Autodesk Inc. is rolling out Inventor 11, adding improved surface design, data management and functional design. The new version also removes limitations, letting design engineers work with assemblies of any size.
This upgrade has been a year in the making, a timeframe that will now replace six-month revisions. One key aspect is that the software provides what's called functional design. Product designers begin with symbolic presentations of an object rather than starting with geometries. This speeds design and provides data that can be used to create models for virtual prototyping.
When drawings are changed, all parameters are revised to the same scale, eliminating the need to recompute sizes for various elements. "We don't want engineers to be spending time on geometries, we want them to be doing their designs," says Andrew Anagnost, senior director of product management.
Another improvement is that developers are no longer constrained to small systems. "This lets you work with unlimited sizes of assemblies," Anagnost says. The program also gives operators a sort of fuel gauge that monitors efficiency. When users have too many files open and performance is declining because memory and CPU capabilities are being stretched, the gauge provides a warning, suggesting that they close a few non-critical files.
Inventor 11 also helps product designers create drawings of end products, providing enhanced surface, sketch and sculpting tools. They let users quickly create curved shapes, maintaining important parameters needed for strength or ergonomic reasons. "Now it's easy to do 3D sketching and build 3D curves," Anagnost says.
The software also creates a bill of materials based on the completed or even partially-finished design. Both electrical and mechanical components are included.
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 Inventor 11 handles more tasks throughout the product cycle.
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Managing data
Inventor 11 also brings substantial improvements in data management.
"Users will find this architecture easy to deploy. These systems used to take years to set up, now you can do it in weeks or months," says Robert "Buzz" Kross, vice president of Autodesk's Manufacturing Solutions Division. He also notes that Inventor 11's data management can be deployed using desktop equipment, not huge servers.
The data management features also provide improved searching, letting users quickly find all files and documents related to their search topics. The full content search feature scans deep into all types of files to scan all terms. "It even reads scanned items, including those entered by optical character recognition," Kross says.
Other enhancements include expanded simulation capabilities, which make it simpler to determine dynamic performance and peak stresses before building prototypes. It also provides improved filet control for cast and molded parts.
It's also much easier to alter platforms, making it simpler to customize products or create may different versions. An enhanced import tool lets users import large user files even if they have corrupted or missing geometries. That lets them use incomplete files that wouldn't otherwise be accessible. Missing or corrupted data is highlighted until users correct it, so errors won't be induced.
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