To Work with Future Versions of Part Files

Reference future (newer) versions of Inventor part files in an earlier version of Inventor.

You must have the latest updates installed for your version of Inventor to support Inventor files. Updates can be downloaded via the Autodesk desktop app or from https://manage.autodesk.com. Updates will not be provided for older versions of Inventor which are no longer supported.

To Place a Future Version of a Part File

This workflow creates a reference to the future version of a part file in an assembly file.

1. Place a future version of a part file into an assembly file: In an assembly file, On the ribbon, click Assemble tab Component panel Place.
2. Browse to and select the future part file (.ipt) to place. The version of Inventor the file was last saved in displays.

   

3. Optionally, click Options to open the File Options dialog box and specify the specify the Design View Representation. Click OK.
4. In the Place Component dialog box, click Open. Solid and surface bodies are created.

   You can place multiple instances as needed.

Resulting file

• The browser displays the referenced future file.

  

• You can change the representation of the placed future file from the browser node right-click menu option Edit Representation.
• You can replace the placed future file with a different component from the browser node using the context menu option Component Replace All. Replacing components with a future file is not supported
• The iProperties of the future part are available.

  

• The assembly file can be saved and reopened by any installation of Inventor of the same version.

To Open or Derive a Future Version of a Part File

This workflow create a reference to a future version of an Inventor part file in a part file.

1. Do one of the following:
   • File Open.
   • In a part file: On the ribbon, click Manage tab Insert panel Derive .
2. Browse to and select the future part file (.ipt) to open.

   

3. Optionally, click Options to open the File Options dialog box and specify the Design View Representation, and click OK.
4. In the File Open dialog box, click Open. Solid and surface bodies are created.
5. In the Derived Future Part dialog box you can include or exclude solid and surface bodies.
6. Click Apply to save changes.

Resulting file

• The browser displays the referenced future file.

  

• The derived part feature is editable.
• The part file can be saved and reopened by any installation of Inventor of the same version.