by Chris Smith

When you're working in a CAD environment like Autodesk Inventor, efficiency is key. A well-organised, customised interface can significantly speed up your workflow, reduce frustration, and make you more productive. In this blog post, we’ll explore how you can tweak and personalise your Autodesk Inventor interface to suit your specific needs.

Why Customise the Autodesk Inventor Interface?

Autodesk Inventor comes with a powerful and versatile set of tools, but the default interface is designed to suit a wide range of users. By customising it to match your personal preferences and workflow, you can:

• Reduce the time spent searching for tools.
• Simplify repetitive tasks.
• Improve focus by decluttering the workspace.
• Enhance overall productivity.

Let’s dive into the various ways you can customise your Autodesk Inventor interface to optimise your design experience.

1. Ribbon Customisation

The ribbon is the central hub for tools and commands in Autodesk Inventor. By default, it is organised into tabs based on the type of task you’re working on (Model, Assemble, etc.). You can modify the ribbon to make frequently used tools more accessible.

How to Customise the Ribbon:

1. Right-click on any part of the ribbon.
2. Choose “Customise User Commands” from the context menu.
3. This will open the Customise dialog box, where you can add or remove commands from the ribbon, create custom tabs, and reorder existing tools.
4. Drag your frequently used tools to your new custom tab for quick access.

2. Quick Access Toolbar Customisation

The Quick Access Toolbar is located at the top of the Inventor window and allows you to access commonly used commands with a single click. By default, this toolbar includes tools like Save, Undo and Redo, but you can add or remove commands to tailor it to your needs.

How to Customise the Quick Access Toolbar:

1. Click the down arrow on the Quick Access Toolbar.
2. From the dropdown menu, check or uncheck the commands you want to appear.
3. For additional commands, select More Commands…, which opens the same Customise dialog box as with the ribbon.
4. Add or remove commands as needed and reorder them to your liking.

3. Keyboard Shortcuts for Faster Navigation

Keyboard shortcuts are one of the most efficient ways to speed up your workflow. Autodesk Inventor allows you to assign custom shortcuts to your most-used tools. This can greatly reduce the time spent hunting through menus or ribbons for commands.

How to Customise Keyboard Shortcuts:

1. Go to the Tools tab in the ribbon and select Customise in the Options panel.
2. Click the Keyboard tab in the Customise window.
3. In the dialog box, search for the command you want to create a shortcut for.
4. Type in your desired key combination, and press Assign.
5. Hit OK to save your changes.

4. Custom Tool Panels and Workspaces

Autodesk Inventor allows you to create custom tool panels and workspaces that align with specific tasks. For example, if you’re focused on modelling, you may not need the same set of tools as you do when you’re assembling or creating drawings.

How to Create Custom Workspaces:

1. Click on the View tab in the ribbon.
2. Select User Interface and check the elements you want visible (e.g. Browser, Model or Marking Menus).
3. Once you’ve adjusted your toolbars and windows to your liking, go to Options (under the Tools tab) and save the current workspace under My Workspaces.

5. The Marking Menu: A Hidden Productivity Booster

The Marking Menu is a radial menu that appears when you right-click in the graphics area, providing quick access to contextual commands. You can customise this menu to include your favourite tools, making it a great shortcut for frequent tasks.

How to Customise the Marking Menu:

1. Right-click in the graphics window and choose Customise.
2. In the Customise window, navigate to the Marking Menu tab.
3. Drag and drop commands into different quadrants of the menu.
4. Assign tools that are often used together to create a fluid workflow.

6. Custom Command Aliases

Command aliases allow you to type shortcuts directly into the command line (similar to AutoCAD). This feature can be customised to match your preferences and provide yet another layer of efficiency.

How to Set Up Command Aliases:

1. In the Tools tab, go to Customise and click on the Keyboard tab.
2. Select Command Aliases from the dropdown menu.
3. Create a custom alias for commonly used commands, like "L" for Line or "C" for Circle.
4. Test your new aliases by typing them into the command line at the bottom of the interface.

Conclusion

Customising Autodesk Inventor is a game-changer when it comes to enhancing productivity. By optimising your ribbon, quick access toolbar, keyboard shortcuts and workspaces, you can create an environment tailored to your workflow. This not only makes your design process faster but also reduces mental fatigue by removing unnecessary clutter from the interface.

Take the time to experiment with these customisation options, and soon you’ll find yourself working more efficiently and enjoying a smoother design experience in Autodesk Inventor.