Autodesk Inventor ™ R3 ReadMe

This file contains information which became available after the Quick Start Card was printed. For the most
up-to-date documentation, please refer to this document and the on-line help, which is updated with each
release. If you are experiencing problems not covered in the Quick Start Card, ReadMe, or in the on-line
Help, please contact your dealer (reseller) or Autodesk Customer Support.
=======================================================================
Autodesk Inventor ™ R3 M.3000.3030 July 21, 2000
Release Notes - "ReadMe" file
ACode
Autodesk, Inc.
=======================================================================
Table of Contents
=======================================================================
This document contains the following sections:
Hot keys
Hardware/OS/Graphics Information
Migration
Project / Path Files
General
Part Modeling & Sheet Metal
Assembly Modeling
Presentations
Drawing Manager
MDT Linking & Translation
SAT/IGES/STEP/STL
Collaboration
Design Manager & Tracking
Fastener Library
Defect Reporting
=======================================================================
Hot Keys
=======================================================================
F1 = Help
F2 = Pan
F3 = Zoom
F4 = Rotate
F5 = Zoom Previous
L= Line, D= Dimension, E= Extrude, R= Revolve H= Hole
D= General dimension, O= Ordinate dimension, F= Feature control frame, B= Balloon
P= Place component, C= Place constraint
T= Tweak Components
Shift + RMB = Selection tool menu
Shift + Rotate = Auto rotate (Sets display automatically rotating - LMB to terminate)
Control or Shift = Used as command modifiers (I.e. Remove/Add a profile or line to a selection set)
Escape = Abort Command
Backspace = Clear Last Sketch Selection (I.e. Cancel the current line segment creation)
Delete = Delete
Spacebar = Used to rotate grid in the grid orientation command and to toggle the common view on/off
while using the rotation command.
Tab = Alternate between input fields in precise input toolbar
Ctrl + Enter = Disable inferencing when committing precise input sketch points
Standard Windows Keys: Ctrl Z = Undo, Ctrl Y = Redo, Ctrl C = Copy, Ctrl V = Paste, Ctrl S = Save, Ctrl O
= Open, Ctrl N = New doc, Ctrl P = Print.
========================================================================
Hardware & Graphics Information
========================================================================
System Requirements
-------------------------------
 Windows NT 4 (SP5 Recommended), Windows98 (Second Edition), or Windows2000.
 Microsoft Internet Explorer version 5
 360MB of free disk space
 Minimum: Recommended: Preferred:
Good for training, Part Small Assembly Advanced Assembly
modeling, Assemblies modeling (100 to 1000 modeling (1000 parts or
of 2 to 100 parts. parts) greater)
Processor Pentium II 233 Mhz or Pentium II, Pentium II Pentium III, Pentium III
better Xeon or equivalent, 350 Xeon or equivalent, 450
MHz or better MHz or better
RAM 128 MB RAM 256 MB 512 MB of RAM

*Please note that disk drive technology has an impact on performance. IDE offers basic levels of
performance, where UW2 SCSI offers improved levels of performance.

 Inventor was written to operate on Windows NT. However, it also runs on the Windows 2000 and
Windows 98 SE platforms. Windows 95 is NOT supported.

 Windows 98 does not support multi-user functionality. If you work in a mixed operating system
setting, using both Windows 98 and WinNT, you will find that you cannot access files (either from
Inventor or Design Manager) if they are already open in a Windows 98 session

Points to consider before deciding on an operating system for Inventor

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 NT 4 and Win 2000 are the industrial strength 32-bit operating systems from Microsoft. (Win 2000
is the next major release of NT.) Win 98 is somewhat of a compromise that is designed to support
games and to give maximum compatibility with older versions of windows and hardware. Win 98 is
a mix of 16-bit and 32-bit software. It is not a complete 32-bit operating system. Win 98 does not
enforce strict isolation between an application and the hardware. This allows games and some
other applications to run faster, at the price of security and stability of the whole operating system.
NT and Win 2000 have built in safeguards that isolate applications from the hardware. This usually
allows disk write operations to complete, saving the file system and the data in the face of almost
any problem. Applications are forced to share all hardware resources through the operating
system, to the standards that Microsoft has established. This allows Microsoft to enforce security,
protect the user, and the user's data. Each application, is run in it's own memory space, isolated
from all other applications. When an application is terminated, all resources used by the application
are recovered by the operating system. Win 98 usually requires a re-boot to do this. In a multi-user
environment, NT and Win 2000 allow reasonable file sharing and support for network servers. Win
98 requires exclusive access to each file opened. This inhibits Inventor users from accessing the
multi-user capabilities that are built into Inventor. In addition, if a Win 98 user has a shared file
open, NT and Win 2000 users will be locked out, no matter where the file resides. If a shared file
resides on a Win 98 system, only one user will be able to open it, for any reason, at a time. NT and
Win 2000 are the operating systems for industrial customers. The result is that the industrial
software, like print drivers for roll feed and large form factor plotters, tend to work better in this
environment. If you are using Autodesk Inventor on Windows 98 for large models, or in a Windows
resource intensive or multi-language environment, we highly recommend switching to Windows NT,
which tends to be much better suited to these circumstances.

 Please also note that the system working directory (c:\temp by default in NT) must exist with a
minimum of 64MB available. Inventor uses this directory extensively for temporary files. It is highly
recommended that your Virtual Swap File be set to at least 500 Megabytes or more.

 Special files required for compatibly (which are installed by default with Inventor R3) are installed in
c:\program files\common files\ autodesk shared (\mechanical) and will require 50 megabytes of
hard drive space. Currently you can not choose the install location of these files.

 There is a conflict with "Register Today", and IE5.5 that may result with many IE windows
launching, if this is becomes a problem we recommend going back to IE5.1

 Additional help on installing Inventor is available on the Inventor CD-ROM at the root directory in
both HTML Help and Microsoft Word formats. If you have Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 installed
 on your system, you can double-click the file Network Install.chm. If you don't have IE 5.0, you can
still access the network installation information by double-clicking Installation and
Authorization_master.doc.

Graphics Cards
------------------------
 Autodesk Inventor requires OpenGL support, which is now a standard part of Windows. For best
performance, we highly recommend graphics cards that support OpenGL in hardware, with 8 MB
(16 MB recommended) of video RAM or more. Your graphics card must be configured to support
at least 32,768 colors, double buffered display, and at least 15 bits of z-buffer and 1 bit of stencil
buffer. Both PCI and AGP cards are supported.

 NOTE: 256-color display mode is NOT supported.

 Screen resolution below 1024 x 768 is not supported.

 If your card has insufficient memory (8MB in this case), setting your graphics card to a high
resolution (1280x1024 pixels) and TrueColor (16,777,216 colors) may result in poor performance.
Consult the documentation for your card. In general, Autodesk Inventor does not require TrueColor
mode: 32,768 or 65,536 colors are enough (There are some exceptions, though -- Please see the
table on the following pages).
If you have graphics-related problems, try to change your display settings first (i.e., the number of
colors, screen resolution). Many graphics cards lack the ability to run hardware acceleration for
every possible settings combination.

 How to tell what version of the graphics driver you are currently running:
1) Open the Display Properties dialog by either of the following ways:
- Right-click on any blank spot of your Desktop and select Properties.
- Click on the Start button | Settings | Control Panel | Display icon.
2) Click on the Settings tab | Display Type button.
3) Driver Information is in the middle of the Display Type dialog.

NOTE: You may find that the version number in the Display Type dialog is a little different
than the actual version number from the driver vendor's ReadMe file. For example,
Driver Version number from Display Actual Version from
manufacturer Type dialog vendor’s ReadMe file
Evans & 3, 0, 0719, 1052, 4.0.0 3.0GY-B0719
Sutherland
Nvidia 4.00.1381.0208, 4.0.0 2.08
(1381 is NT 4.0 build number)

 It is recommended that you install the most recent driver for your graphics card or even the
reference driver supplied by the chip manufacturer for your graphics card should you experience
graphics problems. Many problems can solved by installing the latest graphics driver, however
please note that graphics drivers sometimes contain regressions.

 You can download the latest graphics drivers from the following web sites:

Card Vendor URL as of 03/13/2000

3Dlabs http://www.3dlabs.com/drivers/index.html
ATI http://support.atitech.ca/drivers/index.html
Creative Technology http://support.soundblaster.com/files/download.asp
Diamond Multimedia http://www.diamondmm.com/
ELSA http://www3.elsa.de/www/filearea.nsf/files?openview
Evans & Sutherland http://www.es.com/wg/drivers.html
Intense3D http://www.intense3d.com/drivers2.asp
Intergraph http://www.intergraph.com/ITservices/drivers/drvsrch.asp
Nvidia http://www.nvidia.com/Products.nsf/htmlmedia/software_drivers.html
Matrox http://www.matrox.com/mga/drivers/latest_drivers/home.htm
 SGI http://support.sgi.com/nt/product/320/video/index.html
http://support.sgi.com/nt/product/540/video/index.html

*The following steps are recommended for correct installation:

1) Remove the existing graphics driver by running its own uninstaller or by running the Add/Remove
Program in Control Panel.
2) Restart the computer.
3) Many graphics drivers now require the NT 4.0 Service Pack 4, 5, or 6a, which you can download from
Microsoft. (To see which Service Pack you’re currently running, click on the Start button | Programs |
Administrative Tools | Windows NT Diagnostics | the Version tab.)
4) Install the latest graphics driver.
5) Restart the computer.
6) Carry out a second installation of your Service Pack (This may seem unnatural, but if you skip this
step, anomalies may occur).
7) Restart the computer.

 These graphics cards have been tested in our lab (alphabetically ordered).

Vendor Graphics Latest Driver as of Comments

Card 07/14/2000 Graphics Card/Driver Problems
3Dlabs Oxygen ACX NT 2.12-0712  Use 32,768 or 65,536 colors. If you use
(This is True Color, you won’t get hardware
the acceleration from this card.
3Dlabs  Not tested after Inventor R1 release
Permedia-
2
reference
driver)
98 N/A
2000 N/A
Oxygen GMX NT 2.12-0733
98 N/A
2000 N/A
Oxygen NT 4.15-  NT Service Pack 4 or later is required
GVX1 0424,  New driver for Win 2000
4.0.0
98 4.10.01.21
06-0688
2000 2.15-0280
Oxygen GVX NT 4.15-  NT Service Pack 4 or later is required
210 0424,  New graphics card
4.0.0
98 N/A
2000 2.15-0280
Oxygen VX1 NT 4.15-  NT Service Pack 4 or later is required
0424,  New driver for Win 2000
4.0.0
98 4.10.01.21
06-0688
2000 2.15-0280
ATI Rage Fury NT 4.3.40  You must select 65,536 colors or True
Color. If you select 16,777,216 colors, you
98 4.11.6263 won't get hardware acceleration.

2000 N/A

Rage NT 4.3.40  You must select 65,536 colors or True

Magnum 98 4.11.6114 Color. If you select 16,777,216 colors, you
won't get hardware acceleration.
2000 N/A
AccelGraphics AccelGraphics was acquired by Evans &
 Sutherland. See Evans & Sutherland section.
Creative Graphics Nvidia reference  Nvidia TNT reference drivers and SP 4 or
Blaster RIVA driver 2.08 later is recommended.
TNT  Display anomalies with multiple windows.

Diamond Fire GL1 NT 4.00.138  If you have old drivers and use 65,536
Multimedia 1.1100, colors, you might not get hardware
4.0.0 acceleration. If that is the case, use True
98 N/A Color.
2000 5.00.218
3.1081
Fire GL 1000 NT 4.00.138  Use 32,768 or 65,536 colors. If you use
Pro 1.0272,4. True Color, you might not any hardware
0.0 acceleration from this card.

98 4.10.01.2
359
2000 N/A

Viper V550 Nvidia reference  Nvidia TNT reference drivers & NT SP 4 or

driver 2.08 for NT later is highly recommended
 Not tested after Inventer R1 release
Viper V770D NT 4.00.138  Nvidia TNT2 reference drivers & SP 4 or
1.0522, later is highly recommended
4.0.0  New Win 2000 driver
(Nvidia)
98 4.12.01.0
368
(Nvidia)
2000 5.2.2.0
ELSA Erazor III NT Not  From nVidia for RIVA TNT2 chip set
(Reference tested  New Win 2000 driver
driver) 98 Not  Gives improved performance
tested
2000 5.2.2.0
Erazor III NT 4.06.00.2  Problems found in old drivers: Snapping
(Elsa driver) 64, 4.0.0 point (the green dot) doesn't display in the
98 4.11.01.0 Sketch environment. New drivers
200-0029 (4.05.00.130 and later) fixed the problem.
2000 5.07.00.2  NT SP 4 or later is required
96  New Win 2000 driver
GLoria NT 5.36.00.4  Use 32,768 or 65,536 colors. If you use
Synergy 18 Beta True Color, you won’t get hardware
98 4.10.01.2 acceleration from this card.
105-0366  New Win 98 driver
2000 5.36.00.4  New Win 2000 driver
34 Beta
GLoria XL NT 5.36.00.4  Some display anomalies with multiple
30 windows open in a single session.
 Windows problems with maximized view
98 4.10.01.0 (Open two new parts and maximize them
203-0012 -> Close the top part -> All windowing
2000 Not operations stop working ). Solution: In the
Tested ELSA properties dialog, setting Force
Buffer Blit will stop the problem.
 Not tested after Inventor R1 release
GLoria XXL NT 5.36.00.4  Not tested after Inventor R1 release
30
98 4.10.01.0
203-0012
2000 Not
 Tested
Synergy II NT 4.12.10.2  If you use 65,536 colors, you may not get
22, 4.0.0 hardware acceleration. If that is the case,
98 N/A use True Color.
2000 N/A  NT SP 4 or later is required
 New Win 2000 driver
Evans & AccelEclipse NT 2.4B151  Problems with multiple windows.
Sutherland & 98 Not  Disable hardware cursors to get color
AccelEclipse Tested cursors.
II 2000 N/A  Not tested after Inventor R1 release
AccelGALAX NT 3,0,0719,  Enable SwapCopy (Display Properties |
Y 1052 AccelPanel tab | Configure button).
 When you install a new E&S driver, the
98 N/A Setup program from E&S might freeze NT.
In that case, use Display Properties dialog
| Settings tab | Display Type button |
2000 3.0- Change button | Have Disk button.
B0320  Slow performance might occur with
markers.
 New Win 2000 driver
AccelStar II NT 3Dlabs  3Dlabs Permedia-2 reference drivers are
Permedi strongly recommended.
a-2  Use 32,768 or 65,536 colors. If you use
reference True Color, you might not get hardware
driver acceleration from this card.
2.12-  Not tested after Inventor R1 release
0712
98 Not
Tested
2000 N/A

Lightning NT 3, 0,  Enable SwapCopy (in Display Properties |

1200 1102, 0, AccelPanel tab | Configure button)
4.0.0  When you install a new E&S driver, the
98 N/A Setup program from E&S might freeze NT.
In that case, use Display Properties dialog
| Settings tab | Display Type button |
2000 3.0.5.320 Change button | Have Disk button.
 Slow performance might occur with
markers.
 New Win 2000 driver
Tornado 3000 NT 3,0,1029,  Enable SwapCopy (Display Properties |
1453 AccelPanel tab | Configure button).
 When you install a new E&S driver, the
98 N/A Setup program from E&S might freeze NT.
In that case, use Display Properties dialog
| Settings tab | Display Type button |
Change button | Have Disk button.
2000 3, 0,  Slow performance might occur with
0320, markers.
1411
 Incorrect dash-dot patterns.
 New Win 2000 driver
HP fx2+, fx4+, NT FX.00.01  You must reinstall NT SP 4 or later after
fx6+ in HP .16 installing a new driver.
Visualize 98 Not  Windows repainting problems.
Tested
2000 Not
Tested
Intel Express 3D  Not recommended (4 MB video memory)
Intense3D / RealiZm NT 04.06.01.  Minor display Issues – Icons are often the
Intergraph 49 wrong color.
98 Not  Not tested after Inventor R1 release
Tested
2000 Not
 Tested
Wildcat 4110 NT .  New Win 2000 driver
04.00.02.
223
98 N/A
2000 5.1.0.20
Wildcat 4000 NT 04.06.02.
22
98 N/A
2000 N/A
Matrox Millennium & 2.30  Not recommended at this time.
Millennium II Transparency & multiple window refresh
G-400 problems & performance issues.
 Please Note: Matrox is currently
working to have the G-400 working with
Inventor.
SGI (NT Only) Cobalt in SGI 4.1.1, 4.1.4  On 32,768 color mode, the initial splash
320 and 540 screen flickers wildly as animation and
Visual PC’s selections change. Changing to True
Color mode removes the problem.
 The 4.1.2 and 4.1.3 drivers do not function
correctly with Inventor. Please use the
4.1.4 drivers (or 4.1.1).
==========================================================================
Migration - Working with existing Inventor documents
==========================================================================
 As a general rule of caution please back your files up before migrating them.

 File migration: Files must be migrated to the release 3 data format before you can work on them. The
first time you open any files created in Autodesk Inventor release 1 or Autodesk Inventor release 2,
you will be required to migrate them. You can open the parts directly into R3 at which time your files will
be migrated during open. *Once the files have been opened, updated, and saved they will open
normally in R3 thereafter.* Once migrated and saved, the files can no longer be opened in previous
releases.

 Migrating part files and assembly files: When you open a part or assembly file created in Autodesk
Inventor release 1 or Autodesk Inventor release 2 , the data will be converted to release 3 format. If
there are design errors in the file, they will be listed in the error reporting message box so that you can
use the Design Doctor to repair them. When you save the converted file, the existing file is overwritten
and you can no longer open it in previous releases. If the file is an assembly, all components will be
converted as well.

 Migrating drawing files: When you open a drawing that contains views of parts or assemblies created in
Autodesk Inventor release 1 or 2, the referenced files must be converted to release 3 format before the
drawing will display. If the files have not been migrated, they will be migrated before the drawing
regenerates. Once the referenced files are converted to release 3 format, the views will be recalculated
before they are displayed. This may take some time, depending on the size and complexity of the
model.

 Note: After you migrate R1 parts you may see warnings on each of the patterns. This is because
pattern terminations have been improved. Simply use the doctor to verify the new result is correct and
the warnings will be cleared.
==========================================================================
Project / Path Files
==========================================================================
 Inventor makes use of the concept of a project. A project is a logical association of the files you will
use in building your assemblies. There is nothing within Inventor that creates projects - you must
manually create the directories and define a path file which will set-up and resolve links for a project.
How you plan to work with Inventor, your co-workers, and your network will determine how you should
define your path files.
 By switching between several path files, Inventor allows you to work between different projects while
keeping the resolution rules simple and easy to manage.
 You can manually manipulate the file resolution rules defined on the Options | File Locations dialog tab
only if you have not specified a project path file in the bottom most edit field of the dialog and no
Inventor files are open.
 When the system looks for the component files of an assembly, it will only look in directories that are
specified in the active path file. Note: If no path file is used the file locations defined on the options
page will be used instead.
 Collaboration is discussed in terms of three basic work strategies: isolated, semi-isolated and shared.
These work strategies are neither enforced nor “selectable” by explicit selection within the product.
They are facilitated through the effective use of the multi-user option, shared network resources, and
the path file strategy of project organization.

A path file template with instructions is included with the install and can be found in the Inventor R3\Pss
directory.
To create your own path files you can copy the text below. Paste it into a new blank text document. Save
this to your path file directory. Path files must be formatted as a text file with extension *.ipj and have a
structure as follows:

------------Start Copy Here-------------

[Included Path File]

PathFile=c:\some path\filepath.ipj

[Workspace]
Workspace=C:\some path

[Local Search Paths]

some name=c:\some path 1
some name =c:\some path 2

[Workgroup Search Paths]

some name =c:\some path 1
some name =c:\some path 2

[Library Search Paths]

some name =c:\some path 1
some name =c:\some path 2
-------------End Copy Here--------------
==========================================================================
General
==========================================================================
 Selecting the options tab when in the "open file" dialog box will allow you to open back versions of files.
The option tab also allows you to specify import/export options for specific file types.

 The UNDO command behaves differently from such application as Mechanical Desktop and AutoCAD.
Actions such as: Zoom, pan, and dragging work planes are skipped in an UNDO operation. This will
mean that the command executed prior to the zoom, pan, etc. will be undone.
Temporary Files
------------------------
 Please beware that the application does not always do a complete job of cleaning up temporary files if
an application error should occur or the process be terminated by the user. You should monitor your
default windows working directory (C:\Temp on WINNT) and clean it out as needed.
Thumbnails
-----------------
 When saving an assembly, no thumbnails will be generated for newly created or out-of-date parts used
in the assembly. To avoid this, open those parts in single part mode and save them.
 When saving a derived part, no thumbnails will be generated for out-of-date parts used in the derived
part .

 No thumbnail will be created for Design Elements during extraction, you must open the design element
in the "DesEl" editor and save it to generate thumbnails.
=======================================================================
Part Modeling & Sheet Metal
=======================================================================
General
------------
 At the time a sketch is consumed (by a feature such as extrude), if the sketch has any browser visible
dependents (another sketch or a work feature), the sketch is automatically shared.

 Sweeps may not produce the correct result if the profile does not lie on the path. The plane of the
profile should intersect at least one of the segments of the path.

 Auto update of table driven parts does not function correctly with NT 4 SP6 or SP6a. To work around
this problem you must save the spread sheet twice.

Solid Editing
------------------
 Currently the vector line in planar move is not functional after two points are selected as stated in the
Help.

 Highlighting of selected faces in planar move do not occur when the user reselects the plane and face
buttons.
Sketch
----------
 Driven dimensions can now be referenced in equations and parameters.

Design Elements
--------------------------
 Try avoiding the creation of complicated extractions, these tend to lead to confusion upon "DesEl"
placement. The use of shared sketches and in line work features is highly recommended to help
minimize the number of required geometry inputs requested upon placement. The use of embedded
html files in “DesEls” to document extraction/placement is also recommended.
Sheet metal
------------------
 Some Features are not represented in the Flat Pattern or the Drawing as they appear in the actual part
model, namely counter bore and counter sunk holes.

 The mirror and pattern tool within the Sheet Metal toolbar will only work on non Sheet Metal Features
such as holes, cut’s, etc.

 Line style of the bend axis of a flat pattern in a drawing view can only be modified via the context menu,
not via the standard.

 If a sheet metal part is not sketched aligned to the X or Y axis and a flat pattern is created, the flat
pattern view will not be Vertical or Horizontal. You can correct this by RMB on the flat pattern and
selecting Align Vertical or Horizontal and then selecting an edge of the model. This will straighten the
view in the flat pattern as well as in the drawing if one has been created.

 In some complex cases the flat pattern analyzer will not pick the appropriate face for the flattening of a
sheet metal part. When this happens you can fix the problem by deleting the flat pattern, selecting the
base face that you want flattened and then generate a new flat pattern while the base face is
highlighted.
=======================================================================
Assembly Modeling
=======================================================================
 When creating avi files from within Inventor, avoid using the Intel Indeo and Microsoft RLE
compressors. Using either of these compressors result in an empty avi file.
Constraints
-----------------
 Assembly constraints will not preview if one or both of the selections is either an adaptive part or a
component that is out of date. If you have an assembly constraint that does not involve adaptive parts
and does not preview, exit the constraint command, press the update button and retry the constraint
command. Note: that while assembly constraints between components that are adaptive or out-of-date
do not preview, they can still be placed and edited

 You may click on your first constraint selection and drag the part over geometry for your second
selection and see the assembly update dynamically. Once the mouse is released, the second selection
will be made automatically.

 New to the constraint dialog in R3 is the addition of a motion constraint tab. Either a rotation/rotation
constraint can be applied to parts and sub assemblies or a rotation/translation constraint. The
rotation/rotation constraint accepts a ratio for a value. For every 1 rotation of the component you select
first, the second one selected will rotate according to the entered ratio (e.g. Select a cylinder followed
by another cylinder and enter in a ratio of 0.5. The second selected cylinder will rotate 180 degrees for
every full rotation of the first.) The rotation/translation constraint accepts a distance value. For every
single rotation of the first part (usually a cylinder), the second will translate the distance entered.

 Selecting cylinders for either type of motion constraint will automatically populate the ratio/distance text
field with a value. For rotation/rotation constraints the value is the diameter of the first selection divided
by the diameter of the second selection. For the rotation/translation constraint, selecting a cylinder
face will populate the distance field with the circumference of that cylinder.

 When editing an assembly insert constraint, pay close attention to the vectors of the selections involved
in that constraint. There is a possibility that one of the selection vectors could have flipped causing
what once was an opposing insert constraint to switch to an aligned and vise versa.

Part Creation in Context of an Assembly

---------------------------------------------------------
 The Defer Update check box located under the Tools Pull Down menu in the Options dialog box is used
to toggle the automatic updating of parts within an assembly. If Defer Update is checked, changes
made while editing a part in an assembly will not update until a manual update is forced by clicking the
update button.

 The more button in the "In-Place Creation" Component dialog can be extremely useful for file
management. Proper file management and creation is very useful in avoiding difficulties that can result
from trying to resolve broken links to parts and sub-assemblies.
Assembly Restructure
--------------------------------
 Parts and sub assemblies can be reordered in the browser by simply selecting the object and dragging
it above or below another in the browser.

 Part(s) or sub assembly(ies) can be Demoted or Promoted. Right clicking on the selected components
or set of components and selecting the Promote or Demote option from the context menu can
accomplish this. The component(s) can also be dragged, via the browser, into an existing sub
assembly or to the root level of the main assembly.

 Any constraints, whose selection geometry exists at the same level as the components selected, will
persist through a restructure. Constraints that are to geometry in a different target (e.g. between a part
at the root assembly and a part in a sub assembly) will be marked inconsistent or deleted.
Adaptive Parts
---------------------
 Valid features that will adapt are extrusions, revolves, holes, SM faces, SM flanges, and sketches.
 It is important to remember that only under constrained geometry within the sketch (of the part's feature
that you are trying to adapt) will actually adapt when assembly constraints are added. By this same
token, geometry that is completely under constrained can lead to unpredictable results.

 It is best to avoid using points and line constraints when attempting to adapt a part. Depending on the
scenario, the assembly may or may not adapt.

 The adaptive command will allow shared sketches to adapt, if the sketch is only consumed by one
model feature (i.e. extrude, revolve)

 Normal sketch dimensions can now reference driven sketch dimensions. This functionality becomes
very useful with adaptive parts when defining that adaptive parts sketch(es).

Drive Constraints
---------------------------
 By selecting a constraint for drive and selecting the Collision detection check box, you will be visually
notified if the parts that are moving interfere during the solve. To increase performance you can select
parts and sub assemblies that aren’t involved in the collision and make them invisible or Background
enabled.

Assembly 3D Sectioning
---------------------------
 ¼, ½, and ¾ sections can be applied to an assembly by selecting either workplanes on a part, origin
workplanes in the assembly, or planer faces on parts or sub assemblies within the sub assembly. The
section can be captured in a design view allowing for multiply defined sections on a single assembly
regulated through the design view dialog.

Bill of Materials
----------------------
 Bill of Materials can now be generated from a selective list. Simply select those components you want
to list in the BOM. If nothing is selected, all will be selected.

 Bill of Materials can now optionally be exported to the Engineers Notebook by selecting the Engineer's
Notebook export type. This can also be done with a selective list.

=======================================================================
Presentation Documents
=======================================================================
 Auto-explode results are based on the order and types of constraints applied.

 When tweaking components by dragging, the component can be reset to zero by dragging near the
zero point. It will then snap into place, back to zero.

 Delete tweak allows delete Last or delete All tweaks.

 The active tweak axis in the triad is a different color.

=======================================================================
Drawing Manager
=======================================================================
General
------------
 To increase drawing performance we recommend you don't use precise views for assembly view
drawings as the precision is typically not needed for these kinds of drawings.

 A change in color or a change in material in a part file will not update the color of existing rendered
drawing views of that part.
Dimensions
-----------------
 Snapping dimensions: You can align dimensions with each other by using the same inferencing engine
you see throughout Inventor. For example: If you have a horizontal dimension and you are creating a
second dimension, pass your cursor over the dimension line of the existing horizontal dimension and
watch for the dotted inference line. As you place the new dimension, let the dimension line snap to the
inference line and your two dimensions will then be aligned.

 The default display of linear diameter dimensions in sketches of revolved parts is a full diameter
dimension. The default display of linear diameter dimensions of revolved parts in drawings is a partial
diameter dimension. The drawing dimension can be modified to a full diameter dimension via the
context menu.

 Dimension arrowhead styles can be changed independently, by double clicking on the green dot at the
tail of the arrowhead. Arrowhead for labels are changed independently through the context menu
(RMB).

Edit Driving (Model) Dimensions

-----------------------------------------------
 If you want to change a dimension on a part from inside a drawing view you can do this by first doing a
"Get Model Dimensions" from the dimension context menu and then right clicking on the model
dimension you want to change. Look for the "Edit Model Dimension" menu item. Selecting this will
enable you to then change the dimension value. You should then see the geometry update. Caution: If
you override a displayed dimension value by right clicking on a dimension and going to 'Format' /
'Tolerance' and then setting a new value in the 'Nominal' value field you will mask the display of the true
dimension value. This will happen despite any changes you may make to the model dimension. You
will still see the geometry change when you edit model dimensions, you just won't see the new value
come through in the dimension text.

Tangent Edge Display

--------------------------------
 Tangent edge display can be turned on/off from inside the view-editing dialog. Tangent edges are OFF
by default in Orthographic views and ON by default in Isometric views.

OLE/Sketch Fill/Symbols
------------------------------------------
 OLE files now have a visibility switch except for embedded Inventor files. The visibility of a linked or
embedded file can be set on a sheet per sheet basis. Turning off the visibility will loose any resizing of
the bitmap and when turned on again reverts to the default size of the bitmap and to its last inserted
position.

 OLE files have Z-depth now. The Z-depth can be adjusted by using the Bring forward/ Send Backward
switch. Z-depth setting can only be used between OLE objects. This switch has no effect between OLE
objects and drawing views or annotations.

 Sketch fill icon serves as both the insert and edit command. The check box for “enable” is telling you
the status of the closed region that was selected. If the region has been filled already then “enable” is
checked.

 When inserting a bitmap into a sketched symbol, it is recommended that a border of some geometry
also be included around the bitmap. This allows for manipulation after inserting the symbol or callout
symbol.

 When inserting or editing text, the text must be selected (highlighted) in the dialog before attributes can
be changed, i.e. font, text height, bold, underline, italicize, etc.

Partlist and balloons

------------------------------
 The first Parts List or Balloon created determines the item numbering mode. At this point the user has
the chance to decide if he wants to number the first-level components or only parts. The numbering
method will now always be the same for balloons and part lists on a per assembly basis.

 The context menu and the Standard dialog no longer allow to select the numbering method.

 In order to ensure parts list and balloon styles are in synch, you will now be prompted for first level
components or parts only when inserting balloons.

Save Copy As AutoCAD DWG/DXF/DWF (DWGOUT/DWGIN/DWFOUT)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DWGIN:
 Importing an AutoCAD 2000 drawing can be accomplished from the File --> Open menu item. Select
"AutoCAD Drawing (*.DWG)" in the File type dropdown, and browse your way to the desired file. After
you select "OK", the geometry will appear in a new Inventor drawing. If you want to import the
geometry into a part sketch simply open a new part (with an empty sketch) and then import the DWG
as mentioned above.

 During DWGIN, you cannot have the DWG file open in AutoCAD while you are importing the same file
in Inventor. Inventor will ask you to close the file in AutoCAD first.

 AutoCAD drawings containing MTEXT or blocks with MTEXT need to be exploded first. Otherwise
import may not work correctly.
 AutoCAD base colors and linestyles are now imported except for text color. All texts will be imported as
black text.

DWGOUT:
 Volo View Express (build 129 or earlier builds) will not show MTEXT containing TTF fonts on Win2000.
Use Volo View to avoid this.
 We use layer mapping.
DWFOUT:
 To view Inventor generated DWF files with Volo View , you must have AIGDT font installed.
Without that font, it is expected that the symbols will display incorrectly.

 DWF files will not plot from Internet Explorer due to a limitation of the Whip driver.

 Line styles supported by Inventor but not supported by the DWF format, are mapped approximately
to closest matching line style.

 The DWF file is structured using following layer mapping

Inventor objects DWF Layer

Background Sheet
Title block Title
Sketch entities Sketch
Drawing View <View name as displayed in the browser>
Hatching Hatch
Drawing border Border
Other entities Annotation
OLE embeddings <Embedding name as displayed in the browser>
All the layers are turned on initially. These layers can be selectively turned off.
======================================================================
MDT Part/Assembly Linking & Translation
======================================================================
 Part/Assembly translation will only work if you have MDT4/SP3 installed. Mechanical Desktop's Service
Pack 3 can be downloaded from the Autodesk web site.
http://www.autodesk.com/support/mechdesk/patches.htm
OR
 Part/Assembly translation will only work if you have MDT5/SP1 installed. Mechanical Desktop's Service
Pack 1 can be downloaded from the Autodesk web site and should be available sometime in August.
http://www.autodesk.com/support/mechdesk/patches.htm

 You must have the TCP/IP network protocol installed for MDT linking to function correctly.

 Do not confuse Save As and Save Copy As . Both are available for linked and standard
parts(fasteners).
Save As creates a file containing a body and removes all extra information(for a linked part it removes
the link attribute).
Save Copy As makes an exact copy and thus maintains all characteristics of the original part which
means for a catalog and a linked part that their copies remain uneditable.

==========================================================================
SAT / IGES / STEP / STL
============================================================================
 When opening a sat file, use the options tab to specify the units that the sat file was exported in; the sat
file will be converted from the specified units to the unit system of your default template. Please be
aware that many CAD systems export sat files in a default unit (cm or mm) regardless of the units used
to create the original file. If the output system uses the sat file unit identification variable we will use this
during import and not the units supplied via the options tab.

 When you use the IGESOUT command to save Inventor drawings to the IGES format, the assemblies
in the output IGES file may not be properly positioned. The assemblies in the IGES file will be
positioned at the exact location in which they were drawn in the Inventor drawing, which may not be
correct in terms of the output IGES file's coordinate system.
==========================================================================
Collaboration Tools- NetMeeting
==========================================================================
 Version 3.01 or higher of NetMeeting should be installed.

 If NetMeeting is installed when Inventor is installed, the user should start NetMeeting first and turn
"Application sharing" on using the Tools pull down menu. Otherwise, Inventor will not be able sharable
on client machines when using the collaboration tools in Inventor.

 If a client machine is in control of the meeting and the host machine gets automatic messages for
incoming mail, or meeting reminders, the client machine will get the message window. The client may
have to relinquish control to the host in order for the host to make the window dismiss.

 If client1 forwards control to client2, there is no indication for client1 or the host that they are waiting for
client2 to accept control. This may present some lag time if there is no verbal communication during
the meeting.

 Performance is directly related to your network connection speed, band width, and network traffic.

 If the first call fails to share the graphics from the host machine, hang up and call again.

==========================================================================
Design Manager/Tracking
==========================================================================
 Avoid copying and renaming parts and sub-assemblies from Design Manager while they are open in
Inventor.

 Design Manager search paths:

 1. If no path is set in the file locations of Design Assistant , Design Assistant uses the path saved in
the registry by Inventor.
2. If a path is set in Design Assistant this path will override Inventor's path during the Design Assistant
session.
3. Path's set in Design Assistant do not persist between Design Assistant sessions.
 Inventor files need to be migrated to the latest version before they can be used in Design Manager.
========================================================================
Fastener Library
========================================================================
 You can find a compatible version of the fastener library on your product CD in the bonus folder

 The fastener library has a Most Recently used list in the Tools/Fasteners pull down menu which lists
the last 7 parts placed.
=========================================================================
Defect Reporting
=========================================================================
Please contact your Reseller, regional Autodesk Application Engineer, or Inventor Product Support with any
problems or questions you may have.

Thank You for purchasing Autodesk software.

-The Autodesk Mechanical Team

LEGAL Notice
Autodesk Inventor, AutoCAD, and Mechanical Desktop are trademarks or registered
trademarks of Autodesk, Inc. in the United States and/or other
countries.
WINDOWS, WINDOWS 95, WINDOWS 98, WINDOWS NT, and WINDOWS 2000 are either trademarks
or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.