Inventor 2016 - What's New

Here we are again, a new release of Autodesk Inventor. Inventor 2016 has a lot of new features and some tweaks to some old ones that make working much easier. They include improvements to Inventor Studio, text input, 3D printing (Additive Manufacturing), Sheet Metal Parts, Freeform Parts, Standard Part design, Sketching,  Assembly, Drawing Enhancements, and also a revamped Representations. Hope you enjoy.

Visualization, Graphics, and Studio Enhancements

Studio Enhancements

New support for Image Based Lighting (IBL)

All lighting styles in Inventor Studio are now associated with an IBL. IBL provides a better lighting source.

Image-based lighting from the modeling environment is now supported by Inventor Studio. To render from the modeling lighting environment, use the commands available on the View tab, then use the Current Lighting in the Studio Render Image dialog box, or change to other lighting styles from Render Image dialog box.

 

New 2016 IBL Lighting Style features

• IBL provides association
• Background turn on/off
• Support additive lights

 

Advanced rendering engine RapidRT provides new configurations for rendering

• Time duration/iterations/unlimited mode
• Lighting and Material Accuracy modes

Obsolete options removed:

• Scene Style: The Ground plane and shadow effect settings specified in the View tab now display in the rendered model in Inventor Studio.

• The Studio Render Illustration settings have been moved to the View tab, Appearance Panel, Visual Styles drop-down menu. The new Technical Illustration command creates a realistic illustration effect in the graphics window.

Ground Plane and Shadow Effect display in final rendering result

The Ground plane and shadow effect settings specified in the View tab will now display in the rendered model.

Graphics Enhancements

The enhanced Shaded visual style display effect is now more consistent with Realistic visual style. Enhanced visual effect for shaded view. The following two images compare the results of using Shaded View in 2015 and 2016. High rendering performance is maintained.

Technical Illustration Visual Style

The Studio Render Illustration settings have been moved to the View tab, Appearance Panel, Visual Styles drop-down menu. The new Technical Illustration command creates a realistic illustration effect in the graphics window.

New IBL styles

11 new lighting styles are added to the View tab, Appearance Panel, Lighting Styles menu. These include Dark Sky, Gray Room, Infinity Pool, Photo Booth, Tranquility Blue, Sharp Highlights, Rim Highlights, Cool Light, Warm Light, Soft Light, and Grid Light.

Changes to Ray Tracing

• The Ray Tracing modes are changed to Low, Draft, and High to indicate the lighting and material accuracy.
• The progress status bar is changed to display quality measurement instead of percentage progress.
• You can now save an image any time during Ray Tracing.

 

Visual enhancement in drawings

The new Reflection Environment settings in the drawing Document Settings dialog box allow you to apply specular effect and specify a Reflection map in a Drawing (.idw) file.

vText and Leader Text

Redesigned Format Text Dialog Box

The Format Text dialog box is simplified and refined to be clear and easy to use. Size of the dialog box is reduced to provide more space for editing in the graphic window.

 

Enhanced Symbols List

New graphical symbols are added in the Symbols list in the Format Text dialog box.

Graphical symbols are organized in the following groups: Most Common, Geometric Characteristic, Material Removal Modifier, Additional Symbols, General, and Character Map.

Note: The active Feature Control Frame style controls the list of symbols available in the Format Text dialog box.

Edit Dimension Dialog Box

The symbol drop-down list has been removed and replaced by the graphic symbols as first-level options.

Text Preview in the Graphic Window

Text in a drawing file is dynamically previewed in the graphic window when you create or edit it. You can refine the appearance of text before you close the Format Text dialog box.

 

Zoom Edited Text In and Out

The Zoom In and Zoom Out buttons are removed from the Format Text dialog box. To zoom the edited text, place the cursor in the editing field, hold the CTRL key on your keyboard, and scroll the mouse wheel.

In-Canvas Text Rotation

Select a text object, and drag the blue rotation grip point to rotate text to the desired position.

Rotation for Leader Text

In the Format Text dialog box, use the Rotation Angle option to rotate leader text in a specified angle.

 

Retained Formatting for Copied Text

Numbered or bulleted lists and text formatting are retained when you copy text from a Microsoft Office document, or from AutoCAD.

Retained Formatting for Imported or Exported DWG Files

When you open an AutoCAD DWG file in Inventor, imported text is read-only, but keeps the original formatting. When you open an Inventor DWG file in AutoCAD, text keeps its formatting.

Other General Enhancements

Inventor Home

Inventor Home includes many new tools to make file management fast and simple.

 

Changes to Operating System Support (not available in Inventor LT)

Inventor 2016 now supports 64-bit Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 operating systems. Inventor LT also supports 32-bit Windows 7.

All inventor products, except for Inventor LT, no longer offers support for operating systems with 32-bit processors.

Use Keyboard Shortcuts for Select Other

In model views, when you select a component or a subassembly, you can use the shortcut, Ctrl+A for Select Other. This option is listed in the shortcut and command alias reference in the Customize dialog box, Keyboard tab, and View category, where you can customize them.

Use Escape (Esc) key to Cancel an Operation

Press the Escape key to abort or cancel an operation in process. The time it takes to cancel an operation may vary depending on the feature or data set that is in use. For operations with realistic preview, such as shell or fillet you can interrupt the preview.

Currently, not all operations are interruptible and some operations do not respond immediately when pressing the Escape key. A message displays when the cancellation is complete.

Copy Parameters to User Parameters

While working with Parameters, you can now copy an existing parameter, including all its settings and multivalues, as a User Parameter. Previously, recreation and manual entry was required for each value.

Update to Allow Part Appearance and Body, Feature, or Face Color to be Pushed from Derived Part to New Part

A new Use color override from source component option is available in Derived Assembly, Derived Part, Make Part, and Make Component dialog boxes. This checkbox, when checked, pushes the Part appearance and body, feature, or face color overrides applied to faces from the derived part into the new part. If unchecked, the appearance is set to default.

A global setting can be set to default the Use color override from source component check box to remain checked or unchecked throughout your session. This check box can be accessed through the Application Options dialog box under Make/Derive default, under the Tools tab in the ribbon.

 

Additive Manufacturing

 

The 3D Print Environment provides tools for additive manufacturing or 3D printing. Models can be printed whole or in-part based on the 3D printer in use. The 3D Print environment is available only in the Part document. To print an assembly, first derive it into a part model using the option to keep each solid body as a separate body. In the derived part use the 3D Print Environment.

The 3D Print output is based on component or feature visibility. If you have features you do not want to print, change the visibility state or suppress the feature if doing so does not affect other features you want to print.

A list of 3D Printers is included. You can modify the list and specify a default 3D printer.

 

Sheet Metal Parts

Sheet Metal Multi-body

The multi-body part environment is extended to include sheet metal parts. You can now use a top-down workflow to create multi-body sheet metal parts. Use the Make Components or Make Part command and then open the derived components to create flat patterns for each part in a multi-body part file.

 

The New solid body option is available in the following commands:

• Face
• Contour Flange
• Contour Roll
• Lofted Flange
• Split

The following features support multi-body workflows:

• Flange, Corner Hem, Bend
• Cut, Fold, Rip, Punch

Zero Bend Radius

Support for zero bend radius is added to the following commands:

• Face
• Bend
• Flange
• Contour Roll
• Lofted Flange
• Hem
• Fold

Punch Tool

The quantity of punch tool instances is added to the PunchTool dialog box, Geometry tab.

 

Thickness Detection

When you convert a part to sheet metal, you are now prompted to select a base face. This pick allows Inventor to measure the material thickness for you. After you select a face, the Sheet Metal Defaults dialog box appears. The measured thickness is displayed in the Thickness value box. Click OK to accept the measured thickness value.

Export DWG and DXF

Some shop tools were unable to use an exported DWG or DXF flat pattern file if a bend centerline crossed a hole in the bend. A new option is added to the Geometry tab in the Flat Pattern DXF or DWG Export Options dialog box. Check the new Trim Centerlines at Contour option in the Geometry tab to trim bend centerlines to the edge of the cut.

Freeform Parts

Freeform Environment

When you start a Freeform command a Freeform ribbon tab is activated providing full access to the environment.

Work Features are added to the Freeform ribbon and can be created in the Freeform environment. For example, create a work plane to use as a flatten reference or create a work plane to use as an alignment plane.

When you exit the Freeform environment the topology is simplified. Simplification means that there are fewer faces and edges in the model, but the freeform body shape is preserved.

Edit Form

The following enhancements are added to the Edit Form dialog box:

• The dialog box is reorganized for better access to options.
• The Extrude option is added to the dialog box. Both previous extrude workflows; holding the ALT key and using the context menu when editing, are preserved.
• A Reset option is added next to Undo and Redo.
• The Soft Modification option is added. Set the type and the falloff gradient to control the influence your changes have over the surrounding area. In the following image, soft modification is off in the upper right image, and on in the lower right image.

Freeform Plane

Use the Freeform Plane command to create a planar sheet body and then manipulate the faces.

Freeform Cylinder

The Cylinder command supports creation of closed or open cylinder bodies.

Edit Form

The Edit Form command supports extruding open sheet edges and faces.

Freeform Face

Use the Freeform Face command to create a three-dimensional sheet body and then use Edit Form or Thicken to extrude the face or selected edges.

Convert to Freeform

Use the Convert command to copy solid body or surface faces to the freeform environment. Use the freeform edit tools to manipulate the shape.

Body Management

Intelligent body management. Freeform bodies and surfaces are converted to their respective solids or surfaces when you exit the environment.

Align Form

Use Align Form to precisely move a freeform body to a target plane or planar face.

Flatten

Use Flatten to move the selected vertices to single plane passing through the vertices. Select at least four vertices to use Flatten.

Weld Vertices

Use Weld Vertices to join vertices or to close a hole in a freeform body. Pick points individually to move the first vertex to the second vertex.

Unweld Edges

Use Unweld Edges to disconnect an edge or a loop to enable separating the edges.

Insert Point

Use Insert Point to add control points to your model.

Merge Edges

Use Merge Edges to close gaps and join edges.

Thicken

The Thicken command is added to the freeform environment. You can choose Sharp, Soft, and No Edge solutions to thicken a body. The following image shows an open sheet body thickened with the No Edge option.

Mirror

The Mirror command is added to the freeform environment. You can use a work plane or planar face to mirror a body.

Crease and Uncrease

The Crease and Uncrease commands are available in the ribbon. Previously they were available only in a context menu. Creased edges are colored.

Bridge

The Bridge command has added the ability to select edges.

Add Distance

Use the Add Distance command to place a reference dimension between points, planes, edges, and faces.

Make Uniform

Use the Make Uniform command to relax the freeform body and make the intervals between star points uniform. You can also use this command as a repair operation if you encounter issues with the body.

Copy

The Copy command supports copying bodies and faces. The Edit Form, Transform option is active when you use Paste so you can easily move the duplicated geometry.

Toggle Translucent

Enable the Toggle Translucent command to see though the body and view existing geometry or sketches.

Toggle Select Through

Use Toggle Select Through to filter crossing window geometry selection. When enabled, geometry selection is normal. When toggled off, only geometry that is visible in the view is selected.

Match Edge

The Match Edge command is more robust and works with open sheet bodies. In addition, the following new functionality is added:

• Expand the Matches folder in the browser, right-click the matched edge, and select Rematch if the source geometry changes.
• G0, G1, and G2 continuity control is provided between a NURB edge and a freeform body edge.

Selection

Freeform selection is enhanced to include the following:

• You can now window select vertices.
• Vertex display is enabled on bodies when you start a command that requires vertex selection.
• Select an edge, press Shift and double-click another edge in the loop range to add all edges between the two selections.
• Select a face, press Shift and double click another face in the loop range to add all faces between the two selections.
• Select a vertex, press Shift and double-click another vertex in the loop range to add all vertices between the two selections.

Symmetry

Symmetry is displayed with a different line type and color.

 

Part Design

Face Draft

Face draft enhancements allow you to control which part of the model thickness is preserved.

Ruled Surface

The Ruled Surface command is added to create Normal, Tangent, or Sweep surfaces. Ruled surfaces are used to create pockets, split a complex body after shelling, or to create a parting surface for mold design.

Silhouette Curve

New exclude options are added to the Silhouette Curve command to provide greater control of curve generation.

Parting Line

Surfaces can be used to generate a parting line split.

Replace Face

Replace Face supports both surface and solid faces as replacement faces.

General Design

• The Mirror and Rectangular Pattern commands now support selecting multiple solid bodies. Use these new options to create new bodies or join the bodies.
• The Measure command now allows you to measure an angle to the midpoint of any segment. This option is achieved by hovering your mouse over the midpoint of a segment until a yellow dot appears.
• You can now use the Rectangular Pattern command to create nonlinear solid body patterns.

Enhancements to Boundary Patch

The Boundary Patch command no longer requires the input edges to form a closed loop(s) to preview and create a patch.

The Boundary Patch command now tries to create a patch whenever it is possible. If the input edges do not form a closed loop, it creates a patch that is large enough to encompass all input edges. It is no longer necessary for the boundary of the open loop patch to correspond to input edges.

The user interface is unchanged. You can still specify continuity constraints (G1/G2) and tangent scale values for each input edge. The OK and Apply buttons are enabled when it is possible to create a patch from input edges. You do not need to specify whether an open or closed loop patch is created. The Boundary Patch command automatically determines what to create.

If feature preview is enabled, the preview gets updated every time when you select or deselect an edge as shown in the following images going from left to right: 1) One edge is selected, 2) A second edge is added, 3) A third edge is added and a closed loop is formed.

Sketch

Identify the Sketch Source Plane

You can now identify which face or plane a sketch was initially created on. Select a sketch in the browser and select Show Input in the context menu to display the source plane or face.

Create Tangent Dimensions Between Circular or Arc Geometry Within a 2D Sketch

You can now create tangent dimensions between circular or arc geometry within a 2D sketch. This workflow will allow you to fully constrain a circle using tangent dimensions instead of a traditional diameter dimension, or the use of the center point of the circle.

The Show/Hide All Constraints Display Setting Persists

The selected Show All or Hide All Constraints display setting remains active as you sketch and throughout your editing session. Previously the show or hide setting did not persist when you created new geometry or when you started a new sketch.

Hide Sketch Dimensions

The Sketch Dimensions option is added to the Object Visibility list. Select this option to display 2D or 3D sketches and hide all related sketch dimensions. Previously, you could not hide sketch dimensions separately. This option is available in both parts and assemblies.

Consistency in Sketch Sharing

When sharing a sketch, by dragging it above its feature within the browser, it is now automatically made visible. The visibility state of the shared sketch is now consistent with the context menu method of choosing Share Sketch.

3D Sketch Wrap to Surface

The Wrap to Surface option of the Project to Surface command is enhanced. Wrap to Surface is more predictable and can now wrap to a wider variety of surfaces. The following image shows the results of wrapping a straight line onto two planes and a curve in both 2015 and 2016.

New Snap Points in the Context Menu

Previously, the only snap points that were available through the right-click > Point Snaps option were Midpoint, Center, and Intersection. The following snap points are added:

• Endpoint
• Apparent Intersection
• Quadrant
• Mid of 2 points

3D Sketch Silhouette Curve

The create silhouette curve command includes new options. You can now choose to exclude selected faces, straight faces, and internal faces from curve generation.

 

Assembly

Stress Analysis

Changing the Safety Factor for materials triggers a new warning message. While assigning materials In Stress Analysis, if you change Safety Factor from Yield Strength to Ultimate Tensile Strength (UTS), a warning message displays. The warning advises that the safety factor calculation of one or more materials is based on UTS. UTS uses Principal Stress and is appropriate for brittle materials.

Large Assembly Performance

The Disable Automatic Refinement option is added to the Application Options, Display tab. Disabling automatic refinement provides a coarser model display and improves graphics performance in large assemblies such as when changing a level of detail. Coarse faceting is used until you select the Refine Appearance command in the View tab.

Replace Selected Components

The Replace command now supports more than a single component selection. Multiple similar or dissimilar component selections can be made before or after the Replace command is invoked.

Analyze Interference

The following new functionality is added to the Analyze Interference workflow:

• You can use a crossing window to add components to the selection set. Previously you selected components one at a time.
• You can now zoom to an interference. If interferences are detected, expand the dialog box and double-click an entry to zoom to the interference.

Assembly Pattern

The Midplane option is added to the assembly Pattern command. Select the Midplane option to create a pattern distributed on both sides of the original component.

Act on Multiple Sick Constraints

You now can select multiple sick constraints within the Design Doctor and delete or suppress them.

General Enhancements in Drawings

Fast Drawing Creation

A new Create Drawing View command merges several steps to one, so you can quickly create drawing views from a model file. In the model file, arrange the model as desired. Then right-click the root component in the browser, and click Create Drawing View.

The following model properties are automatically propagated from the model to the drawing:

• All active representations (design view, position, and level of detail representation)
• All active representations (design view, position, and level of detail representation)
• Active iPart/iAssembly member

Centralized External Sketch Symbol Library Features

You can now easily access and share your collection of sketch symbols through a new external Sketch Symbol Library. This library is an Inventor drawing file that, by default, is located in a subfolder of the Design Data location of your project.

Search and filter function

You can now search and filter your libraries with more accurate results when inserting sketch symbols from a Symbol Library.

Preview sketch symbol

You can now see a preview of your selected sketch symbol before placing it.

Enhancement to browser expansion state when placing sketch symbols

The library's browser expansion is now remembered when you select a symbol from the specified library and select OK . It will remain expanded in the last viewed position, based on the state it was left in before closing the dialog box. This will be remembered throughout your session.

Both IDW and DWG file types are supported in your sketch symbol libraries

The ability to place IDW or DWG file formats into the sketch symbol library is now possible. A Sketch Symbol Library can be created in IDW and DWG formats allowing insertion of symbols contained within the library file from either format.

Save all to symbol libraries

To save all sketch symbols to a given library, right-click on the Sketch Symbol, Drawing Resources node in your browser and select Save All to Symbol Library.

Save to desired sketch symbol library

Save your sketch symbols to a library of your choice. Right-click on a symbol in the graphics from beneath a sheet or beneath the Sketch Symbols node under Drawing Resources to display the Save to Symbol Library dialog box. Here, you can choose which library to save your sketch symbols to. To create a library, select the Create a new library icon. To create a folder within a library, select the Create a new folder icon.

Retain your library's folder structure when saving your sketch symbols to a library. To accomplish this, click the Retain Resource Folder Structure check box.

New Sketch Symbol Library folder entry available in Application Options dialog box

A new configuration entry is available in the Application Options dialog box under the file tab called Sketch Symbol Library folder. Here, you can specify a folder outside of the Design Data structure to store your sketch symbol library templates. Select the Browse icon to locate a file or Make New Folder to create a location to store your libraries.

Initial View Scale Property in Title Block or Text

The Initial View Scale property scale of the first drawing review placed on the sheet is added in the Sheet Properties group within the Format Text dialog box. You can insert the Initial View Scale property to title blocks in your drawing templates or to Text objects in your drawing.

Work Features Can Now Be Projected Into a View Sketch

You can now create a view sketch on a model with included work features and select those work features with the Project Geometry command. This capability in a drawing view sketch allows you to reference, constrain, or annotate other sketch geometry to projected work features that were included in the view.

Hidden Line Views for Standard Fasteners

A new option is available to exclude all standard fasteners from hidden line views.

Transparent Components in Drawing Views

In the Drawing Browser, select the Transparent option in the component context menu to make a component transparent in a drawing view. Transparent components do not hide geometry of other components.

Workflow Modified to Start Sketch

The drawing Start Sketch command is modified to work similarly as the Start 2D Sketch command in the modeling environment. When you click Start Sketch, you have to select a sheet, drawing view, or existing sketch in the browser or graphic window. The new or edited sketch is highlighted in the browser and opened for editing.

If the current drawing sheet does not include any drawing views or sketches, a sheet sketch is started automatically.

Base and Projected Views

Model Orientation in Base Views

When you create a base view, View Cube is displayed next to the upper right corner of the base view. Click a View Cube face, edge, or corner, or click the rotation manipulators to set the desired orientation of the model.

Custom View Orientation

Right-click the View Cube, and click Custom View Orientation to enter the Custom View environment. Then specify the orientation of the custom view.

Orthographic and Perspective Projection

By default, Orthographic projection is used to create drawing views. To use Perspective projection, when you create a base view or edit a base view or independent projected view, right-click the view cube, and click Perspective.

Saved Camera for Presentation Views

For drawing views based on a presentation view of the model, you can access and apply camera settings saved in the presentation file (.ipn). Right-click the View Cube, and click Saved Camera.

Temporary Base View Position

When you start the Base View command and specify the model, the base view is placed in a temporary position on the drawing sheet. Hover over the base view to display the Move manipulator. Then drag the base view to the desired place.

Revised Drawing View Dialog Box

The Drawing View dialog box is streamlined to support new workflows with direct interaction in the graphic window.

Size of the dialog box is reduced:

Some dialog box options are moved, changed, or removed:

Component tab

• Style controls, the Raster View option, and label and scale controls are moved from the base dialog box area to the Component tab.
• The Projected View option is removed and projected view creation is controlled directly in the graphics window.
• The View, Position, and Level of Details Representation controls are changed from list boxes to drop-down lists.

Display Options tab

• The most frequently used controls are on top.
• The All Model Dimensions option is visible only for Part models. The option is hidden and replaced with the Interference Edges option for other types of referenced files.
• Show Trails option is moved to the Components tab, Presentations frame.

Model State tab

• Weldment controls are moved from the Display Options tab to the Model State tab to be colocated with the other weldment-specific options.

Projected Views

Use the direct interaction tools to create multiple projected views with the Base View command, and to place projected views in the drawing.

To create an orthographic or isometric projected view, click a triangular icon on the base view border. The projected view is placed in a default location.

 To add a projected view to a specific place on the sheet, drag the projected view bounding box to the desired location. Then click to create the view.

To move a projected view, drag the view to the desired position.

To remove a projected view, click the x mark.

 

 

 

 

Drawing View Scale

When you create a base view and projected views, a temporary scale value is used to fit the model view to the sheet. Drag a corner of the base view to change the view scale directly in the graphic window.

By default, within the range of scales predefined in the current Standard style, the view size snaps to the preset scale values. Hold the CTRL key to enable free dragging, and set arbitrary view scale.

Editing of Base and Isometric Projected Views

When you edit a base view or an isometric projected view, direct-editing tools are available.

Use the View Cube to specify new orientation and type of projection for the view. Drag a view corner to change the scale.

Balloons

Custom Balloons in Balloon Styles

You can use a sketch symbol as the default balloon shape in a balloon style. In the balloon style, switch on the Used-Defined Symbol button, and select a symbol from the list.

Align To Edge Option

A new To Edge option is available to align balloons. You can select any linear edge on the drawing sheet to specify direction of the aligned balloons.

Window Selection for Aligned Balloons

Any window selection that includes balloons is valid, and displays Align commands in the right-click menu. After you start an alignment command, all objects that cannot be aligned are automatically removed from the selection set.

Corrected Split Balloons

When you insert a split balloon, the middle line is connected to the circle.

Migrated balloons are not automatically updated to the new type. Edit a legacy balloon to update its appearance.

Improved Auto Balloon command

Placement of automatic balloons was improved to optimize the balloon start points, and position and length of balloon leaders.

Annotation Leaders

Single Segment Leader Option

When you place symbols or balloons in the drawing, multiple leader segments are created until you right-click and click Continue. A new Single Segment Leader option allows you to change the default procedure and create drawing annotations with a single leader segment. Start the symbol placement command, right-click, and select Single-Segment Leader. The setting is saved in the computer registry and is retained until you change it. You set the option separately for each type of drawing annotations.

The Single-Segment Leader option is available for balloons, leader text, surface texture symbols, welding symbols, feature control frames, datum targets, and sketch symbols.

Aligned Leader Annotations

Drawing annotations with leaders can now be aligned in one step. In the drawing, select the annotations to align. Right-click, and on the menu, click Align: Vertical, Horizontal, or To Edge.

Window Selection for Aligned Annotations

Any window selection that includes annotations supported in the Align commands is valid, and displays Align commands in the right-click menu. After you start an alignment command, all objects that cannot be aligned are automatically removed from the selection set.

No Snap for Annotation Leaders

The default behavior and CTRL-key behavior for placing drawing annotations are switched. Hold CTRL key to enable 15° leader snapping.

General Enhancements in Presentations

Window Selection and Selection Filters

The Select command works similarly as in other environments, including color highlighting and window selection.

Design View Representations

You can change the design view representation for an existing presentation view.

You can control associativity between the presentation view and the definition of the design view representation in the model file.

In the Representations dialog box:

• Select a design view representation from the list.
• Select the Associative option to update the presentation view with any edits of the design view representation in the source assembly file.
• Cancel the Associative option to preserve the current design view representation in the presentation view.

Easier Access to the Auto Explode Command

Auto Explode command is added to the ribbon for easier access.

The command is available when you select an assembly or subassembly.

Browser Views

The Filter icon is replaced with name of the current browser view.

Click the arrow to switch between the available browser views.

Consistent Tweak Names

Tweak names are now consistent in all browser views.

Tweaks, Trails, and Auto Explode

Tweak Components Minitoolbar

Tweak command is redesigned to use direct manipulation tools arranged in the Tweak Components minitoolbar.

The Tweak Components minitoolbar includes many new commands.

Triad Manipulator

The triad manipulator is modernized and its appearance is similar as in Inventor direct edit commands.

The triad can use the world coordinate system or local coordinate system of the attached component. When local coordinate system is used, you can align the triad to the component geometry.

Move and Continuous Move

Two options are available to create transitional tweaks:

• Move clears the selection set of components when you click Apply. You can create a sequence of tweaks with a different selection sets.
• Continuous Move retains the selection set of components after you click Apply. You can add multiple tweaks for the same selection set, or slightly change the original selection as you create tweaks.

Editable Selection Set of Tweaked Components

When you create a tweak, you can dynamically add or remove components included in the selection set.

When you edit an existing tweak, you can redefine the set of components participating in the tweak.

In-Canvas Editing of Tweak Distance or Angle

When you create or edit a tweak, an edit box with the distance or angle value is attached to the triad manipulator. When you edit the value, the tweak is updated accordingly.

Dynamic Preview of Tweaked Components

When you create a tweak, component positions and created trails are dynamically previewed.

When you edit a tweak, components are rolled back so that you can preview the edited tweak.

Undo Button in Tweak Components Command

When you create tweaks, you can go back one step and cancel the previous tweak by the Undo button. The tweak history and the Undo button are available until you click Apply in the Tweak Components minitoolbar.

Default Trails

When you create a tweak, you select an option to create default trails:

• None cancels creating trails.
• All Components creates trails for all selected components.
• All Parts creates trails for all selected parts, excludes subassemblies from creating trails.
• Single creates a single trail for the entire tweak regardless of the number of moved components. The trail starts from the triad location.

Enhanced Trail Editing

Use the direct editing tools on the Tweak Components mini toolbar to manually add, edit, or delete trails or trail segments.

Manual Trails

When the default trails do not match your needs, you can add trails or trail segments manually. On the Tweak Component minitoolbar, click Add and select Full Trail or Trail Segments. Then in the graphic window, click a point on the tweaked component to add a trail.

Dynamic Preview in Auto Explode

When you use the Auto Explode command, select the Preview box to dynamically preview the exploded view of the model. The preview updates whenever you change the settings in the Auto Explode dialog box.

Levels of Auto Explosion

Two options are available to autoexplode the model:

• One Level separates all selected components down to one level in the hierarchy.
• All Levels separates all selected components down to all levels in component hierarchy.

Trails for Auto Exploded Components

When you autoexplode a model, several options are available to create trails:

• None cancels creating trails.
• All Components to create trails for all components included in auto explode.
• All Parts to create trails for exploded parts only.
• Single to create a single trail for each tweak created by the Auto Explode command.

Tweaks Created by Auto Explode

When you autoexplode a model, individual tweaks for the exploded components are added to the presentation view. The tweaks can be edited separately, so you can fine tune the position of the components in the exploded model view.