topic Re: Moving Drawings from AutoCad to Inventor in Inventor Forum

Moving Drawings from AutoCad to Inventor

Anonymous — Wed, 01 Aug 2018 00:36:52 GMT

Hi all,

When I copy drawings from AutoDesk, and simply paste them inside an Inventor the sketches are sometimes scaled with conversions which I assume are iches to mm. (factor 25.4:1).

For some projects I want to copy a sketch from Autocad, paste them in an Inventor sketch then extrude them to create my 3D model. Yet I encounter the scaling problem. (I do not want to use the scale tool because I require dimensions to be exact, NOT 'close to'). Additionally some sketches which are joined in autodesk become unjoined when copying, which creates issues for me when I want to extrude.

What I've tried

Creating New Part.ipt(mm) [Ensuring that units are all mm]

Re: Moving Drawings from AutoCad to Inventor

Xun.Zhang — Wed, 01 Aug 2018 01:19:04 GMT

Hello Philip,

Perhaps that the drawing in AutoCAD do contains a scale factor, so how about to make the scale in AutoCAD as 1:1 firstly and then copy-paste to Inventor 2D sketch?

By the way, how about just create it in Inventor from scratch.. Its good practice. Additionally, there are many ways to handle the transition such as create a sketch and insert the DWG file to 2D sketch or Copy AutoCAD data into 2D sketches or leverage DWG Underlay technology to do so.

Hope it helps!

Re: Moving Drawings from AutoCad to Inventor

jhackney1972 — Wed, 01 Aug 2018 01:37:31 GMT

If you make sure your Units in AutoCAD are the same as your Units in your part template in Inventor and then you only draw to a 1:1 scale in AutoCAD, you will never have an issue. Take a look at the screencast where I set the units to millimeters in AutoCAD, draw a 1:1 drawing and then copy and paste it into Inventor.

Re: Moving Drawings from AutoCad to Inventor

TheCADWhisperer — Wed, 01 Aug 2018 11:16:37 GMT

Check your EXISTING dwg in AutoCAD with the command -dwgunits (be sure to type the preceding dash as shown).

What does the command line report as your current document units in AutoCAD?

Re: Moving Drawings from AutoCad to Inventor

TheCADWhisperer — Wed, 01 Aug 2018 11:18:09 GMT

If you still have trouble - Attach your file here.

Re: Moving Drawings from AutoCad to Inventor

Anonymous — Wed, 01 Aug 2018 11:48:06 GMT

Don't waste your time trying to bring in AutoCAD Sketches. It will only give you headaches.

Best practice is to model your parts in Inventor. It's a great way to learn the software and will give you better models.

You will learn design intent.

Autodesk sells you that you can easily do this, it's not true.

Re: Moving Drawings from AutoCad to Inventor

Frederick_Law — Wed, 01 Aug 2018 12:25:09 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Additionally some sketches which are joined in autodesk become unjoined when copying, which creates issues for me when I want to extrude.

There is an option to combine points when import sketch. SolidWorks exported DWG/DXF will have point not connected, event they have exact same coordinate. Its a default setting in SWX that need to be changed.

Scale will give you exact dimension if you type in 1/25.4 as scale factor. Or 10/254 in AutoCAD.

Unless you draw the DWG drawing, don't assume its correct. Check every dimension to the drawing. Too many user cheat on AutoCAD.

Re: Moving Drawings from AutoCad to Inventor

hncarle — Wed, 01 Aug 2018 17:43:32 GMT

Ok off on an alternate tangent. LOL

When you import AutoCad stuff into inventor it comes without any scale. Take a known dimension and put it onto the drawing. The figure will automatically scale to match that dimension.

Have you noticed when you start a sketch without dimensions and later add them the sketch sometimes MOVES? That is from the same thing. The sketch will scale to the dimension.

Re: Moving Drawings from AutoCad to Inventor

Frederick_Law — Wed, 01 Aug 2018 18:17:39 GMT

It may not work, depends on the profile and constrain.

If some of the end points are not connected, it will tear the sketch apart.

I had Inventor sketch not scale with dimension before.

Also with unconstrained import sketch, its easy to accidentally drag and move something.

I usually fix everything first then measure.

Re: Moving Drawings from AutoCad to Inventor

kelly.young — Thu, 02 Aug 2018 17:02:14 GMT

Hello @Anonymous I see that you are visiting as a new member to the Inventor Forum.
Welcome to the Autodesk Community!

Were you able to get your AutoCAD files to work within Inventor with any of the proposed suggestions?

If you want to attach the files here or record a screencast showing what you are experiencing that would be helpful for community members to comment further.

Please select the Accept as Solution button if a post solves your issue or answers your question.

Re: Moving Drawings from AutoCad to Inventor

n_maasdijk — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 13:21:25 GMT

Hi,

After 8 years i might have found the solution to this problem after battling it for a few hours.

First in AutoCAD, select "Clipboard --> Copy with base point".

Now go to inventor and press Ctrl + V.

Now the problem occurs that you get a huge dotted square with no ancor point. And when you place the square you get a insanely unconstrained scetch far from the origin.

But here comes the solution: "After pressing CTRL+V (with the dotted square) --> Rightclick --> Paste options". And there you can chose "Apply geometric costraints" or "AutoCAD blocks to Inventor blocks".

Now you have the autocad drawing on 1:1 scale (with whatever scale you set there) with does not fall aparts and already is fully constrained!!