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Inventor DWG Opening in AutoCAD as Lines?

7 REPLIES 7
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Message 1 of 8
AnchorChain
1865 Views, 7 Replies

Inventor DWG Opening in AutoCAD as Lines?

All of our drawings that we create in Inventor are created as Inventor DWGs.  When these drawings are then opened in AutoCAD they are basically pictures with dimensions.  The drawing in AutoCAD is only available in paper space, if you open model space tab it's empty.  When our customers request an AutoCAD drawing of our equipment to place into their AutoCAD layout they can not use the drawings that we are sending them created as Inventor DWGs.  They can't use them because the drawing views can not be taken off of the drawing.  We however receive drawings from some of our vendors that were created in 3D software and the drawings are saved out somehow to AutoCAD in model space as lines, a "true" AutoCAD drawing.

 

How can I export, save down, or break links of a drawing created as an Inventor DWG so that when it opens in AutoCAD it is lines and I can simply copy, paste, or scale similar to any generic AutoCAD drawing?

 

I know I can use the Design Center and pull out blocks of the views and then paste and explode those blocks but that's not what I want to do if I can help it.  Especially if I have to explain to everyone I send it to "this is how you do it".  We already have customers complaining.

Thanks,

Mechanical Engineer
Inventor 2014 Ultimate
Windows 8 Pro
7 REPLIES 7
Message 2 of 8

1. In Autocad if you use Design Center (CONTENT) and browse to the Inventor DWG file each of the views is available as a 1:1 block that can be placed directly into the Autocad drawing. If the Inventor drawing is updated you can use redefine block to update the blocks in your Autocad drawing.

 

Or

 

2. In the Inventor DWG file you can right click on a view and select 'Send to Model Space' this will send the linework to model space and it can then be xref or blocked into an Autocad drawing. If you go into the model space tab that is created in the Inventor dwg after sending to model space it looks empty but this is because the background is black and the linework is black. You can right click on the model tab and change the background colour so you can see the linework if needed. The xref will update but the block would need to be redefined as  per the first method.

 

Or

 

3. You can open the Inventor dwg in Autocad, right click the layout tab and select export layout to model.... This will create a new Autocad file with all the views turned into blocks in model space but the block will not update when the Inventor model is changed.

 

Regards

 

Martin

Inventor 2023
Message 3 of 8

1. Works but seems a little cumbersome.

 

2. Is there a way to do this for more than one view?  We can only get it to place one view into Model Space.  It also seems as though you can't delete the model space once it's created.

 

3. This one gets into file management which is always a pain.

 

I'd prefer to use method 2. but I need more than one view in Model space.

Thanks,

Mechanical Engineer
Inventor 2014 Ultimate
Windows 8 Pro
Message 4 of 8
CAG_DRAFT
in reply to: AnchorChain

If a customer needs a dwg for ACAD why not re-export them a copy that is actually saved as an ACAD dwg as opposed to just sending them an 'Inventor-DWG'

I've never used IV.dwg's as I think it's a confusing game to play; using 2 different implementations of the same file-type.
Message 5 of 8
AnchorChain
in reply to: CAG_DRAFT

Using IDW or Inventor DWG we still have a second file to get an ACAD DWG.  The original thought at implementation was an Inventor DWG was the closest thing to ACAD DWG but apparently we were wrong.  To get a true ACAD DWG we have to generate one which makes an entirely new file.  At that point how do you separate the Inventor DWG from ACAD DWG.  Also the ACAD DWG is only as good as a PDF to us internally.  It's only benefit is to send to the people who cut out steel for us.

 

 

Thanks,

Mechanical Engineer
Inventor 2014 Ultimate
Windows 8 Pro
Message 6 of 8

1. I don't have a use for but new it worked like that.

 

2. You can only have one view. I have been using it lately to add sections of our product layouts done in Inventor into the clients section drawings done in AutoCAD. It works well but you can only have one view in Model Space so each section is a separate drawing. To place a different view into model space you need to expand the model space node in the browser and delete the block that is already there you can then send a different view from the drawing sheet.

 

3. I also don't like this as the link to Inventor is lost but at least you get blocks unlike exporting the dwg where you just get a drawing full of lines.......

 

Regards

 

Martin

Inventor 2023
Message 7 of 8
CAG_DRAFT
in reply to: AnchorChain

The 2 types of dwg is a painful issue I agree on that but having a second file is something I always do by choice...

I never release drawings from an actively linked file, it's always pdf/dxf copies that get released.

That ensures we have a full and accurate history that is not reliant on one vendor.
Message 8 of 8
stuart.wild
in reply to: AnchorChain

 

This is what I do.... create a Inventor dwg & export it as an AutoCAD dwg. Hope it helps... (using Pro v15)

 

 

Export to DWG.jpg

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