Request for a Lightweight Viewer for Inventor Files (.ipt, .iam, .idw)

[mattia_monchiero]

Dear Autodesk Team,

I’m writing to express my frustration regarding the lack of a lightweight viewer for Inventor files (.ipt, .iam, .idw).

Currently, the only official option to view these files is to install Inventor in Read-Only mode, which:

Requires several gigabytes of disk space
Has long installation times
Is completely disproportionate for users who only need to view files

In a professional environment where many users (e.g., in production, quality control, purchasing) only need to open and review designs, this solution is inefficient and difficult to scale.

I strongly urge Autodesk to consider developing (or bringing back) a standalone, lightweight viewer, similar to DWG TrueView or the former Inventor View, that does not require login or full software installation.

This would be a huge benefit for companies that rely on Inventor but need a simple, fast, and accessible way to view files without the overhead of the full application.

Thank you for your attention, and I hope this feedback will be seriously considered.

[karthur1]

I feel you frustration.  You can share your Inventor designs using "Shared Views".  This will create a link that you can share and it is opened in you internet browser (Edge or Chrome)..... either on a computer or phone.

Not exactly what you are asking for, but it is a way to collaborate with a lightweight viewer.

Kirk

[mattia_monchiero]

Thank you for suggesting the shared views method, I appreciate it as an alternative for occasional collaborations.

However, in my case it is not a viable solution: all drawings are managed through a PLM system, and there I do not have the links generated by the shared views.

This means that for each file, someone with an Inventor license would have to manually generate a link, and doing this for hundreds or thousands of historical drawings would be untenable.

A solution is needed that would allow any user to open .ipt, .iam, .idw files independently, without depending on who installed Inventor.

A lightweight, independent viewer would be the ideal solution, such as DWG TrueView for .dwg files.

I really hope Autodesk will consider this need, which is very much felt in manufacturing and document environments.

[harvey3ELEA]

Not sure if this helps and I might be missing the mark, but we frequently use Autodesk's online viewer internally and externally for folks who don't have Inventor.  It works very well for us:

https://viewer.autodesk.com/designviews

[karthur1]

Just so you know, one limitation (very severe one at that) with shared views is its only available for 30 days.  After that the link expires and the shared view would have to be re-generated.  You can extend the date after its created, but once it expires, it has to be done again.

Kirk

[swalton]

As I understand it, Autodesk Vault Professional creates DWF files and uses a version of the Autodesk Viewer as a lightweight viewer for non-Inventor users.

Consider exporting .dwf files as well as your normal manufacturing files for non-Inventor users.  

See: https://help.autodesk.com/view/INVNTOR/2025/ENU/?guid=GUID-098A04D6-2B66-44C3-BEDF-170962A40531

You might try Autodesk Design Review: https://www.autodesk.com/products/design-review/overview

Or Autodesk Viewer: https://viewer.autodesk.com/

[karthur1]

---

@swalton wrote:

As I understand it, Autodesk Vault Professional creates DWF files and uses a version of the Autodesk Viewer as a lightweight viewer for non-Inventor users.

Consider exporting .dwf files as well as your normal manufacturing files for non-Inventor users.  

See: https://help.autodesk.com/view/INVNTOR/2025/ENU/?guid=GUID-098A04D6-2B66-44C3-BEDF-170962A40531

You might try Autodesk Design Review: https://www.autodesk.com/products/design-review/overview

Or Autodesk Viewer: https://viewer.autodesk.com/

---

One way that I see to use a DWF file is to use the online Autodesk Viewer. With the online viewer, the exported DWF file will have to be uploaded, which may be a NO-GO for some people.

The DWF files can also be viewed with Autodesk Design Review that can be installed on the local workstation.  I did notice that the Autodesk Design Review is at version 2018, but I was able to read in a .iam exported to DWF from Inventor 2024.

https://www.autodesk.com/products/design-review/overview

Thanks,

Kirk

[SharkDesign]

I would think they discontinued the Inventor View because they no longer had the resources to keep making it. Autodesk is now a cloud company so I imagine that the online viewer is now the companies preferred route forward. 

[mattia_monchiero]

the problem with the online viewer is that first I have to download the files locally from the PLM before opening them and second I would have to have each user register with autodesk for viewing(many do not have an accout and it would be better that way).

[karthur1]

---

@mattia_monchiero wrote:

the problem with the online viewer is that first I have to download the files locally from the PLM before opening them and second I would have to have each user register with autodesk for viewing(many do not have an account and it would be better that way).

---

... and after they are downloaded locally, you also have to upload your files to the cloud.  You are sending your company's intellectual property to some place that you have absolutely no control over. Some companies will not allow that to happen, so that kills the "cloud" based approach.

Autodesk abandoned Inventor View because it has issues of its own, especially when working with larger models. Like SharkDesign said above they didn't have the resources to continue it.  They already had a viewer that would work with all the Inventor files right there in front of them.  So the easiest thing to do was to make a version of Inventor that was for Viewing only. So that is where we are today.  I really don't think AD will develop a new "lightweight" viewer just for viewing Inventor files.

Inventor RO is so much better than Inventor View was. After a 15minute "how-to" training, anyone can be up in running with it.

Kirk

[SharkDesign]

I don't think you need an AD account to view files people have uploaded,but I haven't tried it in a while. 

[harvey3ELEA]

That's correct.  I upload my Inventor files and simply copy out & paste the link to that online viewer in an email.

I've sent those to my boss numerous times for him and our clients to use during meetings and none of those people have or need accounts.

[tomasz.sztejka]

The idea of using Read Only mode of Inventor has one additional flaw - the *.iam file is NOT fully self-contained. It needs to pull in other *.iam, which needs to pull in *.ipt and so on, and so on (textures, excel file, scripts, add whatever you like here). It is always a huge pain to try to open large *.iam without setting up the whole environment properly, and for every source of documentation the "proper way" is different. And even then, the old versions of some files tends to sneak into the design. Yes, yes, I know I could use Vault and etc. The problem is I need to compare different versions of designs on frequent basis and Vault doesn't allow to pull two versions into two different location, not mentioning tracking iLogic, textures, and other data designs depends on. Even if it would, then Inventor would complain about some data it stores in fixed locations (non project driven) so I would be back at the beginning of the circle.

For me any cloud based solution is absolutely no-go. There is zero permission for any documents to leave the local network. Second concern it is that cloud adds dependency of our business on internet connection availability. And I am talking not only about internet at our local place, but also across the entire ocean. It makes us fully dependent on the existence of cloud providers (Autodesk doesn't run it's cloud on Autodesk servers I suppose), and we can be cut off the cloud due to political decisions (current U.S. government is far from trustworthy). It is much risk added to equation for a mission critical process. A local solution, no login, no account, 100% off-line takes the worry off my head.

The lightweight solution, with fully self-contained single file model is what I need. Inspection, use of "model states", "view reps" and "position reps" to let readers to see assembly stages, ability to inspect iProperties to check part numbers, GDT dimensions, ability to view own cross-sections, this is what is necessary for a good stand-alone solution.

I am fully aware of Design Review and I like it. The problem is that this seems to be in "stale" condition, what worries me about future support.

I would fully appreciate if Autodesk would confirm that Design Review will be supported for the future, that it will be tested by quality assurance team, and that will follow new modeling features added to Inventor (like model states) and etc. In other words - that it will remain a low-cost working horse for the transition from paper-space 2D documentation flow into 3D documents. I would be glad to see Design Review on production floor workstations where people could see in 3D what they are told to do. It would save a lot of effort on creating manuals and speed up revision propagation from design to production.

[swalton]

I'm not an Autodesk employee and don't speak for them.  My understanding is that Autodesk does not plan any new releases of Design Review.  I think that decision is old enough that it does not come up in search results.  

@CGBenner: can you confirm?

See: https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/design-review-forum/future-release-for-design-review/td-p/12097534

I don't think Autodesk produces a tool that does what you want. 

The Vault Thin Client viewer comes close.  I don't think it understands model states or design view reps yet.  See: https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Is-it-possible-to-...

Have you tried any 3rd party dwf viewers? 

Have you tried eDrawings?  I understand it can publish files from Inventor but I don't know if it understands model states/view reps/position reps/iprops.

[SharkDesign]

I'd say absolutely no chance. 

If the Inventor team are going to do anything viewer wise, it will be cloud based. Autodesk is now a cloud company, it will not waste whatever tiny resources the Inventor team has left to create a new desktop viewer. 

[CGBenner]

@tomasz.sztejka @swalton 

I can say that there is currently no development happening with Autodesk Design Review.

[tomasz.sztejka]

Does it mean that Design Review will loose compatibility soon? Or does it mean that Inventor team ensures that all added functionality (model states for an example) can find their way to dwf file and Design Review as it is currently can show them to user? I am fine with running old soft (even prefer that) as long as the Inventor can convert all of it's own functions into dwf file. Including model states and whatever You will add to it in a future.

What plan does Autodesk have for it?

[SharkDesign]

As far as I know there's been no updates to Design Review in years. I don't believe it has any support at all anymore. Autodesk want you to use the cloud viewer. The Inventor team just made Read Only because it was cheap to do and Inventor users don't tend to want to go to the cloud.

Design review reads DWF so it doesn't rely so much on the version of Inventor that you're using. You should be able to pretty much use it forever.

I can almost 100% tell you there will be no Model States or any other fancy features getting added to Design Review. You can count it as dead software. As far as I know you can choose a model state and export that one to DWF, but don't expect to create a DWF with every single model state contained in it. 

[johnsonshiue]

Hi Tomasz,

Though it is true that our users are encouraged to use viewer.autodesk.com to view files, I am not aware of a plan to discontinue the support for DWF file.

Many thanks!