I just got an E-mail notifying me that the new Autodesk 2010 software is out! Is there anything that you guys where hoping to get changed with the new version?
I have a copy and I can say it is a very different layout. If you have used office 2007 it has that sorta style. Persoanlly if there was one thing that I hoped was changed would be the cube that is in the upper right hand corner in 2009 would be changed back to the old rotating method like in Inventor 2008 (did not happen). Last, if you have a school email or your teacher has a school email you can get a copy of inventor 2010 at students.autodesk.com
I am in the process of downloading/installing it right now. Hmm, 2007 word, I love the layout compared to 2003, Hopefully i will like this new layout also!!!
I believe in '09 you can change your preferences to modify the appearance or turn that cube off completely - and the view manipulation controls will still work the same as in previous versions. Don’t know about v2010.
O downloaded a copy of 2010 and i LOVE the new layout compared to 2008. The GUI is a lot nicer, although the controls are a bit more confusing for new students if you haven’t used Inventor before.
I actualy think that they are easier to use and learn than before. They let you find the “hidden” features of inventor easier than ever before. and it is faster than having to go through 1,000 tabs just to do one function…
Rating user friendliness on a scale of 1-10?
Compared to ease-of-use of Solidworks 2007-2008?
Either of these would be appreciated, of course, with details.
Gracias.
I have never used solidworks, and I have just been using inventor for about a year. With that said, I hope that I can still help you.
When you open Inventor, It opens to the same as it did in the 2009 version. you can open a part or start a new one the same as before, but the change comes when you start to model parts. In inventor 2009, there was just the standard menu system and at times, you spend alot of time trying to find the right function you are looking to do.
Autodesk solved this problem by switching over to a “ribbon” menu system consisting of “Assemble, Design, Model, Inspect, Tools, Manage, View, Environments, Vault and Get started” in the Assembly mode.
Assemble View: Consists of actions Such as "Place Component, Create Pattern Component(circular and rectangle), Mirror, Copy, Constrain Move, Rotate, Cable and Harness, Tube, Bill of Materials and more. Everything in this Tab is just about what there was in the top of the list in Inventor 2009.
Design View: Consists of what I call the “hidden pluses” to inventor that many people have never used before because of the way that the GUI was organized in past versions of inventor, and if used properly can save A LOT of time!! This new Organization brings out these “hidden tools”. Tab consists of: Bolted connection, Clevis Pin, Insert Frame, Shaft, Spur Gear, Bearings, Belt and chain Tools, Key tools, O-rings, and Compression.
Model View: Consists of the “sketch/model tools” including "Create 2D Sketch, Extrude, Revolve, Hole, Fillet, Chamfer, Sweep, Work planes/axis/point, and patters(rectangle and circular).
Inspect view: consists of "Measure tools such as, Distance, angle, loop and area, and Interference analyzer tools.
Tools View: includes mainly other tools from other tabs combined into one tab.
View View: Includes everything needed to modify your viewing experience such as UI changes and Views.
Environments: includes switching from inventor to stress analysis, Dynammic Simulation, Inventor Studio, AEC Exchange, Weldment, and to Manage Add-Inns.
Vault: includes Vault tools
**Get started: **includes all the basic tabs to get you where you want to be. Such as New, Open, Projects…
In the Part File, the tabs include… Model, Inspect, tools, Manage, View, Environments, Vault, Get Started, and sketch.
Sketch Tab: includes All of the normal sketch features including line, Circle, Rectangle…in addition to Dimensioning tools like Tangent, Parallel, Dimension, Equal Etc. Also it has pattern, Modify, layout, insert and formats(construction line…) Along with A Giant FINISH SKETCH button.
Model Tab: Includes the modeling tools like Extrude, revolve and loft including tools such as chamfer, shell and thread, along with work planes/axis.
Inspect tab: includes Measure tools
**Tools Tab: **includes Different tools from different Tabs.
View tab: Is same as Assembly View tab.
Environment tab: same as Assemby tab.
Vault tab: Same as Assembly Vault Tab.
Get started: Same as Assembly Get started Tab
In all, I would rate it a good 9, I think the enhancements are great, and they will help a great bit!!
I just went over the changes to the GUI but there are also many other deeper changes that I have not yet seen but have been changed.
In response to other post… To get rid of the “ViewCube” just go to the “View” tab, Click “User interface” and then Un-check the “viewcube”, this will make the View cube go away.
I found this link quite helpful… http://www.rand.com/imaginit/1/technology/software/autodesk_inventor.htm
-Kyle
I learned how to CAD on Inventor my freshman year and did not find it that difficult to learn. FIRST provides tutorials that walk you through using Inventor, which I found very helpful. Three years ago, in my Junior year, I tried out Solidworks and have never switched back since. I personally think that you should start with Inventor and progress to Solidworks. Solidworks is an extremely powerful program and can be a little daunting for someone who has not been exposed to CAD.
what is so much better about solidworks than inventor? Can you explain why it is so much better?
I don’t really know how to say why its easier for me. But what I can say is that the tutorials were so straight forward and the modeling process was taught quickly in less steps than when I began learning Inventor. I guess it also depends on which tutorials you use. What I do love about SW is the insane quality of the renders. For examples, see a few of roboticwanderer’s renders in CD Media. I can’t really say much more than that as I didn’t follow through with the long Inventor tutorials and just went to SolidWorks 
For me overall it was just about getting results faster. BTW, I’m not saying Inventor doesn’t produce quality renders. SW is also used more in industry.
Mine:http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/photos/32115
roboticwanderer’s awesome stuff:http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/search/results/331425
Anybody looked at the the integration of the new FEA package?
It’s not just Solidworks. ProE and AutoCAD are both better then Inventor for one simple reason.(ignoring the many others) They are used in industry. I know of a company that uses Solidworks, one that uses AutoCAD, and one that uses ProE. However, I don’t know any that use Inventor. That alone makes any one of the the three other ‘main’ CAD softwares better.
Inventor is primarily used to acquaint you with the mindset of a draftsmen. Think about it. Since you’ve learned Inventor, do you look at parts the same? I personally look at parts as extrusions, revolves, and other basic commands. I see the details of the part. That is what you need from Inventor.
Now, onto the many other reasons Inventor is a bit sub par. Each tool specializes in it’s own way. The ProE is the natural powerhouse of drafting. If you want some advanced mechanics, that is where you want to go. The AutoCAD has vastly superior 2D drafting capabilities and uses way less memory. Solidworks is more of the same, but just way more in depth.
Overall, though I love Inventor, I got to say that any of the other three will suit you better in the long run. I hope my explanation covers all the bases without stepping on anyone’s toes.
I cant argue for why inventor is better in any way because I have never used any other cad software besides Autodesk. The main reason that I use inventor currently is because that is what our school teaches on. This summer when I have more time, I plan on learning at least solidworks and possibly PRO-E if I have the time.
Is there anywhere to get either Solidworks or Pro-E free?
P.S. That is an awesome Render BTW!!!
Pro-E is available to all FIRST teams…
http://www.usfirst.org/community/frc/content.aspx?id=10990
Don’t forget to grab MathCAD while you are at it.
As for Pro.E, you can pick it up on their site when you register a team. But for solidworks, Marie Planchard is the Solidworks Rep. for FIRST.
In terms of Solidworks vs Inventor vs Pro.E , there are many threads on this topic:
-Pro.E vs Inventor
-Solidworks vs Inventor
In all honesty, I had a hard time with Pro.E. Probably because it didn’t interest me and I know Solidworks. Inventor was so so when you know another CAD program. Solidworks and Google Sketch up is used at my job. So that’s the main reason. Its all up to the person, people like different things, but I really do like 2010 Inventor; might just have to give it a try 
.
You could try applying to get sponsored by Solidworks or send a pm to Marie Planchard on Chief Delphi.
I personally found that autodesk inventor was easier to use than solidworks. Just because other programs are more widely used doesn’t mean that it is a better program. Autodesk is on the top of my list of programs.