With Autodesk University 2020 being online this year and free there’s literally no reason for you not to attend starting November 17th. Once you’ve registered you can literally attend as many classes as you like. Here are four recommendations for classes that I think newbies and advanced users won’t want to miss.

If you’re new to Inventor or you just want to improve your sketching game be sure to check out IM462304-Inventor Sketching: Beyond the Basics. Sketching is literally the foundation of everything inside of Inventor, this class will help you make the best possible sketches each and every time.

If you work with any kind of imported files in inventor you’re going to want to check out MFG462067-Inventor AnyCAD: What is it and how do I use it. This class is going to take a deep dive into everything you need to know about referencing your models, working with Fusion 360, how to do DWG underlays and everything in between.

If you’re using Inventor then you’re probably using Content Center, be sure to attend MFG468330-I want it my way! Customizing the Inventor Content Center. Why use the standard content center files? This class will show you how to totally customize everything about the content center files you leverage each and every day.

Autodesk University wouldn’t be complete unless you attended IM463448-Looking into the Crystal Ball: The Future of Inventor. These crystal ball sessions allow you to interact directly with the product development team, see what’s coming in future releases, and provide valuable feedback to the team that builds Autodesk Inventor.

You can browse through all the classes here: https://www.autodesk.com/autodesk-university/conference/schedule

See you at #AU2020

The post Autodesk University Classes for Inventor appeared first on Inventor Official Blog.

Are you interested in learning more about what the Inventor team is doing for performance, interoperability, modern user-interface, and several other topics related to future updates?

Would you like to engage with the software developers and product managers who are responsible for these projects?

If your answer is yes, you should sign up to attend the Inside the Factory (ITF) Summit. The Inventor development team will showcase the functionality concepts and allow you to test them. You can engage with the product team to provide your feedback, which is key to the direction of future projects.  Remember that 68 of the major enhancements that were implemented in Inventor 2021 were requests by you.

This year we will be doing the entire event virtually through the Autodesk Feedback Community.  If you would like to attend, please sign up below:

Dates:  10/27 – 10/29

Register for this event (Eastern time zone)

Register for this event (CET time zone)

Note: There is no obligation for registrants to attend all sessions.

Q&A

Q:  What is the Autodesk Feedback Community?

A:  The Autodesk Feedback Community is where you turn for opportunities to engage with Autodesk to provide feedback on our software, our services, and our offerings.  Formerly focused on being a beta portal, the Autodesk Feedback Community is now expanded to offer you additional opportunities to work closely with our designers, user researchers, and other product team members throughout the development lifecycle — including technology previews that are very early in the development process.

Q: How can I access the Autodesk Feedback Community?

A: There are two main steps.  Create an account on the Autodesk Feedback Community page.  Use your existing A360 login credentials or create a new account.  If you have already done that, then access the Autodesk Feedback Community page for Inventor users.  Find the entire answer from Chris Mitchell in the Inventor forum.

Q:  What are the ways I can get involved and provide feedback if I can’t attend the ITF Summit?

A:  Read the following blog article by Loren Welch about ways to make your voice heard as an Autodesk Inventor user.

https://blogs.autodesk.com/inventor/2020/04/03/making-your-voice-heard-as-an-autodesk-inventor-user/

Q:  Is Autodesk University taking place this year?

A:  Yes!  Autodesk University is 100% virtual this year and it is FREE to all attendees!  Click on the following link to register.

https://www.autodesk.com/autodesk-university/conference/overview

Jim Byrne joined Autodesk in 2013 on the design and manufacturing marketing team. Prior to joining Autodesk, Jim worked at a local reseller for 14 years selling and supporting CAD, Simulation, and data management solutions. He also has three years of experience in the industry as a machine designer.

The post Inside the Factory Summit appeared first on Inventor Official Blog.

Autodesk University 2020 is our premier customer event for learning, connecting, and exploring the world of design and manufacturing.

#AU2020 is going to be a little bit different. Instead of our flagship AU in Las Vegas, with local AU’s around the world – we will be holding one big Virtual AU during the week of November 17^th.

The good news is that – this year Autodesk University is FREE! So, you can all come

You can register for Autodesk University 2020 by clicking this link.

Autodesk University 2020 – Virtual Event

AU 2020 begins November 17 in North America. If you’re in Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa, or European time zones, join us from November 18.

During the week of AU, you’ll be able to watch pre-recorded classes from our top speakers, along with live mainstage presentations, panel discussions and round tables.

Many of the Classes will have live Q&A sessions, for you to put your follow up questions to the speaker.

iLogic Automation classes

To help you find the class content that you are interested in, I’ve curated this list of iLogic Automation classes that you simply cannot miss.

If you haven’t heard of iLogic, now is the time to take notice! iLogic is Inventor’s embedded programming tool for non-programmers, that can help you Automate your daily tasks in Inventor and Vault, or build additional intelligence into your parametric model.

If you are already familiar with iLogic, you may be interested in our more advanced Inventor API classes, including running your applications in the cloud on Autodesk’s Forge platform.

MFG468558 Maximizing your Inventor Templates
Robert Savage

Over my 21 years of using managing and teaching Autodesk Inventor there have been some interesting things done with templates, this is everything from having predefined solids in a part file to having iLogic rules in a template.

Let us get together and talk about some of the things that can be done to see if we can help inspire you to maximize your Inventor Templates.

A couple of the topics we will look at are iLogic rules in templates, predefining parameters in a template, defined Level of Details in an assembly template, and of course Styles and Standards.

FAB466294 Anybody Can Do IT!  Easily Build Revit Content in Inventor
Pete  Strycharske

There is an increasing desire to build custom designs that can more easily convert from traditional mechanical / industrial CAD tools into BIM ready content that can be utilized inside of Revit.

Autodesk Inventor has the capability to generate Revit-ready content, but often this requires specialized knowledge of the process.  What if things didn’t have to be this way?

What if… any CAD designer could quickly assemble components with BIM enabled features, any CAD designer could easily compile multiple components into one compiled model, any CAD designer could populate BIM connectors for final insertion into Revit with a click of a button?

Doesn’t this sound amazing!  The workflow in this class will utilize everyday Inventor techniques to set the stage for powerful iLogic capabilities to allow virtually any designer to configure Inventor models into Revit-ready content.

IM473672 Modular Design, Design Standards, Function Automation using Inventor & iLogic
Demir Ali

This class will cover a broad range of elements that can be introduced by utilising the power of iLogic within Inventor. From introducing the fundamentals to how more powerful functions can be applied this 60 min session will cover it all.

From developing standards based designs, capturing engineering knowledge, developing recipes from existing assemblies to help build new designs, creating drawings using the latest updates from Inventor, as well as retrieving data from other sources and automating functions within a file such as CAM and FEA.

MFG467190 Take It From The Top – iLogic Best Practices and Fundamentals for Success
Thomas Fitzgerald

As iLogic turns 11, and as more companies embrace Inventor Automation, there are many perspectives as to the best way to write iLogic code.

Take it from someone who has worked with large enterprise engineering departments and small specialty fabrication houses: Everyone wants some level of automation.

In this class, you’ll learn how to write your iLogic code using industry best practices. You will better understand new features in iLogic.  You’ll also walk away with knowledge of the fundamentals for success when developing your iLogic rules.

Do you want to become better at using the Inventor API in your code? Do you want to know how to avoid the same mistakes as others who use iLogic?

If you love iLogic the way we do and want to join the automation revolution, this is definitely the class for you.

IM469414 Drawing Automation with API and new iLogic snippets in Inventor 2021
Sergio Duran

Autodesk added more iLogic snippets in the latest version of Autodesk Inventor to make easier the drawing automation.

This class teaches you how to prepare 3D models to easily automate the creation of drawings. Learn how to use the new iLogic snippets to automate different annotations such as dimensions, leaders, balloons and more.

In addition, you will discover when you should go beyond drawing automation capabilities with iLogic and start using the Inventor API in this process.

MFG473705 Using iLogic with Design Automation for Inventor to create a Configurator
Sajith Subramanian

Inventor Design Automation, in general, allows the use of desktop APIs to be executed in the cloud, similar to how they would work on the desktop, but without the need of any installed software or its dependent licenses.

An additional advantage of Inventor Design Automation, which may be easily overlooked, is its capability to run iLogic scripts in the cloud. These scripts being embedded in the CAD file itself, can be programmed to auto execute under certain conditions.

This class speaks about taking advantage of this capability to combine Forge Design Automation with iLogic, to create a configurator, by modifying an input Inventor File (IPT) in the cloud, according to the inputs provided by the user on an easy-to-use UI. The results can be immediately viewed on a web browser using the Forge Viewer, and can also be downloaded in multiple formats such as IPT, IDW, and PDF.

This web application sample uses latest web technologies and is OS independent and mobile device friendly.

IM468712 iLogic & Vault | Vault & iLogic
Markus Koechl

iLogic is the by far most used application within Inventor.

Autodesk Vault is the most used PDM system for Inventor.

This class elaborates on how both can synergy by connecting to each other. Attending this class, you will answer these 4 questions:

• What can you achieve for iLogic rule execution if your rule connects to Vault?
• How can you achieve the iLogic-Vault connection without knowing the Vault API?
• What can you achieve for Vault Job Processor if your Job connects to iLogic?
• How can you leverage iLogic rules while running custom jobs?

Finally, you will identify the right approach to automate your Inventor drawings.

MFG463406 Why hire an API programmer for your CAD department?
Forrest Murrill

Whether you are a small engineering company, or a large engineering company, efficiency and accuracy are the two main goals to increase profits.

Imagine if you will, being able to effectively double your design output while allowing your designers to concentrate on improving designs and less on repetitive time-consuming tasks.

An API programmer could be just what you need to automate design practices that Autodesk Inventor was not built to do out of the box.

In this discussion we will be highlighting workflows, features, and time savings that an API programmer can bring to your company.

Enjoy AU2020

I hope that you find these recommendations useful, and that you can learn and stretch your abilities at Autodesk University 2020 Virtual.

Let us know what you think by ‘Recommending’ your favourite classes and using the #AU2020MFG hashtag on social media.

The post Autodesk University 2020 Classes for iLogic Automation & API appeared first on Inventor Official Blog.

I would like to talk to all of you about generative design for a minute. I am sure you’re thinking, I have heard generative design being talked about all around the industry for the past few years, but I am an Inventor user, and it’s not in there yet. Maybe, you see the designs being used to advertise generative design and think, that’s for additive manufacturing, and I don’t do additive manufacturing. If this is how you feel about generative design, then you are not alone.  

Recently, we have been working hard to help our Inventor users get up to speed with generative design, focusing on improving designs for performance, manufacturability, and cost. Based on this work, it is clear, we still have work to do on how we communicate about generative design to our Inventor user community. I thought it would make sense to share three important things with all of you about getting started with generative design in Fusion 360 as a complement to Inventor, because it is a lot easier and has way more applicability than just additive manufacturing. 

1. Fusion 360 and generative design is included with your Product Design and Manufacturing Collection subscription. That’s right, you don’t need to buy yet another piece of software, just turn it on and get started. Here’s a handy article on how. Once you have Fusion 360 up and running through your PDMC subscription, you can begin generating outcomes and exploring what generative design is all about. 
2. Generative Design in Fusion 360 is NOT just for additive manufacturing. We have heard many of you tell us this time and time again, and it is simply not true. Yes, it is a great solution for additive, but it is also a great solution for more traditional manufacturing methods. We can produce designs well suited for 2.5, 3, and/or 5-axis milling operations, water, laser, plasma cutting operations, and die casting. 
3. We have created learning content just for you. We know that generative design is still new to many of you, and Fusion 360 is too, so we have built a tutorial that shows you the best practices for working with Inventor and Fusion 360 together in your design process. To access the tutorial, in Inventor click the “Tutorial Gallery” in the “Get Started” tab, “My Home” panel on the ribbon. Then in the search field type: Generative Design. You can check out a more detailed overview of the tutorial here. 

I hope these three things will help you take your first steps to look at generative design in Fusion 360. Also, your feedback is important to us as we continue to develop generative design technology.  I would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions.  Please feel free to reach out to me at generativedesignhelp@autodesk.com 

 Thanks,  

Mike Smell 

Sr. Product Manager – Fusion 360 Generative Design 

The post 3 things every Inventor user should know about Generative Design appeared first on Inventor Official Blog.

Autodesk University is our premier customer event for learning, connecting, and exploring the world of design and manufacturing.

#AU2020 is going to be a little bit different. Instead of our flagship AU in Las Vegas, with local AU’s around the world – we will be holding one big Virtual AU during the week of November 17^th.

The good news is that – this year Autodesk University is FREE! So, you can all come

You can register for Autodesk University 2020 by clicking this link.

Autodesk University Virtual 2020

AU 2020 begins November 17 in North America. If you’re in Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa, or European time zones, join us from November 18.

During the week of AU, you’ll be able to watch pre-recorded classes from our top speakers, along with live mainstage presentations, panel discussions and round tables.

Many of the Classes will have live Q&A sessions, for you to put your follow up questions to the speaker.

FDU (Factory Design Utility) classes

To help you find the class content that you are interested in, I’ve curated this list of factory Design Utility classes that you simply cannot miss.

If you haven’t heard of FDU, AU is a great opportunity to find out how it could help you. Factory Design utilities is a plug in for Inventor, AutoCAD, Navisworks and Vault that allows you to design your layouts in AutoCAD, then synchronise them with Autodesk Inventor for conversion to 3D assets.

Syncing works both ways, so you can then make changes in Inventor and sync them back to AutoCAD for collaboration with your colleagues.

In Navisworks, you can compile, coordinate and clash models in more than 50 different file formats, including your point clouds from ReCap – and you can manage your assets and layouts in Vault.

MFG463504 CADZilla!!! – Fighting (and winning) with Large Assemblies in Inventor
Jim O’Flaherty

Do you find yourself fighting with large or very large assembly files? This class builds on my previous AU classes (“CADZilla” & “CADZilla Jr.”) where we will cover best practices in opening/closing large assemblies, related drawings, tips & tricks on settings and processes that will make you victorious over these monster sized files.

There’s been such interest in this class and subject matter, I wanted to offer it yet again with the updates provided by the 2020 release as well as giving those who couldn’t make my previous classes a chance to attend this one.

IM468709 Why is virtual commissioning and the use of a digital twin essential today?
Florian Wegmann

Today, companies have to achieve perfect products in the shortest possible time and in high quality.

This is possible through the use of virtual commissioning with a digital twin along the entire value chain.

mPhysics is a physics-based 3D simulation software for the virtual commissioning of mechatronic systems.

In this workshop, numerous practical examples from different industries will be used to show how other companies have already implemented this important topic and what results have been achieved.

MFG464012 Use AutoCAD | Inventor with ProModel Simulation to Optimize Factory Layouts
Aaron Nelson

It is common for factory layouts to be designed using AutoCAD and Inventor to ensure spatial accuracy and safety compliance.  However, it is not the norm to be as diligent with process design.

Often plant designers will rely on equipment vendor rates and assume equipment and resources will integrate and run according to the design on paper.  But what happens when the reality of process variation and equipment & labor inter-dependencies come into play?

It’s very difficult to take all these factors into account using only CAD drawings and layouts.   The solution is to use simulation to optimize the factory workflow then create a direct link from the simulation to the factory layout, providing a Digital Twin of the Factory.

We will demonstrate the value and basics of how using ProModel & Process Simulator Autodesk Editions, synced with AutoCAD and Inventor, can help optimize your digital twin first so that you are not playing trial and error with your real equipment, inventory and labor.

Enjoy AU2020

I hope that you find these recommendations useful, and that you can learn and stretch your abilities at AU Virtual 2020.

Let us know what you think by ‘Recommending’ your favourite classes and using the #AU2020MFG hashtag on social media.

The post Autodesk University 2020 classes for Factory Design Utilities appeared first on Inventor Official Blog.

Autodesk University is our premier customer event for learning, connecting, and exploring the world of design and manufacturing. It’s the design and make conference for innovators everywhere who reimagine what’s possible.

Join us starting November 17 for a global digital event that brings together innovators from around the world—designers, engineers, builders, creators—to explore new ways of imagining, designing, and making.

Things are going to be a little bit different this year. Instead of our flagship AU in Las Vegas, with local AU’s around the world – we will be holding one big Virtual AU during the week of November 17th.

Find your new possible… for free

At #AU2020, you’ll learn alongside your peers in architecture, engineering, construction, and manufacturing as you discover emerging technologies and trends to help you achieve your new possible.

There’s no cost to attend—save your spot today.

You can register for Autodesk University 2020 by clicking this link.

BP&F (Building Products & Fabrication) Classes

The building industry is undergoing a dramatic digital transformation. Companies making products and solutions for buildings need new tools and working methods to stay competitive.

With increasing project complexity comes the opportunity to offer more value—and in turn, take a more important seat at the AEC table. But to get there, you will need to revisit old imperatives of agility and collaboration with a fresh perspective.

Here are two great classes to help you kick start your workflow transformation.

Anybody Can Do IT: Easily Build Revit Content in Inventor

Let start with Wednesday, November 18 at 18:30 (UTC);
In Pete Strycharske’s class, you will learn how you can create BIM data – ready to use in Revit – from within Inventor.

Here’s a short summary:
There is an increasing desire to build custom designs that can more easily convert from traditional mechanical and industrial CAD tools into BIM (Building Information Modeling)-ready content that can be utilized inside of Revit software. Inventor software has the capability to generate Revit-ready content, but often this requires specialized knowledge of the process. What if things didn’t have to be this way? What if any CAD designer could quickly assemble components with BIM-enabled features, easily compile multiple components into one compiled model, and populate BIM connectors for final insertion into Revit with a click of a button? Doesn’t that sound amazing? The workflow in this class will utilize everyday Inventor techniques to set the stage for powerful iLogic capabilities to enable virtually any designer to configure Inventor models into Revit-ready content.

Class ID: FAB466294 (enter speaker card image here)

Revit to Inventor: BIM Exchange for Custom Fabrication Hands-On Lab

Then, on Thursday, November 19 at 16:30 (UTC);
Paul Munford is doing a hands-on lab to showcase the other side of BIM exchange – from Revit to Inventor – especially targeted to our customers that do custom fabrication.

Here’s a short summary of the hands-on:
This lab will provide an opportunity for customers to get hands on with the new ‘Revit AnyCAD’ functionality in Inventor 2021 software. We will cover some of the theory of why BIM (Building Information Modeling) is important to building product manufacturers and custom fabricators, and level set on our existing BIM exchange tools. We will then work our way through a four-part example use case for referencing Revit data. We will cover some basic cleanup of the model in Revit software, test what we can do with the data in Inventor, marvel as changes made to the Revit model update inside of Inventor, and round-trip the Inventor model back into Revit.

CLASS ID: FAB463426 (enter speaker card image here)

Enjoy Autodesk University 2020

I hope that you find these recommendations useful, and that you can learn and stretch your abilities at AU Virtual 2020.

Let us know what you think by ‘Recommending’ your favorite classes and using the #AU2020MFG hashtag on social media.

The post Autodesk University Classes for the Building Products & (custom) Fabrication industry appeared first on Inventor Official Blog.

It’s hard to believe it’s already been a year since we celebrated Inventor’s 20^th anniversary with a roadmap post here on the blog. Since then we delivered Inventor 2021 and a few updates packed with enhancements that many of you are already using. Dark theme, faster drawing creation, part & assembly performance improvements, enhanced Revit imports, and frame design capabilities have been a big hit and it’s time to take another look forward.

Updated Roadmap

We have a few things up our sleeves and the Inventor team is excited to start sharing some of the details around what’s next. The global Inventor team is a very motivated team with one goal in mind—helping you define the new possible. We get up every morning thinking about ways to make the Inventor experience even better. Look at some of these friendly faces behind the product. Totaling it all up that’s about 2000 years of experience all focusing on what’s next!

This roadmap may make statements regarding future events and development efforts for our products and services. These statements reflect our current expectations based on what we know today. Our plans are not intended to be a promise or guarantee of future delivery of products, services, or features, and purchasing decisions should not be made based upon these statements. We do not assume any responsibility to update this roadmap to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the publish date of this roadmap.

Experience

Over the last few years, you have seen us work a lot on the overall experience in Inventor from multi monitor support, dark theme, and streamlined commands to name a few. As we look to the future here are a few of the areas you will see us invest in to help make your day-to-day tasks faster and easier.

One of the most highly requested features over the years is to capture a model in multiple manufacturing stages, simplified versions of designs or design families without separate files for each configuration. We currently have iParts and iAssemblies and they are great for prescribing and generating designs that can be managed as separate files. What we haven’t had is the option to contain multiple representations of parts and assemblies all in one model, and it’s been one of the most highly ranked requests out there. Model States are intended to help. They will enable you to define a model with many recipes without the overhead of many additional files being created and managed separately. They’re intended to help you represent different manufacturing stages, simplified versions, or a family of design alternatives quickly and easily with one model.

We continue to invest in overall performance as it continues to be ranked high among customers in markets we serve like Industrial Machine, AEC and Factory. One area of focus is around graphic performance where we will be utilizing the GPU to offload graphic rendering. You will notice significant graphic performance gains when using wireframe or shaded with edge mode and can also free up CPU resources to be used elsewhere. You will also likely notice it’s a bit snappier to edit a part while in an assembly since we have optimized transparency when entering/exiting environments. We are seeing common edit in place tasks in 2021 that take around two minutes and with our future graphics optimizations these same tasks complete in just 80 seconds. You will also likely notice things like open/close of documents are noticeably faster.

We have done a lot of research to understand how each command is used and how we can make it more efficient. We started by making the flow through the command faster and more discoverable then added things like presets to store your most common setting for that command. Fillet is the next command we wanted to tackle. We have made it easier to select the type of fillet upfront (edge, full round, or face) then allow you to filter your selection to make it easier to select what you want. The outcome is a faster/easier to use command with more predictable results.

And we aren’t stopping there, we have a host of other things we are working on to provide a better overall experience with Inventor.

Automation

Recently there’s been a clear rise in automation interest across the Inventor Community. We see it in conversations with users, forum activity, and survey results. Fortunately, Inventor already offers a huge amount of automation potential. We first added an API years ago allowing companies to write their own applications on top of Inventor. We then integrated iLogic allowing non developers the ability to automate a great deal in their assemblies without need to know a programming language. We also introduced Forge which provides a cloud-based development platform that lets you develop tools for your organization and your customers.

Not all our automation is done through the API, iLogic, or Forge, we are constantly looking at ways to help automate common tasks. In Inventor 2021 we greatly enhanced Sheet Formats making it easier to create drawings through automated templates. We have continued enhancing this workflow to integrate things like 3D Annotation and locking to a camera view to automate your drawings even further.

We also look to make it easier to connect products like Inventor and Revit to automate design and collaboration workflows. Inventor 2021 made it possible to associatively link Revit models in Inventor as a reference, to help you design custom layouts or equipment in the context of a building. When the Revit model changes, the Inventor model can automatically update to adjust and stay in sync. We are now working on streamlining data flow so you can get your designs back into Revit and the rest of the building project in a similar way. Simplification tools are being further optimized, we are working on adding new options for Revit publishing, and exploring ways to allow Inventor changes to be automatically reflected in Revit. Imagine being able to layout a factory line in a building and simplifying it and sending it to Revit be represented in the final building.

Another area we are looking to better connect teams together is by making it easier to send Inventor models to Fusion 360 for downstream manufacturing workflows. With the market increasingly looking to optimize the handoff between design and manufacturing, Autodesk has invested in many different pieces of manufacturing capability over the years. Moldflow, HSM, Magestic, Netfabb, Magestic, and Delcam products are a few key examples. Historically all of this CAM capability was available only in separate applications. We are starting to bring much of this together into Fusion 360 and we intend to make it easy to use alongside Inventor’s powerful design capabilities. In just a few clicks you can copy the Inventor part to Fusion 360 ready to collaborate with your manufacturing engineer or job shop.

Insight

The Inventor team talks to thousands of customers every year as we gather feedback and look for guidance on future enhancements to Inventor.  We provide surveys and connect with many of you in our discussion forums and social channels and yet there are many more of you that we never get to hear from. We are looking to introduce a feedback workflow right inside of Inventor to make it extremely fast and easy to provide feedback when you close your active Inventor session. On our side, this feedback goes straight into the product team directly, ensuring your voice is heard by those working on upcoming releases. It’s all intended to guide future planning so you get the most relevant, impactful updates possible.

In Closing

Our Inventor roadmap is guided by feedback from the Inventor community. We love hearing from Inventor users. We talk with customers every day via the Inventor Ideas board and the Inventor Forum.  As part of the Inventor Feedback Community you can get much more information on the projects we are working on for Inventor and get to test out alpha and beta builds through your browser. We encourage you to be involved in any or all these communities and make your voice heard!

We thank all of you for being an Inventor user and look forward to hearing from you!

Regards,

Garin

The post Inventor Road Map appeared first on Inventor Official Blog.

This is it.

This is the week.

Yes, Autodesk University 2020 is finally here. From November 17^th to the 20^th.

Here’s a quick cheat sheet to guide you through all the great sessions available this week.

Agenda

First of all, you ought to get familiar with the agenda. Here’s a quick “don’t want to miss” keynotes:

November 17^th – General Session
November 17^th – Design & Manufacturing Keynote
November 17^th – Forge Keynote

Classes

Then, if it’s not already done, browse the list of all available classes.

This year is a bit special – the good special – because all AU classes will be on demand. Click and watch the classes that you want when you want. The live parts are Q&A sessions. You watch the classes and, later on, log-in to ask your questions.
Very simple and very useful.

With that in mind, here’s another list of great classes and their scheduled Q&A:

November 18^th – Inventor Sketching: Beyond the Basics

November 18^th – Anybody Can Do IT: Easily Build Revit Content in Inventor

November 18^th – Take It from the Top: iLogic Best Practices and Fundamentals for Success

November 18^th – Drawing Automation with API and New iLogic Snippets in Inventor 2021

November 18^th – iLogic and Vault—Vault and iLogic

November 19^th – Inventor AnyCAD: What Is It and How Do I Use It?

November 19^th – Revit to Inventor: BIM Exchange for Custom Fabrication Hands-On Lab

November 20^th – I Want It My Way: Customizing the Inventor Content Center

November 20^th – Modular Design, Design Standards, and Function Automation

Using Inventor and iLogic

November 20^th – Using iLogic with Design Automation for Inventor to Create a Configurator

November 20^th – CADZilla!!!—Fighting (and Winning) with Large Assemblies in Inventor

November 20^th – Use AutoCAD and Inventor with ProModel Simulation to Optimize Factory Layouts

More, more… MORE

I can hear you say, “Keynotes, yep, that’s cool.”, and “Classes, got it, that’s why we registered for AU”, but do you know that AU is a lot more than that?

We have our notorious Answer Bar where you can meet experts and ask them questions (1-on-1).

We also have MeetUps. Here’s one that could be very interesting for you:

This is the Autodesk University version of our monthly community meetups for mechanical designers and engineers. Throughout the year we covered topics from 2D design to complex simulation and manufacturing and AU is a great opportunity to get together, recap the year and discuss different ways to learn, grow in your role and engage with Autodesk and its community. Let’s celebrate engineering together, hear from Autodesk Inventor and Industry Strategy teams, and talk about big topics like design automation! Here is the outline of the topics we will discuss together:

* Year in review: a reflection about remote work during COVID, technology updates, learning content

* Key skills going forward: a collaborative approach to engineering, automation, design for manufacturing, generative design

* What’s coming next? Review of the public roadmap.

* Community and Learning resources.

Register to our virtual meetup and share with your network!

https://register.gotowebinar.com/rt/1817717426121214475

Because we have your health and fitness in mind, we created a AU 2020 Strava group.
The Autodesk University 5k has gone virtual! Join us in the lead-up to AU 2020 and complete your 5k from November 9-16th, 2020. You can walk, run, cycle, swim– however you like to stay active.

Have fun!

I hope that you find these recommendations useful and that you can learn and stretch your abilities at AU Virtual 2020.

Let us know what you think by ‘Recommending’ your favorite classes and using the #AU2020MFG hashtag on social media.

The post Autodesk 2020 CHEAT SHEET appeared first on Inventor Official Blog.

Autodesk University 2020 was our user conference where we can learn about Autodesk software, connect with colleagues in our community and explore the future of design and manufacturing for our industries.

This year, AU2020 was a global digital event – FREE for everyone and hosted entirely online.

Your feedback

This year’s fully digital, online experience was a big change for all of us who look forward to AU every year. It’s the first time that we’ve run a conference in this way – and we’d really like your feedback on how it went?

If you haven’t had a chance to give us your feedback yet, please take a few minutes to fill out the survey here:

Autodesk University 2020 feedback survey

Autodesk university 2020 – by the numbers

109,000+ professionals from 130+ countries, came together (while staying at home!) watching over 42,000 hours of content from 750+ live and on-demand sessions.

Not-to-be-missed Highlights

AU2020 is over, but it’s not finished. All the on-demand content will remain on the Autodesk University online website for as long as you find it useful.

Until Monday, December 21st, you canwil also be able to watch recordings of the Live Q&A’s that accompanied many of the technical sessions (look for the ‘Watch’ button on the class page to access the Q&A recording).

You still have the chance to watch the Product Design and Manufacturing keynote, featuring stories from Hyundai and One click metal, some sneaky peeks of what we’re working on next, plus some key announcements of partnerships with Ansys and Rockwell automation.

To watch the keynote, click on this link to the Autodesk University conference home, and look for D&M keynote in the carousel under the main window.

You also still have time to catch up with our inspirational theatre talks, visit our online Expo and ‘awww’ at the #PetsOfAU

• Theatre talks
• Expo
• Pets of AU

Autodesk certification

For attendees of the Autodesk University ‘in-person’ conferences around the world, gaining your Autodesk certification is a big draw.

The Autodesk certification team have been working on a completely online certification process, avoiding having to have an exam proctor physically present oversee your test.

As part of AU2020, the certification team are offering a 50% discount on all online certifications. You have until December 31st 2020 to take advantage of this offer!

Click here for more details on the 50% discount for Autodesk certification offer.

Autodesk Excellence awards – Product design and Manufacturing Winners

The Autodesk Excellence Awards celebrate the people, projects, and technologies behind exceptional contributions to the field of Product design and Manufacturing.

The Autodesk Product Design & Manufacturing team work with many customers who are embracing technology to explore the opportunities of what’s new and what’s next. There are a handful of pioneers taking design and manufacturing technologies to the next level.

The Autodesk Excellence awards honour these inspiring companies who are pushing the boundaries of transformational changes in their respective industries.

Click here to find out more about the Autodesk 2020 Product Design and Manufacturing Excellence Awards

Congratulations to this year’s winners:

• Innovator of the year: Hyundai Motor Group
  Hyundai Motor Group’s New Horizons Studio answers the question, “What if cars could walk?”
• Industry disruptor: Briggs Automotive Company
  A British car company manufactures the world’s lightest supercar wheel.
• Engineering the impossible: Firefly Aerospace
  A scrappy startup is on track to become one of the big names in private space exploration.
• Industry Collaboration: Reynaers Aluminium
  A global design company unifies product development workflow for building products.
• Making a better world: The Ventilator Project
  Building a rapid and scalable solution to solve the global ventilator shortage.

Swag

Did you enjoy #AU2020? Would you like a reminder of the event? Visit the AU 2020 Digital swag page to claim your free swag

Autodesk university 2020 free digital swag

Thanks

Autodesk University can only ever be successful as the people who contribute to it. We want to say thank you to all the speakers who worked hard to share their experience, and all the attendees who gave us their time.

What next?

Watch the classes you missed on AU online. If you have questions for the speaker, leave a comment for them on their class page.

If you have a longer, more detailed question post on the Autodesk Inventor forums (Tip you can ‘@’the speaker into your forum post, or leave a link to your forum post in the comments on their class page).

If you are inspired by the future technology we showed you in the Keynote presentations, and you’d like to know more, join the Autodesk feedback community to have your say. Or post your suggestions on Inventor ideas.

Finally, speakers at Autodesk University don’t get to stand up the front and present because they are the most intelligent, or best qualified (I know I’m not!)… They stand up at the front because they have found a solution to a problem, and they are willing to share it with the Autodesk community.

So – my challenge to you. Think of a problem that you’ve solved using your Autodesk software. Would you be willing to share what you’ve learned with your colleagues? Next year, I challenge you to become a speaker at Autodesk University!

Mark Lancaster

Mark Lancaster, support technician, Expert Elite, AU speaker and good friend to us all passed away just after AU 2020 finished.

Mark was a dedicated member of the Autodesk community, who helped many thousands of people in his role at Synergis Technologies as well as through his many posts on the Autodesk forums.

Mark will be missed, and we extend our love and thoughts to his family. You can leave your tribute to Mark here: Mark Lancaster Obituary

The post Autodesk University 2020 is over, but it’s not finished! appeared first on Inventor Official Blog.

By Aaron Nelson anelson@promodel.com

I am as excited as I have ever been about Promodel Process Simulator and ProModel Optimization Suite products because of the Autodesk Integration.

Never has it been easier to build a simulation model now that you can do it directly in AutoCAD! Just open it up in ProModel to simulate. Being able to then open the optimized model in Inventor for an instant 3D layout is amazing.  Our customers are not going to believe how easy this now is!

This is the first time we ever presented at AU, and with it being virtual made it even more interesting.  We present to prospects and customers all the time via web meetings, but we have never had to present without a live audience, just for a recording, so that was a little weird.

You did not get any vibe or feedback on how you were doing, but we practiced and refined a great deal so by the time we did the actual recording we felt pretty good about it.  The knowledge that Autodesk was predicting 60,000 or more participants really kept us going throughout this process.

With so many good presentations and live Q&A options available, I’ll admit we were a bit nervous about no one attending out Live Q&A, but we wound up with a good turn out and lots of good questions about discrete event simulation and why and how it really enhances the power of your digital twin in AutoCAD and Inventor, which you can hear and see for yourself if you click to our class page.

You can also keep up with the latest releases at our Autodesk edition product webpages:  ProModel Autodesk Edition and Process Simulator Autodesk Edition.

MFG464012 Use AutoCAD & Inventor with ProModel Simulation to Optimize Factory Layouts

Click here to watch Aaron’s ProModel simulation class on Autodesk University online.

Description

Key Learnings

• Discover the value of using ProModel simulation for process optimization.
• Learn how to create a simulation model with Factory Design Utilities that opens directly in AutoCAD or Inventor to start a factory layout.
• Discover how to create a simulation model from an existing layout.
• Discover when to use manufacturing simulation.

Speakers

Aaron Nelson has been the Product Manager of ProModel Corporation’s two flagship product families, the ProModel / MedModel Optimization Suites and Process Simulator, since 2018. As part of this role, he and his team work closely with Autodesk’s AutoCAD, Inventor, and Factory Design Utilities technology teams developing the integrations between the ProModel and Autodesk toolsets. Aaron is also currently one of our instructors teaching our ProModel and Process Simulator training classes both in-person and on-line. Prior to that he was the Customer Technical Support Manager and started out with ProModel in 2007as a Customer Technical Support Engineer. Prior to joining ProModel, Aaron graduated with a BS in Management from the University of Phoenix in 2007.

Keith Vadas was appointed President and CEO in January 2006. Prior to that he held positions of Executive VP, Director of Vertical Business Units and VP of Sales and Marketing. He oversees the development and sales of solutions for all vertical markets. Keith is an expert in developing and marketing predictive analysis based solutions and has been driving the delivery of innovative solutions for over 30 years to more than 1000 companies. He became part of the team in 1999 when ProModel acquired Sim-Tech, a simulation and scheduling solutions provider company Keith founded 1989. Prior to starting Sim-Tech he worked as an Application Sales Engineer for 5 years marketing computer-based code dating, bar coding and data collection equipment. Keith received a B.S. in Applied Science and Technology from Rochester Institute of Technology.

The post MFG464012 Use AutoCAD & Inventor with ProModel Simulation to Optimize Factory Layouts appeared first on Inventor Official Blog.

by Pete Strycharske Peter.strycharske@teamd3.com

I really love how the construction industry is pushing to become more efficient and, as I’ve discovered in my own mini-construction projects, there can be a LOT of waste.

Therefore, I love the idea of modular and prefabricated construction and wanted to apply those principles to the design environment to improve efficiency when designing Revit-ready content from Inventor.

Also, loving to see people thrive, I wanted to think of ways to extend these capabilities to as many users as possible.  So, if you’re interested in seeing how everyday, mundane Inventor functionality can be powerfully leveraged to help generate Revit-ready models, please check out my class!

While I missed getting to see everyone in person at AU2020, I did enjoy the ability to sample several different classes and had an enjoyable experience recording my sessions this year.  The virtual experience went smoothly and I was particularly impressed with the Q&A sessions, as the webinar format allowed many more people to ask questions, especially those who are too shy to ask questions in person

I was blown away by the positive feedback I’ve received from this class and I’m so pleased that a number of people have found this information helpful!  I will definitely continue my research efforts and look forward to presenting at future AUs, whether they be in-person or virtual events.

FAB466294 Anybody Can Do IT: Easily Build Revit Content in Inventor

Click here to find Pete’s class on AU Online.

Description

The post FAB466294 Anybody Can Do IT: Easily Build Revit Content in Inventor appeared first on Inventor Official Blog.

By Sergio Duran

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/consultantsergioduran

In a project, one of the most important deliverables is a 2D drawing. It can be sent and shared using different output options such as hard-copy and digital formats (DWG, PDF, DWF, etc.).

To achieve this result, you need to go through multiple steps to create a 2D drawing and it can be done manually by a user, programmatically using codes or with a combination of manual inputs and automation. The last option is very common where codes complete some repetitive tasks and the user finishes what is missing in the drawing.

The drawing automation is not a simple process. It requires Inventor knowledge, some programming experience, and understanding of the drawing workflow, referenced models and the outcome.

For example, catalog-based models and simple drawings like approval drawings (drawing for quotes) are doable and can be completed programmatically without any user interaction. However, a more complex scenario like a manufacturing drawing of a customer-based model may be unachievable to create with a single click.

In this session, we take a look at some different scenarios to understand if you should use iLogic, only Inventor API or a combination of both. In addition, these scenarios illustrate the possibility of completing the entire drawing workflow or only some stages programmatically.

Every user would love a one button/click solution to complete the drawing but this may be unrealistic in some scenarios. You can create codes to complete some stages and segments of the others in the process. Although these complex scenarios will not let you get the drawing completely, you save time automating part of process.

IM469414-Drawing Automation with API and New iLogic Snippets in Inventor 2021

Click on this link to view Sergio’s iLogic drawing Automation class on Autodesk University Online.

Class Description

Autodesk added more iLogic snippets in the latest version of Inventor software to make drawing automation easier. This class will teach you how to prepare 3D models to easily automate the creation of drawings.

Learn how to use the new iLogic snippets to automate different annotations such as dimensions, leaders, balloons, and more. In addition, you will discover when you should go beyond drawing automation capabilities with iLogic and start using the Inventor API in this process. Finally, you will identify the right approach to automate your Inventor drawings.

Learning Objectives

• Learn how to prepare a 3D model before automating a 2D drawing.
• Discover the new iLogic snippets to automate 2D drawings in Inventor 2021.
• Discover the differences between iLogic and Inventor API when automating 2D drawings.
• Learn how to determine the best approach to automate your drawings.

Biography

Mechanical engineer and an Autodesk Certified Instructor with more than 13 years of experience working with Autodesk Manufacturing Solutions. Speaker at Autodesk University events (Las Vegas, Mexico City and the online version). Previously, I worked for two Autodesk authorized resellers and training centers as an applications specialist.

Sergio currently works as an independent consultant providing professional consulting, implementation, training, and support services. He assesses business issues and assists clients in design solutions, optimization and efficient workflows. Additionally, he teaches Autodesk Inventor and AutoCAD courses at Sheridan College.

The post IM469414 Drawing Automation with API and New iLogic Snippets in Inventor 2021 appeared first on Inventor Official Blog.

By Demir Ali

Information manufacturing companies rely on, often centres around the design data they produce.

Rather than just using 3D designs to automate the creation of 2D drawings, organisations are now looking at how the data within their designs can add greater value to the business.

This may take the form of utilising design data within their sales configurators to delivering data downstream to business systems, benefiting other teams within a company, such as procurement.

However, this journey needs to start somewhere and that somewhere may be design automation.

The purpose of this class was to give a broad overview of what customer can achieve when using Autodesk Inventor and iLogic. The content is not aimed at developers who can take an application and produce some code that may be impressive but may be difficult for a mere mortal to understand.

This class is aimed at covering everything a user may need to get started in automating assemblies, their drawings, and some additions such as data sources, Autodesk Forge and function automation.

If you’re new to Inventor and iLogic, there should be enough fundamentals to get you started and if you’ve been working with iLogic for years, there may still be some bits that you just weren’t aware of.

Bonus Tip

Although not covered in this class, a common question we always receive is:

“Can iLogic search for and retrieve components from Vault?”

Although not out of the box click here to take a look at Marcus’s class – IM468712 | iLogic and Vault – Vault and iLogic.

To get access to the snippets and start working with iLogic and Vault just go to https://github.com/koechlm/iLogic-Vault/releases and start extending your iLogic workflows with Vault.

IM473672 Modular Design, Design Standards, and Function Automation Using Inventor and iLogic

Click this link to watch Demir’s iLogic class on demand, at Autodesk  University online.

Description

Key Learnings

The post IM473672 Modular Design, Design Standards, and Function Automation Using Inventor and iLogic appeared first on Inventor Official Blog.

By Simon Nagel, Przemek Sokolowski and Melanie Thilo

For a while now we have been planning an inspiring example, which shows how easy it is to visualize design data in a high quality. At the beginning of this year we got a request from a customer if complex kinematics from Inventor could be re-used in VRED.

We accepted the challenge because we knew about the comprehensive scripting capabilities in both programmes. The solution made our customers workflow more efficient and our colleagues were excited by the amazing result. So, we decided to share this work to a wider audience at Autodesk University.

This session covers two use cases:

1. Create an easy to go sales configurator to sell your product with a compelling story.
2. Discover new ways to do virtual design reviews and make better decisions in a digital environment.

We cover just one example of what is possible with scripting, another one is the Voice Recognition for VRED. The scripts are available on GitHub.

A big thank you to my co-speakers, this session is the result of your great teamwork.

Please join our vision of how we will work in a couple years: synchronized in multiple tools, on multiple locations using multiple devices. We proof in this class that we can make this work already today.

IM473688 – Get More out of your Engineering Data by Visualization

Click this link to watch ‘ Get More out of your Engineering Data by Visualization’ on AU-Online, and download the handout and class materials that go with the class.

Description

A compelling visualization is a key element for a successful presentation. Whether for an internal design review or an external customer-facing presentation, good storytelling is essential when working with any kind of complex data.

This class will show you how to get more of your Inventor engineering data with the powerful visualization of VRED software. You will experience how easily and quickly you can tell your story with your data with astonishing quality.

Learn how to import, reference, manage, and update Inventor data natively in VRED, and choose if you want to create real-time scenes, photorealistic renderings, engineering lighting analysis, virtual reality experiences, portable EXE files, or cloud-based visual content.

We are looking forward to showing you a seamless process between Inventor software and VRED, and demonstrating how to sync data, configurations, and transformation.

Key Learnings

• Learn how to create a compelling story based on your Inventor data with VRED.
• Discover the benefits and requirements of a good visualization.
• Learn how to establish a workflow between Inventor and VRED—you can use visualization in your design process without preparation time.
• Learn how to use a live link for iLogic Configuration, Geometry Update, and Animations.

Speakers

Przemek Sokolowski works for Autodesk as a Technical Sales Specialist in Poland since 2007. Before Autodesk he worked for several years in Man and Machine (Autodesk distributor in Poland, at that time). He graduated Technical University in Lodz, specializing in robot control system. Przemek is also well known in Poland for running the blog dedicated to Autodesk D&M products: ‘Po prostu Inventor’. Big fan of automation with iLogic.

Melanie Thilo has worked for more than 10 years as a mechanical design engineer for different companies and industries. During this time, she gained knowledge about standard-compliant drawing creation, design methods, and GD&T. Since 2018 Melanie Thilo works as a Technical Sales Specialist for PDMC Inventor at Autodesk.

Simon is a Visualization Expert at Autodesk. His focus is Realtime Rendering, High-End-CGI Image Prodcution and Virtual Reality. As the Project Lead for the Munich VR Center of Excellence, it is his passion to explore current industry trends and combine newest Hardware and Software cutting-edge Customer Solutions. With his experience as Product Manager, Senior UX Designer, Consultant, 3d Artist and Media Producer, Simon has 15 years of experience in the industry.

The post IM473688 – Get More out of your Engineering Data by Visualization appeared first on Inventor Official Blog.

By Adam Nagy @AdamTheNagy

Forge Design Automation API started supporting Inventor over a year ago. Back then my colleague, Andrew Akenson delivered a very detailed introduction to this technology as part of AU last year:

You can watch Andrew’s introduction on AU online here:

https://www.autodesk.com/autodesk-university/class/Getting-Started-Design-Automation-Inventor-Forge-2019

This year we delivered a series of Lightning Talks on various Forge components, including Design Automation, and the recordings are available here:
https://forge.autodesk.com/blog/forge-lightning-talks-autodesk-university

My class provides a quick overview of this technology before getting into the details of the various things I learned while supporting this Forge service.
So, it’s worth checking out the above mentioned introductory classes before watching mine.

SD473689 Tips and Tricks: What I Learned While Supporting Design Automation for Inventor

In this class I provide information on how to estimate costs, how to work with your assemblies, how to speed up processing, use iLogic, and many other things.

Click this link to find Adam’s class on Autodesk University Online.

For more on design automation with Autodesk Inventor and Forge, follow my Blog posts on:

Inventor and Fusion 360 related topics:
https://modthemachine.typepad.com/

Forge related topics:
https://forge.autodesk.com/blog

The post SD473689 Tips and Tricks: What I Learned While Supporting Design Automation for Inventor appeared first on Inventor Official Blog.

By Timothy Harrison tim.harrison@tatatechnologies.com

Ever since attending my first AU some 14 years ago, I always found the tips and tricks classes to be some of the most interesting and yet boring classes. You would have that “aha moment” one minute finding out something you never knew, and then that “ok seen this before move on already” moment the next.

Then a few years ago I sat in on a class my friend was putting on, 60 AutoCAD Tips in 60 Minutes. I used to use AutoCAD at one time, and one tip per minute? That sounded ambitious, I had to check it out.

The class was a high-energy rapid-fire assault of information! Informative and no time to get bored. I walked out of that class with the thought that this needed to be done for Autodesk Inventor.

I started collecting tips and at AU 2017 I presented 60 Inventor Tips in 60 Minutes. The class was so fun and I got lots of positive feedback. So much so I was asked to present the class again at AU 2019.

In that time since 2017 I had continued to collect Autodesk Inventor tips and for AU 2020 I decided it was time for a sequel. 60 MORE Inventor Tips in 60 Minutes; because if 60 tips were good, 120 total tips is even better!

I was ready to have that high-energy conference classroom experience again. And then just as everything else has in 2020, AU went online. Fortunately for me, I already create online Autodesk Inventor training content for i GET IT, www.myigetit.com, but surprisingly it was still hard to cram all 60 tips into the 60 minute time frame.

Once the class was posted online I wondered, would anyone care about a tips and tricks course? Would I get any feedback, or would it just be seen as reference material? Without that conference classroom experience I was unsure how it would be received. When I logged into my Live Q&A for the class, I didn’t know what to expect. Would I get at least 5 people? How many questions could I get for a tips and tricks course?

To my surprise I had close to 200 people join the Live Q&A from all over the world! It was truly humbling to think that people took time out of their busy schedules to log into a Live session related to my class.

While not everyone had viewed the class yet, it was clear that everyone was looking for that live interaction. There were many great questions related to the class content, and we even helped solve as few related questions during our time Live.

So far I’ve have gotten great positive feedback, and many people have said they learned something they didn’t know before. We’ll have to wait and see what next year brings, but I’m look forward to AU 2021 in whatever form it may bring.

Hopefully you find your aha moment while watching this class, or even the Q&A session. And if you have not done so already, I encourage you check out the original!

MFG46877860 MORE Inventor Tips in 60 Minutes

MFG468778 – 60 MORE Inventor Tips in 60 Minutes
https://www.autodesk.com/autodesk-university/class/60-MORE-Inventor-Tips-60-Minutes-2020

MFG321639  – 60 Inventor Tips in 60 Minutes
https://www.autodesk.com/autodesk-university/class/60-Inventor-Tips-60-Minutes-2019

• Discover 60 MORE tips in Inventor.
• Learn where these items are in the Inventor environment.
• Learn how these tips might help your daily activities.
• Have fun!

Speakers

Based in Detroit, Michigan, Timothy Harrison works as the content manager and technical consultant for i GET IT Online Training For Engineers from TATA Technologies. Focusing on online e-training for engineers using Autodesk, Inc., software, Timothy has created numerous online training courses for i GET IT in both text and video format. Courses he has created include the programs Inventor software, AutoCAD software, Revit software, Inventor Fusion software, and Fusion 360 software. Prior to working for TATA Technologies, Timothy worked in manufacturing as a designer and engineer in the tooling and special-machine field for 15 years. Most of that time was in automotive manufacturing and assembly using Inventor software.

The post MFG46877860 MORE Inventor Tips in 60 Minutes appeared first on Inventor Official Blog.

Whether you are an Inventor novice, or an expert – we all benefit from taking a moment to examine our workflows and look for opportunities to improve.

The good news is that there is a wealth of Inventor training resources and opportunities out there for you, from the quick and easy to bespoke tailored training.

Whether you need help with your whole company’s process, or you are just curious to learn one single nuance of an everyday command – we have an option for you!

I just need help – and fast!

You are using Inventor everyday, and you’re getting pretty confident… and then it happens! A glitch, a challenge to your existing workflow, or you just reach the end of your experience – where do I go now? Who can help me?

My recommendation is that you write a post in the Autodesk forums. Include as much detail as you can, with screenshots or an Autodesk Screencast recording as appropriate, or you could even upload your dataset (If you have permission).

Click here to post in the Autodesk Inventor forum

Tip: To supercharge your forum post, post a link to it on social media (you can even CC me in! Twitter @paulCADmunford LinkedIn paul-CAD-munford )

The great thing about posting on the forum is that you will get the collective experience of many people – and you get to choose the answer that suits you best.

Your forum post will also live on to help others who are searching for an answer to the same question as you.

I’m looking for Inventor training resources for a specific answer to a specific question.

If you know what you are looking for then your best friend is search! But where do I search?

• Online Help
  Start with online help. The help is no longer dry, text-heavy, and impersonal. There are tutorials embedded in the help that might answer your questions.
  Do you remember the Inventor learning path from the home screen? You’ll now find it as part of the online help.

Click here for the Inventor essential skills videos

• Guided Tutorials
  Next, search the guided tutorials. They come with Inventor and are great for learning specific functionality. To find them look for:
  Get started (tab) > My Home (Panel) > Tutorial gallery.

Click here to find out more about Inventor’s Guided Tutorials

• Autodesk University
  Autodesk University has the collective knowledge from hundreds of Inventor experts over decades.
  You don’t have to be an Autodesk employee to speak at AU – you just have to have solved a problem and be willing to share your solution with the community.
  Autodesk university classes are typically a 30 minute to an hour deep dive into a topic, with a handout and possibly a dataset for you to practice.

Click here to access free training material from Autodesk University online

I don’t have budget, or time, but I’d like to improve my inventor skills at my own pace.

This is a common problem. Many companies are willing to invest in training when implementing new software, but there is limited time or money for improving your skills once you get going.

But you’re in luck! There are some really good FREE online resources that you can use to learn Inventor and improve your skills.

• The Inventor trial support center
  This FREE resource is there to help people who have just downloaded a trial of Inventor, and who need some training material to get them started – but it’s also great for anyone who needs to get a start with Inventor.
  It’s really accessible training and covers the basics of parts, assemblies, and drawings, plus a little more.

Click here for the trial resource center

• Autodesk Mechanical Engineering Learning path
  This FREE resource, by the Autodesk customer success organisation, is aimed at helping existing Inventor users to get more out of their software.
  It’s on-demand content that covers complete workflows – not limited to, but including 2D+3D, mechanical design accelerators, simulation, generative design, BIM for manufacturing, Vault and Fusion Team.

Click here for the Mechanical Engineering learning path

• Autodesk Professional certification preparation
  If you need to prove your Inventor skills, gaining an Autodesk Inventor professional certification could be what you need. However, if you just need to practice your Inventor skills, following the certification preparation is free and will help you consolidate your skills – you don’t need to be working toward certification to benefit from the content.

Click here for the Inventor certification preparation training material

I have budget, but little time. I’d like to improve my inventor skills at my own pace.

For many employers, it’s not the cost of training that is prohibitive, it’s the amount of time you need to take away from your day job for classroom-based training, which is difficult to manage.

If you have budget for training, but your schedule isn’t flexible, on-demand training may be right for you.

Here are a few of our partners that offer self-paced, online learning for you to check out:

• LinkedIn Learning
• Global eTraining
• Pluralsite

My team and I have budget, but little time. We need a flexible solution tailored to our specific needs.

If you don’t have time to watch lots of training material to track down that golden nugget of information you need – you may benefit from tailored, instructor-led training.

But how do you find an instructor who is willing to tailor their material to your company?

A great place to start is the Autodesk services marketplace, which helps match up customers with experts who can help you with training, consultancy, and sub-contracting.

Click here to access the Autodesk Services marketplace

My team and I have budget and time allocated to learn Inventor – it’s entirely new to us.

If you are learning software for the first time, there is no substitute for instructor-led training – particularly if your whole team will be implementing the new software together.

It is so helpful to be able to put the email, direct messages and phone lines on hold and just concentrate on learning.

The advantage of having a dedicated instructor is that your instructor can tailor the class to your industry, company, or your specific workflow – meaning that you can advance very quickly and hit the ground running when you return to work.

If you are looking for instructor-led training, I recommend that you start by contacting your local Autodesk reseller, or Autodesk Authorised training center.

Click here to find your local Autodesk Reseller/Training center

I’m in education, and I’m looking for Inventor training resources to help me learn (or teach!)

If you are in education, all of the above resources apply to you as well – but there’s more.

Authorized Academic Partners support students and educators by providing training services that help you prepare for certification exams, both on campus or at authorized training locations.

Click here to locate an Autodesk Authorized Academic partner

If you are a Student, or educator – you will also find training sessions and teaching resources on the Autodesk Design Academy website.

Click here for Autodesk Design Academy

Autodesk Inventor training resources – the conclusion

If you feel that you could improve your workflow, offer more value to your team by learning new functionality, or you are just finding your interactions with Inventor frustrating – then well done you! You are asking the right questions, and you are on the right path.

I hope that you’ve found a training resource in this article that helps answer your questions.

Do you have a favourite training resource that I didn’t mention? Please leave a comment to share your recommendations with the community.

The post Autodesk Inventor training resources, free and flexible. appeared first on Inventor Official Blog.

by Sajith Subramanian

The Forge Design Automation API for Inventor allows you to leverage the automation capabilities of Inventor as a cloud service, thereby enabling various possible workflows without the need to have Inventor locally installed.

This programming class speaks about one such workflow where we combine the Forge Design Automation APIs with iLogic rules to create a configurator, whilst viewing the results directly on the web browser using the Forge Viewer.

This is the first time we presented at AU, with it being virtual, and having to present a programming class without a live audience! But the fact, that these recordings would be available on the AU website motivated us to ensure that we put forth the best possible content for our participating community to view in their convenient time zones!

With so many good classes with fantastic content and veteran AU speakers, I was a bit apprehensive about the turnout for the Live Q&A, but we had a great turnout with terrific audience with a lot of good questions and awesome feedback, which made all the effort, worth it!

In addition to this class, I’d highly recommend looking at this sample if you haven’t already! – http://inventor-config-demo.autodesk.io/

Do visit the Forge showroom, that has many awesome apps created using the Forge platform! – https://forge-showroom.autodesk.io/

MFG473705 Using iLogic with Design Automation for Inventor to create a Configurator

Click this link to visit Sajith’s iLogic Design Automation on Forge class on Autodesk University online.

Key Learnings

• Learn how to create a Rim configurator using Forge Design Automation for Inventor and iLogic.
• Learn how to render the result onto a web browser using the Forge Viewer.
• Learn how to drive dependent file formats like IPT, IDW, and PDF.
• Experience the essence of Forge Design Automation for Inventor.

Speakers

Sajith Subramanian – With over a decade of development experience with various CAD software, he is part of the Developer Advocacy and Support team at Autodesk, supporting and evangelizing API’s for Inventor, Fusion and Vault. Now an evangelist and an enthusiast on the Forge platform, he has published various code samples showcasing the combined use of desktop product API’s with our Forge platform. He now looks forward to making this transition from desktop to cloud as seamless as possible for fellow developer enthusiasts

I born and brought up in Bangalore. My graduation and post-graduation are done in University Visveshwariah College of Engineering UVCE, Bangalore, India. Initially, started career with Unigraphics or NX customization and then worked on Inventor, Solidworks, Pro-E and AutoCAD. Working in CAD Customization or Design Automaton field since 2011. Worked with companies like Wier Minerals, Tantra Info solutions, Honeywell and Mphasis.

The post MFG473705 Using iLogic with Design Automation for Inventor to create a Configurator appeared first on Inventor Official Blog.

By Jennifer MacMillan

My career path from a mechanical engineer to an instructional designer may seem odd to some, but I learned early on that I am passionate about teaching technical skills, so to me it was obvious. Every year, Autodesk University provides me with a fantastic opportunity to learn new technical skills myself, while also teaching classes to help others. A WIN-WIN, as you would say!

This past year in my role with ASCENT, I wrote and released a learning guide for Inventor CAM. It is aimed at teaching new users the fundamental skills they need to start adding operations to their CAD designs. It was the perfect topic for me to submit to AU2020 (and yes, I was selected!).

The online format was certainly different, and I would be lying if I said I did not miss seeing all the smiling faces and taking questions as I taught live, but this was simply the reality for 2020.

If you are interested in learning Inventor CAM, please check out my class and be sure to also check out my AU Handout on my class page where I included some bonus material on the tool library that I did not have time to teach in class.  Better yet, take a look at ASCENT’s learning guide. My class was a 60-minute crash course, whereas the ASCENT guide is approximately 2 days of instructional content, datasets, and exercises. Enjoy!

MFG464722 Adding Machining Operations to Your Inventor Designs Using Inventor CAM

Click on this link to watch Jennifer’s class on AU online, and to download the handout and dataset.

Key Learnings

• Learn how to create the machining setup for an Inventor CAM model.
• Learn how to create toolpaths in an Inventor CAM model.
• Learn how to simulate created toolpaths in an Inventor CAM model.
• Learn how to generate the CNC code required to machine a model.

Speaker

Jennifer MacMillan holds a mechanical engineering degree from Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Canada. For the past 25 years Jennifer has been teaching and developing CAD training material. She is currently working with the Rand Worldwide company, ASCENT-Center for Technical Knowledge, where she develops and manages the training curriculum used by Autodesk Authorized Training Centers. She also has her Autodesk Certified Instructor ACI certification. Jennifer has always enjoyed teaching and passing her knowledge of and interest in CAD software on to her students. Most recently she has enjoyed instructing online training classes, which she finds very rewarding and inspiring, as they enable so many students to successfully learn new skills that they can immediately use in their jobs.

The post MFG464722 Adding Machining Operations to Your Inventor Designs Using Inventor CAM appeared first on Inventor Official Blog.

By Leo Warren

Autodesk Forums @leowarren34

With the theme of 2020 being Virtual, my class and Autodesk University was no different, as AU was reimagined into a new virtual format and allowed for the first time that everyone could tune in across the world compared to a single classroom.

My class is an orientation session for Inventor, aimed at students, that anyone could join and start to learn Inventor in the class, then allow them to build on what they have learned with resources both from AU and elsewhere in the community. The educational community being a massive source of encouragement to make this class along with wanting to support and inspire students further down the line.

Getting started and deciding what to design in this class, was probably the most difficult part of the whole experience, which lead me going back to what I designed back in high-school for the design course, to show off what can be done as a student in a relatively short period of time to get to grips with Inventor. Once the design was sorted, everything else fell into place with the handout taking the most time but being the most straight-forward.

Recording day came and went with no surprises which leads me on to the main event. Which has been a highlight of 2020, the Q&A was brilliant – even if I did drop out, with Oliver and Paul there to keep the show going, the audience was really great with plenty of great questions ranging from drawings to those looking to leverage Inventor with Revit.

Looking back, I think it all went rather well with lots of positive feedback and also advice and thought from experts from how to improve and make future classes better – something I can’t wait to do again, hopefully in-person

EDU463362-L Inventor: A Beginner’s Guide (As Fast As Possible)

You can watch leo’s Inventor beginners class, and download the presentation handout and dataset by clicking on this link.

The post EDU463362-L Inventor: A Beginner’s Guide (As Fast As Possible) appeared first on Inventor Official Blog.