topic Re: Student template creation - surface symbol in Inventor Forum

Student template creation - surface symbol

samuel.debruyn — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 12:04:40 GMT

Hi everyone,

I'm currently creating Inventor drawing templates for our students, and I'm having an issue with the Surface Texture Symbol standard.

I would like to force the template to use DIN ISO 21920-1:2021 for surface texture symbols.

As shown in my screenshot, on my PC only my "copy" of the settings is listed as being in use, and everything works as expected. However, it seems that this setting is stored locally rather than being fully embedded in the drawing template.

When I open the exact same template on a student's PC, two standards are listed as "In Use", and I can't seem to force the template to use only the desired DIN ISO 21920-1:2021 standard.

Is there a way to store/define this setting directly in the Inventor drawing template so that every PC using the template automatically uses the same Surface Texture Symbol standard?

Thanks in advance for any help!

Re: Student template creation - surface symbol

admaiora — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 12:31:58 GMT

Inventor stores styles both locally within the document and externally in the centralized Style Library.

You will have the same issue with dimension styles and other styles as well.

Look here
Using the Save button, you can overwrite the centralized style. As long as Save is available...

If it isn’t, check here (Project Settings) and set Read-Write

In the template you will see this now:

Click save and you can choose what save

It recognizes what you have changed and what differs from the centralized style

For example

Let me know

Re: Student template creation - surface symbol

samuel.debruyn — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 13:34:12 GMT

Do I understand you correctly, that there is no "plug and play" solution for this, that students always have to "overwrite" their centralized style library?

Re: Student template creation - surface symbol

admaiora — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 13:59:31 GMT

The styles are saved here:

C:\Users\Public\Documents\Autodesk\Inventor 2026\Design Data

in XML format. Once the templates are set up correctly, all your preferences will be retained.

Re: Student template creation - surface symbol

CCarreiras — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 14:22:06 GMT

No...
You can have all that locally in the template, but you must have the read/write active to really save it in the template, if not, you will only have those edits in the file you're working (not even in your local template: if you close the template and open it again, your changes are not there, right?).

Re: Student template creation - surface symbol

hollypapp65 — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 15:46:39 GMT

Create a new Standard or rename one. Put all your change in that Standard. Rename all the Styles. Save it in the template and set it as default.

This will remove all Style conflict because it's a new standard and style.

Re: Student template creation - surface symbol

lauri_barnhart — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 18:52:21 GMT

Welcome to the community, @samuel.debruyn.

Thank you for posting your question. Following up to see if the information provided by admaiora, CCarreiras or hollypapp65 clarified your question. If any of the posts provided the clarification you needed to resolve your question, please consider clicking on the 'Accept Solution' button on the post(s) that provided the help.

Best,