Inventor

Autodesk Inventor is the first CAD package I ever used back in 2015, and I credit my early exposure to it (along with 3D printing) as the reason I am a mechanical engineer today. I used it to learn about drafting, basic solid modeling, CAM programming, and surface sculpting. Inventor is the CAD software I rarely use, simply due to narrow adoption.

Over the course of my time using Inventor, I have done the following once or more:

• Drawings:

  • Created part drawings of a single component

  • Created assembly drawings (standard and exploded)

  • Created bills of materials

  • Customized view settings, such as scale, visual appearance, and layout

• Parts:

  • Use of surfaces sculpting to create approximate organic shapes

  • Basic solid modeling

  • Creation of construction geometry (planes, axis systems, lines, points, etc.) to support features

  • Exported parts in additive manufacturing formats (.stl, .3mf)

• Assemblies:

  • Created assemblies with ~10 parts and moderate amount of mates

  • Use of simple mates (coincident, concentric, distance, angle, tangent, etc.)

  • Use of advanced mates (width, linear, symmetry, etc.)

  • Use of mechanical mates (cam-follower, slot, hinge, gear, etc.)

• Simulation:

  • Programmed CNC mill paths to produce model geometry based on mill size, type, etc.