What's New for Inventor 2019.1

Frame Generator

Insert

    The Insert command has two new frame selection enhancements.

  • Previously, the frame Standard always defaulted to ANSI. The last used Standard is now retained.
  • When you inserted frame members, there was no preview until you selected a frame member Size value. A default Size value is now enabled when you start the command.

Shaded Preview

The preview for Insert, Change, Reuse, and Change/Reuse is changed from wireframe to a shaded preview.

Sketch visibility for Change and Change/Reuse

The skeleton sketch edges are visible when you use the Change and Change/Reuse edit commands.

Change member selection

Previously, window selection was not available when you used the Change command. Window selection is now enabled, and you can select multiple members at the same time using the Multi-Select option.

Preview operation

You can now preview the following operations before committing the change:

  • Miter
  • Notch
  • Trim to Frame
  • Lengthen/Shorten

Copy Properties

You can now copy information from existing frame members when you use the Insert and Change member commands. Select the eye dropper in the dialog to enable copy properties and then select a member. You can choose to copy Only Frame Member information, Only Orientation, or both.

Assemblies

Content Center Editor Toolbar Modernized

The toolbar in the Content Center Editor was refreshed to improve icon contrast and at-a-glance legibility.

Content Center Performance and Productivity Improvements

Support for iLogic Logging and Rule Tracing

iLogic now provides a type of PRINT statement that can be used in rules. This new functionality, called iLogic Logging, uses new iLogic functions to send log messages to a new Inventor panel and also to a log file. In addition, there's a new automatic rule tracing mechanism. Rule tracing helps you to visualize when and why a rule is run.

Overview

To generate iLogic logs:

Managing Log Messages in the iLogic Log Panel

The active log level controls which logging statements are actually logged. Start by setting the log level to Debug and including logger.debug("message") statements into your rules. Once you've finished debugging and you no longer need the Debug messages, then change the active log level to Info or to another level lower in the list. You don’t need to remove the logger.Debug statements from your rules. Subsequently, only Info, Warn, Error or Fatal messages will appear. This same behavior applies to all log levels. For example, if you change the level to Info, and the log panel is getting cluttered with Info messages, change the log level to Warn. The Info messages will stop appearing, and only the Warn, Error, Fatal messages will display. Setting the active log level allows you to display only the types of messages you need.

Navigation Links

After you clear messages from the panel, navigation links display at the top of the panel if older messages are available. The iLogic Log panel is limited to displaying 20,000 messages at one time. When over 20,000 messages are entered, navigation links at the bottom of the panel allow you access messages created after reaching the 20,000 limit.

Rule Tracing

Rule-tracing is a new iLogic feature that helps you to visualize when and why a rule is run. Rule Tracing automatically logs messages when a rule is entered and when it is exited, as well as what triggers the rule to run. Simply set the active log level to Trace to see these messages. Set the active log level back to turn them off.

Tip: Use logger.Debug statements, for normal debugging. Only use logger.Trace statements when you need very detailed debugging information. Rule tracing behavior is very detailed and the output can look daunting. Only use Trace level when you need Trace level of detail.

Collaboration

3D annotations are now shown in Shared Views and Fusion Team viewer.

Translators

SolidWorks

SolidWorks mesh data can now be imported. In the dialog Object Filters section, check the Meshes option to include meshes from the selected file. For information about working with mesh data, see About Working with Mesh Geometry.

STEP

You can now import graphical PMI data from a STEP 242 file by checking the Graphical PMI option.

AnyCAD

Performance has been improved when importing non-native Inventor CAD files and is most notable when importing files that have a complex assembly structure.

General

Highlight New for Ribbon based commands

When you turn on Highlight New, off by default, colored badges highlight the new or updated commands. This makes it easier for you to quickly explore new or updated commands you use in your workflows.

How can you use this feature? Imagine you were using an earlier version, for example 2018.2, and are moving to 2019. You select 2018 from the list and all new or updated commands after 2018.2 display a badge. That would be 2018.3, 2019, and 2019.1.

Additionally, when you use F1 to get to a Help page, where applicable, at the top of the page you will see links to the What's New topic explaining the change to the feature or command.

For more information see: To Work with New-Updated Badges

Value Fields Display Parameter Names in Tooltips

Value fields now display the parameter name in the tooltip. When you pause the cursor over the parameter name displays with the value.

Here are some examples comparing prior releases (left image) with 2019.1 (right image):

Dialog

Property Panel

In-canvas

Mini Toolbar

Model Section Views

When you install Inventor you have the chance to Opt in to a data collection activity. Based on your Inventor usage data, the Half Section View is used most often in Parts and Assembly models. Therefore, with this update, the Section View command will default to Half Section for the first use in an Inventor session. Thank you for helping us get to the right setting for this tool. The Section View command can be accessed from both the View and Annotate tabs in part and assembly documents.

Property Panel Improvements

Breadcrumb

You can edit the Feature and Sketch names from within the property panel. Click the breadcrumb text you want to edit to activate it. Click again to enter edit mode and modify the text. Press Enter to complete the change. The browser node name is updated when you click OK to complete the hole.

Presets

Presets now store tolerance information for the value fields. You can access the Tolerance dialog from the field flyout menu. To revert to no tolerance value, set the Tolerance Type to Default and save the preset. When a value has a tolerance, the value edit control displays a colored background under the flyout arrow and on the flyout menu.

For more information, see About Property Panels

Panel Menu

The Hole command has new entries in the Panel menu:

  • Pre-select sketch center points - checking this option causes all unused sketch center points, in the active sketch, to automatically be selected for use by the Hole command, populating each center point with a hole.

  • Automatically share sketch - when using the Hole command, if unused sketch center points exist when you click (Create new hole), the sketch is automatically shared for use with creating the next Hole. If you do not use the sketch for the next hole or click Cancel or Esc, the sketch will be unshared. You can share a sketch manually by right-clicking the sketch browser node and clicking Share Sketch. Automatically share sketches is in the Part environment only.

Value Edit Feedback

For the Hole command, when a value is invalid, for example, the specified thread length is larger than hole depth, the value color turns red and the tooltip reports the value is invalid when you're entering the value. This allows you to immediately correct the value or locate another value that needs editing for this one to become valid. When a value is valid, the value color is black.

For more information, see To Create Holes

Undo

Undo has a slightly different behavior when the command is displaying a property panel or dialog. Here's how it works:
  • In an active command and a dialog or property panel is displayed: Undo cancels the active command.
  • In an active command and no dialog or property panel is displayed: Undo cancels the active command and undoes one step.
  • Not in an active command: Undo undoes one step.

Help Content Updates

The following pages have been updated based on feedback provided through the "Was this helpful?" feature found on each topic page.
  • To Draw 3D Curves - provided editing clarification and improved link visibility.
  • To Transfer Libraries Between Desktop Content and Server - added Important note prior to task steps. Updated supported products information.
  • Create a Shrinkwrap Part - added access information.
  • To Create a Bridge Curve - updated title, merged reference page into task page, updated F1 link.
  • To Place Mate or Flush Constraints in Assemblies - added new Axis constraint information.
  • Place Constraint Reference - Assembly Tab - added Axis constraint information.
  • Add a surface texture symbol - moved reference information to task page and updated image. Removed flash video.
  • To Change Document Settings - provided detailed information. (2019)
  • To Create a Base View and Projected Views - added clarification about placing shaded views, including an image. (2019)
  • Format Text Reference - added justification image to clarify how selections work. (2019)
  • Added Note describing how to move the drawing ordinate dimension indicator.
  • Added links to related topics for several pages.