DWG Export/Import Problem

[Anonymous]

Good morning folks. Happy new year to anyone who reads this, I hope you had a good one. 

I've been working on a design for a new test jig for a while now and I need to export just the top panel to .dwg so I can print the top face of the panel 1:1. There may be a way to do this in inventor but I don't know yet. That is not the issue however. I drew this top panel using the aid of a 3D .STEP model of the enclosure I will be using. This meant that the top panel itself was drawn at an angle (Picture 1). I exported the isolated top panel to .STEP file and re-opened it in inventor and managed to make the angled top side the 'FRONT' view (which can be seen in picture 2). I then exported this file to .dwg and AutoCAD opens it at the original angle that I drew it in (Picture 3). 

Is there any way I can export the view I want to AutoCAD so I can print 1:1? 

Cheers.

[johnsonshiue · Accepted solution]

Hi James,

Happy New Year to you too! I assume you want to export the planar geometry in the second image to dwg. You can simply open the part or edit the part in-place. Then select the top planar face -> right-click -> Export Face As -> dwg.

Many thanks!

[Anonymous]

Thanks johnsonshiue!

So simple to do as well.

[Anonymous]

@johnsonshiue I was just wondering if I can import those hole layouts from AutoCAD into Inventor? 

Say I have a matrix of holes (all different distances away from each other), could I import that non-uniform matrix into Inventor and place them where I wanted, as a whole, onto my panel in Inventor? 

As you can see from my previous images the holes are all there but if there's a quicker way to draw them in i.e. import a drawing in then that would be a lot easier for any future projects I work on. 

Thanks.

[johnsonshiue]

Hi James,

There are indeed a few AutoCAD/Inventor Interop workflows. For importing AutoCAD dwg geometry, you could do the followings.

1) DWG Underlay: Start a new part and use Import command to link the dwg file as an underlay (you need to pick an origin plane or workplane and an origin to place the dwg file). Then, create a 2D sketch on the same plane and use Project DWG Geometry command to project the underlay geometry to the sketch.

2) Copy and Paste: Open the dwg file in AutoCAD. Simply window-select the geometry in AutoCAD. Ctrl+C to copy. Go to Inventor and start a part with a new sketch -> Ctrl+V to paste.

3) Traditional DWG Import: Go to Open dialog -> select AutoCAD dwg -> Options -> Import -> select the dwg file -> go through the import wizard.

Many thanks!

[Anonymous]

@johnsonshiue 

I managed to map out the holes I need to make and I imported the .dwg to inventor and snap it in the correct place in my Inventor model. The problem now is that I need to cut away the holes and cant select the holes drawn via the AutoCAD drawing. Do you have any idea as to how I can do this? 

Please see attached picture.

[johnsonshiue]

Hi James,

In the Sketch environment, click on the expand arrow next to Project Geometry command and select Project DWG Geometry command -> window-select the circles from the underlay. You will get the circles projected from underlay to Inventor sketch. Then you can create sketch-based Hole features by using the center of the circles.

Many thanks!