Place components from other CAD systems

1. On the ribbon, click Assemble tab Component panel Place to choose a component to place.
2. In the Open dialog box, select the file type of the component. If you have Vault installed and are placing a file in the vault, you can use an alternate method. Click Open from Vault located under Quick Launch for immediate access to your vaulted files.
3. Find and select the component file.
4. Click Options and set the options for the selected file type.
5. When you click Open, the selected component is placed in the graphics window, attached to the cursor.
6. Right-click before you place a component to adjust the X, Y, Z orientation or to select Place Grounded at Origin.
7. Click in the graphics screen to place an occurrence of the component.
8. Continue to click and place additional occurrences, as needed.
9. When all occurrences are placed, right-click and select OK.

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

See Assembly Tools for more information about the Rename Browser Nodes command.

An Autodesk Inventor assembly accepts components created in other CAD systems. You can import Pro/ENGINEER, Parasolid, SolidWorks, UGS-NX, STEP, SAT, and IGES files and place the parts or assemblies as components. The ability to edit the imported parts or assemblies depends on the original file format (See Access files from other CAD systems).