This guide explains the sections of the Parts Library in MachineBuilder to help you navigate and select components for your Vention assembly. Location and Overview The Parts Library is located on the left side of your screen and contains all the components you need to design your assembly. It is divided into six categories: Parts, Add-Ons, Software, My Models, Public Models, Favorites Category Breakdown Parts This section contains the components supplied by Vention that you can design with. It  is organized into subcategories for easy discovery. Click a category to expand and view its components. Part Viewer : Located at the bottom of the library, it shows details of the most recently selected component, including: Name, Part number, Price and Stock availability Search Bar : Use the search bar at the top to quickly find specific components. Add-Ons This section contains additional components you can add to your cart. These …

… Solid Edge (.par) Parasolid (.x_t) Unigraphics-NX (.prt) Autodesk Inventor (.ipt) Creo - Pro/E (.prt) You also have the option to import in STEP, STL or IGES. Your design possibilities now extend far beyond the Parts Library. You can now instantly visualize your own components side-by-side with Vention Parts, directly from your favorite CAD system. How to import a CAD file into a Design Importing parts in Vention is simple. From the MachineBuilder you just have to open the menu in the top left corner and select CAD file import. A new “Part Importer” window will appear that will ask you to select your file you would like to import. You can either click on “Select your file” or drag a file into the window. After selecting your part, change to the “Add Connectors” tab. From here, select the “add connector” icon and attach it to the …

This guide explains the snapping increment functionality in MachineBuilder. What is a snapping increment? The snapping increment serves two purposes: It presets the spacing for attaching components. It controls the resolution (jump distance) when translating a component using the slider. Why use the 45mm increment? We recommend using the 45mm increment, as the Vention ecosystem is designed around this measurement. It helps avoid misalignment and provides a smoother design experience. Unit & Increment Selection Choose metric or imperial units from the dropdown menu. Below that, select the snapping increment, which defines the distance between snapping points. Snapping (Attaching) Parts When moving components for attachment, connector icons appear on the secondary component at intervals matching the selected increment, allowing you to snap parts together accordingly. Translating Parts Once a component is attached, you may translate it to another location. The snapping increment controls how far parts will “jump” during translation.

This guide shows you how to navigate in 3D space within MachineBuilder. We recommend using a mouse while using MachineBuilder and not a trackpad. Zooming In/Out Use your mouse’s scroll wheel to zoom in and out of your design. By default, scrolling up will zoom in and scrolling down will zoom out. You can invert this in mouse settings in the Settings menu. Panning Click and hold the right mouse button, then drag your mouse across the design space to pan. Rotating There are three ways to rotate your view in MachineBuilder. Click and hold the scroll wheel, then drag your mouse across the design space to rotate 3your view around the initially clicked point. Hold the space bar, click and hold the left mouse button, and then drag your mouse across the design space to rotate your view around the initially clicked point. Hover your cursor over …

Increase your design efficiency in MachineBuilder by mastering these essential shortcuts. Reinsert Component Quickly reinsert the most recently used component without returning to the parts library. Select the part from your existing design that you wish to reinsert. Press i on your keyboard to snap another instance of the component to your cursor.i Left-click in the design space to place the part at the desired location. Hide Parts Temporarily hide selected components from view while keeping them in the design and the Bill of Materials (BOM). Select the components you want to hide. Press Ctrl + H to hide them. Note: Hidden components cannot be interacted with. Isolate Parts Focus on selected components by hiding everything else from view. Hidden components remain in the design and BOM. Select the components to isolate. Press Ctrl + J to display only the selected components. Unhide Components Reveal all hidden components and make …

Learn how to use MachineBuilder’s Automated Design Checker to validate and improve your Vention assembly by detecting and resolving key design issues. Feature Overview The Automated Design Checker is a smart tool that scans your assembly to identify and assist in resolving design issues. It checks for potential errors such as: Missing End Caps Missing Plates or Frame Connectors Proper Usage of Profiles Unformed Connections Floating Components Interfering Components Missing Panel Holes Missing Automation Components Obsolete or Deprecated Components Hidden Components Using the Automated Design Checker Select Automated Design Check from the Navigation Bar. The tool will scan your design and display any detected issues in a notification window. Expand any section to view the list of identified issues. Click an error name to snap the camera to the issue and highlight the relevant components. Resolve the issues using one of the following methods: Add Component: If an Add …

How to export a Vention design as a STEP file? Exporting a design from Vention is super simple. You can either do it from the MachineBuilder or from the design summary page. From the MachineBuilder you just have to open the menu in the top left corner and select CAD file export. A loading window will appear while the STEP file is generating and tell you that your Vention assembly is ready to download. From the design summary page you can download it from the “Documentation” section by clicking on “3D Model” under “Technical Documents” highlighted in blue below Exporting your Vention assembly as a STEP file A STEP file is the most widely used type file to represent a 3D objects. It is like the universal language of CAD software. Being able to export your Vention assembly as a STEP file will allow you to visualize it in your …

This guide explains how to use the measurement tools in MachineBuilder. Face to Face This tool allows you to measure the distance between two parallel planar surfaces. From the measurement tool drop-down, select “Measure Face to Face”. Once selected, left-click on the first planar surface in your design to set the starting point. Then, left-click on the second parallel planar surface to measure the distance between them. Tip: Use the shortcut “M” on your keyboard to open the face-to-face measurement tool. Edge This tool allows you to measure the length of an edge or the radius of a circular feature. From the measurement tool drop-down, select “Measure Edge”. After selecting it, left-click on the desired linear edge to get the length, or on a circular edge to measure the radius. Tip: Use the shortcut “E” on your keyboard to open the Edge measurement …

This guide explains how to select multiple parts at once in MachineBuilder using both click and drag window methods. Ctl + Click To select multiple parts at once, hold Ctrl and Left-click on each subsequent part. Left Drag Select Click and hold the left mouse button in open space, then drag from left to right. This action creates a drag window that selects all parts fully inside it. Right Drag Select Click and hold the left mouse button in open space, then drag from right to left. This action creates a drag window that selects all parts that come in contact with it.

This guide will show you the basics of inserting a component into your MachineBuilder design using our click-and-click interface. Inserting a component without connections Inserting a component requires just two mouse clicks. First, left-click the desired part in the parts library to select it. Then, left-click in your design space to insert it. The part will be added at the clicked location. You can adjust the part’s orientation by pressing the left or right arrow keys before inserting it into your design. Inserting a component with a connection to another part Select your desired part in the parts library by left-clicking on it. Then, move your cursor over to your structure. As you approach, it automatically snaps to the closest point at the preset Snapping Increment. Once snapped, adjust the orientation using the left and right arrow keys on your keyboard or screen. Finally …

Overview Vention cloud-based MachineBuilder offers an intuitive 3D environment to quickly assemble industrial equipment. Unlike a traditional CAD, Vention’s approach to “assembly constraints” does not rely on connections between faces and edges of selected parts. Instead, Vention’s assembly constraints are based on “automatic connection,” with each connector defining all degrees of freedom of a given part. In most cases, this means that each new part can be added and constrained to an assembly in a single mouse click. This means that a user who masters the guide below can design industrial equipment in literally minutes, instead of hours or days. In this how-to guide, we will cover basic, as well as more advanced, part insertion and connection functionalities of the Vention MachineBuilder platform. Inserting and connecting parts Unlike traditional CAD software, Vention’s cloud-based MachineBuilder does not require users to insert parts into the 3D …

This guide explains how to import custom components into MachineBuilder for use in your designs. Feature Overview Importing components into MachineBuilder allows users to design with custom parts, which behave like standard Vention components and work with all shortcuts. However, imported components: Do not appear in the Bill of Materials (BOM). Are not provided by Vention upon purchase of a design. Supported File Types: .step, .stp, .sldprt, .stl, .iges, .igs, .prt, .catpart, .asm, .par, .ipt, .x_b, .x_t Steps to Import a CAD File Step 1: Select Your CAD Model Open the Import Window: Option 1: From the menu in the top-left corner of the navigation bar, select CAD File Import . Option 2: Navigate to the My Models section of the parts library and click Import Parts . Upload Your File: Click Select Your File or drag and drop your file into the import window. After selecting your file …

This guide explains how to change navigation controls in MachineBuilder and what the controls are. How to change navigation controls Open the menu in the top left corner and s elect Settings. Go to Mouse Settings. Under Change Default Mouse Settings, select your preferred controls. Vention Controls (Default) Zoom: Scroll up to zoom in, down to zoom out. Pan: Click and hold the right mouse button, then drag.. Rotate: Click and hold the middle mouse button, then drag to rotate. Solidworks Controls Zoom: Scroll wheel or hold Shift + middle mouse button and drag. Pan: Hold Control + middle mouse button and drag. Rotate: Click and hold the middle mouse button, then drag. Creo Controls Zoom: Scroll wheel or hold Control + middle mouse button and drag. Pan: Hold Shift + middle mouse button and drag. Rotate: Click and hold the middle mouse button, then drag. AutoCAD Zoom: Scroll wheel. Pan: Middle mouse button …

What is T-slot Surface Translation? T-slot surface translation allows you to slide individual or grouped components along the slotted surfaces of Vention's extrusions and actuator bodies, enabling easy repositioning during the design phase. Note: This differs from a Degree of Freedom (DOF), as it applies to component relocation in the design phase rather than available part motion in the final assembly. Selecting an Individual Component for Translation Select your Component with a left-click. If it can be translated, a slider will appear. Move the Component by dragging the slider in the desired direction to reposition the component. Any connected components will highlight and move along with the selected component. Note: The slider's range ensures components remain connected to the assembly. If no slider appears, the component is fully constrained. Translating in Multiple Directions If a component can move in multiple directions, all available sliders will …

This guide explains how to use the copy-and-paste functionality in MachineBuilder to streamline your design workflow. Copy & Paste Within a Single Design Select Parts to Copy: Highlight all the parts you want to duplicate in your design. Copy Parts: Press Ctrl + C on your keyboard to copy the selected parts. Paste at Cursor Location: Press Ctrl + V to paste the copied parts at your cursor’s current location. Copy & Paste Between Designs Select and Copy: Highlight the parts you wish to copy in one design and press Ctrl + C to copy them. Switch Designs: Navigate to the second design in a different tab within the same browser. Paste in New Design: Press Ctrl + V to paste the copied parts into the secondary design.

This guide will show you how to add and edit comments in MachineBuilder to better collaborate on Vention’s platform. Opening the Comments Window To leave comments, click the speech bubble icon in the top navigation bar. Add a Comment Click the Add Comment icon. Type your message. Click Submit to publish. Comments are automatically timestamped and include the author’s name. Pin Comments to Specific Locations Click the Pin icon. Place it on the desired location in your design. Optionally, adjust the pin’s color for better visibility. Clicking a pinned comment will adjust the camera to the view where the pin was placed. Edit or Delete a Comment Click the drop-down menu in the top-right corner of the comment. Select Edit or Delete as needed. Replying to Comments Collaborators can reply to existing comments. Replies are timestamped and appear threaded under the original comment. Resolving Comments …

This guide explains how to export your design from MachineBuilder as a STEP file. Exporting a Design from MachineBuilder Access CAD File Export: Navigate to the menu in the top-left corner of the navigation bar and select CAD File Export . Convert to STEP File: The system will process your design and convert it to a STEP file. Download the File: Once the conversion is complete, click Download Now to download your STEP file. Exporting a Design from the Design Page Open Documentation: Scroll down on the design page and select Documentation from the left-hand menu. Generate STEP File: Click 3D Model to generate the STEP file for your design. Download the File: The download will start automatically after the STEP file is generated.

This guide explains how to resize single and multiple extrusions in MachineBuilder. Resize on Insertion When inserting a new extrusion, resize it by dragging the arrow at the end. Click elsewhere in the design space or press “Escape” to confirm. Resize Single Extrusion To resize an already placed extrusion, right-click and select “Resize Extrusion.” Drag the arrows at the ends to adjust the length, then click outside the design space or press “Escape” to confirm. Tip: Use the “L” shortcut after selecting the extrusion to resize. Resize Multiple Extrusions To resize multiple parallel extrusions at once, select them all, then either press “L” or right-click and choose “Resize Selected Extrusion.” Drag the arrows at the ends to adjust the length, then click outside the design space or press “Escape” to confirm.

Learn how to use the Point-to-Point Connection tool in MachineBuilder to attach components or subassemblies at precise locations. This tool is ideal for fine-tuning designs. Activate the Tool Select Point-to-Point Connection from the Navigation Bar or press P on your keyboard to enable the tool. This allows you to select specific connection points on your assembly. The Snapping Increment determines the spacing between selectable points on extrusion bodies. Select Connection Points: Left-click to choose a connection point on the first component or assembly. Left-click again to select a point on the secondary component or assembly to attach it. The first component will snap towards the stationary secondary assembly. Adjust Orientation: If multiple orientations are possible, use the on-screen arrows or keyboard arrow keys to adjust the part's orientation. Click elsewhere or press Enter to confirm placement. Note: You cannot select two …