Inventor 2016 MultiCAD - Will constraints come in as well?

[dennis]

I have played a bit with the Inventor Pro 2016.  I see how the MultiCAD works, but I am not getting constraints holding the parts together in the Assembly.  So, do they not come over?  I do get the parts perfectly.

[mcgyvr]

Does it say somewhere that constraints are maintained?.. Probably not.. 

[mcgyvr]

Does it say somewhere that constraints are maintained?.. Probably not.. 

AFAIK its just a linked part that will update when you change it in the other cad software but constraints are not mentioned anywhere and I highly doubt thats supported..

[mflayler2 · Accepted solution]

With the AnyCAD in 2016 you have two options...

Reference (new)

Convert (legacy)

Convert is no different than a file translation has ever been.  Parts, and SubAssemblies will be new bodies with 6 DOF for work in your design.  If you want them stationary, ground them or reconstrain them.  There is no link to the original model.

Reference will bring in an assembly fully put together and essentially bonded.  When the originating software updates the model then the Inventor model will update accordingly... Here is a CATProduct brought into Inventor 2016 with Reference.

[johnsonshiue]

Hi! The pirmary design intent of AnyCAD workflow is assuming that the non-native files (source) drive the linked geometry in the Inventor files. So there is no point exposing constraints in the non-native files in Inventor. Also, if the non-native assembly is brought in as a whole subassembly, the DOF within the subassembly is not exposed to top level anyway.

Could you provide a workflow that exposing constraints in non-native assembly or making a linked assembly flexible is desirable?

Many thanks!

[dennis]

I asked the question on the constraints specifically for two of my clients.  They use Inventor, but their "other office overseas" uses Solidworks.  They take the sub-assemblies and then build Inventor assemblies around those subs.  THat is where the "wish" for the constraints would maintain as welll, currently their workflow, they have to rebuild the constraints.