Autodesk Inventor - the perfect way to get into 3D modeling
February 07, 2019
Autodesk Inventor - the perfect way to get into 3D modeling
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Overall Satisfaction with Autodesk Inventor
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.
- Inventor has helped me save a lot of money on the cost of prototyping because it lets me draw out 3D models of parts and assemblies before I create them to confirm that everything will work before I begin to build it.
- As an inexpensive software, Inventor has been extremely good at helping me get my ideas across to people who are not in the engineering department by being able to draw out products and demonstrate them right on my laptop.
- As we have moved to more complicated products, I have needed a more advanced modeling software. This has forced us to have to purchase SOLIDWORKS, an additional software, to be able to continue our work.
- SOLIDWORKS and Fusion 360
Autodesk Inventor has the same underlying features as both SOLIDWORKS and Fusion 360. Being made by the same company, Autodesk Inventor and Fusion 360 are pretty much the same product, except Fusion 360 is an online version. SOLIDWORKS is much more advanced than the other two, offering so many more features, but at a much larger price as well.