Enter construction environment

Note: The construction environment is disabled by default. Consider using the repair environment to evaluate and repair geometry. Go to the Part tab in the Application Options dialog box to enable the construction environment.

Repair imported data in construction environment

• Imported data can be translated directly to the construction environment. You can also copy base features and surfaces to the construction environment.
• Double-click the Construction folder to enter the construction environment. Then, use the specialized commands in the construction environment to help analyze and repair any translation errors.
• After repairing the data, use Copy Object to move or copy the data to the part environment, where it behaves like native Autodesk Inventor data.
• To re-enter the part environment, right-click the Construction folder and select Finish Construction.

Use Copy to Construction to update imported data associatively

Use Copy to Construction to verify imported data and repair errors in imported data. Copy to Construction duplicates a base feature (either surface, composite, or solid) in the construction environment, where you can use special commands to analyze and make corrections. You can then redefine the feature in the part environment to replace the old data with the repaired data.

Use this procedure to update a part model with changes made to a base feature generated by non-native files such as .prt, IGES, STEP, SAT.

Note: By default, Autodesk Inventor applies the part name (file name of the inserted part) to browser file nodes, whereas other CAD systems may apply the part number property. When a STEP file is imported into Autodesk Inventor, its name may differ from the name of the CAD system which generated the STEP file. To avoid confusion, use Rename Browser Nodes to specify the browser node naming scheme.

See Assembly Tools for more information about Rename Browser Nodes.

1. Open any supported neutral file format. A base feature is created in the part browser.
2. Right-click the base feature, and select Copy to Construction. A duplicate feature is created in the construction environment.
3. In the part environment, right-click the base feature, and select Suppress Features. The construction copy is still visible.
4. In the browser, double-click the Construction folder to enter the construction environment. Click to expand the construction groups. The copy has the same group name as the base feature name in the part environment.
5. Use commands on the Construction tab to analyze and repair data errors.
6. Right-click the Construction folder, and select Finish Construction.
7. Right-click the base feature, select Redefine, and then select the visible repaired data, onscreen in the construction environment.
8. Right-click the suppressed base feature, and select Unsuppress Features.

The base feature is now redefined. The construction data copy is consumed by the redefined feature, but the group remains in the Construction browser.