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April 02, 2020
Autodesk Inventor - From drafting tables to today
Autodesk Inventor is being used across the whole organization. We are in the process of moving from a 2D environment to a 3D environment that supports engineering analysis, work instruction to the operations staff, accurate BOM information to sales, and improved submittal information for our customers. In the past year, we have been able to create product offerings to address customer needs that we would not have been able to, or taken to long to create, in a 2D world.
- Easy to use
- Simple engineering analysis
- REVIT native export
- Animation and annotated exploded views
- Product configuration
- Smaller population of Autodesk users relative to other mechanical CAD packages (SOLIDWORKS, CATIA, etc.)
Autodesk Inventor is currently not being used by my organization. We tried it out for a one-year contract and after that, we went back to using SOLIDWORKS for our design processes. When we first purchased it, we had three engineers including myself using the software. The software seemed to work well for us, and we were able to get most of the projects completed for which we used it. There were quite a few quirks with it, and my professional opinion is that it has as its underlying base, the AutoCAD program for basic sketching and drawing based models. Since we had always based much of our design using MasterCAM 2D sketching, when we utilized Inventor, there was not a smooth mesh allowing the transfer of information between the two programs. Even when we used an AutoCAD standard file type, moving data back and forth was more of an elaborate dance, rather than a simple "Save, then Open."
- Inventor works well at creating model data that is easily re-configurable.
- Inventor has a lot of different modules for different types of design.
- Inventor works well for those accustomed to using AutoCAD.
- Inventor demonstrates a lack of fluidity in the process of transferring data between programs.
- Inventor shows some lack of sophistication that certain features that are readily available in other design software packages are limited in use in Inventor.
- Inventor can often have difficulty in creating models that show true color, as in blacks can come out as dark grays in certain renders, even when the material and appearance settings are the same from part to part.
March 26, 2020
3D modeling & assembling done right the first time.
We use Autodesk Inventor to draw standard and sheet metal parts. We draw up the profiles of the individual parts and assemble them in assemblies to make sure it looks like what we want. Also when assembling the parts you can check for conflicts that intersect and would be an issue when bolting or welding the pieces together after they are cut. After everything is approved by the costumer we will export the sheet metal parts as flat patterns and send them to our CNC plasma or laser cutter to be processed. All the guys in the shop and office know how to use it to address questions during assembly, which makes it nice. It is very easy to use.
- It is easy to make custom sheet metal templates to save and use on future projects. Once assembled, it will tell the weight of the assembly and the surface area. It will also give you the center of gravity on a part or assembly, if you need to lift the assembly with a crane or lift to allow for proper jigging placements.
- Autodesk has some great 3rd-party apps in the application store to allow for flat pattern exports of assemblies and eliminate expensive 3rd-party software.
- It is a hog on memory card and operating system.
- There's not too much I can complain about. I really like working with it, mainly because that's all I am familiar with.
Autodesk Inventor is being used at GK to model custom capital equipment used in the mining, recycling, and foundry industries. There are many design considerations at play with the great size of the equipment we make, so having it modeled makes a huge difference. Also, over the 2D jobs of the past, many replacements are modeled to help with fit and finish during the remake.
- Finding interference
- Sheet metal design
- iLogic
- It does take a powerful PC to take full advantage of the software.
March 26, 2020
Autodesk Inventor is a great workflow management system.
Autodesk Inventor is used in the engineering department as well as other departments for integrated workflow solutions. All the tools help to make an effective document and design management solution for our company.
- Revision Control
- Life Cycle Management
- Engineering Change Control
- Not very powerful for complex surface design
- Weld features are buggy
- Integration with Vault can be better
April 01, 2020
Autodesk Inventor - Custom Machine Design
We use Autodesk Inventor for the mechanical design for all of the automated assembly and test equipment that we produce. The 3D modeling software makes it very easy to share ideas with not only our customers but also other people in our organization as well. With all the tools available in Inventor, it really makes it easier to produce equipment with the fit and finish that we expect.
- Bill of materials. There are a lot of ways you can sort and filter the BOM. It really blends well with our ERP system.
- Interference detection. When designing components with a tight tolerance or in a confined location, I find the interference detection tools to be very helpful. Inventor can help you identify any interference no matter how big or small it may be.
- 3D model translation. Inventor can open up just about any other type of 3D model that isn't native to Inventor. This is very helpful because not all of our customers use Inventor.
- Dark theme. I stare at a computer screen for 8 hours a day. Most of those hours are with Inventor. AutoCAD naturally has a dark theme and is much easier on the eyes. A dark theme in Inventor would be very much appreciated.
- Navigation without 3D mouse. To rotate your work in Inventor without a 3D mouse can be a bit cumbersome. I found SOLIDWORKS does a much better job with this.
- Hole charts. Although creating a hole chart on a detail drawing is fairly simple and straight forward, editing a hole chart and be difficult. I often find myself deleting the original hole chart and starting over. Very frustrating at times.
March 26, 2020
Autodesk Inventor - A SOLID solid modeler
We leverage Autodesk Inventor for mechanical product design. Not only does it function as our primary CAD software, but it saves time and money by automating many of our design tasks. The included FEA and shape generation tools further enhance our design capabilities by giving designers direct access to simulation without swapping to a new software.
- Automation using iLogic
- Weldments using the frame generator
- FEA and dynamic simulations
- 2D documentation
- Rendering
- Exploded views
- Mesh integration
- MBD
Autodesk Inventor is being used as the primary 3D CAD software for all products the company provides. Daily we use all the features including part and assembly creation, IPNs (for exploded views) and the IDWs (for all drawings). We have also used the built-in software for FEA. Autodesk Inventor is only being used by engineering and solves all of our needs for current part revision and new product development.
- Intuitive Part/Assembly creation.
- Simple drawings with the ability to save to different formats.
- Library control for common parts.
- Creating an IPN in a separate file other than the drawing never made sense
- Errors in the model tree are never clearly defined
- Better control over parts when files are moved around (parent/child relationships)
February 17, 2020
CAD Software For Engineers
We have a digital fabrication laboratory in the school, and we use Autodesk Inventor to create new objects that we can use to develop new projects with the kids, making the learning easier. After we design our 3D model on Autodesk Inventor, we prototype it using a 3D printer, laser cutting machine, etc.
- It is not a difficult software.
- They have a free trial for students.
- You can create simulations.
- You can send your 3D model straight to a 3D printer.
- The professional version is expensive.
- It’s a very heavy software.
- It doesn’t work on Mac.
- in-person training
December 13, 2019
Feature-rich modeling software
We use different types of CAD software. In addition to AutoCAD, we use SOLIDWORKS and Inventor. We use Inventor to model parts that we make. It is also useful when doing FEA on our parts to verify loading. Also, customers can ask us to use for 3D files so they can add them to their builds. So, we have models of our parts to aid the design process.
- It's easy to edit dimensions in the part file or assembly.
- Easy and intuitive when using to make dimensioned drawings.
- Large assemblies require large computing power.
- Doesn't work on Mac.
September 26, 2019
Autodesk for easy 2D and 3D designing
We develop 3D printings and often need engineering software that can easily create 3D images. The view cube in the upper right-hand corner is very easy to reorient the view in many ways. The measure tool is very useful and easy to use. It is easy to begin and orient a sketch, making it simple and intuitive. The hole tool is nice and easy to use, good GUI. It is easy enough to use and allows for our internal department to work on projects without outsourcing.
- You can make designs (CAD) and you can also manufacture them (CAM) and do not need an interface like Solidworks to recognize it in a CNC.
- Inventor is very easy to use to create realistic, solid designs.
- The software allows you to design and see where problems are in real-time.
- Install is tedious to reroute at times.
- Inability to select a midpoint of a sketch.
- Software requires a powerful computer.
November 20, 2019
Great modeling tool that allows for an innovative approach to design
Inventor is being used by our drawing and design department. Our business is designing manufacturing drawings related to coal washing plants in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, South-Africa. We use Inventor for all structural designs which are then converted into IDW's which are in turn used by manufacturing teams to do the actual manufacturing and assembly.
- Sheet metal design.
- Adaptive design.
- Steel section availability through library elements.
- The style manager might be better. Choosing between or changing styles related to materials used, measurement details, dimension options, etc.
- Modeling options are sometimes lacking in designing curved faces through the use of mesh.
- Licensing might be expensive for small startup companies or single entrepreneurs.
October 24, 2019
Autodesk Inventor: a good fit for engineer to order transformers
Autodesk Inventor is being used by our mechanical design department to fully model our engineer to order power transformers. It enables comprehensive product design and integrates with our ERP system to drive purchasing and production operations. It has allowed standardizing design practices and increasing collaboration within the CAD department. By using it's library and iLogic automation we have realized significant design automation.
- Centralized library of components
- Scripting of design rules
- Parametric design automation
- Modeling cables. We have complex cable assemblies and the Inventor approach to this is time consuming compared to other products our team has used
July 05, 2019
Inventor for detailed parts to assembly
Inventor is being used at my organization to address the 3D modeling issue that has presented itself, as more and more clients are requesting to see 3D models of their finished products before investing and finalization of the design process. Inventor is currently only being used by the drafting department however engineers have had some use as well to help with the design process.
- Modeling of individual parts and combining them to complete assemblies.
- Multitude of formats can imported and exported.
- Modeling workflow is straightforward.
- Assembly of parts is intuitive.
- Larger assemblies generally require larger computing power.
- Surface modelling
- Mouse controls
At Gemcor, I used Inventor and AutoCAD to design, detail and make drawings of components or subsystems of complete automatic riveting systems and associated aircraft assembly tooling, machinery and factory installations. These systems were designed for precision automated and semi-automated assembly of riveted joints fastening aircraft components together.
- I found Inventor to be particularly stable when working with large assemblies using hundreds or thousands of parts.
- Inventor allows production of derived parts based on configuration of the parent with their own design histories.
- Inventor allows definable motion limits for moving parts.
- Last I used it, 3D sketching was much more awkward and limited than SOLIDWORKS. In inventor it mostly consisted of converting existing entities to make a 3 dimensional path.
- The stability of features based on converted entities could be improved. When designing handrails for instance, if I adjusted a parent feature, I would often have to redefine or fix the child feature.
- While the view cube / adjuster is neat, I miss the ability to click on the center mouse button and rotate the part.
We design and manufacture custom air handling units and we are starting to use Autodesk Inventor to create 3D models instead of traditional 2D drawings. We also manufacture pressure vessels, air washers and other production machinery which we are discussing creating 3D models. We also are a MEP contractor with a service department installing and servicing commercial systems. Our CAD department models electrical, mechanical piping and duct for our projects. We use AutoCAD, Fabrication and Revit depending on the discipline.
- We design and build custom air handling units and have started using inventor to create 3D models. This provides us the opportunity to eliminate conflicts before fabrication when we incorporate the fans, coils, piping, conduit and structure in a single model.
- Using inventor's stress analysis allows us to test the air handling unit bases using the equipment loads to verify the design. Often we can lighten the structural members based on the results saving the company money and still delivering a quality product.
- Using the iLogic feature to generate wall geometry by adding H-members every 4' is an excellent feature and we are currently developing custom parameters to assist in out air handling unit modeling. This will save us time by basically filling in length and width to generate foam wall panels and extruded aluminum members required in wall assemblies.
- Using the frame generator has been helpful is creating a standard structural steel base layout. This will created a BOM to send to the shop defining structural members and cut lengths.
- The software is difficult to learn. We have just scratched the surface of the capabilities of Inventor. Would like Autodesk to provide more training specific to our use.
- Inventor uses libraries to for all the components and they are not included in the project file so if you send the project to another PC you need also to have the library. Revit has all of the families included in the project file so you don't need to share families.
February 22, 2019
Great (and free for students) software alternative for SOLIDWORKS
At my college, I was able to utilize the vast abilities of Inventor to create and design projects for my engineering courses. Autodesk Inventor is a great tool that allows free access to students too! So this product allows students the ability to create and design almost anything whether it is for engineering or not. Also, especially with higher-end engineering courses, you will need to do a structural analysis on your product and Inventor makes light work of almost everything you can throw at it.
- 3-D Modeling
- Simulations
- Material / Stress Analysis
- The Autodesk atmosphere and compatability between their apps
- Student Software
- I would love to see a built-in 3-D printing tool
- I would love to see some quicker short cuts
- Lower price to compete with SOLIDWORKS
May 22, 2019
Great, Professional Modelling and Drawing Creation. Traditional Modeling, not Cloud-Based
Autodesk Inventor is the 3D Modelling software of choice in this company. We use it for all modelling and printmaking, as well as doc control of manufacturing prints. It is used by the engineering department to create documents for sales and manufacturing.
- 3D Modeling.
- Parametric Modeling.
- Drawing Creation.
- Simulation.
- Assembly mates.
- Document control.
April 26, 2019
Easy to use 3D modeling software, with some downfalls
Inventor is used in the Electrical department to design and layout electrical control cabinets and junction boxes. Creating these panels in 3D helps us ensure all components will fit and brings in the depth factor, which is especially helpful with door mounted components. The mechanical side also uses Autodesk Inventor to model the machines that we build. I believe Inventor is much easier to use than AutoCAD, also there are a lot of perks to using Inventor. One feature which is extremely helpful is running FEA's on models, which shows the stress points and such. Inventor helps my organization create high quality and detailed models of our product, which makes interacting with the customer easier.
- The learning curve for Inventor is very small, which makes training new people easier. By making this software easy to learn, new people can start contributing more at an earlier stage. I have heard from multiple people that the basic tasks in Inventor are very easy to use.
- Inventor makes design changes very easy, as long as you practice good design rules. Making modifications to existing models is very easy with Inventor, if there is an issue with a constraint or sketch, it makes sure you are aware. This also contributes to making Inventor easier to use.
- The software does not require an extremely powerful machine, as long as you do not have 1000's of parts in your model. This is helpful for my organization because not everybody has a powerful desktop PC, and they are still able to open up and view models on their laptops.
- Inventor is not the most cost-effective 3D software, it depends on the amount of money your organization would like to spend on design software. There is other 3D modeling software out there that are more cost effective, but they might not be as easy to learn as Inventor.
- Some of the menus within the software are sort of confusing, also some of the functions are hidden within sub menus. This can sometimes make finding certain functions a hassle. There is a way to hotkey functions to keyboard buttons, but I have not found an easy way to do this.
- If your model has over 1000 parts, then creating 2D drawings can cause a headache. If you have a lot of parts in your model, and your machine is not powerful enough, then creating a 2D drawing can take some time depending on the level of detail required.
Autodesk Inventor is part of the curriculum for the department of mechanical/mechatronics engineering. Therefore, its used by many students and faculty as part of their regular classes which include mechanical design, digital manufacturing, introduction to CAD, mechanical drawing, industrial engineering, etc. It's also used in many workshops and outside of the classroom for the development of individual projects. Autodesk Inventor is part of an Autodesk Suite that's focused on designing mechanical parts and assemblies for the generation of blueprints, industrial manufacturing or even 3D printing.
- Inventor has a unique drawing system based on creating sketches in XYZ planes. This makes it easier and more efficient to develop/modify a new component based on the drawn sketches, similar to the way you can create a 3-D figure based on its isometric drawings.
- It's different from AutoCAD because 3-D figures are treated as solid parts and not just as one big computer drawing. This allows the user to treat every component parts that can later be added to an assembly or modified as independent components of a more complex system.
- Very easy to develop professional looking blueprints based on 3-dimensional parts that can be later used for manufacturing in traditional lathe/milling machines. It's even possible to generate an exploded view of an entire assembly.
- Inventor is not just a mechanical drawing suite. It includes many additional features/uses such as sheet metal design, mold design, stress analysis of parts.
- The way file addressing and directories are handled isn't very straightforward and can be very prone to errors. Especially when dealing with large quantities of parts and sending an assembly to another PC or colleague, it will not work if not carefully done.
- There isn't much detail as to what mathematical models and calculation methods are employed in embedded tools for stress, temperature or vibration analysis. This leaves a lot to be desired, especially if you need to use these results for research or academic publishing.
- It requires a lot of CPU and memory resources if your machine doesn't meet and exceed these requirements the entire program will begin to shut down all of a sudden, especially after large periods of work. This problem has lead me to lose a lot of progress and time when changes weren't saved!
February 07, 2019
Autodesk Inventor - the perfect way to get into 3D modeling
I use Autodesk Inventor on a weekly basis as a simple 3D CAD software. I use it to model simple features and parts of our prototypes before they go to the 3D printer or physical prototyping. Currently, it is solely used by me, but the output file types enable me to share the models with other people in the company, regardless of if they have Autodesk Inventor or not.
- The program is very good at simplicity. Each of the buttons, menus, and options has an explanation of exactly what the feature does, and even a more advanced description if you desire to learn more about what each one does.
- Autodesk Inventor is a very fast program. Everything renders extremely quickly and there are no delays when examining a 3D model, part, or assembly. This is especially useful when giving a presentation about a product or design, and you need to be able to show a concept to an audience in real time.
- The software has an extremely accurate simulation feature that lets users do stress analysis on a 3D model. It can calculate precisely where the stress concentrations are going to be in a particular model and even give you an accurate depiction of where the part could likely fracture and/or fracture during loading.
- There are many times that the Mate feature does not work when building an assembly. The program has trouble with concentric mates in particular and often flips two pieces in the opposite direction that they are supposed to lay then trying to make two circles concentric.
- I wish Autodesk Inventor was more advanced at times. There is a point that you can no longer do your modeling in Inventor and you need to move to a more advanced software such a SOLIDWORKS to complete your drawing. There are just not enough advanced features in Inventor to get some jobs done.
- Inventor begins to get sluggish really fast as you begin to create large assemblies. After adding 10+ individual parts to an assembly and trying to rotate/zoom/move it, the program becomes slow and skips around during these movements.
February 09, 2019
Strong Industrial Design Software
Autodesk was recently selected as the design software provider for our entire organization. All divisions were migrated over to Autodesk Inventor. It is used to design all of our product lines.
- The frame generator module is a very powerful tool for designing structures. You can design structures very quickly using this tool. It can then be quickly analyzed using the FEA frame analysis tool.
- The sheet metal functionality is powerful. It offers many options and tools for sheet metal design work.
- The iLogic and Rules based design environment is extremely powerful for automating designs. If you have experience with basic coding, you can develop some very strong automated designs.
- The basic Vault system is a real plus for groups with multiple users.
- It needs a feature recognition tool like SOLIDWORKS FeatureWorks for importing model files from other cad platforms.
- Managing iLogic and Content Center libraries content can be tricky to navigate for new users.
February 01, 2019
Inventor is a professional CAD package that will suite all your general MECH needs.
Autodesk Inventor is used solely by the engineering department to spec out electronic and mechanical parts of physical goods. Overall, Autodesk Inventor is a great solution to complex assembly files that have multiple (50+) components and small parts that the overall product is made of. Use of the simulation and analysis tools are a key advantage in successful product development and one that we find to be extremely helpful within Inventor.
- Great simulation tools included. Specifically the stress analysis.
- Intuitive user interface and icons that are standard across various CAD programs (makes it easy to train new employees verse in other CAD programs).
- 2D drawing creation is easy and has a robust set of features that other programs don't
- Std Part libraries are better and easier to use
- Sheet metal tools are not as robust as some alternative programs.
- Surface modeling is a challenge in Inventor (compared to SOLIDWORKS or Fusion 360).
- Assembly constraints are confusing and hard to figure out if you're picking up a project that someone else started.
December 17, 2018
A classic option for any Engineer
Autodesk Inventor is used by our engineering team to model existing or new product prototypes and use analysis tools to forecast testing data for different materials. We also forecast tension and other types of loads prior to testing.
- Platform keeps track of each design change in a line-by-line properties table for easy editing
- Analysis tools have several common materials and auto calculate load factors
- Creates easy 2D spec drawings with different views
- Not very intuitive for creating assemblies with multiple 3D models
- Speed is an issue. Backups need to be created consistently to combat this
November 28, 2018
Inventor has been my secret weapon for the past 12 years!
We use it for concept designing and design engineering as well as for final production.
- integrated with other autodesk programs
- Technical drawings is easy and automatically updates
- User Interface is clean and intuitive
- Vault is still confusing to me, 12 years later
- you need a really powerful work station with tons of ram and an expensive graphics card
- I wish there was an automatic way to name your drawings in IDW
Autodesk Inventor Scorecard Summary
About Autodesk Inventor
Categories: Prototyping, Computer-Aided Design (CAD)
Autodesk Inventor Competitors
SOLIDWORKS, PTC Creo, Dassault Systèmes
Pricing
- Has featureFree Trial Available?Yes
- Does not have featureFree or Freemium Version Available?No
- Does not have featurePremium Consulting/Integration Services Available?No
- Entry-level set up fee?No
Autodesk Inventor Technical Details
| Deployment Types: | SaaS |
|---|---|
| Operating Systems: | Unspecified |
| Mobile Application: | No |