More intelligent mating with iMate standard components

[sebastian_wilhelmssonMJYC3]

I have configured a pair of iMates on the "flanged stud" (one coaxial with the centerline and one with the flanges bottom face). However, I am still not able to pair it up with the other part seen below. Am I really needed to configure an iMate on the mating part as well? Is Inventor not able to sense whenever I try and drag my part over the other one that mating is possible? I simply want to have a standard fastener built so it senses holes automatically for a fast and easy assembly?

SolidWorks has a functionality called Mate Reference where you can predefine mates (very much like iMates) for a part, but it does not require you to have another iMate on the other part - as long as you point it towards an edge of a hole for example it figures it out on its own and creates the mate at that point).

Maybe I'm missing something?

This image below is for demonstration purpose only.

[peter.roman]

if you click the part to show the imate > hold alt and click and drag the imate onto the connecting face or edge

I'm a bit fuzzy on the constraint tool but pretty sure I've done it with 1 imate, 1 other regular selection (eg. face, edge) but check / try the below:
- constraint tool > select correct constraint type > select 1st - imate in browser tree > select 2nd - any other face / edge 
- or select imate in browser tree > run constrain tool (pre-selects 1st, and optionally 2nd selection) (this works for regular constraints, can't remember for imates)
I don't think this works with composite imates, only the standard imates.
Not sure about the joints tool.

note imates don't work when nested down in sub-assemblies (only work in the immediately containing assembly, not higher level assemblies (unless this has changed in new versions)).
I had to read the various help pages and guides a few times to really get a handle on them.

[SBix26]

Instead of axial and face iMates, use a single Insert iMate. Then the alt-drag technique works very easily for any circular edge.

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Sam B

Inventor Pro 2026.1.1 | Windows 11 Home 24H2

[dan_inv09]

Is this a different one? I saw a post like this the other day ...

I found it, it even had the same picture - they asked this one a day and a half earlier!

(I was like, "Why are all of these solidworks people complaining about iMates when they can't even figure out the Insert constraint?", but it turns out that it is the same person with the same question.)

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-forum/how-can-i-quicken-the-process-of-adding-fasteners/m-p/...

[sebastian_wilhelmssonMJYC3]

The reason why you found a duplicate post is simply because I initially posted on the Inventor Ideas forum. However, as I realized that there PROBABLY is a good work-around or method I haven't figured out I asked Autodesk to remove my post. They seem to have moved my original post instead of deleting it - that's not on me so sorry buddy.

Regarding referring to SolidWorks - I was talking about a functionality called Mate Reference and wondered what the corresponding function is in Inventor, if there is any.