Inventor enables you to work between sequential versions by opening a part or assembly file as a reference model in the older release.
You can open a part or an assembly file as a reference model from the next release of Inventor without the need to translate or use neutral file formats.
Question: Can earlier versions of Inventor modify features of models from later releases?
Answer: No, this is not possible. Each release of Inventor has updates to the modeling kernel that cannot be read by prior releases. As such, earlier versions of Inventor will not be able to access, or edit, features from a newer release of Inventor when the designs are opened as a reference model.
Question: If changes are made to an Inventor design in the current release, will the prior version be able to see the updates for the referenced model?
Answer: Yes, any update made to the model in the current release will be available in the prior version when opened as a reference model. When you open In the prior version, you user will be prompted by Inventor to perform a rebuild in order to see the updates to the design.
Question: Can Inventor save files as previous Inventor formats/versions?
Answer: No, this is not possible. Inventor is not able to support backward compatibility. Inventor can save a neutral file format if opening the design as a reference model is not possible. Inventor is dependent on its modeling kernel to create designs. As the modeling kernel is updated, new geometry and features types are created inside Inventor. Each version of Inventor uses an updated version of the kernel. Due to these kernel updates, it is not possible for earlier releases to read the latest Inventor files.