Add Ability to Copy Dimensional Values in Inventor Feature Sketches

[tstoutYZ3MS]

Often, I find myself needing to copy-paste dimensional values from Inventor feature sketches, but that ability is nonexistent in the current software. Please add this much needed functionality to the Inventor application as soon as is possible. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

For the moment it's impossible to copy the value of a driven dimension. The only way to have that information is to export the driven dimension into a custom properties.

It would be very useful to have this ability i.e. to copy values from driven dimension in a excel sheet to keep some tests results. The linked information is not always the best way to do that because it change too easely. 

[Andrew2803]

As title says.

[jtylerbc]

Not something I need to do often, but when it does come up it's pretty annoying that it isn't possible.

You can do this from the Measure command's results, so I don't see a good reason why we shouldn't be able to copy from the driven dimension's value.

[johngrimshaw2]

When you are creating a dimension, click on the one you want to copy; then you have them directly linked together using the parameters. does this work for you?

[GypsyDawg]

I can copy values from driving dimensions within sketches. However, I also very often need to copy a value contained in a DRIVEN dimension to paste somewhere else because, sometimes - depending on the existing geometry and surface/edge, the measuring tool doesn't work so well at getting a specific measurement, so I have to use the hack of using a sketch dimension to get the measurement which often becomes a driven dimension. So, my request is that you make anywhere a dimension value is displayed in Inventor (sketch dimension, formula, etc.) to allow for me select and copy the value to my Windows clipboard for pasting elsewhere (and in other apps such as calculators) and not have that value 'grayed out' as driven dimensions currently are.

[CStilesCARE]

Agreed.

Even just adding an option to able to just select any dimension, then right-click and "copy value" or similar would be awesome.

Might need a way to distinguish between "expression" and "value" though, for non-reference dimensions...

[JKolarovic]

Agreed, this isn't a daily annoyance but it would definitely be a nice QoL feature

[dan_szymanski]

Accepted idea [INVGEN-57373]. Thanks!

[tstoutYZ3MS]

@dan_szymanskiI still do not have this functionality available within Inventor as of today.

[dan_szymanski]

@tstoutYZ3MS, you are correct. The idea status of "Accepted" simply means the idea is on our near term roadmap for potential delivery. As such, it has not yet been realized. Our team will change an idea status to "Implemented" once an idea, concept, wish or functional enhancement has been delivered within a public release. Hope this helps or clarifies things a bit.

Regards,

[CStilesCARE]

Just since it doesn't seem like it's been explicitly mentioned already in this thread, if the intent for copying the value is just to paste a value from one parameter into another, then you can just use an expression to have the new parameter reference the old one instead.

For example, if the parameter with the value you want (either model or reference) is named "d42", then you can just type "d42" into the field for the new parameter and it will take the value directly from it.

This is really useful with reference parameters if you want the other parameter to update when the reference value does, so you don't have to re-copy every time.

If you're having trouble keeping tabs on which "d##" parameter is where, you can always rename them to something with significance for you. Main way is in the parameters window, but you can also right-click a parameter and select properties to change the name there (good for reference parameters).

For model (and I think user) parameters, you can change their name by typing it into the expression field directly by typing the name, then "=", then the expression (useful for renaming as you create model parameters).

For example, I open a sketch and pick a model parameter to rename (let's say the name is currently "d13" and expression is "10 in"). If I open the expression field, place the curser before the existing expression, and type in (without quotes) "NewName = " and hit enter (or click checkmark), then Inventor will rename the parameter from "d13" to "NewName" (and the expression/value will stay as "10 in" since I didn't change it).

[tstoutYZ3MS]

@CStilesCARENone of that is beneficial when I have two part/assembly files open in session and simply wish to copy-paste numeric values between the two. Just fix it, and stop all the band-aids, please.

[CStilesCARE]

@tstoutYZ3MS 

Fair, if all you want is to do a one-off copy/paste for the value. I still agree there should be an easy way to copy those from anywhere it's displayed - especially driven ones.

However, if you have two or more files and want to link any parameters between them (so the linked file updates when the source file changes), then you can link parameters between multiple files.

The most direct way to do this is from the Parameters window. From within the file that you want to import the parameter...

• Open the Parameters window and click the "Link" button (bottom left corner) to open a pop-up file selector window.
• In the pop-up, change the "Files of type" option from "Excel Files" to "Inventor Files" (side comment - not sure why it doesn't default to Inventor files...)
• Navigate to the folder containing the IPT or IAM file you want, then select that file and hit "Open". This will open a new "Link Parameters" window.
• Select one or more parameters that you want to link, then click "OK". A new section will be added to your Parameters showing all the parameters you linked, and these will update if the source file changes and is saved.

*Edit - the comment at the top of this first snip should say "IPT or IAM", not "IDW".

[GypsyDawg]

Good info, but that's not why I wanted it.  I (and numerous others) are of the opinion that Inventor's measure tools sucks. Like so many features, one that was once good was eventually made overcomplicated just to justify a foreign-sourced programmer's job and to make newer versions seem like they have new feature's that matter. That being the case, I often use sketch dimensions to measure from one point to another due to the fact it is sometimes difficult to get the measure tool to "latch on" to the actual point/surface I want to measure from or to. Because the measure tool can be such a pain in the rear, simple dimensions are often best for quick measurements. However, dimensions that end up being reference dimensions don't allow your to select and copy them.  This is an inconvenience when I (and numerous others) soooooooooooooooooooooooooo often need to paste a value copied to a clipboard in a calculator, Windows Notepad, an Excel spread sheet, etc.  The feature I am asking about is often less for actual design but more often for design validation, calculations, reverse engineering, etc.

[Yijiang.Cai]

This idea has been implemented within Autodesk Inventor 2024.2. Please review the Inventor 2024.2 What's New article here. For more information regarding how you may leverage the feature, and please review this page. Special thanks to everyone who cast a vote for it.