Learning the Essentials of Part Modeling - Inventor 2013 and Inventor LT 2013 Essentials - page 63

CHAPTER 3
Learning the
Essentials of
Part Modeling
Part modeling is typically the primary focus when beginning to learn
Autodesk Inventor 2013. The tools involved are the ones you will spend a
majority of your time using, but they are pretty straightforward.
In this chapter, you will look at the most commonly used tools and under-
stand how to construct one of the most challenging things you can do with
Inventor, the parametric sketch. It is challenging because, unlike most fea-
tures, there aren't many limitations. You will have to use your judgment about
what to include and exclude from the sketch. As you gain experience with your
designs, this will become second nature.
Here is the process of beginning a new part, in shorthand: create a sketch
that defines the most important elements of the part's geometry, and then
turn that sketch into a 3D shape. Along the way, you'll add features that
complete the part. That really is how simple the process is.
Defining a parametric sketch
Creating 3D geometry: the parametric solid model
Defining a Parametric Sketch
The term parametric refers to the process of using values (parameters of the
object being designed) to define the size, location, and other properties of the
object's features. In the sketch, this is most easily recognized in the dimen-
sions that you add, but other types of constraints add control to the geometry.
In this chapter, you will create the part shown in Figure 3.1. Let's begin by
constructing your first sketch. You will control the sketch by placing dimen-
sional constraints (size values) as well as geometric constraints (vertical, par-
allel, and so on).