Autodesk Updates Inventor 2017

Autodesk updates its Inventor MCAD package focusing on end-to-end product development.

Autodesk has announced new enhancements to Inventor 2017 with a focus on quicker design, improved interoperability with other MCAD software and collaboration.

3D sketches can now be transformed on the fly, and have been enhanced with new constraint options.

3D sketches can now be transformed on the fly, and have been enhanced with new constraint options.

Sketching

Autodesk’s latest Inventor release begins where all MCAD jobs do, with sketching. In the 2017 release, 3D sketch tools have been updated to include a 3D Transform command that gives users the option to move and rotate 3D sketches in space. To give the Transform tool increased control, new constraints have been added to the constraint pallet so that 3D sketches and curves can easily be applied to 3D faces. Not surprisingly, these improvements have made the act of 3D sketching a much quicker process.

Surfacing

Continuing with its push for quicker modeling, Autodesk has also paid attention to Surfacing. Users can now edit Boundary Patches with greater precision thanks to the added ability to control Guide Rails. With Guide Rails, designers can use curves and points to shape a Boundary Patch, opening up greater possibilities for curving industrial design. Inventor’s surfacing capabilities have also been improved with the

Guide Rails make designing Boundary Patches much easier and more controlled.

Guide Rails make designing Boundary Patches much easier and more controlled.

addition of an “Angle” option for building Ruled Surfaces. Oh, the Sweep surface option has also been renamed “Vector,” and now the command supports both edge and sketch selections when the sweep direction is defined.

Cross CAD Interoperability

In Inventor 2017, the use of the AnyCAD file technology has been improved. Essentially, AnyCAD allows Inventor operators to import geometry from a wide variety of CAD platforms so that it can be used inside the Inventor environment. In this new release, AnyCAD has been improved to support multi-threading when importing models, making multi-format workflows faster. Additionally, major enhancements have been made to the “Reference Model” update behavior for files that are being pulled from CATIA, SOLIDWORKS, NX and Pro-E/Creo. Lastly, the STEP neutral file format can be referenced into an Inventor

Enhanced collaboration brings your design review team closer, no matter where they are located.

Enhanced collaboration brings your design review team closer, no matter where they are located.

assembly, and any changes made to that file can be applied back to the original file.

Expanded Collaboration

Since Inventor 2016, users have had the ability to collaborate with partners using the “Design Share” function regardless of whether those parties are in the office or located around the globe. In a change that makes collaborating faster and easier, users can now add and manage feedback directly inside the Inventor environment. Collaboration controls have also been expanded as designers can also determine if they wish to share part properties, part names and model graphics. With these new controls, design reviews can be more focused and productive.

For a complete rundown of Inventor 2017’s newest features, check out the Autodesk Knowledge Network.