ACP Inventor key terms

A rule applied to sketch geometry that limits how it can move, such as horizontal, vertical, tangent, or coincident, so the profile stays predictable when dimensions change.

A sketch whose geometry can no longer be dragged in any direction because dimensions and constraints remove all remaining degrees of freedom, giving stable, predictable part behavior.

The number of independent ways sketch geometry can still move or rotate. Each unresolved freedom means the profile is under-constrained and may shift unexpectedly during later edits.

A dimension that reports an existing size without controlling it. It updates when geometry changes but cannot be edited to drive the model.

A dimension whose value controls geometry. Editing the value resizes the sketch or feature it belongs to, unlike a driven dimension that only measures.

A named value stored with the model that can drive dimensions, feature inputs, or equations. Parameters make design intent easy to update in one place.

The way a model is built so that later changes behave as the designer expects, captured through constraints, dimensions, symmetry, and feature choices rather than arbitrary geometry.

A feature that adds or removes material by pushing a closed profile along a straight direction for a set distance, through all, or to a selected face.

A feature that sweeps a closed profile around an axis to create round or turned shapes. The profile must sit on one side of the axis and must not cross it.

A feature that moves a profile along a path, optionally with guide curves or twist, useful for handles, tubes, and rails that cannot be made by simple extrude or revolve.

A feature that blends between two or more profiles on different planes, creating a smooth transition shape such as a duct or bottle body.

The closed sketch region selected as input to a feature such as extrude, revolve, or loft. Open profiles are allowed only for some operations like surface or thin features.

A construction plane used to sketch on or to define directions and limits. Offset, angled, and mid planes let geometry be placed away from origin planes.

A construction line used as a reference for sketching, revolving, patterning, or constraining. It can come from edges, cylinder centers, or two points.

A dedicated cylindrical cut that can include counterbore, countersink, tapped, or clearance options and places holes by point, concentric edge, or sketch placement.

A rounded edge treatment created by a constant or variable radius along selected edges, softening corners and reducing stress concentration in the part.

A beveled edge cut defined by distance, distance-angle, or two distances, used to break sharp edges and ease assembly or manufacturing.

A feature that hollows a solid by removing one or more faces and leaving a wall of the specified thickness, common for covers and housings.

A thin feature that adds a strengthening web between two walls or faces. It is defined by a sketch line, thickness, and optionally draft.

An angled taper applied to faces so a part can be released from a mold. Draft is usually specified as an angle from a pull direction or parting plane.

A feature that repeats selected features or bodies in a rectangular, circular, or sketch-driven arrangement, keeping the copies associative to the original.

A feature that duplicates geometry across a plane or face, optionally merging it with the original, commonly used for symmetric parts and assemblies.

A part or subassembly placed into an assembly file. Each component has its own placement, identity, and optionally its own file on disk.

A relationship that removes degrees of freedom between components, such as mate, flush, angle, tangent, or insert, positioning parts relative to each other.

A connection between components that defines motion type, such as rigid, rotational, or slider, and is often easier to manage than stacked constraints for moving assemblies.

A setting that fixes a component in place so it does not move when constraints or joints are applied. Usually the first component is grounded.

The remaining ways a component can move in the assembly, such as translation along or rotation about axes. Constraints and joints remove these until the part is positioned.

A component allowed to change size or shape based on geometry in the assembly, useful for fits but risky because changes can propagate unexpectedly.

A part or assembly brought into another model as a linked reference, carrying its geometry and updating when the source changes, often used for machining stock or master sketches.

A structured list of components in an assembly with quantities, part numbers, and descriptions, used for purchasing and shown on drawings as a parts list.

Overlap between solid bodies or components detected by an analysis check, indicating parts that occupy the same space and cannot assemble physically.

An exploded isometric view of an assembly created by moving components apart, often used to illustrate assembly order and to feed drawing views.

A projection of a model placed on a drawing sheet, such as base, projected, section, detail, or auxiliary view, each with its own scale and label.

A drawing view cut by a section line to show internal geometry, with hatching applied to cut material and the cut plane defined in the model or on the sheet.

An enlarged view of a small region of another drawing view, marked by a boundary and a label so fine features can be dimensioned clearly.

A named collection of settings controlling arrowheads, text, tolerances, and units for dimensions, applied so drawings follow a consistent standard.

The bordered area on a drawing sheet holding metadata such as part name, drawing number, revision, scale, and approvals, often driven by model properties.

A table on an assembly drawing listing components, item numbers, quantities, and part numbers, generated from the assembly bill of materials.

A numbered callout that points to a component in a drawing view and matches its item number in the parts list, helping readers identify parts.

A named set of rules controlling thickness, bend radius, relief shape, and corner settings, applied so sheet metal features behave consistently.

A sheet metal feature that creates a flat plate from a closed profile or by selecting an existing face, forming the base of a sheet metal part.

A sheet metal feature that adds a wall along an edge, either as a single bend or with multiple bends, defined by distance, angle, and bend radius.

A curved transition in sheet metal created between two faces, characterized by radius, angle, and bend allowance, which determines the unfolded length.

A value describing where the neutral axis sits within the material thickness during bending, used to calculate bend allowance and the correct flat pattern length.

The unfolded representation of a sheet metal part showing all bends flattened, used for cutting and nesting, with bend lines and optionally punch marks shown.

A small cut or notch placed at the end of a bend line to prevent tearing or distortion when sheet metal is formed, set in the sheet metal style.

A sheet metal feature that cuts a shaped hole or forms a tool-based deformation through a face, often used for louvers, embosses, or standardized openings.

A single part file containing more than one solid body, useful for weldments or layouts, where bodies can be patterned, mirrored, or promoted to components.

A feature that divides a solid into separate bodies using a plane, surface, or sketch, often combined with body management in multi-body modeling.