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Autodesk Inventor Changelog

What's new in Autodesk Inventor 2021

Apr 1, 2020
  • New features in Inventor 2021:
  • The latest release of Inventor is packed with user-requested updates and enhancements to help speed up your design workflows, reduce repetitive tasks, and work the way you want.
  • Inventor AnyCAD for Revit:
  • Maintain associative links between Revit and Inventor data with AnyCAD for seamless interoperability.
  • Drawing automation:
  • Speed up drawing creation with updates to sheet formats and iLogic.
  • Frame Generator enhancements:
  • Create and document structural members faster with improvements to the user interface and editing tools.
  • Part modeling improvements:
  • Save time with part level enhancements for sheet metal, multibody parts, and 3D annotations.
  • Assembly modeling improvements:
  • See enhancements with assemblies for tube and pipe, assembly structure, and file naming.
  • Drawing creation improvements:
  • Streamline your workflows with drawing-level enhancements and new commands.
  • Inventor experience:
  • Declutter your workspace with new options in the property panel and experience the new dark theme.
  • Performance improvements:
  • See the performance improvements in parts, assemblies, and frame design.

New in Autodesk Inventor 2020 (May 1, 2019)

  • Product design:
  • Shape Generator:
  • Create and evaluate high-performing design options in minutes.
  • Parametric modeling:
  • Focus on design as you create and edit your 3D models with an intuitive user interface
  • Assembly modeling:
  • See how your design will go together and perform at the assembly level.
  • Drawing creation:
  • Quickly create clear, accurate, detailed drawings for manufacturing.
  • Collaboration and design automation:
  • Shared view collaboration:
  • Collaborate on your models or designs online. Anyone can review and comment on shared views in the Autodesk viewer.
  • Work with non-native data:
  • Maintain an associative link to non-native CAD data.
  • Automated frame design:
  • Quickly design and test structural frames.
  • Design automation:
  • Enable rapid assembly reconfigurations powered by iLogic.
  • Modeling:
  • Sheet metal:
  • Design and prepare complex sheet metal products for manufacturing.
  • Model-based definition:
  • Include manufacturing information in your 3D model for downstream applications.
  • Content center:
  • Choose your standard components from a comprehensive customizable library.
  • BIM interoperability:
  • Convert configurable 3D CAD models into BIM objects.
  • Flexible modeling:
  • Use the right modeling tool for every job with parametric, freeform, and direct modeling tools.
  • Direct modeling:
  • Use easy push/pull controls to move, rotate, resize, or scale features from imported geometries.
  • Freeform modeling:
  • Freely sculpt the shape of your design by moving points, edges, and faces.
  • Mechanical concept and layout design:
  • Open DWG™ files directly inside Inventor as the basis for your 3D model.
  • Plastic parts design:
  • Design and analyze plastic parts with purpose-built tools in Inventor.
  • Component generators and calculators:
  • Use built-in calculators to inform the design of common joints such as welds, clamps, and press fits.
  • Tube and pipe design:
  • Use a combination of automated tools and full-control design functions in Inventor to build tube and pipe runs.
  • Connected Data:
  • Printed circuit board interoperability:
  • Integrate your electronics and mechanical designs into a single, complete definition of your product.
  • Data management:
  • Robust search function makes it easy to find files and quickly copy design files. Connects to Vault (included in Product Design & Manufacturing Collection).
  • Simulation and visualization:
  • Exploded views and animations:
  • Use exploded views and animations of complex assemblies in product documentation, manuals, and assembly instructions.
  • Dynamic simulation:
  • Apply forces to evaluate the motion, speed, and acceleration of your design.
  • Stress analysis:
  • Run quick checks on parts or perform in-depth analysis of the entire product at any stage.
  • Visualization and rendering:
  • Show how your product will look with visualization and rendering tools.

New in Autodesk Inventor 2018 (Nov 2, 2017)

  • Model-based definition:
  • Use 3D annotations to add tolerance dimensions, notes, and other engineering details to the 3D model.
  • Top Inventor Ideas:
  • With your help from Inventor Ideas, the Inventor experience is updated and improved every release.
  • Improved performance:
  • Improvements include faster graphics interaction and faster open time for large files, speeding up the design process.
  • Enhanced file support with AnyCAD:
  • AnyCAD adds new and enhanced file support. It also allows forward compatibility for Inventor 2017 to 2018.
  • Shape Generator:
  • Create and evaluate high-performing design options in minutes.
  • Parametric modeling:
  • Create parameters as you sketch and dynamically size 3D objects. Focus on your design, not the interface.
  • Assembly modeling:
  • Put your model together in fewer steps.
  • Drawing creation:
  • Quickly create clear, accurate, detailed drawings.
  • Collaboration and design automation:
  • 3D PDF export:
  • Create 3D documentation rich in visual and product information that anyone can view.
  • Work with non-native data:
  • Maintain an associative link to non-native CAD data. (video: 2:46 min.)
  • Automated frame design:
  • Quickly design and test structural frames.
  • Electromechanical design:
  • Link your Inventor and AutoCAD Electrical data.
  • Modeling:
  • Flexible modeling:
  • Use the right modeling tool for every job with parametric, freeform, and direct modeling tools.
  • Direct modeling:
  • Use easy push/pull controls to move, rotate, resize, or scale features from imported geometries.
  • Freeform modeling:
  • Freely sculpt the shape of your design by moving points, edges, and faces.
  • Mechanical concept and layout design:
  • Open DWG™ files directly inside Inventor as the basis for your 3D model.
  • Plastic parts design:
  • Design and analyze plastic parts with purpose-built tools in Inventor.
  • Sheet metal design:
  • Design complex sheet metal products that conform to your company’s standards.
  • Automation:
  • Automated product configuration:
  • Easily set up and deploy complex product configurations.
  • Part and assembly design automation:
  • Create reusable, configurable parts, product features, or assemblies by defining variable parameters.
  • Component generators and calculators:
  • Use built-in calculators to inform the design of common joints such as welds, clamps, and press fits.
  • Automated tube and pipe design:
  • Use a combination of automated tools and full-control design functions in Inventor to build tube and pipe runs.
  • Interoperability:
  • Cloud-based 3D design reviews:
  • Share lightweight versions of your 3D designs in the cloud.
  • Printed circuit board interoperability:
  • Integrate your electronics and mechanical designs into a single, complete definition of your product.
  • BIM interoperability:
  • Access tools specifically created to help prepare your 3D models for use in BIM systems.
  • Data management:
  • Robust search function makes it easy to find files and quickly copy design files. Connects to Vault (included in Product Design & Manufacturing Collection).
  • Simulation and visualization:
  • Exploded views and animations:
  • Use exploded views and animations of complex assemblies in product documentation, manuals, and assembly instructions.
  • Dynamic simulation:
  • Apply forces to evaluate the motion, speed, and acceleration of your design.
  • Stress analysis:
  • Run quick checks on parts or perform in-depth analysis of the entire product at any stage.
  • Visualization and rendering:
  • Show how your product will look with visualization and rendering tools.

New in Autodesk Inventor 2017 (Aug 19, 2016)

  • New:
  • Product design and modeling:
  • Shape Generator:
  • You specify the function while Inventor creates the perfect form.
  • Interoperability and CAD collaboration:
  • 3D PDF export:
  • Create 3D documentation that anyone can open.
  • Cloud-based 3D design reviews:
  • Share views of your design in the cloud.
  • Printed circuit board (PCB) interoperability:
  • Combine your PCB and mechanical designs.
  • Simulation and visualization:
  • Exploded views and animations
  • Expose all the parts inside your design.

New in Autodesk Inventor 2016 (Aug 19, 2016)

  • Subscription Features Now Available
  • Work More Efficiently in a Multi-CAD Environment:
  • New Technology for Importing Files from other CAD Systems:
  • An associative import of CAD data from CATIA, SolidWorks, NX, Pro-E/Creo, and Alias files allows you to maintain a link to the selected file. The imported geometry in Inventor updates as the model changes.
  • Selective import support allows you to only read in the geometry that is important to you, speeding the import process: The new Select tab provides you the option to specify which objects to import when importing a CATIA, SolidWorks, Pro-E/Creo, NX, Alias, STEP, IGES, or Rhino file.
  • Multi-thread support has been enabled. This allows Inventor to more efficiently use the available hardware on which Inventor is running. As a result, you will experience improved performance when working on files from other CAD systems.
  • The options for importing CATIA , SolidWorks, Pro-E/Creo, NX, Alias, STEP, IGES, Rhino, SAT, Parasolid Binary files are simplified and provide clear choices for import.
  • Associative DWG:
  • Quickly insert an AutoCAD DWG file in an Inventor part file as a DWG underlay using the Import command in the 3D Model tab, Create panel.
  • You can add assembly relationships to underlay geometry.
  • Use the Project DWG Geometry command to project DWG geometry, polylines, open or closed loops, and DWG blocks. Then you can use the projected sketch elements to create modeling features.
  • Your 3D Inventor models based on the DWG geometry update when the 2D geometry changes in AutoCAD.
  • AutoCAD Electrical and Inventor Interoperability:
  • The new Electromechanical link between Inventor and AutoCAD Electrical provides a smooth data exchange between your 2D and 3D electrical designs.
  • When you create a link between an AutoCAD Electrical and an Inventor assembly (not available in Inventor LT), the project files become associative: Design data changes made in one product are updated in the other via Sync.
  • The Location View command on the new Electromechanical tab on the Assembly (not available in Inventor LT) ribbon in Inventor displays the devices and wiring contained in both the AutoCAD Electrical Drawings and Inventor Assemblies.
  • Shape Creation:
  • Use powerful new commands and workflows in the Freeform modeling environment. Some of the highlights are:
  • Work with open surfaces or closed shapes.
  • Convert existing model faces to freeform geometry for shape refinement.
  • The new Freeform Thicken command creates solids, offset surfaces, or shell walls.
  • Unweld edges to split and move a freeform body segment.
  • Delete faces.
  • 3D Printing Environment:
  • A new environment is added that lets you position and orient your design within the print space of the selected 3D printer. You can also update the part in the print environment that does not impact the source document. When you are finished, you can send the results to Print Studio or other printing software to begin printing the part.
  • Drawing Environment:
  • Drawing view creation is simplified, and uses in-canvas tools.
  • Text formatting is expanded with new options: Bullets and numbering, strike-through text, enhanced formatting (all caps, title case, lower case).
  • Surface texture and feature control frame symbols are updated to the latest standards.
  • Many new graphical symbols are available, and can be inserted in various types of drawing annotations.
  • Balloon styles can use custom balloon shapes.
  • A new Single Segment Leader option allows you to create drawing annotations with a single leader segment.
  • You can align drawing annotations vertically, horizontally, or to an edge.
  • Create a view sketch on a model with included work features and select those work features with the Project Geometry command.
  • Quickly access and share your collection of sketch symbols through a new external Sketch Symbols Library. This library is an Inventor drawing file that, by default, is located in a subfolder of the Design Data location of your project. This new feature offers the following new functions:
  • A search and filter feature in the Sketch Symbols Library dialog box.
  • Preview the sketch in a preview pane within the dialog box before placing the sketch.
  • Browser expansion state remains throughout session when placing sketch symbols.
  • A Sketch Symbol Library can be created in IDW and DWG formats, allowing insertion of symbols contained within the library file from either format.
  • Save your sketch symbols to a customized library.
  • Improved Start Up and Learning Experience:
  • The new start-up and learning experience combine to make learning and using Inventor faster and easier.
  • Movable and resizable Inventor Home panels.
  • Home provides greater access to common file tasks.
  • Files can be removed from the recent documents list.
  • Vault status is displayed in the recent documents list.
  • Create custom shortcuts to provide fast access to frequently used files and locations.
  • Help content was edited to provide better search results.
  • Topic content was combined to reduce the number of clicks.
  • Graphics/Visualization/Studio Enhancements:
  • ALL lighting styles in Inventor Studio are now associated with an IBL. A lighting style can have zero local lights but must have one IBL.
  • IBL (Image Based Lighting) based lighting styles provides better lighting sources in Inventor Studio with enriched IBL collection.
  • When you enter the Studio Environment, all legacy local lights are now disabled by default. It is recommended you use IBL for better rendering results . You can turn on specific local lights manually when necessary.
  • All newly created lighting styles are associated with the default IBL automatically. You can change the associated IBL to another IBL as desired.
  • The enhanced visual effect for shaded visual style makes it more consistent with the realistic visual style.
  • The rendering engine in Inventor Studio was changed to RapidRT with advanced configurations for better quality rendering.
  • The Studio Render Illustration settings have been moved to the View tab Appearance Panel Visual Styles drop-down menu. The new and enhanced Technical Illustration command creates a realistic illustration effect in the graphics window.
  • Workflow Enhancements:
  • General:
  • Use Escape (Esc) key to cancel an operation in select processes.
  • Multiple productivity enhancements made to dialog boxes.
  • Add all window tile styles to the task bar.
  • Dock an Inventor browser on any application's window edge.
  • Hide all sketch dimensions now available in the Object Visibility menu.
  • Import/Export external rules configuration for iLogic (not available in Inventor LT).
  • Sheet metal parts:
  • Multi-body support is added to sheet metal.
  • Support for zero bend radius is added to many commands.
  • Material thickness is detected when you convert a part to a sheet metal part.
  • Punch tool shows a count of the center selections.
  • Part appearance and body, feature, or face color overrides can be pushed from derived part to new part:
  • A new Use color override from source component option has been added to the Derived Assembly (not available in Inventor LT), Derived Part, Make Part, and Make Component dialog boxes. Selecting this option pushes the Part appearance and body, feature, or face color overrides to be pushed from the derived part to the new part.
  • Tube and Pipe setting enhancements (not available in Inventor LT):
  • You can now customize file names for fittings and populate part numbers into your parts list within the drawing environment. Previously, you could only change the name of your conduit items, but now you can update fittings as well.
  • Parts:
  • Face draft contains powerful new options that let you Fix or Move the parting line.
  • Ruled Surface is added to the surfacing commands.
  • The Mirror and Pattern commands support multiple solid body selection.
  • Previously, nonlinear patterns of a solid body in a multi body part file have not been possible. You can now create nonlinear patterns for solid bodies.
  • Drag a sketch above the parent feature in the browser to share it.
  • The Measure command now allows you to measure an angle to the midpoint of any segment. This option is achieved by hovering your mouse over the midpoint of a segment until a yellow dot appears.
  • Sketch:
  • Identify which workplane or face a sketch was created on.
  • The selected Show All or Hide All Constraints display setting remains active as you sketch and throughout your editing session.
  • You can now create tangent dimensions between circular or arc geometry within a 2D sketch.
  • The Initial View Scale property of the first drawing review placed on the sheet is added in the Sheet Properties group within the Format Text dialog box.
  • The Sketch Dimensions option is added to the Object Visibility list. Select this option to display 2D or 3D sketches and hide all related sketch dimensions.
  • Sharing a sketch is made visible by dragging above the feature in browser.
  • New snap points added to the context menu: Endpoint, Apparent Intersection, Quadrant, and Mid of 2 points.
  • You can now modify Start Sketch and select a view or sheet before sketching.
  • Assembly (not available in Inventor LT):
  • New safety factor calculation warning displays in Stress Analysis.
  • The Midplane option has been added to the assembly Pattern command. Select the Midplane option to create a pattern distributed on both sides of the original component.
  • Replace All feature available for highlighted components within an assembly.
  • Select multiple sick constraints within Design Doctor to delete.
  • Drawings:
  • You can start a drawing from any open model, and automatically apply the current model camera and representations in the base view.
  • In-canvas tools in the Base View command simplify creation of a base view and projected views.
  • For example, you can use the ViewCube to orient the model, set the view scale by dragging a view corner, or adjust projected views while creating the base view.
  • Presentations (not available in Inventor LT):
  • Tweak command is redesigned to use direct manipulation tools.
  • Creating and editing of trails is easier.
  • Component selection is simplified.
  • Auto Explode command is added to the ribbon and improved.

New in Autodesk Inventor 2015 (Apr 30, 2014)

  • New:
  • Engineering design productivity:
  • Freeform modeling shape creation - Model organic shapes and incorporate freeform and parametric workflows into a single model.
  • Customizable Inventor Home - Customize the new Inventor Home to easily access common tasks.
  • Tutorial learning and search - Interactive tutorials teach the basics of sketches and parts, assemblies, and drawings.
  • CAD file conversion & compatibility:
  • Edit geometry directly - Parametrically move, size, rotate, and delete imported solid models or native Inventor files.
  • Enhanced:
  • Engineering design productivity:
  • Large assembly design - Speed the creation, management, and documentation of large complex assembly designs.
  • Sketch constraint control - Get your sketches in shape faster and more easily with new constraint tools and settings.