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Autodesk Inventor is widely used in various industries and departments for a range of applications. In the field of mechanical …
Starting at $300 12 days over 1 year via Flex pricing 100 tokens
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What is Autodesk Inventor?
Autodesk Inventor 3D CAD software offers professional-grade 3D mechanical design, documentation, and product simulation tools. These blend parametric, direct, freeform, and rules-based design capabilities. Inventor includes integrated tools for sheet metal, frame design, tube and pipe, cable & harness, presentations,…
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Mechanical Design Engineer
Ciclo Fze (Mechanical Or Industrial Engineering, 11-50 employees)
Pricing
Subscription - Monthly
$305
On Premise
per month per user
Subscription - Yearly
$2440
On Premise
per year per user
Subscription - 3 Years
$7320
On Premise
3 years per user
Entry-level set up fee?
- No setup fee
For the latest information on pricing, visithttps://www.autodesk.com/products/inven…
Offerings
- Free Trial
- Free/Freemium Version
- Premium Consulting/Integration Services
Starting price (does not include set up fee)
- $300 12 days over 1 year via Flex pricing 100 tokens
Product Demos
Inventor Fabrication Drawings Product Demonstration Recording
YouTube
Autodesk Inventor Design Accelerators Product Demonstration
YouTube
Autodesk Inventor Assembly Modelling Product Demonstration
YouTube
Inventor Part Modelling Product Demonstration
YouTube
Design Automation with Inventor iLogic Webinar Recording
YouTube
Placing a Component using Autodesk Inventor iLogic
YouTube
Product Details
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What is Autodesk Inventor?
Autodesk Inventor 3D CAD software offers professional-grade 3D mechanical design, documentation, and product simulation tools. These blend parametric, direct, freeform, and rules-based design capabilities. Inventor includes integrated tools for sheet metal, frame design, tube and pipe, cable & harness, presentations, rendering, simulation, and machine design. It also features TrustedDWG® compatibility and Model-Based Definition capabilities for embedding manufacturing information directly in the 3D model.
Additional features include:
Additional features include:
- Feedback with built-in collaboration tools.
- Feedback from stakeholders wherever they are using cloud-based design review.
- Design configuration through a customizable form to rapidly configure new designs powered by iLogic.
- Can create a simplified 3D representation of a product along with the required metadata and product classification for use in a BIM project.
- 3D dimensions, annotations, and dimensional tolerances directly to a 3D model for downstream applications.
- Standard and customizable content libraries available, including beams, bolted connections, gears, cams, belts, and springs.
- Design optimization, with tools that help the user find high and low concentrations of stress in a 3D model.
- Parametric, freeform, and direct modeling tools.
- Push/pull controls to move, rotate, resize, or scale features from imported geometries.
- Built-in calculators to inform the design of common joints such as welds, clamps, and press fits.
- Combines automated tools and full-control design functions in Inventor to build tube and pipe runs.
- Dynamic simulation, with forces to evaluate the motion, speed, and acceleration of a design.
- Exploded views and animations of complex assemblies that can be used in product documentation, manuals, and assembly instructions.
Autodesk Inventor Features
- Supported: Product design
- Supported: Collaboration and design automation
- Supported: Modeling
- Supported: Connected Data
- Supported: Simulation and visualization
Autodesk Inventor Video
Autodesk Inventor 2024 - What's New
Autodesk Inventor Competitors
Autodesk Inventor Technical Details
| Deployment Types | On-premise, Software as a Service (SaaS), Cloud, or Web-Based |
|---|---|
| Operating Systems | Windows |
| Mobile Application | No |
Frequently Asked Questions
Autodesk Inventor 3D CAD software offers professional-grade 3D mechanical design, documentation, and product simulation tools. These blend parametric, direct, freeform, and rules-based design capabilities. Inventor includes integrated tools for sheet metal, frame design, tube and pipe, cable & harness, presentations, rendering, simulation, and machine design. It also features TrustedDWG® compatibility and Model-Based Definition capabilities for embedding manufacturing information directly in the 3D model.
Autodesk Inventor starts at $300.
Reviewers rate Support Rating highest, with a score of 8.1.
The most common users of Autodesk Inventor are from Mid-sized Companies (51-1,000 employees).
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Autodesk Inventor is widely used in various industries and departments for a range of applications. In the field of mechanical engineering, students and faculty utilize the software for classes such as mechanical design, introduction to CAD, and industrial engineering. It is also employed in workshops and individual projects for prototype development. Users leverage Autodesk Inventor as a 3D CAD software to model features and parts of prototypes before physical prototyping or 3D printing. The ability to easily share models with others in the company, regardless of whether they have Autodesk Inventor or not, is highly valued. Additionally, the software supports the transition from a 2D to a 3D environment, enabling engineering analysis, accurate BOM information, work instruction, and improved submittal information for customers.
Another important use case for Autodesk Inventor is in sheet metal product manufacturing. The software allows users to draw standard and sheet metal parts, assemble them in assemblies, and check for conflicts before bolting or welding the pieces together. It provides the capability to export sheet metal parts as flat patterns for processing using CNC plasma or laser cutters. Engineers find it convenient that both the shop and office staff are familiar with Autodesk Inventor, making it easier to address questions during assembly. However, some users have reported quirks and difficulties in transferring information between Autodesk Inventor and SOLIDWORKS, leading them to switch back to SOLIDWORKS after trying out Autodesk Inventor for a year.
In the design process, Autodesk Inventor is often used alongside AutoCAD and SOLIDWORKS to model parts, perform FEA for verification, and provide 3D files to customers for their builds. The software's user-friendly GUI, hole tool, and ability to work on projects without outsourcing are appreciated by users. Moreover, it fulfills the increasing demand for 3D models of finished products before finalizing the design process. Beyond mechanical engineering applications, Autodesk Inventor finds use in diverse areas such as model creation for custom air handling units, pressure vessels, and other production machinery. It is also utilized for modeling electrical, mechanical piping, and duct systems in the MEP department. The software's capability to generate DXF files for laser cutting and simplify the nesting process is particularly valued in plant design engineering.
Autodesk Inventor plays a crucial role in product development and design by offering simulation and analysis tools that aid engineers in modeling prototypes, performing analysis, and forecasting testing data. Its contribution to successful product development is highly regarded. Additionally, Autodesk Inventor is also widely used in educational settings, such as digital fabrication laboratories, where it facilitates the creation of new objects to support project development and enhance student learning. The software proves valuable for concept designing, design engineering, and final production purposes.
In different industries, Autodesk Inventor serves as the preferred 3D modeling software for various applications. It enables the design, detailing, and creation of drawings for components, subsystems, and tooling in industries like automatic riveting systems and aircraft assembly. Moreover, the software supports the modeling of custom capital equipment used in mining, recycling, and foundry industries, improving fit and finish during remakes.
The capabilities of Autodesk Inventor extend beyond engineering departments. It is also used by multiple divisions within organizations to create integrated workflow solutions, management of documents and designs, and designing electrical control cabinets and junction boxes. Users appreciate the ease of running FEA on models and creating high-quality and detailed models for customer interaction. Furthermore, all divisions of organizations find value in Autodesk Inventor as their chosen design software provider since it enables the design of all product lines.
Overall, Autodesk Inventor offers a range of robust features that cater to the diverse needs of users across different industries and departments. From mechanical engineering to plant design engineering, from educational labs to complex assembly files with multiple components, Autodesk Inventor has proven to be a versatile tool that enhances productivity and supports efficient design processes.
Unique drawing system: Multiple users have expressed appreciation for Inventor's unique drawing system. According to reviewers, this system allows for the development and modification of new components by creating sketches in XYZ planes. Users find it advantageous that Inventor treats 3D figures as solid parts rather than just computer drawings, enabling them to independently manipulate component parts within a complex system.
Simplicity and user-friendly interface: Reviewers have praised Inventor's simplicity and user-friendly interface. They note that each button, menu, and option in the software is accompanied by an explanation of its functionality, making it easy for users to understand and utilize various features. Additionally, advanced descriptions are available for those seeking a deeper understanding.
Exceptional speed: The exceptional speed of Inventor has been highlighted by multiple users. They report that everything renders extremely quickly in the software without any delays when examining 3D models, parts, or assemblies. This feature is particularly valuable when giving presentations or showcasing concepts in real-time to an audience.
Confusing User Interface: Many users have found the user interface of Autodesk Inventor to be confusing, especially when it comes to tasks such as moving files and managing parent/child relationships. They have expressed difficulties in navigating the software and understanding its organizational structure.
Difficulties with Style Manager: Some users have mentioned that the style manager in Autodesk Inventor could be improved. They find it difficult to choose or change styles related to materials, measurements, and dimensions. This limitation can lead to frustration and inefficiency during the design process.
Lack of Modeling Options for Curved Faces: Users have expressed dissatisfaction with the modeling options for creating curved faces using mesh in Autodesk Inventor. They feel that these options are lacking compared to other similar products on the market. As a result, achieving desired shapes and designs becomes more challenging and time-consuming.
Users recommend comparing Inventor to other CAD programs like SolidWorks or Solid Edge. They believe Inventor is easier to use than the competition and highly recommend it for students or beginners looking to get into CAD. Users also suggest trying Inventor before purchasing and comparing it to the competition. Professional training for employees using Inventor is recommended. Additionally, Inventor is recommended for projects in the Oil and Gas industry and for precision design. Implementing Inventor with Autodesk Vault is suggested as it works well for design automation and large models. Using community forums for support and problem-solving is highly recommended. Overall, users find Inventor to be a powerful three-dimensional modeling software that delivers quality for a fraction of the cost of other CAD software.
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Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
- Sheet metal product design
- Flat pattern development
- Inventor do Nesting very well
- Frame design
- Basic simulation
- Inventor crash unexpectedly company should improve it.
- Add more library content
- Memory uses should be balance
September 30, 2022
3D modeling & assembling done right the first time.
- 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.
November 09, 2021
AutoDesk is a great 3D auto Cad design tool
- Allows you to be detailed so you can determine if the size requirements will work.
- Allows you to take complete drawings and put them into a exploded view.
- You are able to view the drawing in other programs or with there inventor viewer.
- So far I see no improvements need but do understand that this is a very detailed Auto Cad type program and needs some training before you will be able to use it well.
August 25, 2020
Autodesk Inventor - From drafting tables to today
- 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.)
- 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
Autodesk Inventor Leverage
- 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.
- 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
March 26, 2020
Autodesk Inventor - A SOLID solid modeler
- Automation using iLogic
- Weldments using the frame generator
- FEA and dynamic simulations
- 2D documentation
- Rendering
- Exploded views
- Mesh integration
- MBD
- 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 18, 2020
CAD Software For Engineers
- 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.
December 13, 2019
Feature-rich modeling software
- 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.
November 21, 2019
Great modeling tool that allows for an innovative approach to design
- 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
- 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
September 26, 2019
Autodesk for easy 2D and 3D designing
- 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.
July 05, 2019
Inventor for detailed parts to assembly
- 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
May 22, 2019
Great, Professional Modelling and Drawing Creation. Traditional Modeling, not Cloud-Based
- 3D Modeling.
- Parametric Modeling.
- Drawing Creation.
- Simulation.
- Assembly mates.
- Document control.
May 17, 2019
Stable with large assemblies.
- 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.
April 26, 2019
Easy to use 3D modeling software, with some downfalls
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 10, 2019
Strong Industrial Design Software
- 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 07, 2019
Autodesk Inventor - the perfect way to get into 3D modeling
- 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 02, 2019
Inventor is a professional CAD package that will suite all your general MECH needs.
- 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
- 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!
- 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