Navigation In Autodesk Inventor - The ZOOM Tool

PLATFORM: AUTODESK INVENTOR PROFESSIONAL 2011/2012

LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY: BEGINNERS

AUTHOR: NDIANABASI UDONKANG

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This is a continuation of the series of lessons for new Inventor Users. Check out this blog's table-of-content page for more topics in this series.

TOPIC: NAVIGATION IN AUTODESK INVENTOR - THE ZOOM TOOL

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

1. Download the dataset.
2. Save it to a project folder of an existing Inventor project. Set the project active. Learn more about Inventor Projects and Project Files.
3. Open the part file: Menu Browser > Open menu > Open > Navigation_Infant_Scooter_Front_End_Assy.iam

INTRODUCTION

Navigation in Autodesk Inventor embodies those operations carried out in order to view the model from different positions, directions (or orientations) and perspectives. When you navigate around your model, the position and orientation of the model with respect to the user-coordinate system is not altered.
Autodesk Inventor contains very interesting tools that allows you to have complete control of how your model is viewed and positioned in your Graphics Area.
The ZOOM tool allows you to magnify or de-magnify the view of your model in the Graphics Area.
Now let's use this analogy to help us visualize the work of the ZOOM tool. Imagine you discovered a blueprint of a secret government facility with lots of very tiny prints not easily readable by the naked eyes. You would probably use a hand glass( or lens) to magnify the prints so that you could easily read them. Now, the hand lens merely magnifies the view of the prints without affecting the actual sizes of the prints on the blueprint. This is the ZOOMING effect.
So the ZOOM tool merely allows you to magnify (increase) or de-magnify (decrease) the view of the model, without affecting the actual size of the model.

OBJECTIVES

At the end of this lesson, the reader should be able:

1. Explain the concept of navigation in Autodesk Inventor.
2. Explain the concept of the ZOOM tool.
3. Locate and use the ZOOM tool in Autodesk Inventor.

LOCATING THE ZOOM TOOL

We can locate the ZOOM tool in the following ways:

1. RIBBON

You can locate the ZOOM tool on the Ribbon by going to the View tab > Navigate panel and clicking on Zoom -
Refer to Figure 1 for guidance.

Once the ZOOM tool is launch, the mouse pointer arrow will change to a HAND-LENS pointer. Then you simply press down the left button on your mouse and drag the mouse to zoom your design.

2. NAVIGATION BAR

The ZOOM tool can also be launched from the Navigation Bar. The Navigation Bar is found at the right-hand side of the Graphics Area (in Inventor 2011 and above). Refer to Figure 2 for guidance.

Once the ZOOM tool is launch, the mouse pointer arrow will change to a HAND-LENS pointer. Then you simply press down the left button on your mouse and drag the mouse to zoom your design.

3. MOUSE WHEEL

The fastest way to launch the ZOOM tool is to use the mouse wheel of your external (or USB) mouse. To use this shortcut, you simply roll the mouse wheel forward or backward. By default, rolling the mouse wheel forward, zooms out (i.e. de-magnifies) the model. While, rolling the mouse wheel backwards, zooms in (i.e. magnifies) the model.
TO DO: Use the above-mentioned techniques to ZOOM the assembly in the dataset supplied.

THE ZOOM OPTIONS

The ZOOM options (sorry if I'm caught using an AutoCAD terminology) are the various ways you can use the ZOOM tool. In Inventor, we have:

1. The ZOOM All;
2. The (Dynamic or Realtime) ZOOM;
3. The ZOOM Window; and
4. The ZOOM Selected.

ZOOM All
The ZOOM All option allows you to bring all visible objects of your parts and assembly into view (i.e the Graphics Area is filled with all visible objects).
To use ZOOM All, do the following:

1. On the View tab > Navigation panel > Click the drop-down arrow beside Zoom All to reveal the other Zoom options. Refer to Figure 4.
2. Click Zoom All. If the model have been panned out of view, it will be brought inside the Graphics Area.

Note: You can also launch it from the Navigation Bar. Also note that if the Zoom All is already the default icon, you can click on it directly without having to click the drop-down arrow. This can be applied to any of the options.

(Dynamic or Realtime) ZOOM
The ZOOM option is known as Zoom Realtime in AutoCAD. It allows you to dynamically zoom in or out of your model (i.e it allows you to see how your model is zoom in or out in realtime).
To use the (Dynamic or Realtime) Zoom, do the following:

1. On the View tab > Navigation panel >Click the arrow beside Zoom All to reveal the other Zoom options. Refer to Figure 4.
2. Click Zoom. The mouse pointer will change to a big, black, bold, double-headed arrow.
3. Click and hold the left-mouse button and drag the mouse up or down to zoom out or in, respectively.

ZOOM Window
The ZOOM Window option allows you to zoom into a particular portion of your Graphics Area. When you use the ZOOM Window option, the Graphics Area is filled portion or area specified.
To use the ZOOM Window option, do the following:

1. On the View tab > Navigation panel >Click the arrow beside Zoom All to reveal the other Zoom options. Refer to Figure 4.
2. Click Zoom Window. The mouse pointer will change to a two mutually perpendicular lines.
3. Click on the Graphics Area and draw a bounding box over the portion of the Graphics Area (which could be your model) you wish to zoom into. Refer to Figure 5.

ZOOM Selected
The ZOOM Selected option allows you to zoom into a particular object of your part or assembly.
To use the ZOOM Selected option, do the following:

1. On the View tab > Navigation panel >Click the arrow beside Zoom All to reveal the other Zoom options. Refer to Figure 4.
2. Click Zoom Selected.
3. On the Model Browser, click Clip:1. The Graphics Area is filled with Clip.

HOT TIP:
You can perform Zoom All with your mouse. To do this, double click your mouse wheel!

I hope you learnt a lot from this lesson. If you have any questions, please drop a comment, and I will answer ASAP. Thank you.

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