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Inventor 2013 Dynamic Trim/Extend Sketch Geometry

The Trim and Extend tools in Inventor 2013 work in exactly the same way as before, however they now have a nice addition to make them more flexible.

• Create or Edit Sketch. Then on the ribbon, click Sketch TAB > Modify panel > Trim or Extend, depending on the task you want to complete.

Inventor 2013 Suite Workflows

A Suite Workflow is a mechanism for exporting an engineered design from a source Autodesk product to a target product for detailed rendering or animation. Settings in the workflow automatically transform the design objects for presentation in 3ds Max Design or Showcase. For example, the 3ds Max Design as Solids workflow sends Inventor Models to 3ds Max Design as solid bodies. The Showcase Constraint Animation workflow shows a mechanical assembly in motion, converting a range of constraints into animated behaviors. You can use workflows to prepare for design reviews and to create vivid presentations.

Depending on the suite you have, the source product is either AutoCAD, Inventor or Revit. The target product is always 3ds Max Design or Showcase. The workflows supplied with a suite can vary according to the suite level (Standard, Premium, or Ultimate).

A workflow applies pre-selected settings in 3ds Max Design or Showcase to the design data from the source product (AutoCAD, Inventor or Revit). Different workflows are provided with each source product, and workflows can be optimized for specific purposes, such as high-quality rendering or lighting analysis.

Inventor (Product Design Suite) Workflows are available from the main application menu:

Send AutoCAD Hatch Patterns to the back of the Display Order

If you have a complex drawing with multiple layers of geometry and Hatch Patterns, it can be difficult to pick the right item with so many things on top of each other. So to make things simpler you can send Hatch Patterns to the back in the Display Order. Simply type hatchtoback to send all Hatch Patterns to the back of the Display Order.

AutoCAD Joystick Control

A different way of navigating AutoCAD, but instead of panning you could use Joystick. To do this simply press CTRL and hold the Mouse Wheel down, you will be taken into Joystick mode.

Support of .NET Framework 4.5 and Vault 2013

Microsoft recently released the version .NET Framework 4.5.

At this stage Vault 2013 (Server and Client) and all previous releases of Vault are not supported with .NET Framework 4.5. Installing .NET Framework 4.5 is done at your own risk!

Autodesk have already received reports of Vault not working properly after installing .NET Framework 4.5.

This is an extract from the Cracking the Vault, Manufacturing Community Blog

Vault Office Addin Not Appearing After Installing DL19837065

After installing DL19837065 (link no longer available as it has been unpublished), you may notice that the Vault 2013 addin for Microsoft Office applications either stops working (the icons are greyed out) or you may get an error similar to this when trying to run them.

Could not load file or assembly
'Autodesk.DataManagement.Client.Framework.Vault.Forms, version=17.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=aa20f34aedd220e1' or one of its dependencies. An attempt was made to load a program with an incorrect format.

Autodesk have re-released a fix for this issue that includes additional fixes in DL20133057.

So uninstall DL19837065 and install the newer Hotfix.

This is an extract from the Cracking the Vault, Manufacturing Community Blog

Project Hydra for Autodesk Simulation Multiphysics/Mechanical 2013

Project Hydra is a free technology preview that is compatible with Autodesk Simulation Multiphysics 2013 and Autodesk Simulation Mechanical 2013 software.

The features of the Project Hydra technology preview include:

• Improvements to the Parametric Design Studies (PDS) feature
  Some improvements to the previously released (in Technology Preview Project Scout) PDS include the ability to export results as a CSV file and the support for CAD additions such as bolts/joints as well as remote loads and boundary conditions.
  
• Import temperatures from Autodesk CFD
  Temperatures from Autodesk CFD can be imported to linear, thermal, and MES analyses. Both steady-state and transient Autodesk CFD results can be imported as appropriate. To use this feature go to the respective Thermal tab in the Setup->Parameters dialog and choose "Simulation CFD file" as the "Source of Temperature."
  
• New fast Subspace with AMG solution of dynamics analyses
  For larger dynamics (modal, natural frequency) analyses with relatively small numbers of needed frequencies, a faster solution option is available: Subspace-AMG. The dynamics analysis solver will automatically switch between this new solver and the pre-existing one depending on the size of the model and the number of frequencies requested.
  
• Inquire results by part
  A new capability that allows the user to inquire the displayed result of any analysis on a per part basis has been added.
  
• Improvements to the Drop Test Wizard (DTW) feature
  The DTW from Project Scout has also been improved in Project Hydra.
  
• Rerelease of the GPU-enabled AMG Solver (AMG-MF)
  The Project Scout AMG Solver (AMG-MF) is being rereleased in this Tech Preview. This solver is faster than the original AMG solver for a class of well-conditioned and bulky models. Additionally, this solver can utilize a supported NVIDIA video card if requested.

Availability:

The technology preview will operate until April 1, 2013.

You can find the download on Autodesk Labs a:

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

123D Catch for iPhone Released

Autodesk launched the new free Autodesk 123D Catch app for iPhone on the App Store. Complementing the iPad, desktop and web app versions, the app lets users take photos from their camera on iPhone and upload them to the cloud where the photos are converted into a 3D model.

The Autodesk 123D Catch app for iPhone and iPad allows users to capture the world around them in 3D anytime, anywhere. The app features a capture window that includes familiar iOS camera controls to help manage focus and exposure while taking the photos. Users can then review the photo thumbnails before submitting them to the Cloud where the photos are transformed into a 3D model. The Autodesk 123D apps tap into Autodesk’s rich 3D design software heritage for professionals yet are easy enough for everyone to experiment and enjoy the creative process and make their designs real.

The connected workflow between the Autodesk 123D family allows captures made in the 123D Catch app to later be fabricated as a 3D printed object, or to be used as the foundation for further 3D modeling and 3D animation. To enhance the workflow, Autodesk has implemented new editing tools in the Autodesk 123D Catch web app that make it simpler to prepare catches for 3D printing. The new editing capabilities helps users to seal up holes within 3D models, smooth out surfaces, delete portions of the model they don’t want to print and create a flat surface as a stable base for 3D printing. Currently users can also access the My Corner feature to access files across 123D apps, including 123D, 123D Catch, 123D Make, and 123D Sculpt.

The Autodesk 123D Catch app is exclusively available for iPhone and iPad through the App Store at www.itunes.com/appstore. The Autodesk 123D Catch web app can be found at http://www.123Dapp.com/catch.

3ds Max Design Interface Colour Scheme

Like us, you may want to change the appearance of 3ds Max Design to make things clearer to work with.

If this is something of interest, please follow the steps below:

• First go to the Customize menu > Custom UI and Defaults Switcher...

Tea Break Video - 3ds Max Design

This video was recently released by Autodesk showing some of the best work created by Autodesk customers in post production using Autodesk products like Flame, Smoke, Maya, 3ds Max and Softimage.

We thought we would share this to inspire those of you who were wondering what you can use 3ds Max Design inside your Product Design Suite for.