Interoperability: Inventor and AutoCAD Electrical Cable and Harness Tutorial

Learn to use AutoCAD Electrical and Inventor cable and harness interoperability to digitally prototype and document your electrical designs.

Time required

35 minutes

Prerequisites:

  • Familiarity with both AutoCAD Electrical and Inventor is recommended but not necessary. This tutorial is designed to work whether you have only AutoCAD Electrical or Inventor, or if you have both programs.
  • Know how to navigate the model space with the various view tools.
Tutorial file used

900501.dwg

Copy all files located in

 

Users\{username}\Documents\Acade {version}\Aedata\Tutorial\Aegs\Interoperability

to

Users\{username}\Documents\Acade {version}\Aedata\Proj\Aegs

 
Note: Delete existing files in the destination folder before copying.

Follow the workflow topics listed below to:

Workflow Topics

  1. Cable and Harness Tutorial Introduction (continued)
    Understand the tutorial objectives and requirements.
  2. Part 1: 2D to 3D
    Learn how to export your data from AutoCAD Electrical to Inventor.
  3. Rename component tags
    Update the PASSENGER SEAT component tags to prepare to export the data to Inventor.
  4. Export to XML
    Export the electrical data contained in your AutoCAD Electrical digital prototype to an XML file.
  5. Set the project
    Open the Inventor tutorial project.
  6. Open the dataset
    Open the model to prepare for importing the electrical data.
  7. Add harness segments
    Add the two harness segments to prepare for import.
  8. Add harness segments (continued)
    Finish adding the two harness segments.
  9. Import the AutoCAD Electrical data
    Apply the AutoCAD Electrical data to the Inventor 3D model.
  10. Issues
    Review the issues related to missing or incomplete data.
  11. Assign missing RefDes
    Add the RefDes value from AutoCAD Electrical.
  12. Finish the Import
    Complete the import of the AutoCAD Electrical data.
  13. Route the wires into the harness segments
    Use the Automatic Route to route the wires.
  14. Part 2: 3D to 2D
    Learn how to export cable and harness electrical data from Inventor to AutoCAD Electrical.
  15. Create wires
    Add wires for export to AutoCAD Electrical.
  16. Route wires
    Repeat the Automatic Route to route the wires into the segments.
  17. Export to XML
    Export the electrical data contained in your Inventor digital prototype to an XML file.
  18. Import the Inventor data
    Apply the added connector and wires to the 2D model.
  19. Summary
    Review tutorial objectives.

Related Reference