Inventorseries Competitive

Autodesk Inventor
Comparative Analysis
Technical Comparison:
Autodesk Inventor 5.3 to Dassault’s SolidWorks 2001 Plus
CONTENTS
Ease of Use ............................................................................................................. 2
Sketching Environment .......................................................................................... 2
Design Support System (DSS) ................................................................................ 5
Why Adaptivity in Autodesk Inventor Is Superior to Parametric Associativity in SolidWorks . 6
Adaptive Layout .................................................................................................... 6
Adaptive Assembly ................................................................................................ 7
Why Autodesk Inventor Is the Best Choice for AutoCAD, AutoCAD Mechanical, and Autodesk
Mechanical Desktop Users ......................................................................................... 8
Powerful Migration Tools ........................................................................................ 8
DWG Export ....................................................................................................... 11
Documenting your Design ....................................................................................... 12
Leveraging the Knowledge Vault .............................................................................. 14
Exceptional Large-Assembly Performance .................................................................. 15
Collaboration Tools................................................................................................. 17
Sharing Digital Design Data with Your Extended Manufacturing Team ............................ 18
Presentations with Autodesk Inventor .................................................................... 18
Autodesk Streamline............................................................................................ 19
Advanced Graphics................................................................................................. 19
Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 20
The goal of this document is to provide you with a technical comparison of Autodesk
Inventor™ 5.3 and Dassault’s SolidWorks® 2001 Plus software programs. Autodesk is the
leader in mainstream 3D production level design due to its many innovations in adaptive
architecture, segmented database for large assembly performance, its deeply embedded
help and support system, and industry-leading DWG compatibility. Moreover, its ease of
use, overall performance, and cost make it the best choice for companies that are making
the transition from 2D to 3D.
In fact, Autodesk Inventor software is the first new 3D design technology for the manufactur-
ing industry since 1985. While Dassault’s SolidWorks still supports the old parametric para-
digm, Autodesk Inventor solves the inherent problems of purely parametric design systems.
Recently, CADALYST magazine selected Autodesk Inventor software as the best midrange
modeler for large and complex assemblies. “Autodesk Inventor was the clear winner.
We’ve had the opportunity to conduct an in-depth review of the software and other similar
solutions, and Autodesk Inventor stands heads and shoulders above the rest,” said Art
Liddle, CADALYST Labs director, and executive editor, technology. According to CADALYST,
Autodesk Inventor is “destined to change the way designers and engineers work.”
www.autodesk.com/inventor 1
Technical Comparison: Autodesk Inventor 5.3 versus SolidWorks 2001 Plus
Ease of Use
Autodesk Inventor software supports the easiest-to-use and most intuitive user interface
(UI) for production level 3D design and 2D documentation. Autodesk Inventor technology
has always taken advantage of Microsoft’s Windows environment including such features as
standard toolbars, menus, component technology, Visual Basic as well as “drag-and-drop”
capabilities.
What’s more, as a result of the close working relationship that has existed between
Autodesk and Microsoft for nearly 20 years, Autodesk was named as one of three Microsoft
Global Partners of the Year 2001 for its leadership in providing Microsoft® Windows®-based
solutions to customers worldwide. Autodesk was selected for this award in recognition of its
comprehensive, long-standing support for Microsoft operating systems, such as Windows
9x, 2000, and Windows NT®, as well as its commitment to developing customer solutions
using new Microsoft technologies, such as .NET.
Sketching Environment
Since its first release, the Autodesk Inventor sketching environment has incorporated an
intuitive gesture-based UI, allowing you to develop complex sketches quickly and easily.
This gesture-based UI automatically analyzes simple hand-mouse gestures and incorporates
them into the appropriate function. By contrast, in an apparent attempt to catch up,
Dassault’s SolidWorks 2001 has only recently added a “heads-up” display. However, this
provides only part of the functionality of the Autodesk Inventor intuitive UI.
A simple example of changing the default constraint schema will highlight the environment
that allows you get your work done easier and faster. First, the Autodesk Inventor gesture-
based interface allows you to dynamically change the constraint scheme during sketching by
simply touching the sketch element upon which you want the new constraint to be based
(gesture-based). This reduces the time required to become productive with a 3D system
and saves money on training and through increased productivity.
Functionality such as this is not found in Dassault’s SolidWorks. In fact, users of Dassault’s
SolidWorks must first accept the default constraint schema, then delete the conflicting
constraints, and finally add the needed constraints in order to achieve their original design
intent. It becomes apparent to any user that Dassault’s SolidWorks sketching environment
is neither simple nor easy to use.
For example, to develop the basic sketch for the following part, SolidWorks users are
required to perform twice as many steps as an Autodesk Inventor user.
Autodesk Inventor took 8 steps, 7 picks plus the addition of one additional constraint, to
develop the sketch.
Sketch in Autodesk Inventor
Dassault’s SolidWorks 2001 Plus requires 16 steps, 14 picks plus the addition of 2
constraints to create the same sketch.
Sketch in SolidWorks
As the example above illustrates, Autodesk Inventor requires far fewer steps in many
common sketching operations than Dassault’s SolidWorks in order to create the same
geometry, in some cases as much as half the number of steps. To be more specific,
Autodesk Inventor takes 50 percent fewer steps than Dassault’s SolidWorks 2001 Plus in
sketching this straightforward part.
Not only can Autodesk Inventor users be more productive in developing their 2D sketches,
they can be far more productive in creating their 3D models as well. Let’s take the above
sketch and develop the solid model (base extrusion) for the part to illustrate this point.
Extrusion in Autodesk Inventor
Autodesk Inventor allows for self-intersecting profiles to be used for feature creation. The
SolidWorks user must trim the sketches to form single closed-loop profiles. In other words,
more work can be required from a SolidWorks user to create features.
Extrusion Failure in SolidWorks Trimmed Geometry to Create Extrusion
In the figure above Dassault’s SolidWorks fails to use the same sketch geometry to create
the 3D component. This failure occurs because SolidWorks does not allow for multiple loop
intersecting profiles. To remedy this situation, you must trim each circle to become an arc
so it does not have an intersecting profile. This will add many additional steps to your
design process.
It is clear that for a variety of common sketching and modeling tasks Autodesk Inventor
supports the easier-to-use and more intuitive UI for production level 3D design.
Key points
• Autodesk Inventor is the easier-to-use system.
• Autodesk Inventor takes 50 percent fewer steps than Dassault’s SolidWorks in many
common sketching tasks.
• While creating sketch elements, SolidWorks can’t change constraints schemes.
• Dassault’s SolidWorks doesn’t support self-intersecting profiles.
• Dassault’s SolidWorks doesn’t allow you to analyze the original sketch design intent
by graphically displaying all constraints at once.
• Dassault’s SolidWorks doesn’t allow you to add dimensional relationships during
dimensioning. You must exit and go into a separate dialog perform this function.
Sketch Workflow and Functionality

Autodesk Inventor 5.3 SolidWorks 2001 Plus
Automatic dimension
Automatic constraints
Support for self-intersecting profiles
Change constraint scheme while sketching
Design Support System (DSS)

Autodesk Inventor software has always maintained an innovative, deeply embedded support
and help system known as DSS, which is unique in the industry. The DSS helps you signifi-
cantly reduce time and costs of learning the software. Power-user productivity is increased
through the use of visual design aids and in-context help options, while allowing the
occasional user to easily operate the system after spending time away from the application.
The Design Support System includes the following:
• Visual Syllabus™—A compact palette of modeling and drawing
modules, guides you through building parts, assemblies, and
drawings.
• Design Doctor™—A reporting and recovery system, native to
the software’s framework, which can identify a feature or
dependency that failed, highlight where it went wrong, and
then present you with a variety of recovery options.
• Sketch Doctor—Diagnoses problems in the sketch and
recommends solutions. This tool is particularly useful
when importing 2D geometry since it automatically
detects any problems with the data and helps you resolve
any issues interactively.
• How-To/Show Me—The HTML-based help system in Autodesk Inventor is context-
sensitive, organized around tasks rather than commands, and it gives you a frame of
reference by linking to related material. Not only are you presented with rich, multi-
media content such as videos, the command buttons presented in the instruction (“press
this button”) give you live picks back to the software.
• Help for AutoCAD Users—A guide to help AutoCAD users transition to Autodesk Inventor.
As a command is performed within Autodesk Inventor, the appropriate help information is
simultaneously available for it. This ensures high quality and a tightly integrated “Help
Environment” that you can access quickly and easily. Moreover, we built the Design Support
System to be fully customizable by you. This allows for a customized knowledge base,
specific to your business or workflow, to be built right into the software.
In contrast, Dassault’s SolidWorks still uses the old-style help, which leaves users struggling
through help menus or looking through a manual in order to become productive. The
Autodesk Inventor DSS system helps new users become productive from day one!
Autodesk Inventor Design Support System SolidWorks 2001 Plus Help
Key points
The Autodesk Inventor DSS system is
• Context-sensitive
• Fully customizable
• Interactive in assisting you get your job done faster
• Able to help new users become productive with the Autodesk Inventor product from day
one—part-time users re-engage with the system even after long periods of inactivity
Dassault’s SolidWorks leaves users struggling with an ordinary windows help system.
Why Adaptivity in Autodesk Inventor Is Superior to Parametric

Associativity in SolidWorks
Dassault’s SolidWorks is a system that is based on the older parametric-only architecture.
The Autodesk Inventor innovative adaptive technology solves the inherent flaws of these
purely parametric design systems by eliminating the need to write complex equations
associated in creating assembly relationship. SolidWorks LIMITS productivity by imposing
parametric relationships that are time-consuming to create and manage and, ultimately,
add no value to your task.
Adaptive technology provides greater flexibility to capture design intent as well as manage
and edit small-to-large assemblies. The benefit of adaptive technology is the ease with
which part relationships can be created without depending solely on complex mathematics,
equations, or dimensions to establish these part relationships. With Autodesk Inventor
software, you simply specify how parts fit together and the assembly-based “fit” definition
automatically determines the size and position of the part(s).
Adaptive Layout
A real-world approach for conceptual design involves the definition of function before form.
The “function before form” workflow, which is common practice, consists of 2D sketches or
“stick figures” laid out to test functionality of a mechanism. After the function has been
proven, the detail or 3D form is added. Autodesk Inventor offers the most complete
preliminary layout solution available.
Dassault’s SolidWorks claims to support a “function
before form” workflow; however, the functionality is
archaic and limited, and often demonstrations of this
functionality may mislead customers. Since an
overwhelming number of SolidWorks assembly
constraints are not supported with 2D sketched
parts, Dassault’s SolidWorks, in most cases, will
eventually force users to define the 3D form of the
components before testing their mechanistic
function. You must embrace a “3D first” workflow
and then output to 2D afterward. This is contrary to
a real-world designer’s process and workflow.
Layouts are an excellent way to test conceptual
designs, allowing you to flush out any potential
problems with the fundamental design before the
project develops into 3D components. Design problems, which may be alleviated through
the use of layouts, can become complex. To help solve these complex design problems,
Autodesk Inventor has engineered its layout capabilities to include the adaptive engine.
With the Autodesk Inventor adaptive technology, you simply create conceptual 2D sketches
that “adapt” to fit the proper shape and position in the context of the assembly, bridging the
gap between concept and design. No other competitor, including Dassault’s SolidWorks, can
offer this unparalleled functionality. You can add 3D features to solve form problems after
you have addressed the function issues. Moreover, you can use any combination of 2D
sketches and 3D models to validate from the simplest to the very complex designs. You can
test the range of motion of an assembly without being forced to create a full 3D assembly.
Moreover, this functionality allows for a smoother migration from 2D to 3D for your design
team, and enables them to use the right tool for the job—2D or 3D. Expert 2D designers
and engineers can continue to contribute functional design solutions in their chosen format
while those already adept with 3D modeling methodologies can develop the form as
required.
Autodesk Inventor lets your entire team design the way they want to: 2D or 3D, function
before form.
Adaptive Assembly
Adaptive assemblies allow you to easily define part size and shape in the
assembly context without creating any unexpected assembly relation-
ship problems. This capability eliminates the need for parameters
between parts, or using variables and equations to define part size,
shape, and position.
Autodesk Inventor does not force you to
create geometry in a specific manner; in
fact, it allows you to easily develop,
manage, and change your design intent.
Any parametric-only user will admit that
creating parts in a specific order is an
issue and that it requires careful plan-
ning and experience to avoid problems,
especially as the assembly gets larger.
This is often referred to as “designing
yourself into a corner,” where you Equations to define inter-part relationships with SolidWorks
become bound by the parent-child
dependencies that you’ve set up. You will never encounter such inflexibility with Autodesk
Inventor regardless of how large your assembly becomes because, with adaptivity, you can
reverse the order in which these dependencies relate. A shaft can drive the diameter of a
hole and later the hole can be changed to drive the diameter of the shaft without throwing
off the entire design.
Alfredo Bentivoglio, President, Alpha Marathon Technologies, Inc., says, “Using Autodesk
Inventor, we’ll save up to one million dollars by drastically reducing prototyping.” This is
due to the adaptive technology found only in the Autodesk Inventor software product.
Here is yet more proof that the parametric/associativity of Dassault’s SolidWorks and other
parametric modelers will limit your productivity. An assembly model is virtually locked once
a proper solve order is determined with a parametric-only system. In the December 1999
Engineering Automation report, Dr. Marc Halpern said of parametric-only systems, “Who-
ever creates a model is the one that edits it.” As an assembly grows in complexity (and
size), parametric systems make it increasingly difficult to change the assembly. That is,
changing design intent becomes too complex to manage, and many users simply start over.
Halpern also said, with respect to parametric systems, “Even with the same CAD system
being used, the model history in 3D parametric models is so complex that the person who
creates the model is the only one that can really handle significant changes to it.”
Since Autodesk Inventor technology supports both parametric modeling as well as adaptive
technology, it is the only system that can create, manage, and edit small to large
assemblies efficiently and cost-effectively. Through the use of adaptive technology, parts in
Autodesk Inventor are not built in isolation; they are always designed to operate in the
context of an assembly. The feature of one part defines the shape and size of another. This
removes the barrier of managing complex mathematical equations and relationships of
parametric systems like Dassault’s SolidWorks.
SolidWorks provides a mechanism called cross-part parametrics for defining such
relationships. Cross-part parametrics works well for simple cases but often fails in the real
world of mechanistic subassemblies and unpredictable layout changes. Due to the inherent
flaws of parametrics as stated by Marc Halpern, “Whoever creates a model is the one that
edits it.” Imagine trying to make last-minute engineering changes just before a product
release, coupled with managing demanding schedules and reacting in a timely manner.
Such tasks can be difficult if not impossible. Adaptive technology goes beyond parametric
modeling. It can accomplish anything SolidWorks can, and more!
Equally important, it is very difficult if not impossible for any parametric system to simply
add adaptivity since it is at the core of the system’s architecture. Only Autodesk Inventor
supports adaptive technology.
Dassault’s SolidWorks simply offers a limited subset of adaptive technology. With Autodesk
Inventor adaptive technology you are free to capture design intent, and manage and edit
parts in an assembly-centric environment. This allows you to react to changes whenever
they occur, even at release time!
Autodesk Inventor provides you with the flexibility and support required to become more
productive and to drastically reduce your engineering time.
Key points
• Autodesk Inventor supports both parametric modeling as well as the adaptive
technology.
• Adaptive technology is the only system that can create, manage, and edit small-to-large
assemblies efficiently and cost-effectively.
• Adaptive assemblies allow you to easily define part size and shape in the assembly
context by eliminating the need for parameters between parts, or using variables and
equations to define part size, shape, and position.
• The innovative Autodesk Inventor adaptive technology solves the inherent flaws of
purely parametric design systems by eliminating assembly relationship problems.
• Ease of change management—you will never have to start over.
Why Autodesk Inventor Is the Best Choice for AutoCAD, AutoCAD

Mechanical, and Autodesk Mechanical Desktop Users
The AutoCAD®-import features of Autodesk Inventor software are focused on reproducing
an AutoCAD (or other DWG file) drawing as accurately as possible while maintaining the
intelligence of the data. Autodesk Inventor provides you with industry-leading DWG
compatibility.
Powerful Migration Tools
Autodesk Inventor makes the transition to 3D painless for AutoCAD, AutoCAD® Mechanical,
and Autodesk® Mechanical Desktop® software users in two ways: the DWG wizard and the
Design Support System (DSS).
DWG Wizard—The DWG wizard assists AutoCAD users in the migration and use of their
existing intellectual design property. This unique wizard, found only in Autodesk Inventor,
walks you through the task of importing exactly what is required for your new design.
A quick comparison on importing DWG data between the two systems will remove any
doubt that Autodesk Inventor software gives you the best tools necessary to easily and
accurately migrate your AutoCAD data.
For example, you may need to reuse an existing profile, shown below, from AutoCAD to
create a cut within an existing solid model.
Profile within AutoCAD DWG 3D Model that will maximize your DWG data
First, you will need to find the file. Autodesk Inventor gives you a thumbnail preview so you
are assured that you are using the correct file. Since the information for the thumbnail
resides within the DWG file, shouldn’t you expect your 3D solution to maximize on this
intelligence? However, when importing AutoCAD information into a part sketch with
Dassault’s SolidWorks, you never even see a preview of what is being imported. In fact, the
only preview that SolidWorks gives you is located within a wizard that is only available for
translating the DWG data into a SolidWorks 2D drawing! How much time are you willing to
waste on “trial and error” workflows to import the correct drawing? Autodesk Inventor gives
you the very same thumbnail preview that AutoCAD provides upon every file selection.
You will also experience a WYSIWYG
(What You See Is What You Get) preview
within the Autodesk Inventor DWG wizard.
In other words, you are able to pan,
zoom, and rotate the AutoCAD drawing
within a dynamic preview window. This
window is also linked to a list of layers
that are within the drawing; as layers are
turned on or off, the preview dynamically
updates to show you what you will be
importing. With our example, you are able
to find the file quickly and easily due to
the thumb-nail preview, and can now
select the appropriate layers to import
into the part sketch within Autodesk
Inventor. In fact, the AutoCAD DWG file in
our example contains 17 different layers,
and the profile to be utilized resides on
one of them. Using Autodesk Inventor, you will feel confident that the correct profile
geometry will be imported from the DWG file due to the DWG wizard’s dynamic preview.
In contrast, our already frustrated SolidWorks user is faced with even more guesswork.
After taking a guess at which file to import, the user must now import all the geometry into
the part sketch, and start deleting any information that is unusable. Not only is the
SolidWorks user at a disadvantage because of the missing dynamic preview, but the user
cannot control what layers will be translated into a part sketch. In fact, SolidWorks users
can only control layers upon import into a SolidWorks 2D drawing. Autodesk has heard from
SolidWorks users who are completely frustrated since they cannot dynamically preview what
information resides on these layers. How much time are you willing to waste on importing
and deleting unneeded geometry from a SolidWorks part sketch that was translated from a
DWG file? Users tend to simply give up and start over, forced to re-create the design and
waste the engineering effort that they have already invested. Autodesk Inventor
removes the guessing game and makes you more productive faster, allowing you to truly
reuse your work rather than re-create it.
Lastly, our example part has been fully developed with the exception of some weight-
reducing pockets. This information needs to be migrated from the AutoCAD DWG file into
the existing part file in order to create the pockets as the sixth (and last) feature of the
part. The Autodesk Inventor DWG wizard gives you full control over where your DWG data
will be placed. Importing the AutoCAD DWG geometry into an existing part file is intuitive
and easy to do. In fact, not only can DWG data be imported at any point in a part’s design,
the data can come from any DWG file. SolidWorks users will again encounter frustration;
their workflow does not allow direct migration into an existing part file! As a matter of fact,
they can only import this data into a new, empty part file (no features)! The only workflow
for the example described above for a SolidWorks user requires the user to create a new
sketch on the existing part, work through a three-step importing wizard to migrate the data
into a 2D SolidWorks file, carefully select the correct geometry and, finally, copy and paste
the geometry into the part file. Due to this ineffective workflow, SolidWorks users may
decide to simply redraw the necessary information, wasting valuable engineering time.
DSS for AutoCAD Users—The Design Support System has numerous built-in features
designed to assist users of Autodesk mechanical products to become immediately
productive with the Autodesk Inventor product.
The DSS features a home page for AutoCAD users with these links:
• “Welcome to Autodesk Inventor”
is a short graphical presentation
to help AutoCAD users become
familiar with the Autodesk
Inventor software.
• “Show Me”—Autodesk Inventor
provides easy access to “Show
Me” animations that demonstrate
how to use Autodesk Inventor.
• “Use AutoCAD Data” provides
access to help topics that explain
how to import and export DWG
files easily.
• “Frequently Asked Questions”
provide conceptual information
about the differences between
working in AutoCAD and
Autodesk Inventor software.
• “Command Map” (shown below) compares AutoCAD commands to the corresponding
Autodesk Inventor tools.
Who better to help you maximize your existing AutoCAD data than Autodesk? We have the
technology, experience, and expertise. Autodesk can ensure this smooth migration better
than any company.
DWG Export
Autodesk Inventor software ensures that all DWG files created are visually complete,
geometrically accurate, and organized in a manner that is consistent with AutoCAD
conventions.
The DWG export function is focused on
• Allowing AutoCAD clients, vendors, and suppliers to
use the DWG file as a common communication
mechanism
• Providing accurate 2D data for downstream processing
applications such as NC
• Allowing the use of AutoCAD to complete the detailing
of Autodesk Inventor drawing views
• Supporting previous versions of AutoCAD, including
AutoCAD 2000i and 2000, plus AutoCAD Release 14
and Release 13 files, and Release 12 DXF™ files
DWG Compatibility
Autodesk SolidWorks
Inventor 5.3 2001 Plus
AutoCAD and AutoCAD Mechanical
Zoom and pan import preview
Support AutoCAD Mechanical symbology
Select which dimensions to attach as parametric dimensions
Maintain intelligence of blocks and attributes
Support dimension styles
Support text styles
Supports AutoCAD GD&T
Support AutoCAD layers
AutoCAD command line w/alias's
Choose which layout or space (Paper space/Model space) to import
Export to AutoCAD Mechanical
Thumbnail preview in Open dialog box
Autodesk Mechanical Desktop
Preview data before translating
Maintain sketch constraints: horizontal, vertical, perpendicular, etc. *
Maintain assembly constraints *
Maintain feature color and thread data
Maintain feature pattern
Maintain face draft features
* Feature must successfully translate in order to maintain items.
Documenting your Design

One of the most important aspects of a CAD system is the ability to generate 2D drawings.
Today’s technologies and business processes have simply not advanced to the point where
2D detail drawings can be eliminated completely. Since both Dassault’s SolidWorks and
Autodesk Inventor have the ability to automatically generate 2D drawings, we compared the
features and performance of those products in such areas as view creation, dimensioning,
annotations, and assembly drawing creation, as well as the creation of typical drawing views
such as orthogonal, isometric, detail, section, broken, and auxiliary views.
The flexibility, accuracy, and speed involved in creating Autodesk Inventor 2D drawings
stands in sharp contrast to the rigid and inflexible drawing creation methods used by
SolidWorks.
For initial drawing view creation, SolidWorks allows you to drag a part or assembly into a
drawing window and it will create a three-view projection automatically. Or, in SolidWorks
you can derive drawing views by using named views, then generating orthogonal drawing
views from these named views. SolidWorks users have told us that they don’t use the
automatic three-view generation because the software makes the determination as to what
views to project, and these SolidWorks-enforced views are typically not the proper views or
orientations that the user wants to create.
Autodesk Inventor, by default, works by generating a base view—the orientation for which
is user-defined—then projecting multiple views from this base view. You can set up a
template to automatically generate any number of views and set the orientation of each
view beforehand. Autodesk Inventor gives you the flexibility to preset the number,
orientation, and type(s) of view(s) to generate. Dassault’s SolidWorks is capable of
generating only three views automatically, and does not allow the user to define the
standard orientation of the three views generated.
Autodesk Inventor technology also has the capability of projecting any isometric view from
any drawing view. Let’s create an isometric view from the section view as shown below.
Sample drawing created with Autodesk Inventor software
SolidWorks is unable to create section-isometric drawing views since it is unable to create

isometric views from projecting an existing drawing view. SolidWorks generates isometric
views only from “Named Views” of the part file.
Yet another productivity gain evident in drawing creation with Autodesk Inventor is the time
it takes to calculate the drawing views (hidden-line removal, silhouette edge projection, and
so on). Autodesk Inventor is a multithreaded application, which means that on a dual-
processor machine it will utilize a second processor to do the hidden-line calculations for
you. Therefore, you will see better performance when generating large, complex drawings.
In the figure shown above, Autodesk Inventor generated the detail drawing 179 percent
faster than the equivalent drawing in SolidWorks. In fact, SolidWorks was unable to create
the detail drawing exactly since it cannot create a section-isometric view!
Production Level Detailing Functions

Autodesk Inventor 5.3 SolidWorks 2001
Automatic center mark creation for bolt hole patterns
Centerlines in isometric drawing views
Hole charts
Dimension styles
Text styles
Broken views
Rendered drawing views
Isometric drawing views of sections
Prompted values in user-defined symbols
Automatic balloon creation
Leveraging the Knowledge Vault

The objective of using a design system is not to simply create models or drawings but to
create and document the geometric definition of a design for the purpose of accurate,
reproducible manufacture. Traditional parametric-only-based modeling systems such as
SolidWorks rely on customization through scripting and “user-defined” features or parts to
reuse intellectual design capital. Technically, this solution works well. But it is so difficult to
implement that it is seldom used in production applications.
Autodesk Inventor software solves this problem with the integrated Knowledge Vault. The
vault is a set of intelligent technologies that let you capture, store, and reuse your
embedded design knowledge. The Engineer’s Notebook, along with iMates, Composite
iMates, iFeatures, and iParts, make up the basis of the vault. This vault allows the design
group to capture the overall design definition of a product in such a way as to greatly
simplify the process of sustaining, reproducing, and innovating that design.
Anyone can easily define iParts or iFeatures to capture design intent. With iFeatures, a
wizard-driven interface is automatically created, presenting you with only specific
dimensions or parameters. Your input can be restricted further to fit your company or
manufacturing standards by limiting input values to a specific range and/or a specific set of
discrete values. This allows you to set up a design intent library of only values that can
change. Therefore, users cannot change a value or make a change that would be outside of
the company’s design parameters.
This interface extends to the creation of table-driven families
of iParts and allows the same level of flexibility in the
selecting (and limiting) of parameters used to drive the
resulting family members.
To carry the design-reuse paradigm forward into assembly
design, you need to define how sets of features on parts will
be used in an assembly. To do this, you create iMates, a
named collection of feature topology, attributes, variables,
and parameters. Interfaces on both the placement and
receiving halves of the designs make assembly positioning a snap. Matching iMates can be
defined on multiple components, allowing you to swap out alternate parts as needed.
The Engineer’s Notebook is an innovative tool for capturing the “why” of design intent, and
it can capture text notes and associate them with a snapshot of the model. This snapshot
can be frozen at the time the note was placed, or it can dynamically update as the modeling
process progresses. As designs may have an infinite lifecycle, this capability allows a new
level of intelligence that will remain with the design throughout its life. The capability to
include WAV and AVI files within notes gives a new level of flexibility for communicating
with design team members.
The Engineer’s Notebook overcomes the limitations of Dassault’s SolidWorks. SolidWorks
may do a good job of recording geometry, but it does nothing to capture design intent or
key facts such as why certain design decisions were made. SolidWorks does not have the
equivalent of the Engineer’s Notebook to convey the why of the design.
Exceptional Large-Assembly Performance

Autodesk Inventor was specifically architected to handle large assemblies in a multiple-user
environment. To do so effectively, Autodesk Inventor directly addresses issues of
performance, concurrent design, visualization, and managing your design projects.
The keystone of this capability is the Adaptive Data Engine and its segmented database. The
database organizes data on disk for fast retrieval, and segments the data so only required
data are read from disk.
Today’s modeling systems typically incorporate data structures that capture file properties,
intelligent feature recipes, constraints, undo histories, and optimized graphic information.
These data are typically spread out over the hard disk and, when retrieved, are randomly
intermixed on every page of memory.
SolidWorks Dbase Structure
In contrast, the Adaptive Data Engine in the Autodesk Inventor program organizes data by
part and usage category, thereby optimizing data retrieval and usage.
To further increase runtime performance, the Adaptive Data Engine intelligently loads only
those data segments needed to perform specific operations.
The Autodesk Inventor Adaptive Data Engine
In the figure above, only graphics data were initially loaded. As the design session
progresses, the system automatically loads other required data segments. This minimizes
memory swapping and improves performance.
Dassault’s SolidWorks includes a function called lightweight for which it claims similar
benefits. When you open an assembly with “lightweight” turned on, SolidWorks loads the
graphics and assembly structure from the previous assembly save. Since SolidWorks only
loads a snapshot of the graphics and the assembly structure in lightweight mode, the
assembly opens and rebuilds faster than the same assembly with resolved components.
Because of the way lightweight functions, SolidWorks users often suffer from “stale data.”
This occurs when a component outside of the assembly has been changed and the visual
representation of the assembly in lightweight mode has not updated. When this happens,
SolidWorks shows the old graphics data for that component in the assembly file. SolidWorks
users who work in a concurrent engineering environment have little choice but to turn off
the lightweight function to ensure they always have access to the latest data. You will never
have this stale data condition using Autodesk Inventor, as it always loads the latest graphics
segment for each component.
We will compare the performance capabilities of the two systems through a real-customer
design example. This performance test compares the capabilities of the Autodesk Inventor
and SolidWorks software products in performing certain functions with respect to an
assembly (natively and separately developed for each product) that is comprised of 3100+
components, including 250+ unique components and multiple sub-assemblies. Assembly
stats pages are shown for the assembly used in SolidWorks (with performance data created
using “lightweight” mode in SolidWorks). Both assemblies, the data for which was originally
developed by an independent consultant, contain substantially the same components, with
most of the differences resulting from accommodating the unique features in both products.
The computer used was a Dell Precision 330 Workstation with an Intel® Pentium® 4 1.5GHz
processor, 1GB RAM, and an ultra-wide SCSI hard drive.
3100-plus part assembly in Autodesk Inventor Assembly statistics from SolidWorks
Overall, Autodesk Inventor was over 192.5 percent faster than SolidWorks in creating
drawing views and saving the changes.
The Autodesk Inventor software
program was built from the ground 180
up to handle the unique problems of 160
large-assembly design. Through its
140
Adaptive Data Engine, Autodesk
Inventor provides a segmented 120
Time (seconds)
database and on-demand loading to 100

dramatically improve interactive
80
performance. By eliminating the
need to break a design into chunks 60
small enough to digest, Autodesk 40
Inventor increases the speed and
accuracy with which large designs 20
may be created and brought to 0

market. Open Edit Create Save Save
Drawing Drawing Assem bly
Autodesk Inventor SolidW orks
Collaboration Tools
Autodesk Inventor 5 integrated the Autodesk Streamline™ Publishing Extension, enabling
you to post 2D and 3D digital design data to Autodesk Streamline online project sites where
they can be securely accessed worldwide for viewing, redlining, accessing BOM information,
assembly instructions, animations, and collaboration. No other vendor of 3D mechanical
design software offers the depth of collaboration expertise delivered in Autodesk Streamline,
the first hosted web-based service for small and mid-size manufacturers for sharing person-
alized design data across the extended manufacturing team. Autodesk Streamline quickly
connects teams to critical design information, personalizes design information in a form that
is useful for nondesigners, and helps companies optimize the product development process
at their own pace.
Dassault’s SolidWorks offers a web-based collaboration product called 3D Instant Web. 3D
Instant Web allows you to publish the graphics and structure of SolidWorks files. It contains
no method to show assembly instructions, animations, BOM information, or even mark up
designs to communicate changes to other team members.
Dassault’s SolidWorks does have a further application called eDrawings to communicate

designs via e-mail. eDrawings includes a self-contained viewer so the recipient doesn’t
require a special application to view eDrawing data. But every time you send an eDrawing
and receive an eDrawing, the minimum file size will be greater than 1.4MB, due to the size
of the embedded viewer. Using eDrawings you will never know if you have the latest version
of a design. By e-mailing this data, sender and recipient may frequently end up working
from stale or incorrect data. How would you track changes? How would you know who has
to receive the new version? How often do you send the new version? How will the recipient
know which version to use?
All of these questions disappear when using the Autodesk Streamline service. With Autodesk
Streamline all members of the project work with the latest version, and all versions are
tracked automatically. Autodesk Streamline technology streams the design data intelligent-
ly, based upon the recipients’ data-connection speed. Autodesk Streamline includes power-
ful project management tools, redline and markup capabilities, revision tracking, threaded
discussion groups, hosting, viewing, and tracking any digital data (spreadsheets, docu-
ments, images, schematics, and so on) to facilitate true web-based design collaboration.
Autodesk Inventor also supports real-time concurrent engineering through its adaptive
technology that enables designers to collaborate more effectively. Built into the adaptive
technology architecture is the ability for several designers to work on the same assembly
concurrently and to attach detailed design information directly to their 3D models using the
Engineer’s Notebook. Autodesk Inventor technology also extends Windows Explorer with
Design Tracking to help you track and manage your design data. In addition, you can seam-
lessly exchange design data with both AutoCAD and Autodesk Mechanical Desktop software.
The result is a collaborative environment that shortens design cycle time, preserves key
design information, and is interoperable with an AutoCAD platform-based environment.
Microsoft® NetMeeting is built into Autodesk Inventor software, enabling you to create
online meetings and to host collaborative sessions with other users. Attendees can view,
chat, and whiteboard ideas, all without having Autodesk Inventor software installed on their
own computers. Most importantly, NetMeeting allows every attendee to collaboratively
model and design on the same model, at the same time as you.
In addition, you can access your Autodesk Inventor designs through Autodesk® Point A, a
free design portal providing software updates, product tips, industry resources, discussion
groups, toolkits for customizing Autodesk software, the ability to connect with design and
customer communities, and more.
Sharing Digital Design Data with Your Extended Manufacturing Team

Presentations with Autodesk Inventor
The Autodesk Inventor presentation capability
not only allows you to create exploded
assembly views complete with trails, it also
accurately portrays the assembly and disas-
sembly of your designs. While SolidWorks
provides limited tools to create exploded
configurations, they fall short in giving you
the ability to convey your true design intent.
While creating exploded views of an assem-
bly, Autodesk Inventor automatically creates
the dynamic trails of the exploded parts.
These trails can be seen in the both the 2D
and 3D environment, and since they are
dynamic, changes made in the presentation file automatically update the trails in both
environments.
Autodesk Inventor technology can capture the explosion process to a standard Microsoft AVI
file to convey the assembly and disassembly process in video format. If a picture is worth a
thousand words, how many words is a video worth?
Autodesk Inventor software empowers you to
show downstream consumers of data how the
assembly works with more than a snapshot of the
exploded assembly. For example, technical
publications and websites could have this AVI file
embedded, providing the consumer with a video
of the process eliminating the need to create
lengthy assembly process documents, or even
provide the shop floor with needed assembly
instructions.
Autodesk Streamline
Autodesk Streamline is a web-based service that provides a single-source repository for
design information, allowing your manufacturing team to instantaneously interact with
design data any time, anywhere regardless of bandwidth. With Autodesk Streamline you can
create accounts, invite project members, and publish designs in minutes, instantly sharing
design information with anyone you invite.
The Autodesk Streamline service is personalized and secure. Users can share, view, mark
up, and manage 2D and 3D design data, reference BOM and interactive assembly
instructions, along with other supporting files. Autodesk Streamline quickly, safely, and
easily speeds time to market, reduces costs, and improves product quality, allowing you to
optimize processes at the pace that’s right for your business. This technology can help
customers better communicate and reduce engineering time.
Advanced Graphics
Autodesk Inventor includes a special OpenGL-based graphics engine that minimizes the
amount of information sent to the screen, resulting in a design system whose graphical
clarity and speed is superior to Dassault’s SolidWorks, especially when handling large
assemblies.
The Autodesk Inventor advanced graphics offer these advantages over SolidWorks:
• On-the-fly simplification reduces or increases the number of polygons based on the
degree of magnification (zoom) of the object.
• What can’t be seen—what’s off-screen or inside other components—isn’t drawn.
• Develop realistic part colors.
• Reflection mapping.
• Texture Mapping.
• Graphical Thread Display (external and internal).
Autodesk Inventor software automatically applies a visual thread display to all tapped holes.
This takes the guessing game out of “which hole is tapped.” This visual thread display is
dynamic and has no impact on overall graphics performance. SolidWorks forces you to
model the actual thread by using a 3D sweep, thus wasting time and impacting the overall
performance of the system in order to help others visualize your designs.
Autodesk Inventor SolidWorks
Autodesk Inventor functionalities provide texture mapping, lighting styles, and reflection
capabilities as a standard component within the product; there is no need for external
programs. To add reflections and texture mapping, SolidWorks requires you to purchase a
separate add-on application. Even with this add-on application, you still cannot work
dynamically with these rendered features because this functionality requires the purchase of
yet another add-on program. Autodesk Inventor allows you to work dynamically at all times
with these advanced graphics capabilities. Every graphical operation has been optimized for
speed and interactive responsiveness within Autodesk Inventor, therefore reducing your
engineering time and clearly communicating your design characteristics.
Advanced Graphics
Autodesk Inventor 5.3 SolidWorks 2001 Plus
Feature colors
Thread representation on 3D model
Reflections
Texture mapping in model environment
Save named custom color styles
Save custom lighting styles
Conclusion
Autodesk Inventor software is the clear choice for anyone moving to 3D design.
• Autodesk Inventor is recognized as a leader in technology innovation and ease of use.
As a matter of fact, many of SolidWorks’ new features have already been available in
Autodesk Inventor software releases. See the table on the next page for the
documentation.
New Feature in SolidWorks 2001 Plus Included in Autodesk Inventor:

HLR shaded edge display color Release 1
Units of measure Release 1
Mate diagnostics Release 1
Select interior components Release 1
Large assembly mode Release 1
Transparent editing Release 1
Mate enhancements Release 1
Split part Release 4
Progressive loft Release 2
Fillet enhancements Release 1
Sketch relations Release 1
Hem Release 4
Jog Release 4
Break corner Release 2
Exploded drawing views Release 2
Shaded drawing views Release 1
Dimension favorites Release 5
Dimension breaks Release 3
Chamfer dimensions Release 4
Multi-jog leaders Release 1
RapidDraft Release 1
Dowel symbol Release 4
• It is the easiest 3D design system to learn and use.

• It delivers high-performance 3D design through an innovative adaptive technology that
provides large-assembly performance on a platform built for concurrent engineering.
• It offers industry-leading DWG compatibility that lets you import and export your
AutoCAD data better than any other system.
• It provides AutoCAD users the best possible workflow for leveraging AutoCAD data.
• The transition from 2D to 3D has never been easier.
Autodesk, Inc.
111 McInnis Parkway
San Rafael, CA 94903
USA
Autodesk, Autodesk Inventor, Visual Syllabus, Design Doctor, AutoCAD, Mechanical Desktop, DXF, and Autodesk Streamline are
either registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., in the USA and other countries. All other brand names, product
names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.
© Copyright 2002 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Autodesk Inventor

Sketch in Autodesk Inventor

Extrusion in Autodesk Inventor

Extrusion Failure in SolidWorks Trimmed Geometry to Create Extrusion

Sketch Workflow and Functionality

Design Support System (DSS)

Autodesk Inventor Design Support System SolidWorks 2001 Plus Help

Why Adaptivity in Autodesk Inventor Is Superior to Parametric

Why Autodesk Inventor Is the Best Choice for AutoCAD, AutoCAD

Documenting your Design

Sample drawing created with Autodesk Inventor software

SolidWorks is unable to create section-isometric drawing views since it is unable to create

Production Level Detailing Functions

Leveraging the Knowledge Vault

Exceptional Large-Assembly Performance

SolidWorks Dbase Structure

The Autodesk Inventor Adaptive Data Engine

3100-plus part assembly in Autodesk Inventor Assembly statistics from SolidWorks

database and on-demand loading to 100

may be created and brought to 0

Dassault’s SolidWorks does have a further application called eDrawings to communicate

Sharing Digital Design Data with Your Extended Manufacturing Team

Autodesk Inventor SolidWorks

New Feature in SolidWorks 2001 Plus Included in Autodesk Inventor:

• It is the easiest 3D design system to learn and use.

© Copyright 2002 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.

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