematic design software


AutoCAD Integration

Inventor makes it easy for users of AutoCAD software to ®

realize the benefits of Digital Prototyping by leveraging

investments in AutoCAD expertise and DWG™ design data.
Inventor delivers the Template Synchronization
Open a DWG file in Inventor and automatically
industry’s leading create layers and dimension and text styles based
integration of 2d and on the AutoCAD styles in the DWG file, thus
reducing the time required to create drawings that
3d design, providing comply with customers’ drawing standards.
direct read and write
of native DWG files, Ease of Use
Reduce the time and training required for AutoCAD
while maintaining full users to become proficient in 3d design workflows.
associativity to the 3d Simplify the transition from AutoCAD software
to Inventor in a familiar design environment with
model—without the need recognizable icons, AutoCAD-compatible shortcuts,
for data-compromising cursor-based prompts, and command redo. User
profiles enable users to configure Inventor to match
translators. the way they work, with out-of-the-box profiles
for AutoCAD and Inventor experts. In addition,
With Inventor, reuse users can transfer their settings between different
computers by exporting the profile to XML.
valuable data with
rapid access to existing
2d information. And,
because users can save
drawings as DWG files,
they can easily share
insights gained from the
digital prototype with
partners and suppliers
who rely on AutoCAD
software. Views
generated from 3d part
and assembly designs,
such as schematics and
plant layouts, can also be
combined with AutoCAD
data. Users can then
update 2d drawings by
inserting a view of new
3d designs—reducing the
cost of upgrading existing
equipment.


DWG Save AutoCAD Blocks from Inventor Views
Integrate DWG technology into the 3d design Reduce the cost of using 3d for upgrade projects
workflow to take advantage of existing skills; easily originally designed in 2d. This feature generates
combine part, assembly, and schematic drawings AutoCAD blocks from Inventor drawing views so
data; and streamline communication with suppliers users can redesign subassemblies using Inventor
and partners who rely on DWG technology. This and then integrate the new drawing views directly
feature stores Inventor drawing views in the DWG into the original drawings.
file to provide view, plot, and measure capabilities
in AutoCAD with complete visual fidelity, while
preserving fully associative drawing updates.

Direct DWG Open Inventor and AutoCAD Mechanical

Gain access to existing 2d design data without Interoperability
installing or learning AutoCAD software. Open Accelerate time to market and reduce errors by
AutoCAD drawings directly in the Inventor ap- enabling associative 2d and 3d collaboration.
plication to view, plot, and measure using familiar With this interoperability, AutoCAD Mechanical
Inventor commands. Incorporate existing 2d design software creates drawings of Inventor components
data into 3d design workflows using Copy and Paste by enabling users to open native Inventor parts and
commands. assemblies. When the design changes in Inventor,
the AutoCAD Mechanical drawing is automatically
updated.


Part Design

Inventor software helps designers reach the next level of

efficiency by making it easier to reuse design data, convey
design intent, and work with fully associative models to
make sure any changes to the part design are reflected in the
assembly model and drawing files.

Improve productivity by Sketching

Evaluate different design ideas before creating
automating repetitive detailed part and assembly models. By using the
design workflows for Inventor sketch environment, designers can quickly
capture design ideas as versatile 2d layouts. By
frequently used custom combining the power of constraints with easy-to-
features and parts. Using use tools for modifying sketches, designers can try
the iPart technology in different design concepts and control color and line
style to help convey design ideas.
Inventor, companies can
easily set up libraries of
intelligent parts to make
sure that frequently used
parts are created the same
way every time.

10
 Advanced Shape Description Import from AliasStudio
Create a wide range of complex geometries by easily Use concept design data from Autodesk®
combining solids and surfaces. Inventor gives users AliasStudio™ software to reduce the time required
precise control of shape characteristics, such as to complete 3d product design. Incorporate curve
tangency and continuity. Advanced modeling tools and surface data from AliasStudio into Inventor part
include Loft to a Point, N-Sided Patch, Sweep Normal models using DWG import and export tools built
to Surface, Area Loft, Centerline Loft, G2 Continuous into the two products.
Fillets, Full Round Fillets, and Face-to-Face Fillets.

Sculpt Tool
Quickly and easily modify shape details using
surfaces from Inventor or by incorporating imported
surfaces. Construct 3d part geometry from closed
set surfaces, and incorporate imported surface
data into the model using the Sculpt tool to modify
existing parts by adding or removing material.

Surface Quality Analysis

Create models with high-quality surface character-
istics, and check design data for manufacturability
to avoid costly changes during manufacturing setup.
Zebra and Gaussian analysis tools simplify the
process of checking for tangency, continuity, and
curvature.

Draft Angle and Cross Section Analysis

Cross section analysis displays wall thickness, color-
coded feedback of minimum and maximum thickness
violations, and moment of inertia at the end of the
cross section. Draft angle analysis displays color-
coded draft angle based on a pull direction, which
can be defined by an axis, plane, or planar face.

11
Sheet Metal Part Design

Autodesk Inventor helps users simplify the design

of complex sheet metal parts.

Inventor improves Sheet Metal Flanges

Quickly design sheet metal parts in 3d that
productivity during the accommodate specific manufacturing processes and
design of sheet metal shop capabilities. Edge chaining allows creation of
multiple flanges in a single stop, while rich unfold
parts by providing a options and automatic mitering reduce the time
digital prototype that required to define the folded part model.
combines manufacturing Sheet Metal Styles
information (such as Generate flat patterns that accurately reflect your
punch tool parameters manufacturing capabilities. Sheet metal unfolding
is controlled through styles that define the material
and custom bend tables) thickness, bend rules, and corner reliefs. Both linear
with an accurate 3d unfolding and custom bend tables can be used to
control the unfolding geometry.
model of sheet metal
folding and a flat pattern
editing environment
where manufacturing
engineers can tweak
flat patterns to optimize
manufacturing costs.

12
Flat Pattern Features Sheet Metal Fasteners
Generate optimized flat patterns to eliminate Quickly insert specialized sheet metal fasteners in
unnecessary manufacturing costs. Unfold sheet the sheet metal design. A comprehensive range of
metal models to create flat patterns with associative PEM™ fasteners are included in the Content Center.
flat-pattern editing to support cleanup operations
such as modifying corner reliefs to match specific
capabilities available on the shop floor.

DXF Output
Reduce programming time by eliminating time
spent cleaning up DXF™ files for CNC machining.
DXF/DWG export for sheet metal provides control
of preprocessing and postprocessing options such
as DXF/DWG file version, layer mapping, user-
Punch Libraries defined chord length for spline simplification, and
Users can define their own sheet metal punch customization through external XML files.
libraries to standardize punch usage and reduce
computer numerical control (CNC) tooling costs. Sheet Metal Manufacturing Drawings
Table-driven punches enable users to define Quickly create accurate manufacturing drawings
families of punches, typically different sizes of to support sheet metal manufacturing operations.
the same punch shape with full representation of Document flat pattern drawings by inserting punch
manufacturing parameters, including PunchID, notes, punch tables, and bend tables that display
punch depth, and sketches for alternate punch punch and bend data from the 3d mode and select
representations. display of bend directions using drawing styles.

13
Assembly Design

Inventor combines Design Accelerators with easy-to-use

assembly tools so users can be sure that every part and
component in an assembly design fits correctly.

Accurately validate Assembly Design

Quickly assemble individual parts and subassemblies
interference and mass to define the complete product structure and verify
properties to produce that the product can be assembled. Insert and
position new components in the assembly using
high-quality products constraints to capture the positional relationships
the first time around. that define fixed and moving components.
Inventor provides the tools
to control and manage
the data created by large
assembly designs so users
can work on just the
components required to
complete a particular part
of the design.

14
 Interference Analysis and Contact Large Assembly Management
Detection Realize the benefits of 3d design when developing
Eliminate costly errors and improve manufacturability very large assemblies. With level of detail (LOD)
by testing assembly function within Inventor. Check representations, users have full control over how
for both static interference between parts with much information to load when working with large
graphic highlighting of overlapping material, and then assemblies. Control memory consumption by
test for potential collisions between moving parts by suppressing components. A large assembly “capacity
driving assembly constraints or dragging components meter” provides a visual indication of how much
until they collide. memory is available.

AutoLimits Design Accelerators

Reduce errors and engineering changes through Move beyond 2d drafting and 3d modeling to
automatic monitoring of crucial design parameters. rapidly design, analyze, and generate commonly
Use AutoLimits to monitor length, distance, angle, used machine components from the functional
diameter, loop length, area, volume, and mass. requirements and specifications such as power,
AutoLimits icons change color when the monitored speed, torque, material properties, working
parameters exceed the prescribed parameter range. temperatures, and lubrication conditions. Inventor
software includes Design Accelerators for bolted
Assembly Configurations connections, shafts, bearings, O-rings, spur gears,
Easily design and document product families using belt and chain drives, pins, and springs.
assembly configurations to define variations from
a master assembly. Exclude or substitute individual
components and make changes to dimension and
constraint values. Then document the whole part or
assembly configuration using the Table tool, which
automatically creates the parameter table in a 2d
drawing.

15
 Frame Generator Content Center
Quickly design and develop welded frames for The Content Center provides fast and easy access
industrial machinery applications. The Frame to frequently used content, simplifying creation,
Generator builds up structural frames by dropping reuse, and management of all standard company
predefined steel shapes onto wireframe or solid content. The Content Center is a centralized library
skeletal frames and simplifies creation of end for engineering content that provides an easy-to-use
conditions with predefined options for mitered, content browser with search and filter tools to help
notched, and straight butt welded joints. It includes users quickly find the right part families. It includes
profile authoring so users can add custom profiles to more than 650,000 components—such as nuts, bolts,
the existing library of standard profiles. and screws—and enables companies to add in-house
parts and standard features to user-defined libraries.

Supplier Content Center

Reduce the time and effort required to incorporate
standard components into designs. The Supplier
Content Center provides web-based access to
component models from more than 100 leading
manufacturers. The simple-to-use browser provides
quick and easy access to models in native Inventor
format. And it is fully integrated with the Autodesk
Inventor Content Center.
Weldments
Improve quality and documentation of welded Design Doctor
assemblies. Define weld preparation, weld creation, Use the Design Doctor™ feature to find and fix errors
and postweld operations with full 3d representation in 3d models. This diagnostic tool identifies potential
of fillet, gap, or groove welds that provide weldment design issues and recommends corrections.
analysis and bead volume reports. Automatically
create 3d annotation based on industry or company Assembly Level STL Output
standards, and generate associative 2d weld symbols Quickly create source stereolithography (STL) files
for documentation. directly from the Inventor assembly environment for
rapid prototyping of Inventor assemblies.

16
Design and Manufacturing Documentation

Autodesk Inventor includes comprehensive tools to generate

engineering and manufacturing documentation from the
digital prototype. These tools can help users reduce errors
and deliver designs in less time.

Automatic Drawing Views

Inventor takes the pro- Dramatically reduce drawing creation time over
duction of manufacturing traditional 2d methods. Automatic drawing views
enable users to
documentation to the
next level of productivity • Call out the views needed on the drawing sheet,
through automatic gen- including front, side, ISO, detail, section, and
auxiliary views, and let Inventor project the geom-
eration of drawing views etry with comprehensive options for controlling
and tools for finishing hidden-line display at the component level
• Retrieve dimension data from the 3d model to
drawings. quickly place the dimensions, including isometric
view dimensions, and let Inventor update the di-
mensions when changes are made to the 3d model
And, with support for all • Use a comprehensive set of dimension,
major drawing standards, annotation, and 2d symbols for quick and flexible
full associativity with the completion of the drawing set
• Create overlay drawing views that illustrate
3d model (so drawings various potential states of assemblies
update when the design • Access support for technical drawing standards,
including ANSI, BSI, DIN, ESKD, GB, ISO, and JIS
changes), and output in
the DWG format, Inventor
is the best choice for
creating and sharing DWG
drawings.

17
Automatic Drawing Updates Associative Parts List
Reduce errors and the need for manual checking Automatically generate and update accurate parts
through automatic drawing update. Inventor lists in a fraction of the time required by traditional
associates drawing views to the original 2d methods, virtually eliminating human error.
components so any change made to a part or an The associative parts list enables users to maintain
assembly is automatically reflected in the drawing. an accurate parts list with part and subassembly
Inventor also supports global updates of drawing quantities that are automatically kept up-to-date,
resources, such as title blocks, borders, and organized, and populated into a drawing parts list.
sketched symbols. Rapidly add balloons and item numbers to assembly
drawings. And users have greater flexibility in cus-
Bill of Materials tomizing parts lists to meet company standards.
Provide earlier visibility into accurate component
lists to improve costing and sourcing decisions.
Simplify release to manufacturing with accurate
engineering BOM data. The BOM is a single source
for managing the assembly and subassembly
structure of purchased and nonpurchased parts,
including virtual components. Timesaving features
include the following:

• Automatic numbering with support for numeric

and alpha characters, and item number override
• Material definition for virtual components, such
as glue and paint
• Direct editing of materials in the BOM table,
which allows material changes to be made to more
than one item at the same time

Technical Illustrations
Use the presentation environment in Inventor
to quickly create technical illustrations, process
sheets, training materials, part manuals, assembly
instruction sheets, and videos to train assembly
teams on the manufacturing floor.

18
Data Management and Communication

Inventor enables the efficient and secure exchange of design

data to support collaboration between different engineering
contributors, including industrial design, product design, and
manufacturing.

This capability allows Autodesk Vault Integration

design workgroups to Autodesk® Vault data management software is a
centralized application for workgroups that securely
manage and track all stores and manages work-in-progress design data
the design components and related documents. Use it to maximize return
on your company’s investment in design data by
of a digital prototype, driving design reuse.
helping designers reuse
Autodesk Productstream
crucial design data, man- Help ensure that your company’s designs are
age BOMS, and promote complete, accurate, approved, and released to
earlier collaboration with manufacturing in a timely and effective manner.
Autodesk® Productstream® software (sold
manufacturing teams and separately) automates the release management
clients. process by managing engineering changes and
BOMs while the engineering department maintains
control of the design data.
Through a comprehensive
Autodesk Inventor Studio
suite of native translators, Improve communication with customers and
Inventor provides the other decision makers by creating high-quality
interoperability that en- photorealistic renderings and animations in the
Inventor design environment. Autodesk® Inventor™
ables companies to take Studio software gives design engineers direct
on projects in which part access to this specialized and typically expensive
functionality. Mirror and turntable animation tools
of the 3d data originates and a streamlined user interface reduce the time
from other CAD systems required to set up and create cyclic animation
sequences.
and satisfy customer
requests for 3d models in
other native formats.

19
Data Management and Communication

DWF Publishing DWF Markup

Improve product quality, decrease time to market, Easily track, manage, and verify multiple markups
and reduce scrap and rework costs by using and design changes throughout the design review
DWF™ technology to streamline communication process. Overlay DWF markups directly onto
with suppliers, purchasing, and other supply Inventor drawings, provide status, and make
chain partners. Publish the information required changes. Users can then republish or “round-trip”
by manufacturing partners, including assembly those changes back to the design reviewer to
animations and detailed step-by-step assembly complete the process.
instructions, 2d drawings, and 3d models with BOM
information.

Publishing Formats
Share product information with partners and
customers who need to incorporate your designs
into their products. Publish Inventor drawings as
PDF files, publish 3d part and assembly models in
SAT or JT format, and create STL files for output to
stereolithography and 3d print machines.

20
AEC Exchange STEP/IGES
The AEC (Architecture, Engineering, and Simplify accurate collaboration with suppliers and
Construction) Exchange tool creates and pub- customers by enabling sharing and reuse of design
lishes simplified 3d representations, intelligent data with 3d CAD/CAM systems. Read and write
connection points, and additional information in design and drawing data using industry-standard
native file formats for AutoCAD® MEP software. formats.
Users can also export 3d geometry to AutoCAD®
Architecture, Revit®-based software, and AutoCAD Construction Environment
software. Reduce the time required to inspect and repair
customer data files. The Inventor Construction
Environment provides fault-tolerant import of large
STEP and IGES data sets, with a quarantine to hold
entities containing geometric problems such as sur-
face slivers and mismatched boundary curves. The
construction environment also includes a compre-
hensive toolkit for inspecting, editing, and correct-
ing quarantined entities, including solids, surfaces,
wireframes, and points. Data sets can be corrected
and promoted into 3d part models, surfaces, or 3d
wireframes.

Native Translators
Streamline projects that require opening files
from vendors or customers in native formats.
Deliver 3d design data to customers or vendors
who prefer native file formats. Users can easily
exchange data between Autodesk Inventor, UGS,®
SolidWorks,® and Pro/ENGINEER® by importing and
exporting Parasolid,® importing UG-NX,™ importing
SolidWorks, importing and exporting Granite, and
importing Pro/ENGINEER directly with Inventor.

21
Customization and Automation

Inventor helps users make the most of their investment in 3d

by using the Inventor API (application programming interface)
to streamline frequently used procedures and automate
specialized workflows that support design standards and
engineering processes.

Increase speed and pro- Styles

Work faster by instantly changing the formatting of
Task Scheduler
Increase productivity by automating repetitive and
ductivity with configurable an entire document, while maintaining consistency nonproductive tasks. The Inventor Task Scheduler
styles so drawings conform with company standards. Styles are combinations enables users to schedule single or multiple (batch)
automated tasks including DWF publishing, printing,
of formatting characteristics such as font, font size,
to standards, and publish color, standards, linetype, and material. They are file migration, IGES and STEP transfers, and vault
custom components in the easily named and stored as templates, and are used operations. Users can also check out and download
files from the Vault.
Content Center to make to control all aspects of drawing formats. When
users apply a style, all the formatting instructions in
sure that designers use that style are applied at one time, and a set of com-
appropriate components in mon styles can be configured for use by an entire
project team.
their designs.

Open API
Increase productivity by developing tools to auto-
mate your company’s design and documentation
processes. Inventor includes a well-documented API
to create customized programs to automate special-
ized workflows and extend the Inventor data model
Content Center Publishing Tools with custom attributes.
Quickly prepare and publish intelligent part librar-
ies. The publishing tools in the Content Center
include an editing environment and batch process-
ing of large data sets to streamline the process of
preparing and publishing company parts as well as
vendor catalogs.

22
Learning Resources

Inventor offers a range of learning and reference resources to

help users maintain skills and quickly make the most of the 3d
design environment.

With Inventor, users can Advanced Help System

Speed the transition to 3d with contextual help. The
Engineer’s Handbook
Save time researching engineering formulas,
learn new skills, look advanced help system is easier to use with improved tables, and standards. The Engineer’s Handbook
up information about navigation and profiles that present users with the provides a comprehensive online reference of
right information based on their user profile. engineering theory, formulas, and algorithms, and
procedures and tools, a manufacturing knowledge base that is easily
and get the latest tips accessible from anywhere in Inventor.
and tricks needed to stay
productive.

Tutorials and Skill Builders

Use extended learning modules, including tutorials
with Show Me animations and Skill Builders, to
enhance understanding and skills.

E-Learning
Accelerate learning through flexible access to
tutorials and best practices. A valuable component
of Autodesk® Subscription, e-Learning provides a
continually expanding curriculum of short training
exercises.

Deployment Guide
Complete the installation of Inventor with minimum
time and effort. Whether you are planning a new
deployment or upgrading to Autodesk Inventor
2009, this easy-to-read booklet provides the
information you need to succeed.

23
Learn More

Learn about the different Inventor products available to

fit your specific design needs, and discover why Inventor
products are the best choice for manufacturing companies.
For more information, visit www.autodesk.com/inventor.

Autodesk Inventor Autodesk Inventor Autodesk Inventor Autodesk Inventor

Suite 2009 Routed Systems Suite 2009 Simulation Suite 2009 Professional 2009

Autodesk Inventor • • • •

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Tube, Pipe, and Flexible
Hose Design • •

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Autodesk Vault • • • •

24
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manufacturing companies. For more information, visit www.autodesk.com/
inventor.

Autodesk Services and Support

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Cover image courtesy of SkidTek Engineering

Autodesk, AutoCAD, AliasStudio, Autodesk Inventor, Design Doctor, DWF, DWG, DXF, Inventor, Productstream,
and Revit are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., in the USA and/or other countries. All other
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