precise measurements in Inventor

[Madison]

Originally posted by ajlapp
I recently began working with Inventor to try integrating 3D modeling into our design process with the students.(a humble attempt to get ahead for 2004)

1. is there a way to use more precise measurements in inventor?

Sarah answered this pretty well. Using the general dimension tool, along with various constraints, makes making precise sketches much easier. For drawings that you'd use in machining, there's a whole other function of Inventor that you can use to dimension parts and assemblies.

2. can i import 2d drawings from autocad directly into inventor?

Yes, but it's limited in its functionality. Particularly, AutoCAD drawings don't retain the same sort of adaptivity that sketches created in Inventor have. Extruding them into solids can be difficult, as well.

Whenever I've had to transfer anything from an AutoCAD drawing to an Inventor part, I've found it easier to remake the part in Inventor. Once you get the hang of the workflow, it's a very fast process.

3. can inventor create tool paths for a cnc mill?

No, not yet. There may be a plug-in available that handles this, however. I'm not familiar with anything, though, because I've never had immediate access to a CNC machine.


Anthony Lapp
Team Lead --> 857 Superior Roboworks [/b][/quote]