With so much focus given to new features / technologies by CAD bloggers / vendors, it’s easy to forget the little things. I thought I’d start a series of posts that deal with simple, time-saving workflows and tricks that you may have missed along the way while learning to use Inventor.

This first part will demonstrate 4 simple tips / techniques, in a video below:

  1. Two-click Center Workplane
  2. ‘Derive’ Workflow
  3. Convert projected geometry to ‘Construction’
  4. Workplane normal to path for sweep

Two-click Center Workplane

Very often you want to place a workplane exactly halfway between two faces or other planes. By selecting the workplane tool and simply clicking the two faces, you can do just that. In the 2015 release of the product, this workflow was expanded to use any two faces! They no longer have to be parallel, or similar in any way.

‘Derive’ Workflow

I consider this to be one of the most powerful and useful workflows in Inventor. Not only can you use it to maintain adaptive geometry with a source part or assembly, but you can also bring through parameters and work-features, or even use it to mirror or scale a component! Very handy, like these paper towels.

Convert projected geometry to ‘Construction’

I’m sure you’ve all come across that annoying warning: “Cannot constrain or dimension reference or fixed geometry.” This often happens when you think you are clicking on an unconstrained sketch feature, but there’s actually some projected geometry underneath. I find that it helps to project in the geometry you need (within a part only, please don’t use cross-part projection in assemblies!!! Use derive instead) and then turn all of that geometry to construction, before creating your own sketch geometry using the construction features as reference. This will help you to build much more reliable sketches.

Workplane normal to path for sweep

I use this one EVERY time I do a sweep. Often the start of your sweep path is at a point in space with no other reference geometry nearby. This allows you to quickly create a plane on the endpoint that is normal to the path.

Hopefully some of you may find at least one of these tips useful. If you have tips of your own that you’d like to share, please share away in the comments below!

Feature image credit: “Ideal Insurance, Moor Green Lane – 123” by Elliot Brown