What’s New in Inventor 2024.2

2024.2 is an exceptionally loaded point release.

Right on schedule, Autodesk has released Inventor 2024.2. These point releases not only address bugs and performance issues but also add improved functionality. (Missed out on 2024.1? Read all about it here)

Inventor 2024.2 supplies over 30 enhancements for parts, assemblies and drawings. So, without further ado, here are the changes in 2024.2.

GPU Ray Tracing: Prerelease No More

Since its introduction in Inventor 2023, Inventor’s GPU ray tracing functionality has been in “prerelease” mode. This meant that it was not fully supported. Autodesk supplied it to gather feedback from Inventor users. With Inventor 2024.2, Autodesk has crossed all the t’s, dotted all the i’s and removed the prerelease tag. This means it is now a fully implemented and supported feature.

The biggest difference between CPU and GPU rendering: speed! GPU rendering is much faster. It also supplies the choice of noise reduction for sharper views.

Note: GPU ray tracing is only available when you are using a qualified (and Autodesk-certified) GPU.

Modeling

In the category of I Cannot Believe We Have Not Always Been Able To Do This … you can now copy driven dimension values to the clipboard. Then paste this value into other places, like other dimensions.

This change scratches off four user-ranked change requests.

A favorite of mine. Holding the shift key when projecting geometry to toggle and create construction geometry.

I wish holding the shift key performed the opposite of the default behavior set in the Application Options. Then if the default were set to projecting construction objects, holding the shift key would project sketch geometry. Whereas with this implementation, regardless of the application option, the shift key always creates construction objects.

A nice touch: Sketch Block descriptions now appear as you hover over the block definition in the blocks browser folder. Previously, the description was essentially useless. It did not appear anywhere useful and was not easily discoverable.

Sheet Metal flat patterns are now exportable to STEP. This is added to the existing options of DXF, DWG and SAT. The export to STEP is a simple solid, which is perfect for sharing in most cases.

In assemblies, Save and Replace All is now its own command. You can find this in the Productivity panel with other time-saving assembly tools.

The difference compared to the existing Save and Replace is that Save and Replace All replaces all instances of the selected component in the assembly with the newly created copy. On top of this, it keeps all assembly constraints.

When including threads on holes, the thread is not always from the start to the end of the hole. That would result in interference. Now you can opt out of the expanded thread depth analysis. In the Interference Analysis dialog, uncheck Use Precise Thread Analysis.

Use Inventor’s Derive Part to use existing models as the base for new parts. You can also use it to change the reference component (without modifying the original) for other uses. When deriving a part, use New Options to break or suppress the link to the base component. Altering the reference link is not new; what is new is being able to do it during the derived part process.

Suppress link is useful when you do not want changes to the reference to immediately update the derived instance. You then control when (and if) the derived model updates with the changes.

When you break the link, it becomes permanently severed. The reference model becomes something like a base model and provides limited editing capabilities.

Break Link has also been added to the Advanced options of the Simplify dialog. Use the Simplify feature to derive a simplified version of the assembly into a single part.

Drawings

What is new in the drawing environment? Not a lot. But what it lacks in quantity, it makes up for with quality.

Right click on a drawing view and use the new Restore View Label option. This repositions the view’s label back to the default location.

You can now fix the detail view to a point during view creation. Enable (check) Attach Fence and select a point within the base view to associate the new detail view. Why is this important? When not bound to the base view and the underlying model changes, the view will not move with the changes. This can cause broken or removed dimensions and other annotations.

[This functionality was present before. However, it was not easily discovered or accessed. Users that stumbled upon it often forgot to use it.]

You can now interact with the parts list without using the Parts List dialog.

  • As you hover over a row, all visible occurrences cross-highlight in the associated view and browser.
  • Selecting a parts list row highlights the matching component in the browser and drawing canvas. Hold Ctrl to select multiple rows.
  • Double-clicking a row opens the associated model.
  • Double-clicking when the parts list is highlighted (or in the title) opens the Parts List dialog (as it has always done).

Quick Hits

Coil now allows you to keep the sketched profile and path visible after creating the feature. This aligns the feature with how Sweep (and other similar features) works.

You can now override the property information of AnyCAD referenced files.

Both the Customize Shortcuts and the Parameter dialogs now have search. This means you can quickly find custom keyboard shortcuts and model parameters. With Customize Shortcuts, you can search the command names. The Parameter implementation searches all fields.

With Break Views, Inventor now remembers the last used values for Gap distance, number of Symbols and the selected value of Propagate to parent view.

Inventor now supports importing NX 2306.

When triggering an iLogic rule, a status bar message now appears to notify you.

iLogic Copy Design now allows you to reuse files without copying them to a new project file.

Measuring

Measure saw a significant overhaul during the Inventor 2022 release cycle. This update supplies minor enhancements to improve workflows and gather information easier.

  • You can now measure between a sketch point and a non-planar face.
  • When selecting a part in an assembly, Measure now reports the part’s mass.
  • When measuring between parallel objects, the result now includes the positions (X, Y and Z) for the minimum and/or maximum distances.

Its common when measuring to look for the total of a group of features or selections. Because of this, Measure has a built-in accumulator. You can add to and subtract from the total. Find the Add and Remove buttons when you hover over a measurement value.

To Autodesk’s credit, within a year of Inventor 2024’s debut, the company has given us two point-releases with 50+ customer-driven enhancements—on top of all the bug fixes and performance improvements in Inventor 2024. 

Written by

Mike Thomas

Initially a tech for an Autodesk reseller, Mike later became the Technical Services Manager for a mining equipment manufacturer. Responsible for guiding technical operations and fostering strategic growth, Mike has a strong grasp of CAD, PDM, and ERP, with a focus on optimizing systems and technology to enhance interdepartmental communication and overall efficiency. His dedication extends to ensuring the support of the company's computer systems, a crucial element in maintaining the company's competitive edge. By harmonizing the strategic technical plans with those of the CEO, they collectively drive the company towards innovative solutions and sustainable progress.