Tutorial: Getting Started
Learn how to use the ribbon, mouse controls, view controls, and how to create a force and draw direction.
In this lesson you will learn about:
- The ribbon
- Importing files
- View controls
- Showing and hiding parts
- Creating and editing forces
- Creating and editing draw directions
Explore the Ribbon
- Start Inspire.
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The ribbon across the top of the application displays all of the tools
available in Inspire. Click on the tabs at the top of the
ribbon to switch between the various menus and ribbons.
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Each icon on the ribbon provides access to one or more tools. As you mouse over
an icon, the individual tools glow with a blue border.
Tip: To find and open a tool, press Ctrl+F. For more information, see Find and Search for Tools.
- Click the icon next to the ribbon tabs to create a custom ribbon.
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Click the Custom tab to view the custom ribbon. The
Home icon group is automatically included.
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Drag and drop tool icons on the ribbon to the Custom
tab. You can also drag and drop to rearrange the order of the icons along the
custom ribbon.
- Right-click an icon or a custom ribbon tab to rename or delete it.
Open the Dual Bracket Model
- Press F7 to open the Demo Browser.
- In the Structures folder, double-click the dual bracket.stmod file to load it in the modeling window.
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If not already visible, press F2 to open the Model
Browser.
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Click on the Unit System Selector in the lower right
corner of the modeling window, and set the display units to MKS (m kg
N s).
Use the View Controls
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Pan the model by holding down the right mouse button
while dragging the mouse. Press the C key and click a
point on the model to center it around that point.
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Rotate the model by holding down both the Shift key and
the right mouse button while dragging the mouse. This
rotation method is called turntable rotation and is useful if your
model's vertical direction is aligned with the z-axis.
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Now hold down the middle mouse button while dragging the
mouse. This is called trackball rotation and is useful for tumbling
your model in any direction. Press the N key to rotate
the model to the closest principal axes.
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Use the scroll wheel to zoom centered on the mouse
cursor. To zoom around the center of the modeling window, press the
Ctrl + Shift keys and drag the middle
mouse button vertically.
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The view controls are located in the lower left corner of the modeling window.
Click the icon in the lower left corner of the modeling window or press the
F key to fit the entire model in the view.
Note: If parts are selected rather than the entire model, clicking the icon will zoom in on the selected parts. Clicking the icon again will zoom out to show the entire model. Try pressing F repeatedly with different parts selected to see the effect.
Note: To customize your mouse controls to mimic a different application, select
File > Preferences to open the Preferences window. Then
select Mouse Controls > Presets and choose an application
from the drop-down list.
Show and Hide Parts
- Click the Show/Hide icon in the lower left corner of the modeling window.
- Hover over a part. The mouse cursor will change to , indicating that you are in show/hide mode.
- Left-click one or more parts in the modeling window. The parts turn transparent as you select them and are grayed out in the Model Browser.
- Right-click to exit the show/hide mode. The selected objects are hidden in the modeling window.
- To show parts that are hidden, select the Show/Hide tool again.
- Click on a transparent part while holding down the Shift key. While the Shift key is pressed, the cursor changes to .
- Click on the remaining transparent parts, then right-click and mouse through the check mark or double-right-click to exit show/hide mode.
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Using keyboard shortcuts is another way you can show, hide, or isolate
parts.
- Press the A key to show all parts, or to hide all visible, unselected parts.
- Press the H key to hide selected parts.
- Press the I key to isolate selected parts.
- Press the R key to reverse the selection (hide all selected parts, and show all hidden parts).
Apply a Force and Draw Direction
- Select one of the brackets and press the I key to isolate it.
- Select the Structure tab on the ribbon
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Click the Apply Force tool on the
Loads icon.
Tip: To find and open a tool, press Ctrl+F. For more information, see Find and Search for Tools. - Move the mouse cursor over the front face of the bracket and left-click to apply a distributed force.
- A microdialog appears when creating or editing forces. Enter 45 N in the text field and click the +/- button to change the direction of the force.
- Right-click and mouse through the check mark to exit, or double-right-click.
- Apply a draw direction constraint to the bracket by left-clicking the Draw Direction tool on the Shape Controls icon. (You'll learn more about draw directions in later tutorials.)
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Click the Single Draw tool on the secondary
ribbon.
Tip: To find and open a tool, press Ctrl+F. For more information, see Find and Search for Tools.
- Left-click the bracket. A blue plane appears with four corner arrows pointing toward the face of the bracket, indicating the draw direction (the direction the mold will be pulled away from the part).
- Right-click and mouse through the check mark to exit, or double-right-click.
Edit the Force and Draw Direction
- Double-click the blue plane to edit the draw direction. You are now in edit mode, and a microdialog appears.
- Click one of the gray planes to activate it and change the orientation of the draw direction.
- Right-click and mouse through the check mark to exit, or double-right-click.
- Double-click the red force arrow on the front face. You are now in edit mode, and a microdialog reappears.
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You can edit the force by entering a magnitude in the text field, or change its
direction by pressing the +/-, X, Y, Z buttons.
Note: To quickly edit an integer value in a microdialog, highlight any digits in the number and use the scroll wheel on the mouse.
- You can also create more forces by selecting another face, as shown below:
- Right-click and mouse through the check mark to exit, or double-right-click.