Model with Freeform
The 14 new Freeform tools provide an alternate modeling approach to explore and create freeform shaped models using direct manipulation. Start with a freeform shape (Box, Sphere, Cylinder, Torus, or Quad ball) that best represents the desired geometry. Then use the freeform edit tools to change and adjust the shape.
Use freeform along with parametric modeling to create a more visually compelling design.
You can download the freeform interactive tutorial at http://www.autodesk.com/inventor-newtutorials-2015.
![](https://help.autodesk.com/cloudhelp/2018/ENU/InventorLT-WhatsNew/images/GUID-89693351-A089-4377-9B57-F48C8B3CA8E8.png)
Direct Edit
Edit parts quickly with Direct Edit. You can adjust size, shape, and/or location of model features by directly manipulating the geometry. Use Direct Edit when you want to:
- Quickly modify a complex model that you did not create originally.
- Modify imported base parts.
- Easily modify only what you choose while avoiding unintended changes due to complex relationships.
- Rapidly explore design alternatives.
You can download the direct edit interactive tutorial at http://www.autodesk.com/inventor-newtutorials-2015.
![](https://help.autodesk.com/cloudhelp/2018/ENU/InventorLT-WhatsNew/images/GUID-E8B7EEFD-5629-4BF3-A8E6-1C3CDAEE774D.png)
See enhanced highlighting of selections in iPart table
Your selections in an iPart table highlight in other reference fields, and in the graphics area.
The object (such as feature, parameter, property) that you select in the iPart editor highlights within associated table fields and in the graphics window (when applicable). This feature makes it easy to locate and change selected objects when there is large amount of design data in the iPart.
- Features in parts and assemblies, and sheet metal features such as a flange or a face, regardless of whether they are suppressed in the initial part.
- Work features, regardless of whether they are set to invisible in the initial part or assembly.
- iMates and iFeatures in parts and assemblies.
- A column or a cell, if it is possible for the owning feature to highlight in the graphics area.
- Columns that can be mapped back to a feature, work feature, or iMate.
- The source pane (left), and the destination pane (right) in the iPart and iAssembly Author dialog boxes.
- Edit in place, on the correct occurrence, but not for Edit in Place Create iPart.
Purge all unused parameters in one action
At the bottom of the Parameters dialog box, the option Purge Unused lists all unused parameters in a separate window. There you can purge them in one action. Click Yes to All to delete all unused parameters in the document or No to All to retain the unused parameters in the current document.
To retain a parameter listed in the window, leave the default setting of No. To purge a parameter listed in the window, you can click the default setting of No to Yes before you execute the purge. Unused, exported parameters default to No in case they are used in other documents.
You can still delete parameters individually in the Parameters dialog box.
![](https://help.autodesk.com/cloudhelp/2018/ENU/InventorLT-WhatsNew/images/GUID-3312B832-1667-4E17-9DCB-5F9F7AD84A40.png)
Productivity Improvements in Parts
View entire parameter names in the Parameters dialog box
The width of the Parameters dialog box expands to display the longest name that populates it so that names are not cut off.
A twist angle controls rotations in sweep features
A new Twist option is added to the Sweep dialog box. You can enter a twist angle to control the rotations of the profile perpendicular to the path. The twist angle you specify determines how much the profile twists along the given path. Available only for perpendicular sweeps created in Inventor 2015 or later.
Default thread depth and hole depth value specified from thread.xls
Standards now control thread depth and hole depth default values. While creating a hole, you often apply a thread feature. The values for thread depth and hole depth reference the associated (new) Thread Depth and Runouts columns within the thread.xls.
Sheet metal
Use a window to select points to place punch
- To include in a selection all items that touch any part of the area selection box, window(cross) select right to left.
- To include in a selection only items contained within an area selection box, window select left to right.
- To remove some points in a selection set, or remove some points and add others, make subsequent selections either left to right or right to left.
Selection in Punch Tool behaves as though you are holding down the CTRL key. If you select something in the set, you can remove it without holding down CTRL.
See more accurate prompts for delete flat pattern and convert flat pattern
- When you delete a flat pattern in a sheet metal part, the following message displays:
Deleting the Flat Pattern in the sheet metal part also deletes all flat pattern views in associated drawings.
- When you convert a sheet metal part to a standard part, the following message displays:
Conversion of a sheet metal part to a standard part automatically deletes the sheet metal flat pattern. Deleting the Flat Pattern in the sheet metal part also deletes all flat pattern views in associated drawings.
In both of these warning messages, you can click Prompts to view options that control when you want to see the prompt. You can turn off the prompt so that you do not see it in the future. You can also control this prompt behavior in Application Options, on the Prompts tab.
Folded parts in the browser show EOF instead of EOP
For sheet metal parts, in the browser tree, the End Of Part (EOP) marker is changed to End of Folded or End of Flat (EOF). The context menu for the marker includes commands such as Move EOF Marker, Move EOF to End, or Move EOF to Top.
Apply sheet metal punch features across bends
You can cut simple or complex hole shapes in a face of your part, including across a bend, using sheet metal punch tools.
When you create or edit an instance of a placed sheet metal punch iFeature, you can specify whether to apply a punch feature across a bend.
View entire property names in the Bend Edit dialog box
The width of the Bend Edit dialog for box for a lofted flange is increased to prevent cutoff of the property names that populate it.
Use Cut Normal in the Cut dialog box
In the Cut dialog box, the option Cut Normal is added. It projects a selected profile (sketch, and so on) onto the surface, and then cuts perpendicular to the faces that the projection intersects.
Enhanced orientation control in flat pattern
As in a folded model, you can now adjust the orientation of a flat pattern. To enhance coordinate control, in the Flat Pattern dialog box, an option is added to set a rotation angle.
Select the A-side for flat pattern and punch tool
The A-Side of a sheet metal part indicates the face that is Up in the flat pattern (punch machine). A new command, A-Side Definition
, is added to the ribbon in the flat pattern group. With it, you can select the A side of a sheet metal part to indicate the punch direction. If you do not select an A side, when you create the flat pattern, the software creates the A side for you, and adds a browser node entry. You can still change the A-side by flipping the Base Face when you edit the Flat Pattern definition in the browser.
You can delete the current A side as long as no flat pattern exists. You can change the orientation of the flat pattern, which reflects on the A side that highlights when you select the browser node. If a change causes the compute of the A side to fail, you can right-click the A-side browser node and pick a new A side, which results in a new A-side browser node.
When you start the placement of a punch tool, the A-side designation of the flat pattern highlights in the graphics area. Use options on the right-click menu to highlight the A side, and adjust the orientation, punch representation, and bend angle measuring. If you click the command Highlight A-Side, you place all A-side faces into the preselection set of the document.
Unfold/Refold imported Sheet Metal part with zero radius bend
You can unfold and refold imported third-party sheet metal models with a zero radius bend. In the sheet metal environment, Unfold/Refold command, under Unfold Geometry, you can now select a zero radius bend. You can flatten the zero radius bend when you create a flat pattern.
For Unfold, a new face is added where the 0 radius bend edge exists. The K-factor that you define determines the area of the face.
After Refold, references that are created in unfolding the model remain. This behavior is the same as in nonzero radius bend cases.
![](https://help.autodesk.com/cloudhelp/2018/ENU/InventorLT-WhatsNew/images/GUID-D2F4A864-C0DF-4EAF-89F9-E8CBB7CFEF70.png)