Inventor Training Coming to a town near you.

[Al Skierkiewicz]

To all FIRST teams:
I attended an Autodesk Inventor training session today and I want you to know you need to get signed up for training when it comes near you. This is one of the best tools I have come across and it is being provided to teams. As with Autodesk products through the years, this software anticipates your needs for drawing parts. If you sketch ideas on paper or napkins and then transfer them to permanent drawings later, this is faster. Design you parts in 3D as you think of them and without very much effort, your ideas can be turned into shop drawings, exploded views, and isometrics even animated drawings. You can easily turn your 3D parts into assemblies and there is a large number of templates and tools to assist. This is by far the easiest and most powerful drawing software I have seen.
There are several sessions booked all over the country through December. If there are open seats you should get your team's drawing students and mentors to attend. Sign up today.
http://www.autodesk.com/first-training
(BTW check starting times, although the site listed start at 9 AM, Chicago started at 8 and used the entire day.)

[jdiwnab]

How in debth do they go? I have been to a few unofficial Inventor workshops that just covered the basics. And what version do they use (I am thinking 10)?

[Al Skierkiewicz]

The class took us from sketching a part to dimensioning and associating parts of the drawing together, to 3D and solid modeling an actual part in the morning. In the afternoon we took that part and opened a shop drawing, placing top, front and side views as well as isometric with dimensions and everything linked together. Then we took some premade parts and assembled them on a drawing to make up a finished part w/hardware. Then we took that and did an exploded view and animated the explosion and assembly. Throughout the process we added material colors and finally experimented with camera placement and lighting for presentation graphics.
Version 10...Don't miss it!