Extract Inventor File From Simulation Archive .ach

[ckerr]

Is there a way to extract the inventor file from a simulation archive file (.ach) without opening the file in Simulation?  My company changed FEA programs and we no longer have Simulation, but I do have Inventor.  I was hoping to transfer some old archive files but I can't open any of them.

[John_Holtz · Accepted solution]

Hi @ckerr 

The archive file (.ach) is a zip file. You can change the extension to .zip and open it with your favorite compression program.

However, the archive file does not necessarily include the files for the CAD model:

• If the archive is "Model Only", then no CAD files are included in the archive.
• If the archive is "Model and Results", the only CAD file included is the file that has the same name as the Sim Mech .fem file.
  • Therefore, the CAD model would be included if it were a step file (.step, .stp) or an Inventor part file (.ipt) for example.
  • If the CAD model were an Inventor assembly, only the .iam file would be in the archive; the part files would be missing. (The assembly file is not useful without the part files.)

John

[ckerr]

Thank you so much, that worked perfectly.