This paper is about the educational experience of teaching mechanical design using the software: Autodesk Inventor at Miguel Hernandez University in Elche, Spain.

With the graphical program Autodesk Inventor pieces in 3 dimensions can be drawn very easily with the same sequence of performance that would demand its later manufacture in the factory, that allows the student easily understand the processes of mechanized. Once created the pieces, the Inventor automatically generates drawings for factories, and the listings of necessary elements, you can even analyse tensions of the each piece and you can create videos of movements and assembly.

Some advantages of using this software are:
•Autodesk Inventor user interface looks familiar because it looks like Windows.
•Inventor is intuitive features – like simplified menus, intelligently selected options, and tools to pinpoint and repair failures.
•The Panel Bar is a special palette of tools. When you open a new part, the Panel Bar contains a set of sketching commands (Sketch). Once you have finished sketching, the commands in the Panel Bar automatically change to Features. This way very few icons are displayed at the same time and they come and go as needed.
•There are some normalized components prepared for the users, to let them design mechanical machines more easily.
•Inventor provides an intuitive 3D design environment for creating parts and assemblies. It enables engineers to focus on a design’s function to drive the automatic creation of intelligent components such as steel frames, rotating machinery, tube and pipe runs, electrical cables, and wire harnesses.
•The Inventor model is a 3D digital prototype that helps users to visualize, simulate, and analyze how a design will work under real-world conditions before a product or part is ever built.
•And more…..

Using teaching experiences it has been published 2 books:
•Initiation to the Engineering design with Autodesk Inventor.
•Drawing Mechanical groups.

The first one explain to the pupils step by step how to use the software and how to use each tool to draw correctly each part of the group, and how to obtain plans of each component and group.
You can also obtain videos of the group movement and video of the assembly of the pieces.
The book presents 5 parts: pieces, assembly, sheet metal option, surfaces, and drawings.
It is tried that the user is assuming the philosophy of work with this tool by drawing pieces that present a process of increasing difficulty.
The process of design starts with a concept sketch. The sketch is then develops as more detail is added. Next, an initial drawing layout is started that starts to size and locate parts. Again, more detail is added. Calculations are done as needed, for example to determinate parameters of an engagement.

The second book present several design projects. Each project is presented as stand-alone entity. No project is related to any other. All the information needed to understand the mechanical operation is presented with the project, and each project can have several variations. You can see in the book that the final drawing is the result of a series of developmental steps. The book includes a CD with videos of the movement of the machines.
Some of the mechanical groups included are: speed reducer, machine to saw, elevator brake control, tensile with pulley, motor, etc.

Keywords: Autodesk Inventor, pieces, components, assembly, drawings, project.