AutoCAD user using Inventor File Question

[WaterWhiz]

All,

I am trying to find the easiest way to organize my files.

I am a experienced AutoCAD user who thinks of parts as blocks and .Iam as Dwgs. I use inventor to see if X assembly will fit inside a Y assembly, create an .idw and export as an AutoCAD DWG. Cut what I need from the exported 2D idw and put into a detailed native AutoCAD DWG. I find Inventor very efficient for manipulating 3D entities and creating 2D views. However, file management is killing me in Inventor.

Is it possible to do the following? Example: I designing a Pump Station. I need to have a very detailed drawing of the pump station for use in my detail drawing. I create and export the pump station in Inventor and insert it into my AutoCAD dwg. When completed I label the AutoCAD DWG "Jones Pump Station". I want to keep the Inventor Pump files with the Jones Drawing. The Problem is when I get a New Client named "Brown" ideally all I want to do is open the Jones Pump station and save as Brown Pump Station. This does not work because I need to create a Brown Active Directory, Put all the Parts of Jones in a Brown folder. Also, I would like to be able to copy a part from the Smith pump station but that causes even more issues etc etc.  

Is it possible to have ONE massive central master file and not have to duplicate every part for every Assembly I create? AND Have only two files ".IAM/.IDW" in every one of my Client folders?

Thanks

[coreyparks]

If I understand properly that shouldn't be a problem at all.  We would create directories with all of our component parts and then build up assemblies that varied but used most of the same parts over and over.  If we had another job that was identical or very similar we copied only the top level IAM and IDW using the Design assistant to the new customer directory and then made modification as required.  It also made this all much easier when we created a single master Project file that referenced all part file location at all times.  We had started with making project files per job but it got too difficult to manage and modify them on the fly.

[mcgyvr]

I'm still trying to wrap my head around why anyone with Inventor would use Autocad still for most of the work.

no really..

[WaterWhiz]

Because 90% of what I do is 2D land design and inventor is used to create some details.

Aaron Smith
(352) 434-5015

[PaulMunford]

Why don't you use DWG for both?

Don't forget about the 'replace model reference' tool.