ASCENT Blog

NEW Home for the ASCENT Blog

We truly enjoy writing blog posts and sharing them. But that’s not all we do. Our new blog site lives on the ASCENT Resource Center.

The ASCENT Resource Center offers on-demand webcasts, sample chapters, brochures and more.

Content from our amazing technical team will continue! We hope you’ll join us: https://resources.ascented.com/ascent-blog

Are there shortcuts when it comes to learning CAD software?

By: Paul Burden

A shortcut implies a faster route to a destination or a quicker way to achieve a goal. Many people wonder if there a faster way to learn how to use CAD software. It’s a valid question when we are often tasked with multiple projects and tight deadlines…Is there a way to learn CAD software that is faster than attending instructor-led training?

I came across a Tweet recently that implied traditional learning, whatever that is, is “dead”! Not surprisingly maybe, this claim was made by someone deeply involved in the production of self-paced eLearning. I can see the benefits of self-paced eLearning, where someone develops CAD software skills without ever leaving the office or speaking with an expert. But… is there really no place for traditional learning? What about a combination?

For a variety of reasons, more and more companies and individuals are looking to self-paced learning methods as alternative options to instructor-led training. As everyone seeks the quickest route to develop skills and reach proficiency, demand has increased, and so too has the variety of options and providers.

This demand is driven by many factors. No one can deny it is costly to take someone away from the office and out of production for multiple days. The use of multimedia and interactive content is attractive and can be engaging. I also believe that software companies encourage the movement toward self-paced learning because it fuels the perception that they are modern and current and that their software is easy to use.

My own feeling is that self-paced learning with tutorial manuals and online resources can absolutely be a faster way to learn how to use CAD software for some individuals, in some circumstances. I also feel that there is still a place for classroom-based instructor-led training. This all comes down to the simple fact that we don’t all learn the same way. Call me a dinosaur, but I am, in fact, still a proponent of using instructor-led training for learning the basics.

Despite what CAD software manufacturers may want you to think, their software is complex, and for good reason. Whether I am designing a bridge or a pump, I want the design tool that I am using to be complex enough to create my designs, deal properly with any design changes I am bound to experience, and be able to incorporate the design alternatives I inevitably will want to consider without having to start over each time. To take advantage of the powerful capabilities the software is designed for, I need to have a solid foundation in the basic skills needed to use the software and a clear understanding of fundamental modeling strategies. I believe one of the best ways to build those fundamental skills is through interaction with experts and other learners where there can be dialog and an exchange of ideas. It is this real-time session that teaches modeling strategies, provides the ability to challenge ideas, gives the opportunity to ask questions, and invokes conversation. Interactions with the expert instructor, as well as with peers, in an instructor-led session makes traditional learning still incredibly effective and relevant.

I coach a youth baseball team despite not having played a lot of organized ball when I was younger, I had a lot to learn when I started out. Trust me, I used YouTube and other online resources a lot (and still do!), but what helped me to make sense of all the excellent information I found online was interacting with new and experienced coaches at clinics that I had the good fortune of attending.  I was overwhelmed when I started out. There are as many opinions on the proper way to hit a baseball as there are on the correct sequence of features in your CAD model. It was only after I began to discuss hitting techniques with experienced coaches and hitting instructors that I could digest the information and come up with approaches that worked for the players I coach.  For me, gaining a foundational understanding of the basic techniques and strategies in an immersive situation enabled me to make better use of the advanced and varying information I could access on my own.

While there is nothing wrong with exploring shortcuts, I do feel the fastest way to build the skills for using CAD software is using a combination of instructor-led training and self-paced learning with instructional resources (e.g., books, videos, eLearning, etc.). Go and interact with an expert to lay the foundation and then build on it with “non-traditional” methods. Working with an instructor doesn’t mean you need to be in a classroom for five days or that you need to be in a classroom at all. Many training providers have come up with creative ways to deliver live classes over the web, provide on-demand instructor support, and blend various methods into a learning offering.

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Paul Burden is Director of Product Development for ASCENT – Center for Technical Knowledge. He has been in the business of technical training and support for CAD systems since 1995. During that time, he has led courseware projects for CAD and PDM software from most of the major developers of this type of software.

Looking to learn Inventor CAM 2D Milling?

By Jennifer MacMillan

ASCENT is excited to announce the release of a brand new learning guide: Autodesk Inventor 2020 Introduction to 2D Milling. This guide provides students, trainers, and industry professionals with learning content for Inventor CAM.

This guide focuses on how to use Inventor CAM to create 2D milling toolpaths. The 2D Milling toolpaths that are covered include Facing, 2D Adaptive, 2D Pocket, 2D Contour, and Drilling. Despite this learning guide covering only 2D Milling toolpaths, it will provide an excellent foundation on using the entire interface which remains consistent with the more advanced milling and turning operations.

Autodesk Inventor 2020 Introduction to 2D Milling begins with an introduction to the overall Inventor interface and explains how to manipulate your 3D model to change its orientation and view display. This introductory content was important to include for those users that may not have experience with Inventor but that will need to work with existing models in the CAM environment. Through a hands-on, practice-intensive curriculum, students will quickly advance to learning the key skills required to take a 3D model set it up in the CAM environment and assign the toolpaths needed to generate the CNC code required by 2D milling machines.

Topics Covered

• Navigate the Inventor software interface to locate and execute commands.
• Use the model orientation commands to pan, zoom, rotate, and look at a model.
• Assign visual styles to your models.
• Locate, modify, and create tools in the Tool Library.
• Set up machining operations using Inventor CAM.
• Create a Facing, 2D Adaptive, 2D Pocket, 2D Contour, and Drilling toolpath using the Inventor CAM interface.
• Use the Simulation option to visualize toolpaths.
• Import a tool library.
• Create a toolpath template.
• Post-process an Inventor CAM setup to output the CNC machine code required to machine a model. (not edit it)

As an introductory guide, Autodesk® Inventor® CAM 2020: Introduction to 2D Milling does not assume prior knowledge of Autodesk Inventor CAM, but an understanding of the CNC milling process is recommended. It is aimed for those using Inventor Professional with Inventor CAM Express (free add-in) or the Product Design and Manufacturing Collection that have implemented Autodesk Inventor CAM Ultimate (previously called Inventor HSM Ultimate). This guide will not provide instructional content on how to create 3D models using the Inventor modeling tools. Its focus is solely on generating 2D milling toolpaths once models are created. 

This new learning guide is now available for purchase on the ASCENT website and through Amazon.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

Jennifer

Revit 2020 Collaboration Tools: Worksets/Worksharing changes

ASCENT has recently made some required changes to the Revit 2020 Collaboration Tools learning guide with regards to how the practices for the Project Team Collaboration section are done. These changes were required in order to align with Autodesk’s new single-user subscription/ID-based subscription method. In previous releases of this learning guide, the Workset exercises were written so that each user would launch two sessions of Revit and then change the user name in each to User1 and User2, as required. This allowed the student to simulate the worksharing environment and work through the practices without needing a shared network location. With the new Autodesk single-user subscription/ID-based subscription method, users are required to sign-in to activate and use their software and it doesn't allow the user to sign out. Because of this, launching two sessions of Revit and changing the username is no longer possible, so we had to get creative.

Knowing how difficult it is to teach worksets, I wanted to keep this as simple as possible. I've done the following:

• For training environments that still have access to Network or Standalone licensing:

• I kept the User1 and User2 reference in the written practice steps. Users can still open two sessions of Revit, change the username, and like previous releases they can work on the practices on their own.

• For training environments that now use the Single-User Subscription/ ID-based Subscription method:

• Pairs of users (User1 and User2) can work together in a true collaborative environment. One student performs all of User 1 steps and the other User 2 steps. For this to work a shared network folder for the two users to share the central file.
• If working in pairs or there is no access to a shared network folder I have created videos of each task for the Architectural vertical practice covering the worksharing process. This video can be played in the training room/classroom or viewed by the student. These videos can be found in the 'Videos' folder within the extracted practice files folder.

 

Taking the simplification even further, at the beginning of each practices I have written special instructions and within the margin next to each task, I've added which video to refer to and where they are located. 

Based on feedback received from trainers, I've even gone one step further. I simplified many of the practices by removing some of the Tasks that were redundant and were already being performed in the other practices.

My goal with this book was to simplify the workset/worksharing section and to give instructors all the tools and support needed to be successful. If you have any questions or comments related to the workset/worksharing section, please post a comment below or send an email to [email protected]..

 

 

ASCENT Courseware Update - Follow up to the Webcast

By: Jennifer MacMillan

Thanks to everyone for joining our most recent Webcast where Ronda and I discussed what’s new and coming in the ASCENT curriculum for the Autodesk 2020 software release. Click Here to view the recording.

Here are a few highlights and take away’s from our session:

• The main goal of this webcast was to explain the changes that are coming in the ASCENT curriculum and to introduce the courseware roadmap. I focused on explaining what is changing in the learning guides, not on what is new in the software. As books are released our Content Developers will post blogs if there are significant changes in the guides that warrant explanation.
• Our Roadmap is updated frequently and changes in priority will often require updates to our projected release dates. Please be sure to review this Roadmap as you prepare your schedules.
• And finally…. ASCENT can create custom learning guides that combine content from our existing books. Customers love this solution as it provides students with exactly the content they need in one professionally bound guide, instead of having to flip back and forth through multiple books. If you’re interested in this offering, please reach out!

 

We hope that you enjoyed the webcast. We host webcasts regularly (about once a month), so be sure to keep an eye out on our Events Page for other topics that may interest you.

Thanks,

Jennifer

Inventor Read-only Mode

By Jennifer MacMillan

With the installation of Inventor 2020 you now have access to a Read-only version of Inventor. This eliminates the need to install Inventor View as part of the installation. Once installed you can simply run it as Inventor Read-only Mode 2020. It does not require a license of Inventor to be used.

The interface looks much like Inventor, just with fewer tabs and options. It enables you to load projects and open parts, assemblies, drawings, and presentation files. Once a file is opened, you will have a limited number of tabs available that focus your experience on reviewing the model. You can review the following:

• Use the Model Browser to review the features that were used in the model. You can additionally control the visibility of sketches and work features used to create the geometry using the right-click menu.
• Use the Model Browser to review the component names and view the constraints used to assemble them.
• Use the Inspect tab to measure, analyze interference, and use the analysis tools (parts only).
• Use the View tab to control appearances and visibility as is available in the full version of Inventor.
• Use the View Cube and Navigation pane to control the view orientation of the model.
• For assemblies, you can also review the Bill of Materials for the model using the Assemble tab.

I am guessing the next question you are going to ask is … “ Where do I get it?”. Autodesk is recommending that for those that do not have access to Inventor 2020, simply download the full trial version and run it as read-only. I hope that this is great new way for you to view your models.

Jennifer

Translation and Technical Writing: A two-way relationship

By Corina Sirb, Technical Writer

Translating technical documents is a complex and specialized process that requires a high level of knowledge in the field and a well written, accurate, user-friendly, and to the point document or text.

I personally had to learn the hard truths about the issues that can occur when translating a technical document while managing the translation of an Autodesk Revit book. One thing to keep in mind is that translation and writing is a two-way relationship, and when one is poorly done, both are ultimately affected.

Based on my experiences as a Technical Writer, here are five key elements to keep in mind when writing technical documentation and translating it:

• Use clear and concise language: It is very important that the original document written in the source language is clear, concise, and comprehensive from a user’s perspective. Subject matter experts often get lost in thought while writing down all the features of a software, slowly disregarding the small yet significant details that a less experienced user might require. These missing details can affect the overall understanding of the context, and thus the translated text can become unclear, confusing, and impede users from completing their tasks.

• Keep it consistent: When companies have multiple people working on the same documentation over many years, the original voice gets lost and the text structure and language may end up changing. The source document must be consistent in its writing style and content format. Sentences have to be short, simple, and void of idioms, while verbs have to be used in the same tense, preferably present. Although this might become too repetitive, this actually helps the translators and translation software to more easily identify such repetitions and thus translate them at a faster pace. This also helps the translator focus on new entries and new terminology.

• Take advantage of translation tools: Professional translations should always be accompanied by translation memory (TM) software and Computer Assisted Translation (CAT) tools. This helps maintain overall consistency of the text and significantly reduces the time required to translate phrases and terms during the translation process. Not to mention the costs saved as translation companies charge reduced rates for repeated content and terminology.

• Keep it in context: The translators must keep in mind the context of the source documentation. I have seen firsthand the original meaning of a text get lost in translation because the translators were almost robotically translating each sentence independently, disregarding the context of that specific documentation.

• Check your work: Lastly, translators must ensure that significant words are not lost or cut down from the translation. A good example I recently came across involved a series of steps in an exercise on creating walls for a building. The original text required the user to “move the wall 20mm down” however, the translator either forgot or mistakenly did not translate the word down and so the user was unable to complete that particular step and the ones following due to a simple missed word.

 

If you’re looking for either technical writing services or support managing a translation project, reach out to ASCENT for a project quote and free consultation. New projects may qualify for free editing up to 2500 words!

Website: www.ascented.com/services/overview/technical-writing

Email: [email protected] 

Follow-up to my Autodesk University 2017 Class

By Jennifer MacMillan

It has now been one month since Autodesk University 2017. I am now sufficiently rested, I am all caught up on the work I missed, and I can honestly say that I loved yet another experience teaching a great group of eager students. I thought that with this blog post I would answer a fantastic question that I got at the end of my class.

For those of you that didn’t make it to Las Vegas, Autodesk has now posted all the classes that were recorded. For my specific class, Assemblies: Putting It Together in Fusion 360 you can click here to view it.

Question: Why when I use the Distributed Design method of multi-component design in Fusion 360 can’t I create a Joint Origin in my design?

Answer: With the Distributed Design method of multi-component design you are inserting previously designed components into a top-level design. The components used in the top-level multi-component design were created in other design files and all of their design information is stored in that file. In the top-level design the inserted component is read-only. You cannot add a Joint origin at this level. You must open the single design on its own and add the joint origin there. Once added it will be available for use in the multi-component design. For my student, he wasn’t interested in selecting the two placement references in the same design. He wanted to create a joint origin between two components that had been inserted into the multi-component design, similar to that shown below.

 

Unfortunately, because the references that would be picked are stored at a lower level, this cannot be done. To constrain this component, I had to determine the midpoint distance value between the two brackets and use an offset value equal to that value to properly position the axle. For Inventor users, this is possible which is likely why he was struggling with doing this and expected it to work.

To expand on this a little further, consider other ways of creating multi-component designs.

• For designs that use a file directly from the McMaster-Carr Content Library, joint origins can be created in the top-level assembly because the component is stored in the top-level assembly and you have write access.
• Using the multi-body design method, joint origins can be created in the top-level assembly because the components were created in the context of the top-level design and you have write access to each component. Additionally, you can select references that exist on different components.

I hope that this helps explain!

There are a lot of fantastic classes now live on AU Online, if you wanted to simply search the classes that Autodesk has posted, click here . Enjoy!

Jennifer

[email protected]

For Autodesk Users, it's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Yes, we’re talking about Autodesk University, #AU2017, which is the not-to-be-missed event for Autodesk users happening next month at the Venetian Resort in Las Vegas. ASCENT will be there with a booth and two of our instructional designers who are teaching a couple of not-to-be-missed classes!

Take a class from Fusion author, Jennifer MacMillan, or chat with her about the latest Fusion Video-Enhanced eBook we’re about to release: Fusion 360 Introduction to Sculpting with T-Spline Surfaces.

Or join Michelle Rasmussen, Civil 3D and Infraworks expert as she leads her class at AU. Michelle is an AU veteran and is also serving as an AU mentor and lab assistant this year.

Both presenters have put together short videos to introduce their AU sessions. See below for class details and register now to reserve your spot!

Assemblies: Putting it Together in Fusion 360
Class ID: CP124399
Wednesday, November 15 @ 1:30PM
Hear from Jennifer about her class >>

Designing the Smart Way: Fun, Fast & Easy with Infraworks
Class ID: ES125062
Thursday, November 16 @ 9:15AM
Hear from Michelle about her class >>

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When these ladies aren’t teaching classes at AU, you can find them at the ASCENT booth (D314), ready to discuss their latest courseware titles.

And speaking of courseware...it wouldn’t be AU without a book sale from ASCENT!

This year, however, instead of selling books in the Exhibit Hall, we're hosting a pre-AU promo where you can save 25% off ASCENT’s printed training guides and get free shipping to Autodesk University! This offer is only valid until the end of the day on October 25^th (in order to give us time to print your books and ship them to AU for you), so if you are heading to AU, now is the time to place your order.

We’ve set up a special AU pre-show eStore that already has reduced book prices and shipping set for AU. Just place your order and come to the ASCENT booth during regular Exhibit Hall hours at AU for book pick-up.

View Offer Details >>

Place your AU order Now >>

 If you’re heading to AU, we look forward to seeing you there!

 

All in one Measure Tool!

By Jennifer MacMillan

The workflow that was previously used in Autodesk Inventor to conduct measurements has been completely updated in 2018. Instead of multiple measure commands, there is now a single command that can be used to conduct many different types of measurements. The new command is located on either the Inspect or Tools tabs and is simply called Measure ( ). You can also access it in the Marking menu or when entering dimensional values during feature creation.

What I really like about this new tool:

• It is easy to use and very intuitive.
• All possible results for your reference selection are displayed in the Measure browser.
• The references are assigned colors. The first selection is blue and the second is green.
• The expandable and optional Advanced Setting area can define the precision and whether to display the result in multiple unit formats. If you don’t want to modify these settings, you don’t have to even look at this area.
• The orange measurement value in the Measure browser is the value displayed on the model. To display a different value, simply select it in the browser.
• To restart a measurement, left-click in the graphics window. Quick and easy!
• The tool is the same whether you are conducting a measurement in a part or assembly; however, in an assembly you are provided with a series of selection filter options to make selection easier.

Here are some measurement examples:

Measuring Entities and Points

• Select an edge to measure its length and select a second edge to measure the distance between them, as shown below.

 

• Select a circular edge to measure its diameter, radius, length, and angle, as shown below.

• Select a point to measure its location (X, Y, and Z) relative to the active coordinate system, as shown below. Select a second point to measure the distance between them. Individual position values are also measured. The midpoints of entities can also be selected as measurement references.

 

Measuring an Angle

• To measure an angular value, select linear references or faces as shown below. Alternatively, you can measure the angle created by three points by selecting the first two points, press and hold <Shift> and select the third point to define the angle. To measure the angular extent around a circular edge or arc, select it.

Measuring Planar Faces for Perimeter and Area

• Once a planar face is selected, the outside perimeter, the total loop perimeter (all edges that lie on the face), and the area of the face are displayed, as shown below.

 

Measuring Cylindrical Faces for Radius and Area

• Once a cylindrical reference is selected, the radius, diameter, total loop perimeter (all edges that lie on the face), and the area of the face are reported, as shown below.

Measure the Distance Between Components

To measure the minimum distance between components, change the filter option to Part or Component priority and then select two components in the model. Among other reported values, the Measure browser displays the minimum distance between the components, as well as individual solid volume measurements for each component.

I hope that this helps you become more familiar with using the new Measure tool in 2018! If you have any feedback please let me know. Good luck!

Jennifer

[email protected]