Autodesk Inventor Fusion Technology - Introduction

As you may know, the Autodesk® Inventor® software product line provides a set of softwares for 3D mechanical design, product simulation, tooling creation, and design communication. Don’t forget that Autodesk Inventor is the foundation for the digital prototyping solution, digital prototyping being the core concept of the Autodesk product design approach. One of this software is Inventor Fusion. In October 2oo9, Autodesk released the Autodesk Inventor Fusion TP2 (Technology Preview 2).

Download it and test it now!

Software installation

	Installation launched ! The first feeeling when launching the installation is very positive. Different from the classical and quite boring software installer, Autodesk have even paid attention to this first visual contact with the software. I’ve really appreciated it, it made me very enthusiastic and very curious to discover this technology. Good point.
	Installed ! So simple. Nothing to do, except to click on the link to access to the documentation. Note that Autodesk is inaugurating a new wiki to centralize documentation about its projects. Autodesk Inventor Fusion is the first project to beneficiate of that treatment.
	First run ! Peaceful screen… I love the first impression I felt when seing this very simple  screen. Like most of multimedia (image, 2D, 3D, video, sound) softwares, color guideline are based on dark colors (black, dark grey) and strong contrasts (white/black, diffuse color, etc). UI components are very discret (except for the ribbon). Transparency is well used (especially for the browser and the Favorites). With a illuminated ribbon, to begin working with Inventor Fusion is well indicated!

Software usability

When I read the article about the new release of Inventor Fusion technology on the Autodesk Lab, I was very surprised that the installation was free and excited by the fact that I could at last try this software. Nevertheless my first motivations were – by interest order:

1. to find new ideas about software interaction design,
2. to better understand what is the digital prototyping concept means,
3. to discover Autodesk inventor, and in this case more especially Inventor Fusion.

After reading the Autodesk Inventor Fusion User Guide, and creating few basic 3D models (for articles illustration needs of course!), I would like to share with you some ideas and considerations about software usability. Don’t hesitate to participate by commenting this post!

UI components

What I found very interesting in this software is the way Autodesk have thought its tools as rich UI components. From basic geometrical form (circle, square), Autodesk has implemented rich and easy-to-use tools.

Circle	Wheels	Wheel is a component that Autodesk uses in its Sketchbook software. The main advantages of this component are :1. Pleasant visual aspect, 2. Quick access to height actions, 3. Close to a real object representation, 4. Anticipate surface computing (gesture and touch).Moreover with Apple iPod and mobile phone keyboard, the use of wheel is now a standard and is concret.
	Marking Menu	The marking menu consists of eight wedges. Each wedge represents a command/operation. These commands are the seven frequently used commands and the eighth is a context menu which contains additional commands.By extanding the context menu, user have access to contextual and direct features linked to its activity.
Square	View Cube	Cube is a basic geometrical 3D figure but here it becomes of very good tool to manipulate the 3D plan.A House symbol (Home) to come back to the initial position, integrated element as navigation choice (in blue color).

Be concret.
Think touch and gesture
Always give user access to main features easily
Complexity in simplicity

End of dialog boxes

I like this concept.
End of dialog boxes means that a real reflexion has been done togo out of the windows paradigm. In Inventor Fusion, I’ve the feeling that we speak about process (or object creation processing).In the above illustrations, I used the Revolve action as example. Automatically, [1] the ribbon changed to display all options/parameters I may change concerning the Revolve action. But in parallel [2] it’s possible to configure my action directly on the object and visualize (anticipate) what I’m going to do (here 45° angle). Moreover I may expand a complementary menu.At the end of the process ribbon, cancel and validate action are available. No explanation is necessary.

Do changes where they have to be done and when they have to be done.
Think action as process.

Transparency

By using transparency with attention, user may be driven in the way he is working.
Use transparency :
¬ for highlighting (light focuses what user can/should do) or
¬ for suggesting (giving information to the user about timing, extensible features, etc.)

Highlight	By default most of UI components are displayed in a transparent way in order to minimize their importance. They may be highlighted when the mouse ispassing over.1. Dispaly all components you may use at one moment, 2. Highlight the component you should begin with and make transparent others UI components available, 3. Activate component when user focus on it (by tab clicking, by passing mouse over, etc.), 4. Don’t display components which are not useful at this time of the processThe example of the View Cube is very characteristic.Inactivated, the View Cube is very simple but you can understand what for it is thanks to the lables ‘Front’, ‘Left’, ‘Bottom’. Activated, you discover a much more complex component. Arrows, combobox appears around the cube to add extension and features. And the cube itself is divided into several active element to suggest a new automatic way of navigation.
Suggest	In the Show Motion panel, the frame is not closed but progressivily transparent. It suggest that this panel is extensible. And it is! It’s a really good evocation of infinity event if you will never use so much frame in this Show Motion.

Use transparency
Less is more

Documentation

About Autodesk Inventor Fusion
¬ User Guide
¬ Wiki help site

About Autodesk Inventor
¬ Autodesk Inventor 2o1o – Getting Started
¬ Autodesk Inventor Routed Systems 2010 – Getting Started
¬ Autodesk Inventor Simulation 2o1o – Getting Started

I highly recommend Autodesk Inventor Fusion Technology!.

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