Autodesk Product Design Suite Launchpad

Autodesk Labs has recently posted a tool to optimize your product design workflow.  It's called the "Autodesk Product Design Suite LaunchPad".

The LaunchPad Technology Preview accelerates design efforts by providing a single portal into Product Design Suite applications, project data, and workflows. The LaunchPad’s one-click workflows prepare your design data in the Suite environment that is most appropriate to your task so you can quickly start designing, engineering, simulating, and visualizing your design. The LaunchPad is intended for users who already have Product Design Suite installed.

This new LaunchPad contains tools to help automate the following workflows:

• Reuse 2D Data
• Modify 3D Geometry
• 3D Parametric Design
• Stress Analysis
• Dynamic Simulation
• Technical Drawings
• Interactive Design Review
• Photorealistic Rendering

The LaunchPad also has the ability to set default Inventor templates as well as project file support for better control over how the Inventor-related workflows are started.  The desktop icons are also scalable to accommodate different screen configurations.

With the latest updates, the LaunchPad offers two sets of one-click workflows, each supporting different industry design tasks.

• Machine Design: For users who typically work with a variety of 2D and 3D data to design, engineer, analyze, and simulate machines.
• Plastic Part Design: For users who need to transform concept designs and styled surface models of molded plastic parts into engineered, manufacture-ready solid models.

The following NEW Plastic Part Design workflows are available in this technology preview update:

• Concept Sketching
• Styling
• Design Engineering
• Materials Selection Analysis
• Stress Analysis
• Technical Drawings
• Explore Design Alternatives
• Photorealistic Rendering

Keep in mind that this is a Technical Preview and will be available until May 30, 2012.  To download a copy of the "Autodesk Product Design Suite LaunchPad" goto:

http://labs.autodesk.com/utilities/launchpad/

Authoring Inventor Content for Plant 3D

If you are you asking the question “how can I use my Inventor data inside of AutoCAD Plant 3D” then look no further. If you have content that already exists inside of Inventor and you would like to use that content inside of Plant 3D then simply read below. Autodesk has taken the steps with this utility to easily export data out of Inventor and import that same data into your plant design.

Using a Pump design from Autodesk Inventor 2011

1

• Ensure the units for the Inventor model match the units of the Plant 3D project
• This can be set in Inventor under Tools > Document Settings

2

• Ensure the orientation of the Inventor model is aligned with the Z-axis pointing up
• TIP:  If the orientation of an existing design isn’t aligned, you can insert the model into a new assembly and apply the necessary constraints in Inventor to orient it properly

3

• Start the AEC Exchange environment in Inventor from Environments > AEC Exchange

4

• Author important connection points for Plant 3D to re-use
• Plant 3D understands Nominal Diameter Size, Connection Type, and Direction
• Ensure Nominal Diameter = standard library size (e.g. 4.0in)
• Ensure the connector direction arrow is pointed away from the model. This gives Plant 3D the required orientation for starting and ending routes. You can still define the flow direction as required in the properties.

5

• OPTIONAL:  You can reduce the “heaviness” of the Inventor model by creating a Shrinkwrap Substitute. This can improve performance in Plant 3D if this component is used frequently.
• Shrinkwrap Substitute can be found in Inventor under the AEC Exchange environment

6

• Select Export Building Components to package up the Inventor model and relevant component item data
• You can assign the component to an OMNI class application type, and include important data like Description, Manufacturer, Model No., Cost, etc.
• Select OK to browse to a location to save the .ADSK file output

7

• After saving the .ADSK result, a summary report is generated letting you review the success of the output. The file is now ready to be used in Plant 3D.

Updated Information on AutoCAD WS

We are in the middle of our MUG (Manufacturer User Group) meetings and there seems to be quite a bit of interest in AutoCAD WS.  I have posted about AutoCAD WS before, but I told some people at the meetings that I would post the link.  Here you go:
AUTOCAD WS WEBSITE AND SIGNUP

I am interested in the different way that people are using this so let me know how you use it (matt.cole@adraft.com).  Please reference the Adraft Tech Talk blog in your subject line.

Thanks!

PS If you are interested in the MUG meetings, please follow this link:
Adraft Events Signup

AutoCAD on a Mac? Scarier than Frankenstein on Halloween!

I am a windows person through and through, so it is scary to me that AutoCAD is in the native Macintosh environment now!  It is kinda like Frankenstein. 

Think about it… Autodesk pumped life into a product in a different form (or “platform”).  I am not saying that they used lightning and dead body parts, like a brain!  [Anyone remember the “a-b-normal” brain from the movie Young Frankenstein?  Classic!]  It has the same functions as AutoCAD on a PC with some minor differences.  Frankenstein had the same functions as a person with some minor differences.  Now do you see my connection?  If you want to learn more about some of these differences, please check out this link:

Differences in AutoCAD and AutoCAD for Mac

I have come to the realization that as long as AutoCAD on the Mac is not hurting the town folk, everything is going to be fine.   With that said, there are other “Frankensteins” that have come to the Mac environment.  Check out this link for more information on what Autodesk is doing in the Mac environment:

Information on Mac-compatible products from Autodesk

Actually, this is not scary, it is exciting!  Now, I can sleep …  whew.

Autodesk Labs: Jig and Fixture Design for Inventor

Jig & Fixture Design extends Autodesk Inventor's native capability with an extensible library of standard jig and fixture components which are attributed to support an enhanced level of automation intelligence. Retrieve components from the library dragging and dropping them into your design environment. The components auto-locate themselves when placed and their fasteners can be auto-populated. Based on initial tests, your overall design time can be reduced by over 50%. 


See http://labs.autodesk.com/utilities/inventor_jigs_fixtures  for more info.

Are You Ready to Print Your Dinner?

George Jetson wouldn't be impressed......
Just as we begin to get used to the idea of 3D printers that print better versions of themselves, scientists at Cornell Creative Machines Lab are working on a machine that prints portions of food.


First impressions from a report in Fast Company are that the scientists involved in the development are not natural gourmet foodies. One of their first successes was a deep-fried scallop nugget in the shape of a space shuttle. “They can also make a solid hamburger patty, with liquid layers of ketchup and mustard, or a hamburger substitute that’s made from vegan or raw foods,” according to the report.


Read more...

Writing to a MS Word document from Autodesk Inventor

I thought I would get into a little customization this time.  What kind of customization, you ask?  The kind that doesn't really require any experience to do.


That's right, customizing Autodesk Inventor with iLogic.  We have all seen how iLogic can be used to create some pretty incredible rules-based designs.  Well I am going to extend it and use it for something outside of Inventor.


In this example, I have to create a document that accompanies my Inventor file.  This is a simple document that contains a table with 3 pieces of information:  the File Name, the Part Number, and the Designers name.  What I want to do is create a rule that will create this document automatically from the information in the iProperties of my Inventor file.


Here's how we connect iLogic to Word: iLogic can write to Bookmarks contained within a Word document.  So my first step was to create a word file that contains bookmarks that correspond to the data I want to write.  Below is a screen shot of my doc template:

Within my Inventor file I add the following iLogic code:


'set the folder name

fol ="C:\iLogic"
'Create the Word Application Object
wordApp = Interaction.CreateObject("Word.Application")
'Add the template document to the Word Session
wordDoc = wordApp.Documents.Add (fol & "\Export_to_Bookmarks.docx", Visible:=False)
'Write to the Bookmarks in the template
wordDoc.Bookmarks("FNAME").Range.Text = ThisDoc.FileName(False) 'without extension
wordDoc.Bookmarks("PNUM").Range.Text = iProperties.Value("Project", "Part Number")
wordDoc.Bookmarks("DES").Range.Text = iProperties.Value("Summary", "Author")
'Save the Word file with a new name
wordDoc.SaveAs (fol & "\" & ThisDoc.FileName(False) & ".docx")
'Quit Word session
wordApp.Quit(0)

As you can see, we first define our folder location and then create a connection to MS Word.  We then add a document from our "template" where we put the bookmarks into it.  We then simply write out our information into the appropriate bookmarks. Lastly we save the Word document to a new name and quit MS Word.

The resulting Word document looks like this:

I realize that this is just a simple example, but you can apply this to any document you want to.  If you would like a copy of the part file and the word file I used in this example, send an email to techtalk@adraft.com and I will send them to you.