First Steps using AutoDESK Inventor Exercise One The Microwave Fastedd @ Helpful Notes 2004

Get to Know your Mouse Select in the tutorial means using the left mouse button. The Esc key on your keyboard is used to cancel a command. Right mouse button Brings up additional options Left mouse button Used for most operations such as selecting icons, menus and graphic entities.

When Inventor starts you will see this Start-up dialogue box. Select the Metric tab . Then select the Standard(mm).pt icon

Screen Layout Sketch panel toolbar Standard Toolbar Pull Down Menus Graphics window Take a few minutes to look at this screen 3D Indicator Message / Status bar

Select the line icon from the 2D Sketch Panel (Note all points at this stage are approximate) Select Point 1 a point to start the line move the mouse and select Point 2. Ensure the line is straight, look out for the horizontal constraint symbol. Point 2 Horizontal Constraint symbol Point 1

When we move the mouse and select point 3 we should notice the perpendicular constraint symbol.

Select point 4 by moving the mouse horizontally Select point 4 by moving the mouse horizontally. Notice the Parallel constraint symbol, this means the new line is parallel to the first one. Parallel constraint symbol Point 4

Select point 5 look out for the parallel symbol to indicate that this vertical line is parallel to the line drawn between points 3 and 4. Starting point Hidden line means alignment between point 1 and point 6. Point 5 Point 6 parallel constraint symbol As you select point 6 notice the parallel constraint symbol. Look out for the hidden line this tells us that point 6 is aligned with point 1. Select point one again to finish the Closed shape. To end drawing lines press Esc key.

From the 2D Sketch menu select the General Dimension icon. Select the line to dimension. Move the MOUSE upwards notice the dimension and line follows the mouse pointer. Select a position similar to the position shown. A Edit dimension box will appear. The dimension will be shown highlighted press the delete key. Type 90 you don’t have to add mm after the dimension. Select the green tick to OK it and update the dimension.

On your own dimension the shape as shown Edit the dimensions to the sizes shown.

Important try to remember this sequence to allow you to Finish Sketching. Right click anywhere on the screen and select Done or press the Esc. key on the keyboard to finish dimensioning. Right click the anywhere again on the screen and select Finish Sketch.

Right click anywhere on the screen and select the Isometric View. Isometric View sometimes called the safe view because you can always return to it.

Finishing the 2D Sketch allows us access to the Part Features menu. 3. Notice that the sketch region is automatically selected as the extrusion profile. Select Extrude from the Part Features toolbar. In the Extrude Pop up window enter 50 as the extrusion Depth. Select OK to finish the command.

Your Shape should look like this I hope ?

Select the Look At icon and select the face as shown. Look out for this symbol at the arrow head

Select the 2D Sketch icon and select the shape as shown. The new sketch plane should appear as shown.

From the 2D Sketch Panel select the two point rectangle. Select the first point as shown Select the second point as shown

Select the edges as shown in order to dimension over two feature On your own dimension the rectangle as shown. Press the Esc. key to finish the dimensioning and right click and select Finish Sketch. From the Part Features menu select Extrude. Select the Profile Button move the mouse pointer and select inside the rectangle we have just drawn. Make sure it turns blue. Set the Distance to 1. Select OK. Right click anywhere on the screen and select Isometric view.

Hope your shape looks like this ?

Select the Look At icon and select this face Select 2D Sketch and select this face. For to start a new sketch.

On your own using the 2 Point rectangle On your own using the 2 Point rectangle. Draw and dimension two rectangles as shown. 2.5

Esc dimensioning and Finish sketching. From the Part Features menu select Extrude. Select the Profile button. Select both rectangular shapes. Set the Depth to .5 and select OK.

Adding control dials to your Microwave Select the look at icon and select this face Select 2D Sketch icon and select the same face . Select Centre point circle from 2D Sketch Panel and Select a suitable position. Drag the circle to an approx size. Dimension circle’s position and diameter of 5mm. .

Esc to finish dimensioning and Right click selecting Finish Sketch Right click and select the Isometric View. Select Extrude from Part Features menu. Select the circle as the profile and set the distance to 2mm. Select OK to finish.

Select Wireframe Display to view the microwave Select Wireframe Display to view the microwave. You may require to select the down arrow to display this Flip Select Rectangular Pattern for our Array. Feature Direction 1 Count Length Select the Feature. Select the cylinder. Select Direction 1: Select the edge of the plate. Notice a green arrow appears pointing the direction. The arrow must point as shown. Select the Flip button if you need to change direction. Alter count to 2 Alter Length to 10 Do not select OK or your dials will only be in one direction.

Select Direction 2. (Edge of Microwave) 2. Alter Count to 2. 3. Alter Length to 10 4. Now select OK. Select Shaded Display to view our Dials. You may have to select Flip to get the correct direction.

Select Rotate icon next to the Look At icon Handles Select the Handles notice how your model moves about. Do not worry too much as you can always reset to the Isometric View.

Try to Rotate your Model into this position Select Wireframe Display Right click anywhere on the screen and select Done from the menu. To finish Rotate.

Select Fillet from the Part Features Menu. Select below Radius and type in 1 for the radius Ensure you select the pencil. Select the edges as shown notice that the microwave is in Wireframe View this will help you select the edges. Select OK to Finish the command

Hopefully it looks like this ?

Select Chamfer from the Part Features menu. Select Distance to .5 Make sure this button is pressed Select Edges. Select the Dials as shown Select OK to Finish the Command

Hope your Microwave looks like this ? Select Isometric View Select Shaded Display Hope your Microwave looks like this ?

Inventor has a special user interface called Dynamic Viewing that enable convenient viewing of the entities in the graphic window. Select the Zoom icon. Select inside the graphics window. Press and hold down the left-mouse button, then move downward to enlarge the view or move upwards to decrease the view. Press the Esc key once to exit the Zoom command. Select the Pan icon located next to the Zoom command. The Pan command allows us to move the view to a different position. Try both the commands out and remember to use them in the future.

Your model will be shaded with a material called As Material to give the microwave a more realistic look select the door it should be highlighted. You can add other faces such as the edges of the door by holding down the Ctrl key and selecting all the faces of the door .Use the Rotate to get them all.

Lets add some Textures From the Face Properties menu select the down arrow. Select Black as the Face Colour Style. Select OK to finish the command. Right click and select Properties from the menu

Lets add some detail to one of the two plates we constructed earlier. On your own create a new 2D Sketch on surface of the plate . Draw a Two Point Rectangle. Dimension the rectangle as shown. Use the Zoom & Pan icon to get the view as shown. Esc dimensioning and Finish Sketch.

Select Isometric View. On your own Extrude the plate not outwards but inwards to create a recessed surface. Make sure you choose Cut and not Join. the Distance should be 0.5.

Select the Look At icon and select the recessed surface. Lets add a Text message such as FULL POWER. Select a new 2D Sketch on the recessed surface. Select the Text Icon from the 2D Sketch Panel Select a suitable point on the recessed surface to start the text. Zoom In

Alter Height to 1.00 In the dialogue box type FULL POWER Select OK. If its not in the right place then select it and move it.

On your own change the faces of the microwave to suitable materials. I have chosen Green Pastel for the casing. Chrome for the dials. Black for the glass surfaces. Remember to Rotate your Microwave to get all the surfaces. Red for the text

The End Fastedd @ Helpful Notes 2004