Inventor Drawing Functionality

[mcarlton71]

Inventor makes drawing views so easy and quickly, I was wishing there was a way to allow to pick a .dwg file to make views.  This would be very helpful to use existing 3d models from AutoCAD.  I use Plant 3D quite extensively and import my inventor vessel and equipment models into plant 3d.  the Plant 3D program has an Orthographic view generator, however, it is about total garbage when it comes to making any 2d views.  I have been quite disappointed that AutoCAD products have not been able to put any programming effort into actually making quick and easy 2d views from complex 3d models like Inventor can.    any suggestions or tips would be appreciated.

[mcgyvr · Accepted solution]

I'm not sure I understand your post.. (not sure if there is a question in there or just a statement or what)..

If you have a 3d model in Autocad you can create viewports showing left/right/top,etc.. rather quickly (from what I remember years ago in Autocad)

Quick search put me here..

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2016/ENU/AutoC...

and 

here

http://www.cadalyst.com/cad/autocad/yet-another-way-go-3d-2d-autocad-22137

While Autocad has 3d functionality its "bread and butter" is really being a 2d program.. 

If you want to work in a real 3d program them Inventor is the tool to use..

[ChrisMitchell01]

AutoCAD can also create associative drawing views from Inventor 3D models - see https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2016/ENU/AutoC...

Perhaps that will help in some way ?

Thanks

Chris

[blair]

There used to be a tool from the Inventor Labs side that helped create Inventor Models from 2D Acad files. Again, as posted, now this Inventors "Any-Cad" function you can use existing 2D cad files/drawings to create Inventor solid models that still retain links to your 2D drawing. Make a change to the 2d drawing and it will be reflected in the Inventor part. 

This link can be broken if desired.

[mcarlton71]

Thanks for the info.  I was actually wondering if there was a way to select an AutoCAD .dwg file to use from within an Inventor .idw or Inventor .dwg file when placing views.   The only options are to chose an ipt, iam, ipn file to use to create the 2D views.   I have tried the ViewBase command in AutoCAD and do see it creates views pretty quickly.  I notice that it will only show me the actual solid models projected in 2d.  The Plant 3D software is using proxy graphics which are not really 3D solids as AutoCAD sees them.  I am guessing that this is the limiting factor on getting them to appear in my views.  I guess for now I will have to resort to the Orthographic view generator in the Plant 3D platform to get what I am really needing.  thanks for the help!

[mcgyvr]

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@mcarlton71 wrote:

Thanks for the info.  I was actually wondering if there was a way to select an AutoCAD .dwg file to use from within an Inventor .idw or Inventor .dwg file when placing views.   The only options are to chose an ipt, iam, ipn file to use to create the 2D views. 

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Can you explain that a bit more?

You can certainly insert a 2d Autocad dwg into your Inventor idw files via... Manage tab.. insert object

[Mark.Lancaster]

@mcgyvr

To me it sounds like the OP is trying to have a Inventor drawing environment in Plant 3D..  Until you use Plant 3D and its drawing interface well you don't understand how clunky that drawing interface is.. 

[mcgyvr]

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@Mark.Lancaster wrote:

@mcgyvr

To me it sounds like the OP is trying to have a Inventor drawing environment in Plant 3D..  Until you use Plant 3D and its drawing interface well you don't understand how clunky that drawing interface is.. 

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@Mark.Lancaster yeah thats kind of what I thought..

Not sure why they need to use Plant3d.. Maybe they can easily switch to doing all the drawings in Inventor because Plant3d sucks 

[mcarlton71]

Yeah, exactly.  Plant 3D is very clunky when it comes to making actual 2d deliverable dwgs.  Plant 3D is great for running process piping and generating industry standard BOMs and isos for the process piping industry.  It would have been nice if it was developed on the Inventor platform instead of AutoCAD though.  Thanks for the feedback.