Autodesk® Inventor® 2015 introduces a new method for editing imported solid data called “Direct Edit”.
The Direct Edit capability sits right inside Inventor, allowing you to edit imported models without leaving the Inventor environment. You no longer have to jump out to the Fusion environment.
In Inventor 2015, you open an imported model and find Direct Edit on the 3D Model tab / Modify Panel. When you choose Direct Edit, a mini-toolbar opens and provides access to the major Direct Edit tools.
Major tools, such as Move, Size, Rotate and Delete are activated in the top row of the mini-toolbar and the remaining tools update to support the selected editing type. The selection options are faces and solids. Using the “move” tool, you can quickly drag on a face to relocate it. An XYZ triad allows you to relocate it with a coordinate.
The “size” tool allows you to resize a face. Depending on the selected reference, the modifier drop down list provides control over how the selected face is resized. The choices are “offset, radius and diameter”. “Offset” enables you to enter a distance value, “diameter” is used to change the size of cylindrical faces, and “radial” changes the size of radial faces.
The “delete” tool just works with a faces selection. For example, it’s a great way to remove a hole feature from an imported model. Once you are in the delete tool, the prompt is “Select faces to edit.”
In the mini-toolbar, you can also select the “rotate” tool. The tools in the mini-toolbar will update to permit the rotation of geometry. Use the Geometry Type drop-down list to select the geometry type for rotating. The options include faces and solids. A triad displays on the model to define the rotation direction.
As you can see, Inventor 2015 provides a quick way to edit imported solids without leaving the Inventor environment. When you complete a Direct Edit, the model browser updates to show a “DirectEdit1” icon. You can right click this icon, and choose “Edit Feature” like a common feature in Inventor.
Direct Edit is a game changer. You can quickly edit solids from other CAD packages without leaving the Inventor environment. This has long been a top request from users.
Comments