You can directly open 2D and 3D AutoCAD DWG (.dwg) files in Autodesk Inventor using the open command and then view, plot, and measure the file contents. The AutoCAD objects remain as AutoCAD objects in Autodesk Inventor, and display exactly as they do in AutoCAD. In addition, all 2D AutoCAD data is selectable for copy and paste. You can open a 2D AutoCAD DWG file in Autodesk Inventor, and then copy and paste AutoCAD entities into any Autodesk Inventor sketch.
Paper Space and Model Space
Model space displays data exactly as it displays in AutoCAD. Model space is a read-only environment in Autodesk Inventor and is accessed in the browser. You can change the background color and perform all viewing functions, including rotate. You can select objects in model space for use with copy/paste and the measuring commands.
Paper space layouts are displayed as sheets in Autodesk Inventor. AutoCAD data can be viewed, plotted, and measured, and is selectable for delete and copy/paste. All Autodesk Inventor drawing commands are available in sheets/layouts. You can place views and create annotations on a layout created in AutoCAD and the Autodesk Inventor data coexists with the AutoCAD data.
Shared Objects
While Autodesk Inventor drawing data and AutoCAD data can coexist in the same file, some data is shared between both applications. Blocks, layers, and sheets/layouts are editable by both AutoCAD and Autodesk Inventor. Dimension and text styles, while not equal, are synchronized such that supported changes made in one application are duplicated in the other application.
DWG interoperability is flexible and can be used in many different ways. The following are examples of a few workflows:
For example, place views of equipment designed in Autodesk Inventor into an architectural drawing for plant layouts.
For example, if you have legacy AutoCAD files that require updating with 3D models, you can open the file in Autodesk Inventor. Create the 3D solid, and then create a drawing of the 3D model. Open the file in AutoCAD, and create an instance of the block definition of the view. Your legacy drawing is updated with the new content.
AutoCAD and Autodesk Inventor create their own objects in the same .dwg file. For example, open an Autodesk Inventor Drawing (*.dwg) in AutoCAD. Create some AutoCAD geometry (such as lines, arcs, and circles) on one of the sheets and save the file. Open the file with Autodesk Inventor and the geometry appears just as it did in AutoCAD.
Certain objects, including layers, blocks, styles, line types, sheet names, and sheet sizes can be edited in both applications. For example, you can edit a layer and change the line type from an Autodesk Inventor line type to an AutoCAD line type. When reopened in Autodesk Inventor, the Autodesk Inventor layer still uses the AutoCAD line type.
AutoCAD blocks are the same in AutoCAD and Autodesk Inventor. The blocks display in Autodesk Inventor exactly as they do in AutoCAD. You can place blocks in both AutoCAD and Autodesk Inventor, but you cannot create or edit block definitions in an Autodesk Inventor drawing file.
When you create Autodesk Inventor data in a DWG file the data is saved as Autodesk Inventor data. The Autodesk Inventor data looks the same in AutoCAD and Autodesk Inventor. Autodesk Inventor data supports view, plot, and measure and can be exploded or deleted in AutoCAD.
To support reusing Autodesk Inventor drawing data, Autodesk Inventor creates a block definition for each drawing view and sketch in the file. When drawing views and sketches change in Autodesk Inventor, these block definitions are updated. Place these blocks using standard AutoCAD commands like INSERT and DesignCenter. For example, you can copy these blocks into other drawings using AutoCAD DesignCenter or insert a block in model space so that it can be referenced (XREF) into another drawing.
When you place a base or projected view of a part or assembly file into an Autodesk Inventor drawings (.DWG) file, and then save the file, a view block is created. The view blocks display in the browser in the AutoCAD blocks folder under Drawing Resources.
The default insertion point of a view block is controlled by the View Point Insertion Point setting on the Drawing tab in the Application Options dialog box. If the view block has not been instanced, the insertion point can be changed after creating the view block.
You can change the insertion point of a view block after creation. AutoCAD users, who are consumers of the file, can manage view blocks in AutoCAD without having to open Autodesk Inventor.
When you create a drawing from a DWG template, all graphical AutoCAD data is removed except for block instances. All block instances remain on any sheet (excluding model space) in a template. You can place AutoCAD title blocks or borders on a sheet and use them in Autodesk Inventor. If you want to place other AutoCAD data in a template, put the data in a block. All non-graphical AutoCAD data in a template, such as layers, dimension, and text styles, and block definitions, is left unchanged.
The following are examples of a few workflows made available by DWG Interoperability, and are described in Use AutoCAD geometry. Standard AutoCAD and Autodesk Inventor commands and are not described in this section. See the AutoCAD and Autodesk Inventor Help for additional information on view, plot, and measure workflows.
Additional workflows which detail the steps to create .dwg template files in Autodesk Inventor are described in Create drawing templates.