Author Topic: AutoCAD 3D to Inventor learning???  (Read 9179 times)

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Bethrine

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AutoCAD 3D to Inventor learning???
« on: December 16, 2013, 11:34:35 AM »
Hello! I am in the process of learning AutoCAD 3D with the purpose of jumping over to Inventor for mechanical applications.

I did a search on here for Inventor and seem to be seeing that it is not a popular topic here.  :-(

Any advice or resources would be much appreciated!!

JNieman

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Re: AutoCAD 3D to Inventor learning???
« Reply #1 on: December 16, 2013, 11:38:41 AM »
If you're /only/ learning 3d modeling in Autocad because you think it'll help you learn inventor, I'd stop.  It won't.

Basically nothing from Autocad translates to Inventor other than the ability to think in three dimensions.  Literally nothing about modeling in Autocad is akin to modeling in Inventor beyond the basic shapes.  You still fillet edges and chamfer corners and can make boxes, spheres, extrusions, but the /way/ you do it is very different.

If you're learning 3d modeling in Autocad because it'll be helpful for Autocad, then by all means proceed.

Otherwise, for Inventor, youtube has a lot of videos.  You can start bouncing around there - there's a few channels you'll stumble upon.  I can't recall names at the moment, but searching basic "how to _____ in Autodesk Inventor" will get you places.

Bethrine

  • Guest
Re: AutoCAD 3D to Inventor learning???
« Reply #2 on: December 16, 2013, 04:29:37 PM »
Hmm...my employer asked that I learn 3D in CAD first. He seems to think it will be more...straightforward?...before learning Inventor?

MeasureUp

  • Bull Frog
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Re: AutoCAD 3D to Inventor learning???
« Reply #3 on: December 16, 2013, 05:09:32 PM »
What JNieman said is right.
Have you installed Inventor on your machine?
If not, your boss is right. Take a look the 3D basis in AutoCAD by turn on the 3D toolbars.
Look into 3d sections in the Help manual.
I think this is the place where you should start with.

If you have Inventor running, just get into it and forget AutoCAD.

Hope this helps.

tedg

  • Swamp Rat
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Re: AutoCAD 3D to Inventor learning???
« Reply #4 on: December 17, 2013, 01:09:11 PM »
I don't have any recommendations for resources, but there are some good books and probably videos out there.
I learned to use Inventor from someone who works with it. Coming from a strong AutoCAD (and simply CAD) background helped, but it's not the same. I dabble in Inventor, not an expert by any means, but enough to be dangerous.
 
As JNieman mentioned, when modelling in AutoCAD, you're creating shapes, using extrusions, lofts, slices, etc... but they are dumb objects when your done.
 
In Inventor, you create each part separately using some the same techniques, but with sketches. Each feature you add to a part starts with a sketch that you extrude, or revolve or whatever. What's nice is you can go back in and edit the sketch which will change the part (you can't do that in Acad!) Plus, you can choose/add properties to these objects, which makes them smart.
 
Then you create Assemblies, which is simply bringing in parts and constraining them with the correct constraints. You can even create sub-assemblies and bring those into assemblies.
 
Also, back to parts; you can add features such as holes, fillets, chamfers etc to a part with out having it be part of the initial part sketch. Threaded holes for instance are best created (IMO) by placing points in a sketch, and then simply creating hole features on those points. Then when annotating them on a sheet, it "knows" what the hole is and notes it properly.
 
To sum it up, learning 3D autocad will help you understand creating 3D obects with basic methods like extrude, revolve, etc with 2D line work (similar to the "sketch" in inventor) as well as thinking in 3D, but that's about as far as the similarities go.
 
That's my two cents anyway (more like $1.25)  ;)
Windows 10 Pro 64bit, AutoCAD 2023, REVIT 2023

Bethrine

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Re: AutoCAD 3D to Inventor learning???
« Reply #5 on: December 17, 2013, 02:47:22 PM »
Thanks for the information!!!

Yes, I have both Inventor and Inventor Fusion on my machine. I am told they haven't used Fusion much...? My boss gave me a textbook for learning 3D AutoCAD so I will do the chapters he asked of me, Solids and Surfaces and Editing them. While it appears straightforward, I can see how practice and use will make a huge difference. I think I'm vastly better at 2D work than 3D right now so Inventor sounds awesome according to your descriptions, lol.

dgorsman

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Re: AutoCAD 3D to Inventor learning???
« Reply #6 on: December 17, 2013, 03:39:36 PM »
Inventor Fusion is *NOT* Inventor.  In fact, I think it never made it much past the Labs and was subsequently replaced with Fusion 360.
If you are going to fly by the seat of your pants, expect friction burns.

try {GreatPower;}
   catch (notResponsible)
      {NextTime(PlanAhead);}
   finally
      {MasterBasics;}

SDETERS

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Re: AutoCAD 3D to Inventor learning???
« Reply #7 on: January 09, 2014, 11:02:47 AM »
I would skip both and learn Solidworks.  There is plenty of universities that offer 3D modeling in solidworks vs Inventor.  In my opinion Autodesk is trying to take a run at the mid tier 3D mechanical modeling programs like SOlidworks and SOlidedge. 

tedg

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Re: AutoCAD 3D to Inventor learning???
« Reply #8 on: January 09, 2014, 02:55:59 PM »
I would skip both and learn Solidworks.  There is plenty of universities that offer 3D modeling in solidworks vs Inventor.  In my opinion Autodesk is trying to take a run at the mid tier 3D mechanical modeling programs like SOlidworks and SOlidedge.
I believe she is learning Inventor because her new employer uses this.
(Correct me if I'm wrong Bethrine, but there's another thread around here stating this right?)
 
So whether you like one program over another is irrelevant in this case.
Windows 10 Pro 64bit, AutoCAD 2023, REVIT 2023

Bethrine

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Re: AutoCAD 3D to Inventor learning???
« Reply #9 on: January 09, 2014, 03:59:42 PM »
Yes, I am, indeed, learning it as requested by my employer. :)

SDETERS

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Re: AutoCAD 3D to Inventor learning???
« Reply #10 on: January 10, 2014, 08:14:36 AM »
Ah ha ok that makes sense. Inventor is not bad.  Once you know sketch revolve ect you should be fine

Arizona

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Re: AutoCAD 3D to Inventor learning???
« Reply #11 on: January 27, 2014, 12:24:44 PM »
Learning 3d in Autocad only makes the leap to Inventor worse, not better as JNieman points out. Also look at youtube for Inventor videos. There are some good ones out there. Email me at my gmail account and I believe I can help you with some tutorials.

Bethrine

  • Guest
Re: AutoCAD 3D to Inventor learning??? Update...
« Reply #12 on: February 26, 2014, 02:32:46 PM »
I gotta say, I am loving Inventor!

tedg

  • Swamp Rat
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Re: AutoCAD 3D to Inventor learning??? Update...
« Reply #13 on: February 26, 2014, 03:55:06 PM »
I gotta say, I am loving Inventor!
I'm a little jealous... I wish I could work in it more.  :|
I do structural designing, with a background in buildings and residential design.
 
I have inventor, but don't get to use it much in my day to day job.
 
I love designing wigits (mechanical / machining design), and inventor is so cool!
 
(cheers)
Windows 10 Pro 64bit, AutoCAD 2023, REVIT 2023

Bethrine

  • Guest
Re: AutoCAD 3D to Inventor learning???
« Reply #14 on: May 09, 2014, 01:41:18 PM »
Update:

My boss had pointed out that if I learned CAD 3D it would help me understand the concepts better than Inventor would. I believe this was right. He did warn me that Inventor was very different and it certainly is! It's way cool for the widget stuff I am working on though! My latest place of improvement is on learning how to annotate WELL.  :ugly: lol