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Frequently Asked Questions & Answers
Daryl highlights his answers to some of his favorite user submitted questions.Q: Can I upgrade from AutoCAD to Autodesk Inventor?A: Yes, AutoCAD® users can upgrade their existing software to Autodesk® Inventor® software. With Autodesk Inventor you get the best of both worlds, with 2D and 3D design tools in one package delivering enhanced 3D mechanical design productivity while preserving your company's 2D engineering designs through native DWG™ compatibility.
Q: Who uses AutoCAD Mechanical?A: AutoCAD Mechanical is for mechanical engineers, designers, and drafters in all segments of the manufacturing industry, including automotive, transportation, industrial machinery, and consumer products. It is also the most appropriate software application for AutoCAD users who do 2D mechanical design and drafting.
Q: What productivity gains can I realize by using AutoCAD Electrical?A: AutoCAD Electrical software provides a true electrical controls engineering and design environment. It helps you create better designs, reduce errors, and save time by enabling you to focus on design and engineering tasks rather than on repetitive drafting functions. Project reports such as bills of materials (BOMs), from/to wire lists, and terminal reports are automatically generated from the schematic design. This capability alone offers significant productivity gains and helps reduce errors. Associative production drawing functionality enables you to automate drawing creation, thus accelerating design time. Furthermore, you can make design changes faster and more accurately than with basic AutoCAD software.
Q: What is Digital Prototyping and why is Autodesk Inventor the foundation?A: Digital Prototyping gives manufacturers the ability to virtually explore a complete product before it is built. By using a digital prototype, manufacturers can visualize and simulate real-world performance of the design with less reliance on costly physical prototypes, reducing design and production costs. Autodesk® Inventor® software is the foundation for Digital Prototyping and offers integration of 2D and 3D mechanical and electrical design. The Autodesk Inventor model is an accurate 3D digital prototype that enables users to validate design and engineering data as they work, minimize the need for physical prototypes, and reduce costly engineering changes discovered after the design is sent to manufacturing.
Q: What are the system requirements for Autodesk Inventor?A: Please click here for Autodesk Inventor system requirements.
Q: How can I get information on Autodesk Inventor certified hardware?A: The Autodesk Inventor hardware website provides current information on certified drivers, workstations, graphics databases and more for various versions of Autodesk Inventor.
Q: Is online support available for Autodesk Inventor?A: Visit the Autodesk Inventor Services & Support site to access the Knowledge Base that will allow you to search the database for answers, hotfixes, tips, and service packs. You'll also be able to access discussion groups, report software errors, and learn about additional support networks.
Q: What customization is available for Autodesk Inventor?A: You can increase productivity by developing tools to automate your company's design and documentation processes. Inventor includes a well-documented API to create customized programs that automate specialized workflows and extend the Inventor data model with custom attributes. Learn more about how to use the Inventor API to increase your design productivity in the Inventor Developer Center.
Q: What industries use Digital Prototyping with Autodesk Inventor?A: Whether it's consumer products, industrial machinery, automotive & transportation, process plant equipment, and anything in between, Digital Prototyping allows manufacturers to go to market faster with fewer physical prototypes and more innovative products. Autodesk Inventor is not only the leader in bringing these innovative capabilities to the manufacturing market, but is also the best-selling 3D mechanical design software, having outsold all competitors seven years running. To learn about manufacturers in specific industries using Digital Prototyping with Autodesk Inventor, visit the Inventor Customer Stories site.
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Daryl can answer your product questions, but first you may want to try the Knowledge Base, discussion groups and other online resources.> Find Out More