Autodesk Inventor What’s New 2023.2

Good news!  We’re excited to announce that Inventor 2023.2 has been released!  There are dozens of great enhancements to cover since the initial release of 2023.  You will find several videos that will briefly demonstrate how most of them work. This article will be longer than usual as we will include the enhancements from 2023.1. At the end you will find resources for additional information and ways to engage with the Inventor community.

Part Modeling

Sketch names display in Select Other results

When using Select Other, sketch objects listed in the results include the sketch name where they are used. This feature is available in Part, Assembly, and 3D sketches.

Purge Unused Sketches and Work Features

Selectively remove unused work features and sketches using the new Purge Unused command. A list of unused work features and sketches displays, and you can select only those you want to purge. Selections highlight in the canvas.

Exporting Planar Faces

The Export Face As command now supports exporting either individual or multiple faces at one time. When you have multiple coplanar faces selected, the export option displays in the selection context menu.

Feature Patterns

The feature pattern commands, Rectangular and Circular, now have a selector flyout that gives access to the Origin axes.

Shortcut Keys in the Context Menu

It is now possible to use the shortcut keys in the context menu to edit sketches or features directly. Select a feature or sketch, right-click and use the shortcut key. The following shortcut keys are available:

• K Edit Sketch
• F Edit Feature

Flat Pattern DXF/DWG Export Improvements

Working with sheet metal and exporting sketch text has been improved to better support post-export editing.

• Flat pattern DXF/DWG export now exports sketch text as a text object that can be read or edited within DXF/DWG environment.
• Flat pattern DXF/DWG export now exports parameter and property values as text objects.
• Text within sketch blocks are exported as text objects.

Switch between constraints

You can now switch between horizontal and vertical 2D constraints. Select a constraint type and hold the Shift key to switch to the other type.

Mark feature enhancements

When starting the Mark feature command, if an unconsumed sketch does not exist, the feature workflow activates the Sketch environment and prompts you for a face on which to place the mark, thereby streamlining the workflow.

The Mark feature property panel breadcrumb updates, adding the sketch, to allow you to edit the sketch without exiting the command. Just click on ‘Sketch’ in the breadcrumb, and the sketch activates for editing.

Ability to change an invalid parameter name

If the name of a parameter is invalid (for example using a space or comma), the warning dialog now contains an Edit button which enables you to correct the name directly. Previously, you could only discard the edits and start again.

Performance improvement

Hole feature preview performance is improved for parts, sheet metal parts, and assemblies. This improvement applies to holes placed on sketch points.

3D annotations

You can now reorder 3D annotations in the model browser.

Diameter and radius dimensions

When creating or editing 3D annotations, you can change a diameter dimension to a radius dimension or a radius dimension to a diameter dimension. You can select multiple dimensions of the same type and change them in one action.

Tolerance enhancement

You are now able to set the Tolerance when directly editing features as the option is added to the context menu for Move, Size, and Rotate.

Assembly modeling

Content Center: Component visibility

You can now change the visibility of all Content Center components with a single context menu selection in the active view representation.

Content Center: Locking the rotation of inserted fasteners

When inserting fasteners (bolts, nuts, washers, for example) from Content Center using Autodrop, you now have the ability to lock the fastener position using the new “Lock Rotation” option.

Component Pattern

To expedite creating patterns using the origin axes, the axes are now available in the Pattern dialog. Click the selector to access the axes flyout.

AutoScroll

Select the newly added “AutoScroll” option to automatically scroll to display the selected object on top of the list.

Reorder features

You are now able to reorder features in the browser. You can do the following:

• Drag features within the same assembly
• Drag features into the desired folder except the Origin and Weldment folders

Component Pattern

To expedite creating patterns using the origin axes, the axes are now available in the Pattern dialog. Click the selector to access the axes flyout.

Joint Workflow Enhancement

You can now suppress a joint directly when editing it or placing it. Just check the newly added “Suppress” box in the Place Joint dialog.

Bolted Connection Enhancement

When using the Bolted Connection tool, the holes are created automatically. However, there are cases when holes are not necessary. A new option is added to the Bolted Connection Component Generator to exclude the selected drilled hole or holes from the list of fasteners and holes. When editing later, you can decide to drill the suggested hole again.

Content Center

All items in Content Center list their sizes sequentially which was not always the case in the past.

Drawing environment

Base View

You can now place a base view with the current model view orientation. Click the ViewCube dropdown and select Current View Orientation.

Detail Views

The most recent Detail View settings are used to populate the dialog for the next use.

Break Out View Workflow

When creating Break Out Views, if the break out profile is an open loop an error message displays. The new workflow places you in edit sketch mode so you can close the loop, finish the sketch, and complete creating the view. If the view has multiple open loop sketches, the command terminates with an error message and you can then edit the appropriate sketch.

Annotations: Ordinate Sets, Baseline Sets, and Chain Sets

The dimension Sets (Ordinate, Baseline, Chain) workflow is improved, click Continue to place the set, then continue selecting members or use Esc to end the command. Use ESC to end selection when adding set members. Each member added is recorded in the Undo list.

Drawing Resources

Easily replace the current title block or border using Insert in the replacement title block or border context menu.

3D Model Annotations in Drawing Views

The 3D model annotations applied to parts can be retrieved in assembly drawing views.

Parts List Editing and Navigation

The Parts List dialog is now a modeless dialog. That means, you can pan and zoom in the drawing while working in the dialog. If you use pan or zoom, use ESC to exit either without closing the dialog.

Broken and Crop Views

You can now crop a broken view and create a broken view from a cropped view.

Draft Views

Easily reuse draft views anywhere in any drawing. Copy and Paste within the same drawing sheet, on a different sheet, or in another drawing – existing or new.

Easily move draft views to another sheet. Click and drag the browser node from the active sheet to the target sheet.

Break Out Views

Workflow improvement: When creating a break out view, if there isn’t an existing sketch defining the break out boundary, a sketch is created, activated, and you can begin to add geometry.

View participation: During view creation or edit, select whether or not components within the cut-away volume display in the break out view.

Dimensions placed on drawing views

Edit existing diameter or radius dimensions to change their type from one to the other.

Remove legacy parts list options

In the Parts list, the legacy Parts List creation methods are removed from the drop-down. If necessary to display the legacy parts lists, the registry key can be provided.

Select multiple components when attaching balloons to a balloon stack

When adding multiple balloons to a stack using the “Attach Balloon” command, after providing the direction it is now possible to continue selecting more balloons for the stack without having to restart the command as in the previous Inventor versions. Undo and Redo operations are also supported.

Visualization

GPU Ray Tracing

GPU Ray Tracing support for decals, ground shadows, reflection, and section views is added.

When overlapping decals the model tree position controls the display priority of decals.

Home screen

Home Enhancements

When a single file is selected:

• In the file context menu, “Remove from list” changed to Remove from Recent.
• In the file context menu, you can access iProperties.
  • Non-vault projects are supported.
  • User-defined properties are supported.
  • Vault properties are supported if the active project is a Vault project, Vault add-ins are loaded, and if logged into Vault. New files not yet put into Vault are not included in the Vault workflow.

When multiple files are selected:

• Opening or removing multiple files is supported. Select the check box in the upper left corner (or to the left in the list view) to select a file.Note: In the grid view, Ctrl+click and Shift+click for selection are not supported. They are supported in the table view.
• Search supports Name, Location, and iProperties strings.
• After a search has been performed, the search text is remembered when switching between Projects and the Recent list.
• In the list view:
  • Click Configuration (gear icon) to access Column Settings. Name and Pinned are persistent columns.
  • Column Settings provide access to column order and visibility.
  • Drag and drop a column to reorder where it appears in the Home interface.
  • Select the columns that display, choosing from iProperties and Pinned.
  • Reset the column display and order.

Display iProperties of a selected open document using the More option in a Home card. Right-click and select iProperties, which includes the Physical properties tab. If the selected document is not open, the Explorer properties dialog displays. In the Properties dialog you can click the iProperties tab to view the iProperties, except for the Physical tab.

• Search the Recent list for documents matching the criteria you enter.
• Progressively display the results as you enter the alphanumeric values.
• Click the X to cancel the search and clear the entered values.

Filter the Recent list and search results using the predefined filters. You can filter by File types, Date modified, and easily clear the filter criteria.

If you use Vault, you can also filter using the Vault Status.

The Home tab no longer participates when you use the windows arrangement tools. Arranging windows involves only your open models and guided tutorials.

iLogic enhancements

String Replace for iLogic Design Copy

You can now modify filenames using the newly added Search and Replace edit fields in the iLogic Design Copy dialog.

Shortcut keys in the context menu

It is now possible to use the shortcut keys for the iLogic rules in the context menu. Select the rule from the list, right-click and use the shortcut key to perform the desired operation. The following shortcut keys are available:

• R Run Rule
• E Edit Rule
• G Regenerate Rule
• S Suppress/Unsuppress Rule
• D Delete

Maximize Button for iLogic Editor

You are now able to maximize the iLogic Rule Editor window so it is easier to edit the rules.

Adding True/False Parameter to iLogic Form should default to Checkbox

When a True or False parameter is added to an iLogic form, the Control Type now defaults to Checkbox.

Confirmation box for deleting an iLogic Form

When deleting an iLogic global or an internal Form, a confirmation dialog is now displayed making sure you want to proceed with the form deletion.

Support multi-selection drags within the form editor to move elements

It is now possible to multi-select entities within the iLogic form editor and drag them to another location.

To drag a group, select the parent. You can Ctrl-select multiple groups. But you can’t select both a group and individual items that are within the group.

Shift select multiple elements (or form controls) to restructure. Selected items will retain their order.

Ability to change an invalid browser node name

When you edit the name of a browser node to a name that already exists, for example, a newly added Edit button in the Warning dialog directly enables you to correct the name directly in the browser. Previously, you could only discard the edits and start again.

Interoperability

Dynamic Event Simulation

This simulation determines how your design responds to rapidly changing time-dependent loads and constraints, including large deformations, initial velocities, contact, and impact. Use for high speed events such as collisions, accelerations, and rapidly changing loads caused by contact.

Quasi-static Event Simulation

This simulation determines the static stresses and deformation in single part or multi-body assemblies where nonlinear material behavior is required. It is ideally suited for large motions where the contact conditions can transition from one body to another.

Fusion Exports

Models sent to Fusion 360 have a browser node in the Inventor Model browser > Fusion Exports folder. With this release you can update and open the model in Fusion 360 with one click. In the browser node context (right-click) menu, click Update and Open.

To view the components included in a Fusion Exports dataset, select the browser node in the folder, the included components highlight in the browser and canvas.

Translation

Import

• Alias 2023
• CATIA V5
  • .catpart, .catproduct R6 to V5-6R2022
  • .cgr R10 and newer
• Creo Parametric 9.0
• NX 2007 Series
• Pro/E Granite 15.0

Export

• CATIA V5-6R2022
• JT – support for circular and rectangular datum target symbols
• QIF – support for circular and rectangular datum target symbols
• .glb/.gltf v2/0
• Pro/E Granite 15.0
• USDz 1.0

AnyCAD

• Alias 2022
• CATIA V5
  • .catpart, .catproduct R6 to V5-6R2021
  • .cgr R10 and newer
• PTC Creo 9.0
• NX 2007 Series

Import Workflow Improvements

You can specify the Output Location, where files are stored, for import tasks. Select the location using Source Path, User Path, or Workspace. The option to Save In Subfolder improves file management tasks. The path selection persists for use with subsequent import tasks, whether a single file or a batch process.

Product Manufacturing Information (PMI)

PMI, in part documents, can be included when exporting assemblies in JT and STEP formats by selecting the option.

JT format.

STEP AP 242 format.

Learn more   

See more details about the new Inventor 2023.2 features and enhancements and previous releases on our What’s New site. 

Share your feedback  

To help you get the most from your Autodesk Vault subscription, we release new functionality to you as soon as it’s available as a ‘point’ release between yearly releases. 

To make sure we’re working on your priorities, be sure to give us your feedback. You can join the following communities to share feedback and product improvement requests with our Autodesk Vault product team: 

Inventor Ideas – Submit your ideas for improvements and new features.  

Inventor Forums – Discuss Autodesk Inventor workflows with our technical teams and your peers.  

Feedback Community – Test Autodesk Inventor alpha and beta releases and give your feedback directly to the product teams.