In the world of AutoCAD software, we spend most of our time dealing with just one file type—DWG. Paper space, model space, 2D, and 3D all exist in the same file. The Autodesk Inventor world is quite different in this respect—you’ll be dealing with a minimum of four different file types on a regular basis. Your first response to that statement is probably not a good one. How will you keep track of them all?

The good news is that you don’t need to—Autodesk Inventor is so smart it does all the work for you. And since these files are all associative, any change you make to one affects all of them. So if you choose to change a component while in an assembly file, the software automatically updates the part file as well as the 2D drawing file. Try not to equate this flexibility to the sometimes frustrating external references in the AutoCAD world—this is a much more sophisticated (and reliable) system. And I’ll do my best to help you feel comfortable with each of those four file types by the time you finish Step 3!

IPT—Inventor Part File (A)
I tend to equate the Autodesk Inventor IPT file to AutoCAD model space. Here you’ll create one 2D or 3D part at a scale of 1 to 1. If you choose to create a sheet metal file, you’ll also notice the extension is that of an IPT file. Incidentally, Autodesk Inventor has some fantastic tools for creating sheet metal parts and flat patterns! I typically begin drawing in the IPT file.

IAM—Inventor Assembly Model (B)
When you’re ready to put multiple parts together into a final assembly you’ll create an IAM file. Here you might find a mixture of parts, subassemblies, and assemblies.You can also, however, create part files in the IAM environment. Each part you create is saved to an IPT file.

IDW—Inventor Drawing File (C)
If the IPT file is equivalent to model space, then the IDW is equivalent to an AutoCAD layout (or paper space). Here you create your final drawing file for output. An IDW file can contain views of parts, assemblies, or presentation files, or all three. It’s also super easy to create section views, detail views, and projected views (all of which can be painful in AutoCAD). You’ll also find that dimensions and balloons are practically automatic in the IDW.

IPN—Inventor Presentation File (D)
There’s no better way to effectively communicate how parts are assembled or disassembled than in a presentation file. Anyone who has had to write up pages and pages of assembly instructions can appreciate that a picture is worth a thousand words (sometimes literally!). The IPN file is used to effectively display an exploded assembly. By tweaking the various components of the assembly, you can easily create a simple animation that’s saved as an AVI file. Remember that all these files are associated. So if you change a part in an assembly file, Autodesk Inventor automatically knows to apply the update in the part, drawing, and presentation files, thus ensuring that all your files are up-to-date. And it does this without additional input from you!

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