MA314-1 It's Not Sign Language

It’s Not Sign Language: Designing Custom Sketched

Symbols in Drawings Using Autodesk® Inventor

® Mark Flayler – Imaginit Technologies

MA314-1 Drawing Manager in Autodesk Inventor has the functionality to create Custom Sketched

Symbols to document your designs or standardize your company's notations and standards without the monotony of recreation. This class takes a look at the tools available in the Drawing Manager that are designed to facilitate this need. Learn to create and use custom notations and geometry to communicate your design. Utilize blocks from your AutoCAD® drawings for similar usage with little redesign for use in Inventor. Learn how to organize and update your symbol libraries using Inventor's Drawing Resource Transfer Wizard.

About the Speaker: Mark is an Application Engineer with the IMAGINiT Division of Rand Worldwide, specializing in the Autodesk manufacturing products. He has implemented the Autodesk Manufacturing products with many industries including the blow and injection molding, automotive, and custom machinery markets. Inventor has been a profound augmentation in his abilities allowing him to bring 3D digital prototyping to the forefront of the industries with which he has interacted. He has extensive experience and a comprehensive understanding of the technical, practical, business, and human dimensions of implementation. He is an effective and skillful communicator, consulting with his clients to help achieve their business objectives. Mark is an ATC certified instructor and has been instrumental in the training of hundreds of users. Mark is certified in AutoCAD, AutoCAD Mechanical, AutoCAD Electrical, Autodesk Data Management, and Autodesk Inventor

Email: [email protected] Blog: http://blogs.rand.com/manufacturing/

mailto:[email protected]

http://blogs.rand.com/manufacturing/

It’s Not Sign Language: Designing Custom Sketched Symbols in Drawings Using Autodesk Inventor

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Introduction

How many times have you found yourself drawing the same entities for a symbol? Can you do it with your

eyes closed? This class aims at teaching you how to reduce the repetitiveness in your design

documentation through the use of user created custom symbols in Inventor and from legacy AutoCAD

drawings. Using these tools is excellent not only for productiveness but for standardization and

conformity.

Session Highlights:

Learn to create custom sketched symbols in the Drawing Manager

Utilize existing blocks from AutoCAD files in Inventor drawings

Learn how to effectively use prompted entries, iProperties, and connection points

Learn how to update and replace symbols across multiple drawing files

Several standard symbols (e.g., weld symbols or surface finish symbols) allow for some customization

when shown in drawings, such as entering text in particular areas of the symbol through standard input

boxes in the symbol.

To further expand on the limited customization possibilities of standard

symbols, consider using custom sketched symbols. Custom sketched

symbols allow for full customization of the symbol geometry, text, and

its properties (placement and connection options).


Design Considerations

What is the reasoning behind creating a Custom Sketched Symbol in your files? Many users are

in different and varied fields that are not entirely the same for symbology and documentation.

This makes it difficult for Autodesk to include a comprehensive set of symbols to cover all fields,

thus requiring the need for users to create their own symbols.

When considering whether to create custom symbols, ask yourself a few questions.

1. What do you create on a sheet that is repetitive over multiple drawings?

2. What is the % of the repetitive occurrence?

3. Are there company symbols that are only used internally?

4. Are there industry symbols which are not included with the software?

5. Are you having trouble with standard notations that users do not agree on, or are

inputting incorrectly?

If the answer is “Yes” to any of these questions, the use of custom symbols will help you.

Design Problems

Inventor does not have a dowel pin symbol for holes.

Solution

Create a Scalable Sketched Symbol for any dowel pin hole size.

Our company requires electronic Preliminary and Production stamps.

Solution

Create a Sketched Symbol for your desired stamp types.

Input variable data into a table or standard paragraph text.

Solution

Create a Sketched Symbol with Prompted Entries.


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Defining New Symbols

The first order of business after a need is presented is to decide where to define and store the

symbol you wish to create. Your options include:

Template Symbol – Create the symbol in your template files so it is available all the time.

Local Symbol – Create the symbol on the fly and use it sparingly on certain drawings.

Normally storing custom symbols within the template is preferred. Both options do store the

symbol in the drawing file, but the propagation is different. We will see how to get new symbols

in existing drawings later in the session.

To create a custom symbol, expand the Drawing Resources folder, right click the Sketched

Symbols subfolder, and select Define New Symbol to start the process.

Sketching Tools for Sketched Symbols

The sketching environment that is activated is slightly different than that found in the modeling

environment. An example is the Manage tab which does not contain a Parameters option even

though dimensional relationships can still be made. The highlighted commands below show

some more of the important commands when creating sketched symbols.


The Sketch Only command on the Format

panel allows creation of geometry to be toggled

for visibility in the symbol once the definition is

created.

This geometry toggle is similar to the

Construction toggle ( ) in the normal

modeling sketch environment.

NOTE: Dimensions are always Sketch Only.

The Fill/Hatch Region command either hatches an enclosed boundary with a pattern or a solid

fill color. Sometimes when the command cannot distinguish which boundary to hatch or fill, a

may be required to break up some boundary lines. When the command is invoked it will

show only the hatches available in the current Standard. In this case, only ANSI 31 - 38 appear

in my list and ANSI 31 is the default.

Once the Fill/Hatch Region command is started

select a single boundary. If the boundary is valid

then it will highlight as sketched.

Selecting the boundary opens the dialog box to

enable Hatch or Color Fill and the options for

each. This only works for one boundary at a

time so repeat as necessary.


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The Set Insertion Point Grip command is often one of

the more over looked aspects of creating a sketched

symbol but is perhaps also the most important. The

Insertion Point Grip is very similar in design to that of the

base point in an AutoCAD block. Essentially, it is the

point to which your cursor is attached during the on

screen placement of a symbol. The insertion point grip

must be a point in the symbol and not be free floating.

To assign the point correctly make sure the point is selected first and then use the command on

the fly out to assign it. If the point is not already selected the command will be grayed out.

Some valid points for grip assignment include Work Points, end of object segments, and center

points.

NOTE: If an Insertion Point is not specified, it is automatically centered on the geometry.

A Connection Point Grip differs in design slightly from that

of an Insertion Point Grip. The assignment and creation

process is the same. The difference lies in how they are

used after the authoring process. Connection Points

primarily aid in the inferring connection between other

symbols, title blocks, and borders. When a connection

point is selected and moved near one of these objects a

coincident snap appears to associate the geometry

together.

NOTE: There can be multiple Connection Points, but only one Insertion Point.


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Text can be used in a sketched symbol to create standard notations as well as report upon

company design tracking properties. When using text in a sketched symbol simply use the Type

selection box to get the desired category and the Property selection box to get the desired

property. Note: Use the Add Text Parameter button ( ) to add values to the text.

Option Description

Properties - Model iProperty values from a given model reference

Properties - Drawing iProperty values from the drawing file

Custom Properties - Drawing

Custom iProperty value from the drawing file

Custom Properties - Model

Custom iProperty value from a given model reference. (may have to insert a model to get this in a template and then delete the View)

Drawing Properties Property: Number of Sheets

Sheet Properties Properties: Sheet Number, Sheet Revision, and Sheet Size

Prompted Entries Creates Custom in place user entries (similar to ACAD attributes)

_Piping Style Properties associated with the Routed Systems package

Physical Properties - Model

Properties: Area, Density, Mass, Volume (Hint: Make sure the Application Setting for Update Mass Properties on Save

Sheet Metal Properties

Properties: Flat Pattern Extents Area, Flat Pattern Extents Length, Flat Pattern Extents Width

Types of Properties

Property Selections

The Prompted Entries category allows users to create their own user defined text and prompts

for users. Select Prompted Entry and edit the highlighted area to indicate the question or

information requested from the designer.

NOTE: Only one Prompted Entry is allowed per Text Box.


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The ACAD command launches an Open and Import command to bring in geometry (block or

normal geometry) from an AutoCAD file. Select which layers to import and select Next. The

following screen has the options streamlined for the task.

Option Description

Import File Units Accept detected units or specify a type (meter, inch, cm, mm, micron, foot).

Constrain End Points Constrain end points of lines that are touching using coincident constraints.

Apply geometric constraints

Lock the rest of the sketch so that it does not flex as much.

Once brought in with the chosen options you may still be required to fine tune the symbol with

constraint adjustment and dimensions.

The Sketch Properties command and the individual geometry controls are located on the

expanded Format panel. When the Sketched Properties command is launched it opens the

Sketch Properties toolbar for use with manipulating the properties of the sketches entities.

From left to right, settings include Line Type, Line Color, Line Weight, and default toggle to turn

off this formatting. If a desired line type is not already loaded, it can be brought in by selecting

“Other” in the drop down list and loading a .lin file (acad.lin for example). The default toggle is

useful when bringing in ACAD geometry with a lot of formatting on it.

When you have completed the symbol, finish the sketch in

the normal manner or right click and select Save

Sketched Symbol.

If edits are required to the symbol after completion simply

right click the symbol in the Drawing Resources folder and

select Edit. Or if already placed in a drawing, right click

the symbol and select Edit Definition.


Using Sketched Symbols

Symbols can be inserted two ways, a quick way or a more in-depth method. To quickly add a

symbol to the drawing simply find it in the Drawing Resources folder in the Model Browser and

double click the name (you can also right click and choose Insert). Implementing the more in-

depth insertion method (upper right image) allows for quick scaling, symbol clipping and the

addition of leaders to the symbol. This is done by selecting the User Symbol icon on the

Symbols panel on the Annotate tab.

Select Symbol Clipping to trim dimension lines, leader lines, and extension lines behind symbols

attached to a drawing view. Select Static to disable manual resizing and rotation of symbols.

Stacking Symbols

When a sketched symbol has outlining geometry such as a rectangle,

circle, ellipse, or other non text objects, symbol stacking is available.

To initiate symbol stacking simply press and hold the <SHIFT> key as

the symbol is placed and it will adjoin to other symbols in a similar

fashion as it does to the Border or Title Block. Stacking sometimes

requires the addition of extra Connection Points.

Modifying Symbols

After a Symbol is placed it can be modified in several ways. For

instance, choosing Edit Definition returns you to the original sketch

environment for manual tweaking or adjustment to the geometry. The

Edit Symbol command brings up the insert dialog box similar to that

seen when doing an in-depth placement. Edit Field Text adjusts

Prompted Entry inputs and can be used to control the leader.

NOTE: Pattern Symbols was added to the 2010 Subscription Advantage

Pack and allows for the quick duplication of Symbols and Blocks but is

not parametrically linked to inputs.


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AutoCAD Blocks

Starting with Inventor 2008, Inventor allowed the usage of legacy AutoCAD blocks in the

Drawing Manager through the use of the new DWG TrueConnect. In order to use this

functionality, drawings must be created with the DWG format. When using a DWG format file

that has AutoCAD blocks, a node is added to the Model browser. Any attributes created in

AutoCAD are also available.

The traditional way to populate this new AutoCAD Blocks folder is to either start a new drawing

from an AutoCAD drawing that already has the blocks inside it (not unlike a .dwt) or to open the

Inventor DWG in AutoCAD and manually add blocks. Once created, you can open the DWG file

in Inventor to see the additional blocks. There are some differences in how these blocks work

compared to native Inventor Sketched Symbols. Below is a small chart showcasing some of

those differences.

Symbol Functionality Stacking Dynamic Scaling

and Rotating

Inventor Design

Properties

Editing in

Inventor

Static, Leader,

and Clipping

Inventor Sketched Symbol X X X X X

AutoCAD Imported Blocks O* O** O O O

*Limited Control **Available with 2010 Subscription Advantage Pack

NOTE: Subscription Advantage Pack 2010 – Allows for quicker importing of AutoCAD blocks in

a manner similar to Design Center in AutoCAD.


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Managing Sketched Symbols

Internal Management

Generally, when one symbol is to be used in multiple drawings it can be copied and pasted from

one drawing to another; simply right click on the symbol and select Copy, navigate to the

destination drawing and right click on the Sketched Symbols node and select Paste.

This method is great for adding one symbol at a time or when a symbol is not used everywhere

or all the time. For more practical usage the symbol should be added to the default drawing

templates so it can be utilized it whenever needed. Incorporating symbols into a template does

not substantially increase file size of a template.

The creation of symbol folders was a nice addition to the

2010 release of Inventor. This allows the user to organize

similar symbols into folders and sub-folders for easy

selection and placement.

There are two options when creating a symbol folder,

Create New Folder and Add to New Folder. The

difference between creating and adding results in different

folder nestings. Creating a new folder creates the folder

within the level in which you activated the command.

Adding a new folder adds the current folder to a new top

level folder instead of under it.

Create New Folder Add to New Folder

If there are prompted entries in a sketched symbol, they can

be reordered if needed. By default the prompts for placement

appear in the order that the prompted entries were created in

the symbol.

To change the order of the entries, right click the symbol and

select Reorder Prompted Entries.

Note: Reordering prompted entries also works for Title Blocks.


External Management

If a new symbol or updated symbol needs to be populated through multiple drawings it would be

rather tedious and inefficient to manually copy and paste the updated symbol. This is where the

Drawing Resource Transfer Wizard (DRTW) comes in. This wizard can batch process the

addition or replacement of Borders, Title Blocks, and in our case Sketched Symbols to multiple

existing files.

Note: DRTW does not work on AutoCAD blocks or Sheet Formats

The DRTW has to be launched externally to Inventor while the Inventor application is closed.

When initialized, the program runs Inventor in the background to process the intended

operations. The utility can be found in the Start Menu.

As a rule of thumb, start with a good source file that has everything you need to transfer to the

destination files. This is commonly a drawing template that has been updated with the new or

updated symbols. Here is a breakdown of the steps in the dialog boxes:

1. Select the Resources to transfer

Choose your source file and check the resources to transfer to the target files.

2. Select the Target Files

These can be IDW or DWG and you can Shift or Ctrl select multiple files

3. Same name replacement / ignoring symbols

If updating symbols, some data loss is possible if the prompted text fields do not match.

4. Start and view the process

There will be a progress bar and a log file being processed.

5. Review the log file for error checking

Check over for any missed or unable to update target drawings.

Class Summary: The creation of Sketched Symbols and the utilization of AutoCAD blocks

increases standardization and conformity of the documentation process. By using these tools

inside Inventor’s Drawing Manager, companies ultimately save time and reduce errors on product

life cycles. Various uses are available for numerous company design intents including

symbology, design properties, manufacturing notes, and non-model designs such as simple

schematics. Symbols can also be customized to effectively categorize, place, and adjust input for

new symbols. These symbols can also be propagated in reverse to populate legacy drawings for

rework or updating to a newer documentation method. Consider using Sketched Symbols and

AutoCAD blocks to increase your documentation efficiency.

MA314-1 It's Not Sign Language

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