Abstract: The software Inventor is an intelligent tool for 3-D mechanical design. It is used in the present study to design mechanical equipment such as steel structure, bollard, and flume with variable slope, and has efficiently and accurately solved practical engineering problems. The basic functions of Inventor are presented by introducing design examples, which shows that Inventor is a crucial tool for the description and expression of engineering techniques and scientific research results. Utilization of Inventor is a key to master engineering design, and is essential for the creativity and innovation of engineering technique and scientific research.

Key words: software Inventor, water conservancy and hydropower, engineering technique, scientific research