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Autodesk Inventor

Score8.1 out of 10

89 Reviews and Ratings

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What is Autodesk Inventor?

Autodesk Inventor 3D CAD software offers professional-grade 3D mechanical design, documentation, and product simulation tools. These blend parametric, direct, freeform, and rules-based design capabilities. Inventor includes integrated tools for sheet metal, frame design, tube and pipe, cable & harness, presentations, rendering, simulation, and machine design. It also features TrustedDWG® compatibility and Model-Based Definition capabilities for embedding manufacturing information directly in the 3D model.

Categories & Use Cases

Key Features

Learn about the best (and worst!) features Autodesk Inventor has to offer, as determined by TrustRadius' reviewers.
Based on 89 ratings of Autodesk Inventor's features
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Top Performing Features

  • 3D Modeling

    Allows users to create and manipulate 3D objects with precise measurements and control.

    Category average: 8.1

  • Parametric Design

    Enables users to define and modify design parameters, allowing for faster iteration and design changes.

    Category average: 7.3

  • Customization and Extensions

    Provides options for customizing the software interface or to include add-ons which extend the functionality of the software.

    Category average: 7.8

Areas for Improvement

  • 2D Drafting

    Provides tools for creating and editing 2D drawings, including the ability to add dimensions, annotations, and symbols.

    Category average: 8.1

  • Collaboration and Sharing

    Provides tools for sharing and collaborating on designs with others in real-time, including the ability to track changes and manage design revisions.

    Category average: 6.4

  • Simulation and Analysis

    Provides tools for simulating physical properties and behaviors of designs, allowing users to test and optimize their designs before production.

    Category average: 5.9

Reviews

What users are saying about Autodesk Inventor.
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Powerful but not collaborative.

Incentivized
Andrew Defever
Teacher at Big Rapids Public Schools (51-200 employees employees)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

I teach students mechanical design using Inventor as it is a common tool used in the manufacturing and engineering industry.

Pros

  • Robust tools.
  • Intuitive User Interface.
  • Ability to share projects across platforms and file types.

Cons

  • Requires large download to use.
  • Files not collaborative.
  • Limited to just design side (no CAM functions).

Return on Investment

  • Free for education/educators.
  • Must be run on PC (not chromebook compatible).
  • Integrates with all other Autodesk programs.

Usability

Alternatives Considered

Autodesk Fusion Manage, Onshape and SOLIDWORKS

Other Software Used

Onshape, Google Classroom, Google Calendar

Autodesk Inventor is worth a look

Incentivized
Verified User
Manager in Engineering (51-200 employees employees)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Autodesk Inventor is used to fully model our products. Those models are used for customer approval, parts list generation, and fabrication of our products. Our engineers use Autodesk Inventor to detail design with annotated drawings as well as supply the production team with DXF files for cutting and forming of sheet metal. The 3D models also allow team leaders to give feedback to the engineering team earlier in the design process.

Pros

  • 3D models
  • allowing for customization via API and iLogic
  • ability to export parts lists

Cons

  • most if it still runs on a single core. Please fix this
  • Crashes. In our experience, too many crashes. We have high end machines and crashes are way too common.
  • Autosave. I think it is simply unacceptable that Autodesk Inventor combines common crashes with no autosave functionality. We feel this pain all the time.

Return on Investment

  • We are working toward full engineering integration with Autodesk Inventor. This will remove most of the human error in our current processes.
  • Production team is moving away from physical samples to using Autodesk Inventor models. This is a cost savings and helps us manage change better.
  • Autodesk Inventor iLogic is allowing us to automate some of our engineering. This is proving to make one job 20% faster to complete with fewer errors.

Alternatives Considered

SOLIDWORKS

Other Software Used

Autodesk Vault

Inventor - Undisputed

Incentivized
Verified User
Team Lead in Engineering (51-200 employees employees)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Primary tool to engineer complete systems from the smallest part upto the assembled lines put together. Furthermore we design our units and equipment in Inventor, as well as creating exploded views for parts lists and visuals for sales purposes and user manuals. We are now making steps in the FEA-module

Pros

  • Sheet metal features
  • 2D drawing tools
  • VBA / iLogic integration

Cons

  • Style management
  • State changes can not be made from within Inventor

Return on Investment

  • With CTO-designs and VBA capabilities in Inventor our engineering time is reduced by 80%
  • With the capability to import non-native extensions we don't have to remodel 3rd party models

Alternatives Considered

SOLIDWORKS

Other Software Used

Autodesk Vault

Best Cost Effective solution for Product design companies as well as Manufacturer's.

Rehan AkramView profile
Mechanical Design Engineer in Engineering at Ciclo Fze (11-50 employees employees)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We are using Autodesk Inventor for plant design engineering. Most of our product are made by sheet metal. We are large equipment manufacturing company in middle east. I am working there as a mechanical design engineer. I used Autodesk Inventor for our product design for manufacturing. I like the way of Inventor for generating the DXF for laser cutting. and Inventor also saves our most of calculation time by using simple command called nesting. Inventor is budget software as compared to others.

Pros

  • Sheet metal product design
  • Flat pattern development
  • Inventor do Nesting very well
  • Frame design
  • Basic simulation

Cons

  • Inventor crash unexpectedly company should improve it.
  • Add more library content
  • Memory uses should be balance

Most Important Features

  • Nesting
  • Flat pattern development
  • Pack and go
  • Project files configuration & update

Return on Investment

  • Inventor is budget software as compare to other software
  • We faced software crash issue many time
  • Should be improve in next update

Alternatives Considered

SOLIDWORKS

Other Software Used

SOLIDWORKS, Autodesk Fusion 360, AutoCAD

3D modeling & assembling done right the first time.

Incentivized
Matt WipfView profile
CNC Programmer in Manufacturing at GR Manufacturing (11-50 employees employees)

Pros

  • It is easy to make custom sheet metal templates to save and use on future projects. Once assembled, it will tell the weight of the assembly and the surface area. It will also give you the center of gravity on a part or assembly, if you need to lift the assembly with a crane or lift to allow for proper jigging placements.
  • Autodesk has some great 3rd-party apps in the application store to allow for flat pattern exports of assemblies and eliminate expensive 3rd-party software.

Cons

  • It is a hog on memory card and operating system.
  • There's not too much I can complain about. I really like working with it, mainly because that's all I am familiar with.

Return on Investment

  • Careless users forget to look at assemblies and make sure everything fits together as it should.

Other Software Used

AutoCAD, QuickBooks Desktop Pro

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