Inventor to AutoCAD help!

[Edu_P]

Hello, i´m having some trouble trying to figure out how to export a model/drawing from Inventor to AutoCAD. The thing is that i work with Inventor and i have a model all ready to make the drawings. Now, i have to export it to AutoCAD because the .dwg templates are all done there and i can´t use the .idw (inventor) templates to do it. So, how coul i do it? 

[JDMather]

You can Import an Inventor *.ipt or *.iam directly into AutoCAD

or

in Inventor Save As *.stp, *.igs or *.sat or any of the other file formats that AutoCAD will Import.

(Make sure that you start with the correct template in AutoCAD (inch or mm) run -dwgunits to double check before Import.)

An even better technique (rather than Import) might be to use the viewbase command in AutoCAD.

[Edu_P]

Hello, thank you for your response. I may not expressed very well the trouble i´m having, it concerns to drawings. The company i work for uses AutoCAD to make all drawings because they already have their templates made with that software, but designs are made in Inventor. As an Inventor designer, i make all the designs in Inventor and drawings also, using .idw templates and i just print them, but i don´t  know very well what to do when i have a 3D design and  drawing (made in Inventor) and i need to "insert it" in AutoCAD´s company template to print it.

That´s the real trouble i´m having.

[johnsonshiue]

Hi! If I understood your request correctly, you would like to document Inventor assembly/part in AutoCAD. VIEWBASE in AutoCAD is exactly for that purpose. You can create associative drawing views to Inventor components in AutoCAD. Then annotate the views in AutoCAD.

Another workflow to consider is to use the AutoCAD dwg file as Inventor drawing template. Then document the Inventor assembly/part in Inventor.

Either way should work.

Many thanks!

[Anonymous]

Our company often has to provide Acad drawings. What we have done in the past, is neither of JS's suggestions, but rather creating the drawings in Inventor and then "Save Copy As" AutoCAD dwg. The difficulty comes with annotation. Because dimensioning is vastly quicker and easier in Inventor (yes it is!), the temptation always is to dimension in Inventor, then export/save as. Trouble is, this can give rise to some pictorial oddities. I have found, for example, that holes notes, comprising a hole note and some text, show up in Acad with the text size different in the 'text' part compared to the 'hole note ' part. And although Inventor allows views at different scales on one drawing sheet without any problems. although various exporting options are available, none of them, in my experience enable a foolproof translation without having to select individual views and scale them up or down to 'true size', so that they can then be dimensioned in Acad (I trust we can all agree that everything in Acad should be drawn at full-scale, and 'dimlfac' is the most appalling bodge which no right-thinking person would agree to!).

I have never used the Viewbase command, of which i know nothing, but may have a look for future projects. Would it be any help in overcoming some of the translation difficulties I have outlined? I would still prefer to basically annotate and dimension in Inventor as far as possible.

[johnsonshiue]

Hi Chris,

What VIEWBASE command does is to create associative "Inventor-like" drawing views in AutoCAD. Then you can essentially use AutoCAD as the primary drafting tool to Inventor components. There is no need to convert Inventor drawings to AutoCAD draws, since you create 3D geometry in Inventor and document it in AutoCAD.

Whether or not this is a feasible workflow to you depends on yours process. If you primarily want to document and annotate in Inventor Drawing environment, this solution would not suit your need. This workflow is for people who want to use AutoCAD for 2D and Inventor for 3D.

Many thanks!

[Anonymous]

Actually, Johnson, could you elaborate on exactly what you mean by 

"Another workflow to consider is to use the AutoCAD dwg file as Inventor drawing template. Then document the Inventor assembly/part in Inventor."

This would given in effect, an Inventor drawing, would it not, albeit with a Acad border? I would require a proper 'AutoCAD drawing', which can be opened and read in Acad like any other drawing. And not be comprised of big blocks, but separate lines etc.

Thanks.

[johnsonshiue]

Hi Chris,

Absolutely, yes. You will get an AutoCAD-proper border in Inventor drawing. The file is in dwg format, which can be opened in AutoCAD. But, the Inventor drawing views are more like proxy in AutoCAD. You can change the annotation objects though.

If you want, you can send me a dwg template (johnson.shiue@autodesk.com). I can show you how to proceed.

Many thanks!

[Anonymous]

Thanks, Johnson, but I don't think that workflow will give me what I need (although it would obviously be good for some users). I would still prefer dimensioning, at least initially, in Inventor, especially as inventor dimensioning is 'smarter', and reacts to any changes in form.

Reason is that, in practice, preliminary drawings will be required for design and customer review. This may be well before the size and location of every nut and bolt is determined. Hence it is much quicker and more practical to initially dimension in Inventor. At the end of the project, when everything is finalised, the customer will require 'proper' Acad drawings. These will be exported at as late a stage as possible.

[johnsonshiue]

Hi Chris,

Are you saying using AutoCAD dwg as a template file for Inventor drawing would not work for you? To Inventor, dwg and idw are the same. Dwg files can be viewed in AutoCAD. Also, the AutoCAD blocks defined in the dwg files are still accessible in Inventor drawing environment. It should work for you.

Many thanks!

[Anonymous]

No, I don't think it would. Yes, an Inventor drawing can be 'viewed' in AutoCAD, but 'viewed' is the operative word, is it not? It will not appear as a 'proper' AutoCAD drawing, with separate line geometry, layer system etc. Actually, just been speaking to my boss on the phone, as it happens, and it looks like I may be able to make do with just producing Inventor drawings. The problem with Inventor drawings, of course, is that if you are going to give then to a customer, then you need to give then the whole kit and caboodle, model and all. Many companies will not want to do that. The alternative is to just give them a pdf of the Inventor drawing. But they may then require some backup info, such as a shrinkwrap or a step file, depending on the level of detail on the drawings.

.

[johnsonshiue]

Hi Chris,

I got your request now. I think you want to be able to annotate drawing views using Inventor's Drawing commands and workflows. But, you want the end result to be an 1-class AutoCAD dwg file with AutoCAD geometry, right? I guess this will be a choice between VIEWBASE in AutoCAD or Inventor Drawing View exported to AutoCAD dwg.

Many thanks!

[Anonymous]

At the risk of taking this further than it needs (although maybe of interest to some other posters): I've never used Viewbase (or Solview), but I assume if they come from a solid model. to read such an AutoCAD drawing, you would need the solid model in your file path somewhere. if so, from the point of view of providing customers with an AutoCAD drawing, that would be a non-runner. 

What my company does is to provide a 'layout' drawing, giving key dimensions, but NOT the dimensions of every single piece part. The customer can then use this acad file as a basis to work up their own, fully detailed drawings, using their own standards for layers, linetype, etc. We are providing our customers with a design, NOT a full detail draughting service. So we either give them a 'proper', but not fully dimensioned AutoCAD drawing, which they can work up into a detail drawing of their own, or alternatively we would have to fully dimension in Inventor, in which case, a pdf of the Inventor drawing would suffice for them. Some customers *might* be satisfied with '90%' dimensioned pdf drawing, plus a step file or similar as back-up, others wouldn't. Personally I have found in the past that the workflow of exporting into AutoCAD, especially regarding the scale of detail views and the dimensioning thereof, is a time-consuming process. And always, when you go from something 'smart' to something 'dumb', close document control is needed to prevent divergence between the model and the AutoCAD drawing.