AutoCAD and Inventor, 2D to 3D Conversion through DWG True Connect.

Do you use AutoCAD to create your Joinery shop drawings? Are you thinking about using Autodesk Inventor but are worried about learning the new software?

I found this neat little video from Andy Rahden on the Autodesk Manufacturing Blog.

‘See how you can easily convert a 2D DWG file into a 3D Part model in Inventor. The fun doesn’t stop there. You can also use the associative DWG file back in AutoCAD and update it side by side in Inventor…

…and there is more! Make use of each drawing view from the originally created Inventor drawing, in a block format, to insert into other drawings in AutoCAD natively. Autodesk makes this seamless capability possible with its native DWG format.

This is a huge benefit for customers coming from 2D, using 2D and 3D, and for 3D users communicating with other 2D users!’

I use AutoCAD’s Sheet set manager to organise all my drawings. I use AutoCAD for site layouts and sketching out concept details. I batch plot through Autocad.

I use Inventor to develop the 2D details and create  shop drawings, particularly when I need a cutting ticket.

Apart from the occasional hiccup, AutoCAD and Inventor play pretty nicely together.

How do you use AutoCAD and Inventor in conjunction?