Exercise Three - Childs Toy Train

Get to Know your Mouse

Select in the
tutorial means
using the
left mouse The Esc
button. key on your
keyboard is
used to
cancel a
Right mouse button command.
Brings up additional options

Left mouse button

Used for most operations such as selecting
icons, menus and graphic entities.

When Inventor starts

you will see this

Select the Metric tab Start-up dialogue box.

.

Then select the

Standard(mm).pt
icon
 Screen Layout

Sketch panel Standard

toolbar Toolbar
Pull
Down
Menus

Graphics window
Take a few
minutes to look
at this screen
3D Indicator

Message / Status bar

Lets start Sketching using Inventor

Rough Sketching is not
precise and is used to sketch
the geometry so that it Drawing lines its this simple
closely resembles the shape
Select point Select point
to start the to stop the
line. line.

Select the line icon The Constraint symbol shown

Observe when you ensures the line will be horizontal.
hover the mouse
pointer over any icon a
tool tip will tell you the
icons purpose.
Look at the message If we move the mouse to
bar. point 3 the constraint
symbol tells us the line will
be perpendicular to the
first line (entity)
If you need to Delete a line do the
following:
Right click the mouse button and select
done or press the Esc key on the
keyboard to finish the command.
Move the curser onto the line you want
to remove.
The line will turn red.
Right click the mouse button and select
Delete from the screen menu – The
line is gone.
Remember you need to keep the
mouse pointer against the line when
you right click the mouse.
On your own delete the other line.

If you need to Delete a line do the

following:
Right click the mouse button and select
done or press the Esc key on the
keyboard to finish the command.
Move the curser onto the line you want
to remove.
The line will turn red.
Right click the mouse button and select
Delete from the screen menu – The
line is gone.
Remember you need to keep the
mouse pointer against the line when
you right click the mouse.
On your own delete the other line.
 Select point 1
roughly where
shown and draw
the next five lines
approximately at
the points 1 to 6

parallel constraint
Make sure you have
parallel and dashed
constraint active before Remember sizes are
you select point 6. not important at this
stage.

As you approach point 10 you should see a dashed line

between point 10 and point 1.
Select point 10 then select point 1 to complete the shape.
Press the Esc key to finish the Command.
First Point

Well Done you have

just completed your
first Closed shape.
 .
Applying Dimensions to your closed shape

From the 2D Sketch

panel select the
General Dimension
Icon.
Edit Dimension
• Select the line to dimension. Box

• Move the mouse upwards

Position the
notice the dimension and line
dimension as shown
follows the mouse pointer.
• Select a position similar to the
Delete the original
position shown.
dimension and
• A Edit dimension box will type 30 you don’t
appear. The dimension will be have to add mm
shown highlighted press the after the dimension
delete key Select the green
tick.
• Type 30 you don’t have to add
mm after the dimension. Select
the green tick

To dimension across a
feature follow the steps.

• Select the line at Position Drag the mouse to this

1 and Position 2. position and edit as shown
• Place the dimension as
shown.
• You will have to edit the
size.
Position 1

10

Finish the
Position 2
dimensions
as shown.
 Right click anywhere on the
Don’t forget to graphics area and select
press Esc key to Finish Sketch from the menu.
finish dimensioning. This action will change the 2D
Sketching Panel and replace
it with Part Features panel.
1. Select Extrude from You are ready to turn your
the Part Features sketch into a 3D part.
panel
3.Notice that the sketch
region is automatically
selected as the extrusion
profile.

2. In the Extrude Pop up

window enter 50 as the
extrusion depth.

The view still looks 2D lets view it in 3D

Right click anywhere on

the graphics area and
select Isometric View
from the menu.

You can return to your

Isometric view at any
time. It is sometimes
called the Safe View.
 Inventor has many other ways to
look at your model apart from
Isometric view
Handle
Lets look at Rotate

Drag the handles to Centre Circular

rotate about the Rim
horizontal and
vertical axes watch
for the curser
change.

You can always

Drag to Drag to Free Drag the rim to
return to the
Rotate Rotate Rotation rotate about the
Isometric View
about about axis
(Safe View)
Horizontal Vertical perpendicular to
Axis. Axis. displayed view.

That’s some of the

basics completed.
We will let you get on
with this tutorial
Good Luck and
get Inventering
 We are going to add two holes, onto a face of the body. The
easiest way is to pinpoint the centres of the holes and use the
Hole feature to create the holes.

Return back to the

Isometric View.

Select the Look At icon

and select the face as
shown.
The Look At command
aligns the sketch plane
with the selected entity.

The choice is Or right click

yours either and select
select the 2D from menu.
Sketch Icon.

Select
the face
as
shown

It should look like this

 Select the Point, Hole Centre icon.
Select a location as shown, drag the
cursor keeping it in line and select
another position as shown.

Hidden line
means it aligned
Should look like this.

Dimension as shown
using the General
Dimension icon.

Before After

Your dimensions may be They should be edited to look

different from the above like this
Dimension as shown
using the General
Dimension icon.

Before After

Your dimensions may be They should be edited to look

different from the above like this

In the Part Feature panel select the Hole

command

In the Holes
dialogue box
notice that the
Centres button
is pressed down
: Inventor will
locate the two
centres
automatically.
Do not select
OK just yet
 When you select OK
Set this it should look like
Set the Termination to dimension this.
Through All to 10mm

Select the Centre point

circle icon.
Select an approximate
position and drag a circle.
Dimension it as shown.
Return to Isometric View
and press Esc to Finish
Dimensioning.
Finish Sketching.

Select Extrude from

Part Features panel

Set Extents to
Distance and
Depth to 65mm
Select OK.

Hopefully yours looks

like this.
Use Rotate to look at
it.
When you have
finished return to
Isometric View.
On your own do the following set a new
2D Sketch Plane as shown.

Using Centre Point Circle drag a

suitable circle at the centre of the
existing centre and dimension it.
Edit the dimension to show 10mm

Finish the dimensions and

sketch – remember Esc and
right mouse button.
From the Part
Features panel
select Extrude.
Set Extents to
Distance and Depth
to 5mm. Select OK.

Hope yours looks

like this ?
 Use the Rotate icon to position Use the Look At icon
the model like this and select this surface

Select the Same surface

for a new 2D sketch

From the 2D
Sketch Panel
select Two point
rectangle.

Create a
rectangle by Move the
selecting the cursor
first point down and
location as select the
shown second
location as
shown
 On your own
dimension and
edit the
dimension as
shown.

Finish the dimensions and

sketch – remember Esc key
and right mouse button.

From the Part Features menu select

Extrude. Select the rectangle and set
the Extents to Distance and the
depth to 50mm. Ensure the direction is
as shown. Make sure
the direction
is upward.

Does your train body

look like this ?
Lets hope so.
 Lets add some axels for
wheels.
Use the Look At icon to
achieve this view

Select this surface for

our new 2D Sketch
plane.
On your own - Using
Centre point circle drag
two suitable circles and
Edit the dimension to the
values as shown.

On your own Extrude the circles to a depth of 10mm

Select the Isometric view –
Hopefully it looks like this.

Now we need to add two

other axels. after all we will
need four wheels on our
train.

Now do the same on the other side use the Rotate command to turn your
model over and Look At to achieve this view.

5mm Diameter

Task - On your own draw two circles of 5mm diameter and

dimension them as shown.
 On your own Extrude the axels to a depth of 10mm

After you have Extruded the shape

you can Rotate it to see how your
train looks.

We will add a funnel for the smoke

Use the Look At icon to view the top of the Train

Create a new 2D Sketch plane on

the surface shown.
 Using Centre point circle draw two suitable circles and dimension them.
Edit the dimension to show 12mm & 16mm as shown.

Tip - if you move

the cursor
towards the
position shown. .
First the cursor
will change to a
small green dot
to signal that the
mid point has
been identified.
Then drag and
select the two
positions. Look
out for the
dashed line.

Further dimension the circle centres as

shown
Esc
dimensioning
and Finish
Sketch. Rotate Watch Arrow
the train into this
position shown.

Select Extrude and in the

Extents box Select To Next.
Select the same direction as
shown. Note a green arrow
pointing downwards will appear.
This means that the extrusion will
start at the circles and finish at
the train body. If the arrow points upwards click this icon

Hopefully it looks
like this ?
We will drill a hole in the funnel
Select the Hole icon from the Part
Features panel.
Set Termination to Distance and the
depth to 15mm.
Diameter set to 12mm
Select the Centres button and select
the centre of the funnel.
Select OK.

Distance

Diameter

Use the Rotate to

look at your train
Lets add some Radii
to remove the sharp
edges after all its
meant to be a young
Childs toy.
 Locate this icon and select it. Note that 3 options are available
lets look at them in turn.
Shaded display : This is the Normal us so far looks realistic

Hidden Edge display : Shows all edges as lines but keeps shaded surfaces.

Wire Frame display : Shows all surfaces as a wire frame no shading.

Shaded Display Hidden Edge Display Wire Frame Display

Keep your Train in the

Wireframe Display.
Select the Fillet from the Part
Features Panel.

Select the pencil icon and

notice it changes to an
arrow. You are ready to
select the Edges that
Inside the dialogue box . require a Fillet. Try to pick
Set the Radius to 2mm. as shown above.
 Change the view from
Wireframe Display back
to Shaded Display. You
can see the radii are
starting to give our model
a more realistic look.
However we will require a
few more to finish it.

Change back to Wireframe

view and select Fillet again.
Leave the radius set to 2 and
select the additional edges as
shown.
 Change display to
Shaded Display
and use the Rotate
to check out your
model . If it looks
like this well done.

The cylinder shape next to the funnel would

look more realistic if it was filleted with a full
radius.

Set the radius to 6

and select the
edge as shown.

This is how it should look

Select the Fillet from
the Part Features
Panel. Set the display
to Wireframe Display
and the radius size to
2 and select the
surfaces as shown.
Tip use Rotate to
rotate the model this
will enable you to pick
both sides of the train.

Use Rotate to view your

model.
Looks even more
realistic than before.
Almost forgot the
windows for the
driver. Select Fillet.
Set the fillet size to I
mm and select the
edges. Notice the
train is not in
Wireframe Display
you can work in any
form of display mode
that suits you.

That’s the fillet radii

completed. Lets
add a chamfer to
the wheel axles.
Select the Chamfer command
from the Part Features Panel.
Set the distance to 1mm.
Select the edges as shown.

Select the Look at

Icon Select the face
shown at the front of
the train as a new
sketch area
Using the Two point
rectangular tool
draw a shape in a
similar position to the
one shown.

Dimension the
rectangle as
shown.

Esc. and Finish

Sketch.
 On your own
Extrude the shapes depth to 10mm

Select the Look At

icon and select the
face . Make this face
a new 2D sketch

Drag a Centre point circle from the

new centre point. Make sure it
touches the outside line the dot will
show green to signify that its
tangent to that line.

Place a Point, Hole centre

as shown. Look for the
hidden line to this is telling
you the centre is in line with
the mid point of the line.

Draw two Lines tangent to

the circle as shown from the
corners of the rectangle
Using the Trim command from the 2D sketch
Panel, trim the circle as shown by selecting it.

Dimension &Edit
the radius to
3mm.
Esc. and Finish
Sketch.

Extrude the shape .

Make sure Extents
are set To Next.
The arrow should
point down.

Make sure you select

this area for the
Profile

Select Cut

Select OK
 On your own create a
new sketch plane and
draw a circle at the
centre of the existing
one and dimension it.

On your own Extrude the 2mm

Edit the dimension to 2mm. circle. Set Extents To Next.
Select the tick. The panel above should help

Set the Fillet to

1mm and select
the edges as The result should look
shown. like this.
 Create a new 2D Sketch
plane at the back of the train
as shown. Draw a 2point
rectangular shape and
dimension it as shown.

New 2D Sketch plane

Rotate the view Esc.

and Finish sketch.
 On your own Extrude the shape for a
depth of 10mm.

Draw and
dimension
Extruded shape the circle as
shown.

On your own draw a 2mm Circle at the centre of

the existing circle and extrude as before.
Remember to trim the 3 Radius circle.

Complete the Task by

adding a 1mm Radius to the
surfaces shown.
Well how did your
train shape up ?
Looks like we
need some
wheels.

Select this surface using the

Look At icon.
You will need to Rotate your
model.

Draw and dimension

two circles as
shown.
Place them at the
centre of the axels.
Extrude both wheels to a
depth of 8mm

Fillet both wheels

using a radius of
2mm.
 Do the same on the other side – its that easy.

Use Rotate to look at

your work if you got this
far well done.
Save your work.
Save your Train in this position before starting the
next section
Use the look at Icon to achieve this.