Mod the Machine

Inventor API Fundamentals 001 - Getting Started

I plan on having a series of posts that are intended for those of you that are new to programming and/or Inventor's programming interface and want to get started writing programs for Inventor.  I'll also break in on the series occasionally with various other topics that are usually more advanced or that I find interesting at the moment.  This post is the first in the getting started series.  Here is the process I would suggest for anyone wanting to program Inventor.

1. Learn how to use Inventor interactively.  This is more important than you might think.  Most of Inventor’s programming interface is just an alternative way of doing the same things you do interactively through the user-interface.  For example, if you create an extrude feature through the user-interface you see the required input; profile, solid or surface output, operation, extent information, and taper angle.  You supply all of this information through the Extrude dialog and by interacting with the model.  To create an Extrude through the API you call a method that has exactly the same type of input.  The same set of information is being gathered by both the command (user-interface) and the programming interface and then both interfaces end up calling the same internal function to create the actual extrusion.
   
   Understanding how Inventor works and the requirements for the various commands is easiest to learn through the user-interface.  Since these same concepts also apply when using the programming interface it will make learning the programming interface much easier.
   
   
2. Choose and learn a programming language.  To effectively program you need to have a basic understanding of the programming language you’re using.  To effectively customize Inventor you DO NOT need to be an expert in that language.  Any language has a lot of features and intricacies that you could spend more time than most of us have learning them.  A basic understanding of the language should be enough.  In my next posting I’ll discuss several different languages and the pros and cons of each.
   
   
3. Begin learning Inventor’s programming interface.  There are some basic concepts to learn to get started and then you can expand into different functional areas of Inventor.  You don’t need to learn the entire API at once.  Looking at different areas of the Inventor's API will be a running theme of this blog. 

So, for now just keep working with Inventor and we’ll look at programming languages next time.

Welcome

Welcome to Mod the Machine, a blog for those interested in Autodesk Inventor’s API (Application Programming Interface).  First, you’re probably wondering what’s the deal with the name of this blog.  I was recently introduced to gaming by some colleagues here at Autodesk for the Friday evening game of Wolfenstein – Enemy Territory.  I learned that it’s possible to download enhancements to the game and these enhancements are called modifications or mods.  If we apply this gaming terminology to Inventor, you’re writing mods for Inventor when you customize it. The “Machine” portion of the name indicates this is a manufacturing related blog, and in this case will mostly be limited to Autodesk Inventor.

Now to introduce myself; I’ve been with Autodesk for 10 years and am part of the Inventor API development team.  My primary role is as a product designer which means I specify what Inventor’s programming interface will look like.  I share this role with a couple of colleagues (Sanjay Ramaswamy and Venkatesh Thiyagarajan). In addition to product design I also get to work with customers and developers to learn more about their programming requirements and help them in their use of the API.  This blog is also a new endeavor in this role.

I got started in CAD back in 1977 when my high school drafting class went on a field trip to Brigham Young University to learn more about their CAD related degree.  I was hooked with the first demo.  Not too much later I was in the program at BYU, which was essentially mechanical engineering with a CAD focus.  After graduation I worked at Intergraph where I spent the first 9 years working as an application engineer.  All of this time I never thought of myself as a programmer but as a CAD user that liked to write the occasional program.  When Intergraph began developing Solid Edge they asked me to design the programming interface.  I didn’t feel qualified since I wasn’t a programmer, but they said they didn’t want a programmer to design it but wanted it to have more of an end-user focus.  That began my involvement in the CAD API world which continues today.

I see CAD as a very powerful and useful tool for various types of design but in many cases the off-the-shelf product isn’t quite what you need.  By providing a programming interface, Inventor allows you to customize it to be the “perfect” CAD system for you.  Much of my focus in this blog will be to those CAD users looking at programming to try and make their job easier. 

If you have ideas for topics please email them to me at brian.ekins@autodesk.com.  Of course you shouldn’t consider this blog or emails as a support mechanism because there’s no guarantee that I’ll get to all of the topics, but I would like to hear your ideas and comments.