Relationships exist between the various files you create with Autodesk Inventor. Projects files are text files saved in an xml format that specify the valid file locations for Autodesk Inventor data. For example, a part is usually linked to both an assembly and a drawing document. To avoid broken links or browsing for files that were not found, an understanding of Project files is essential.
If you plan on using a data management solution such as Autodesk Vault Basic, or Productstream, a clean file folder structure and a single master project file can ease the transition.
A single master project file provides:
- Simplicity
- Reduced file resolution failures
- Increased design re-use
Autodesk Inventor actively supports two types of projects:
- Single-user project
- Vault project (If Autodesk Vault Basic is installed)
We recommend using Autodesk Vault Basic for users whose sharing requirements extend beyond a single-user project. Vault provides a file check-out and check-in process which prevents files from being accidentally overwritten. Autodesk Vault Basic also contains other powerful file management tools such as easily copying an entire design.
For more information on Autodesk Vault Basic and the Autodesk Data Management Server, please refer to the Implementation Guide. This guide is delivered in .pdf format with Vault.