TAD 330- Making Isometric & Exploded Assembly View Drawings

The following will show you how to create the first two pages of the engineering design packet for TAD 330, which are the isometric & exploded views of a completed assembly.

Supplies

Completed .iam assembly file created in Autodesk Inventor (the 2019 version is used here)

Step 1: In Inventor, Create a New Drawing (.idw).

Open Inventor.
Select File->New->Drawing
Click ANSI (mm).idw

Step 2: Format the Drawing Size

Under the "Drawing Resources" tab,
- Select "Sheet Formats"
  - Select "B Size, 2 view"

Step 3: Import Your Assembly File Into the Drawing

After selecting B size, a prompt will appear to select the document you wish to include in the drawing.
- Select the document.
- Click "Open", then click "OK".

Step 4: Open the Drawing and Delete View 1

Delete the view that Inventor automatically applies, since an isometric view of the assembly is needed.

Step 5: Under "place Views", Create a New Base View

Step 6: Format the New Base View

The view will need to be adjusted so that it is isometric.
- Click the "Home" icon on the navigation cube to orient it correctly.
The scale used in this example is 1/2
The correct style for all isometric projections is shaded with no hidden lines visible.
Click "OK" once all of the above steps have been completed.

Step 7: Center the Isometric Base View

Center the isometric projection of the assembly to make it look presentable.
Remember, this is the very first page of the design packet!

Step 8: Create a Text Box & Fill Out Title Block Info

Under the "Annotate" tab, click on "Text"
- This will allow you to create a text box anywhere on the drawing.
In the box above the "TITLE" block, make a text box and type "BEREA COLLEGE" in 9.53mm font.
In the larger title box below, make a text box and put the name of the assembly in 7mm font.
- In this example, it is the Leveling Assembly from Chapter 12.

Step 9: Create a New Sheet for Page 2-- the Exploded Assembly View

Under "Place Views", click "New Sheet".

Step 10: In Order to Create an Exploded View of the Assembly, Create a Presentation

"File"-->"New"-->Presentation--> Standard (mm).ipn
Click "Create".

Step 11: In the Presentation, Select the Assembly File.

Once the assembly file has been selected, click "Open".

Step 12: Explode the Assembly

To explode the assembly, click "Tweak Components".

Step 13: Select and Explode Multiple Parts

While holding down the "Ctrl" key, select the parts which you would like to move together.

Step 14: Tweak the Lifting Block Up 180 Mm

Ensure that both "Tweak Components" and the Lifting Block part are selected.
Click on the direction arrow pointing upwards (Y-axis).
In the dialog box, type in "180".
The part will then move upwards by 180mm.
Click the green check to confirm this movement.

Step 15: Tweak the Sliding Block and Adjusting Screw Up 120 Mm

Ensure "Tweak Components" is selected.
Use Ctrl + click to select both the Sliding Block and Adjusting Screw.
Click on the direction arrow pointing upwards (Y-axis).
In the dialog box, type in "120".
The parts will then move upwards by 120mm.
Click the green check to confirm this movement.

Step 16: Tweak the Adjusting Screw 100 Mm to the Right

Ensure "Tweak Components" is selected.
Select the Adjusting Screw.
Click on the direction arrow pointing to the right (Z-axis).
In the dialog box, type in "100".
The part will then move 100mm to the right.
Click the green check to confirm this movement.

Step 17: Be Sure That the View of Individual Parts Is Unobstructed.

Step 18: Take a Snapshot View of the Fully Tweaked Assembly.

Under "Presentation", click "New Snapshot View".
This will take a snapshot of the tweaked assembly, so it can be used in a drawing.

Step 19: Save the Presentation File.

Step 20: Import the Snapshot View to the Drawing.

On Sheet 2 under "Place Views", click "Base"
The exploded assembly should automatically pop up.
- If it does not, search for the right file before continuing.

Step 21: Format the Exploded View.

Be sure to format and orient this exploded view in the same way as the non-exploded isometric view on page 1.
- No hidden lines, shaded, and same scale (in this example, 1/2).
Offset this view to the left side a bit as room will be needed to fit the parts list and balloons.
Click "OK".

Step 22: Create a Parts List.

Under "Annotate", select "PartsList".
Select the exploded view as the document you wish to have a Parts List for.
Click "OK".
An outline of the Parts List box will appear; drag this to the top right corner of the drawing.

Step 23: Edit the Parts List to Include "Material" Column Instead of "Description"

To execute this, double-click on the Parts List.
A dialog box will pop up.
In this box, select "ColumnChooser" (the leftmost button).
In the "Selected Properties" column, click on "Description", then select "Remove".
Under "Available Properties", click on "Material", then select "Add" to add it to the "Selected Properties" list.
Click "OK".

Step 24: Neaten the Parts List

Get rid of unnecessary spaces in the parts list by dragging the columns left or right to minimize them.

Step 25: Under "Annotate", Select "Auto Balloon".

Balloons will allow the parts in the exploded assembly to be easily identified and compared against the parts list.

Step 26: Click All Parts in the Assembly to Automatically Bring Up the Balloons

To make sure all of the parts in the assembly have a balloon, ensure that when a part is selected, it turns blue.
All the blue-outlined parts will have a balloon designated to them.

Step 27: Right Click, Then Click Continue

Step 28: Drag the Balloons Away From the Exploded View, Then Click to Place Them.

After placing the balloons, click "OK".

Step 29: Neaten the Balloons

For maximum neatness, ensure that the balloons are somewhat aligned to each other, or that their lines are parallel.

Step 30: Place Title Block Information.

Instead of creating new text boxes for sheet 2 and typing the same information, the text boxes created in sheet 1 can be copied and pasted into the title block in sheet 2.
When pasting the copied boxes into sheet 2, the outline of two boxes will appear in green.
Align them within the title blocks and then left-click to paste.
Press the "Esc" key once complete.