Publish 2D and 3D data in DWF format

The Design Web Format (DWF) is a compressed, secure format used to publish CAD data. DWF files are fast to open and view. You can share them through email with customers, vendors, marketing, and others who do not have Autodesk Inventor installed.

Use the Publish dialog box to publish an accurate visual representation of 2D and 3D data in one file. In the Autodesk Design Review, you view and print published data.

You can publish drawings, parts, iParts, iAssemblies, weldments, sheet metal parts, and presentations to DWF format.

1. Open a file you want to publish.
2. Publish the model or drawing using one of these methods:
   • Click Export Export to DWF.
   • Click Save As Save Copy As. In Save as Type, select DWF (.dwf) or DWFx (.dwfx) Files
3. The Publish dialog box opens. Select the Publish option - Express, Custom, or Complete.
4. On the General tab, specify the file location. If appropriate, set a password so that only authorized viewers can open the file.
   • Select Enable Markups to set whether a DWF file can have markups added, and set whether other people can edit or delete the markups.
   • Select Display Published File in Viewer check box to open the Design Review immediately. Clear the check box to view the file later.
5. On the Properties tab, select the properties to publish.
6. When you select the Custom option, additional tab or tabs appear depending on the active file.
   • If the source file is a drawing, select whether to publish the active sheet or all sheets. The default is to include all sheets, but if appropriate, clear the check box and click individual sheets to include or exclude from the published file. Also, each drawing sheet has a property you can exclude from printing. Select the Show Excluded Sheets check box to add the sheets to the list of sheets you can publish to the DWF file. Select Include Sheet tables to publish tables included in sheets
   • If the source file is an assembly or a weldment, select the design views, positional representations, and bill of materials data to publish.
   • If the source file is an iAssembly, select the iAssembly factory components, 3D models, design views, positional representations, and bill of materials data to publish.
   • If the source file is an iPart, select the iPart factory components and 3D models to publish.
   • If the source file is a sheet metal part, select whether to publish a sheet metal style, part, or a flat pattern.
   • If the source file is a presentation, select presentation views with an animation capability, and textual information to publish.
7. Click Publish to continue. The Publish Document to DWF dialog box opens to specify the DWF file name and directory.
   Note: Click Options to return to the Publish dialog box.
8. Click Save to generate the DWF file.

Note: If you publish in-place activated part in the assembly environment, the Publish Assembly dialog box opens to set publishing options.

To send 2D and 3D data in DWF format in an e-mail attachment

	In the Autodesk Inventor,Click Export Send DWF. The Publish dialog box opens. Select options for publishing to DWF, and click Publish. The program generates the DWF file and attaches it to an email message. Edit the message content and send it.
Click the DWF/DWFx file in the email attachment to open it in the Design Review immediately.

What does DWF data look like?

You can move, rotate, zoom in and out, and view a DWF model much the same as you can with an Autodesk Inventor model.

Most Autodesk Inventorr data is visible, such as alternate representations, assembly features, weldments, model appearances. The program publishes the DWF model with the appearances used in the Autodesk Inventor model.

You can change the published background color of a drawing sheet by selecting Override Sheet Colors on the Drawing tab in the Publish Drawing dialog box.

The geometry cross-highlights in the viewer browser and graphics window.

Does viewing DWF data have any limitations?

• The DWF data uses default lighting settings in the viewer.
• Threads are concentric.
• The program does not publish sketch and work geometry.
• If you disable Enable Measure in the Publish dialog box, the program does not publish wires and curves.
• You can view only 2D graphics in DWFx files in IE7. DWF files can only be viewed with the Autodesk Design Review

Publish positional representations

Publish design view representations

Publish presentations