Inventor Drawings and Documentation
Drawing Views
Create base, projected, section, detail, auxiliary, and broken views. Understand view alignment and scale. Trap: misaligning projected views or using incorrect section depth.
Annotations and Dimensions
Add dimensions, ordinate dimensions, baseline dimensions, hole notes, chamfer notes, surface texture symbols, and weld symbols. Use styles for consistency. Trap: double-dimensioning or missing critical dimensions.
Parts Lists and BOM
Parts lists derive from the assembly BOM. Edit the parts list style to show required columns. Trap: parts list not updating after BOM changes; remember to update.
Sheet Setup and Title Block
Set sheet size, orientation, and title block. Use drawing resources for borders and title blocks. Trap: forgetting to edit the title block properties.
Rule of Thumb
Use ordinate dimensions for hole patterns to avoid clutter. For a plate with many holes, ordinate from a common datum.
Worked Example
Create a drawing of the bracket. Place a base view at 1:1. Project a top view. Add a section view through the center. Dimension overall length and hole positions with ordinate dimensions from the left edge. Insert a parts list. Verify all dimensions are driven from the model.