About importing and exporting Autodesk Inventor® files

About importing Inventor files

You can import Autodesk Inventor® part (.ipt) and assembly (.iam) files directly into Alias using File > Open or File > Import > File.

You can also read Alias wire files directly into Inventor.

Tip: To maintain the original positioning and orientation of part files in your scene, import the assembly file first. Importing part files before the assembly file positions all of them at the origin (0,0,0) and removes the original positioning.

Types of data imported

NURBS are imported for this file format. The following additional information is maintained on import:

BREP Bodies
Data organization
Tolerances and units
Material Colors and simple transparency

Where to find imported data

Data Organization

Parts and assembly information is displayed in the Windows > Object Lister or Windows > Information Window.
Tolerances and Units

Unit settings are visible from Preferences > Construction Options.
Colors (Shaders)

Colors are visible from the Shader Library.

Importing limitations

WorkSources, Display Meshes, and 2D/3D Sketches get automatically excluded when importing an Autodesk Inventor® file. Some cylindrical surfaces (pipes) do not trim properly.

About exporting to Inventor

TO export to Autodesk Inventor, you must use one of these formats: STEP, IGES, DWG, PTC Granite, NX.

Two types of model information can be sent to and read by Inventor from Alias: geometry information and topology information.

The geometric data describes the basic shape of the object and in both Alias and Inventor, geometric data is represented using NURBS.
Topological data describes how the geometric components are connected together to form a solid.

The Alias-created IGES file includes only the description of the geometry information.

The Alias-created STEP and DWG file supports both the geometry information and the topology information.

The preferred method is DWG.

Inventor tolerances

Set Preferences > Construction Options Construction Presets to Inventor.

Information specific to DWG

Tip: DWG Export heals the model and makes it ready for use in Inventor.

Information specific to Granite

Tip: Curve Fit Distance is the key to translation quality. The recommended tolerance in the Preferences > Construction Options - Construction Presets > Tolerances > Fitting section is based on testing done translating models between Alias and Inventor.

Tip: Maximum Gap Distance is the value that is used to check if the adjacent boundaries are built closely enough to each other. They should never be smaller than the Curve Fit Distance.

Get the geometry right

To achieve the tolerance required by solid modeling it's important to manage the modeling units and tolerances when creating your model. Most engineering organizations use the millimeter or inches units as the base linear unit and have developed standards for tolerances that they apply to their CAD systems.

If you are not clear as to which standards your companies or clients use, seek out your CAD system manager. Set up your units and tolerances at the beginning of your modeling session and save them in your usr_options file.

Whether you are creating a model, verifying a model, or debugging a translation, there are some tools within Alias to check the quality of the geometry you have created. The most useful tools are the Deviation tools in the Locators menu. Use these tools to check the maximum distance between any two surface boundaries. The Check Model tool is also very useful and lets you check the model for potential problematic conditions.

Autodesk Inventor import options
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