About AnyCAD for Inventor

You can reference future (newer) versions of Inventor part and assembly files in an earlier version of Inventor starting with Inventor 2017. This workflow is called AnyCAD for Inventor.

Attention: You must have the latest updates installed for your version of Inventor to support future 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.

Basics

• The file is associative to the future version of the Inventor file. You create a reference to a future file with the Open, Place, or Derive command.
• If the future part or assembly changes, the file is marked for update in the feature browser. When you perform an update, the revised future file is loaded and the changes are incorporated.
• If you no longer want to update the part or assembly file with changes to the future model, you can suppress or break the link between the file and the future file.
• The file can be saved and reopened by any installation of Inventor of the same version.
• The future file is imported as solid and surface bodies. The future file's iProperties, design view, and positional representations settings are maintained. All other Inventor features, geometries, and attributes are excluded, including:
  • Modeling feature
  • Parameters
  • Mesh body
  • 2D and 3D sketch
  • DWG underlay
  • Work features
  • iMate
  • MBD objects
  • Assembly relationships
  • Assembly Level of Detail view
  • Inventor file attributes, such as Sheet Metal settings, Weldment information, and Graphics settings

Migration

If you open and save the file in a newer version of Inventor (or use Task Scheduler to migrate files with references to future versions):

• The future version references become standard Inventor Place/Derive relationships.
• Downstream features are retained.

Workflows

The file type and the method for opening the future file determine the workflow and options as shown in the following table.

Available methods for opening a future file	Result
Open future part: File Open. or Derive future part: On the ribbon, click Manage tab Insert panel Derive	Creates a reference to the future part file in a part file. Only solids and surfaces are created. In the Derived Part dialog box you can include or exclude solid and surface bodies, and specify the design view representation.
Place future Inventor part into an assembly file: On the ribbon, click Assemble tab Component panel Place.	Creates a reference to the future part file in an assembly file. Only solids and surfaces are created.
Derive future assembly: On the ribbon, click Manage tab Insert panel Derive	Creates a reference to the future assembly file in a part file. Only solids and surfaces are created. In the Derived Future Part dialog box you can include or exclude component nodes, and change the design view and positional view. The derived assembly feature is editable.
Open future assembly: File Open. or Place future Inventor part into an assembly file: On the ribbon, click Assemble tab Component panel Place.	Creates a reference to the future assembly file in an assembly file. Only solids and surfaces are created.