Browser Folders in Part Environment

[dan_szymanski]

Original Author:  

MattH_Work

Whilst I appreciate that we cannot move features up & down the browser without changing the Part (we are free to move components up & down in the Assembly, therefore browser folder 'restructurng' has no impact), it would be nice to have a second browser (ala the Vault browser) where we can sort, reorder, add to folders, the content of a file (group all extrusions, revolves, sketches etc)

Even if this was just a visual  display of the 'sorted' feature tree with no editing capability (maybe a right click option to 'Goto Feature' in main browser for editing) it would make it easier for finding, renaming etc

[fredform]

Completely agree. The sketch environment is a mess and so work features are a must, which as you say, unfortunately clutters the browser tree 😞

Folders in the part environment is imo the single most important feature Inventor needs! Please Autodesk fix it 🙏 😢 

[DavidWarta]

From one of AU classes Reliable Modeling Techniques for Complex Part Design in Inventor:

Feature grouping

When working on a multibody file, it can be helpful to group features together that belong to the same body.

Sadly, we don’t have folders or feature grouping for the model browser in the Inventor part environment.

Instead I use 3D sketches, which I name in ALL CAPS and then turn their visibility off. This gives me just enough of a visual que to be able to skim up and down the browser efficiently.

This would be very helpful for building resilient models and aid in checking the 3d models. The workaround proposed in the above example does help somewhat but also adds to the length of the model tree.

[Maxim-CADman77]

@dan_szymanski 
Using iLogic I managed not only create BrowserFolder, but also move some nodes there (and the folder is placed above the EOP).
But it had broken Inventor further workflow (see detail here - https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-programming-ilogic/fully-functional-browserfolder-s-in-brows...)
I wonder If I found some API defect?

[kuehnlein9FADZ]

The folder creation for parts is highly needed especially for complex parts!!!

To me it is not understandable why Inventor does not yet have this functionality whilst other systems have it since years.

Please hurry up Autodesk

[JusticeSmith]

Parts can get messy with organization. I would like a solution to this beyond tree order and renaming.

[kacper.suchomski]

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-ideas/separators-in-the-browser/idi-p/12558514

[dan_szymanski]

Idea added to backlog for future consideration [INVGEN-401]. Thanks!

[JoshuaFongC7EXV]

+1

[eric757RU]

As others have mentioned, the primary goal is to group related features together on complex parts.  Reordering the features is unnecessary.   Navigating the Model tree and moving the EOP between different groups of features is currently painful and inefficient.  Folders would be a game changer on complex parts.

Let's hope the future in "future consideration" is now!

[olanderV7E3F]

*** Hey Customer Service team, Forward/Flag this message to some PM on the Autodesk Inventor dev team. ***

I trash Autodesk Inventor whenever I can in the relevant public forums that engineers go to research if they should pay for an Autodesk liscense.  Most recent example: Autodesk deletes old forum posts suddenly | Hacker News

This is another perfect example.   This has been a featue request for 10 years, you biggest competitors already do this. We pay money monthly with the expectation that you actually use that money to improve/fix this product. There are tons of me out there.  Just get it done already.

[michael_wettsteinNA6GD]

Solidworks has that too, and it is very lovely to work with! Please implement!

[oliver.tilbury]

This is desperately needed in Inventor.

How was it accepted in 2014 and is still not implemented in 2025?!

A part with complex modelling can end up with a long feature tree.

Having the ability to organise features in folders would massively help in remembering what does what!

Here's hoping for IV 2026! 🤞🙏

Thanks 

[RubenHvt]

Not in 2026 unfortunately.
Right click > Group features .. please 🙏

 

[BDCollett]

Keeping this bumped. Even if only for work features at the start.

[RowanML5J9X]

Bumping. Specifically I am using single part models to concept larger assemblies. It would be a huge help to be able to somehow group/folder these so others can browse easily. 

[dan_szymanski]

Accepted idea [INVGEN-401]. Thanks!

[enochbQS6E9]

You sort of already have a 'Goto Feature' for the main browser. If you set the selection priority to feature priority, and use the "Find in Browser" option in the right click menu, it will take you directly to the feature inside the browser tree. 

Also take a look at the "iBuildList" add-in, a tool I created that automatically sorts bodies into folders for easier renaming and finding the defining source features of a unique body. 

[dan_szymanski]

This idea has been implemented within Autodesk Inventor 2027. Please review the Inventor 2027 What's New article here, for more information regarding browser folder support within the part environment. Special thanks to everyone who cast a vote for it.