Autodesk Inventor Drawings (IDW/DWG) and Presentation (IPN)

Overview

Inventor's manufacturing deliverables split into two streams: Drawings (.idw / .dwg), which carry design dimensions, GD&T, and BOM; and Presentations (.ipn), which communicate assembly methods through exploded views and animations. Both files are linked to their source models (IPT, IAM), so keeping the one-way flow — upstream model changes automatically reflected downstream — is a baseline practice. This page covers the drawing phase end-to-end: view types, dimensions, annotations, GD&T, BOM, Balloons, Explode, and Storyboard.

0. The Drawing Pipeline at a Glance

Data flows in the order: model (IPT, IAM) → drawing (IDW, DWG) → output (PDF, print, DXF) → archive (Vault). Most mistakes at the drawing stage originate from "fixing the drawing when the model should have been fixed". The principles are simple.

• Change dimensions, iProperty, and part numbers in the model. The drawing just "shows"
• Templates and styles come from a single company original. No personal PC clones
• Automate the outputs. Leave PDF/DXF generation to the Vault Job Processor or an iLogic Rule

Stick to these three and rework cost drops sharply.

1. IDW vs DWG

Inventor offers two drawing formats. A clear selection criterion reduces collaboration overhead.

2. Drawing Environment and Sheet Setup

Drawing files are built from a template (.idw/.dwg). The template must already contain Dimension Styles, Text Styles, Layers, Title Block, Border, and the drawing standard (ISO/ASME/KS/JIS). To keep a company-wide drawing standard stable, store the template in one place (network share or Vault) and point Inventor Options → File → Default Templates at it.

A single drawing file can hold multiple Sheets, each with its own size (mix A1/A3), Title Block, and Border. Large equipment benefits from "Sheet 1 = A1 assembly drawing, Sheets 2–N = A3 sub-parts".

3. View Types

A drawing is ultimately a composition of views. Menu path: Place Views → Create → Base.

Display Style and Hidden Line Management

A Base View's Display Style combines three options: Line (wireframe) / Hidden (hidden lines shown) / Shaded. The default for manufacturing drawings is "Shaded Off + Hidden On", but Hidden Line calculation becomes a bottleneck on large assemblies.

• Narrow Hidden Line scope: Right-click view → Options → "Tangent Edges Off", "Thread Feature Off"
• Component Visibility: Right-click view → Visibility → Components. Toggle parts on/off per view. It's natural to show only the inner frame while hiding the outer sheet metal
• Model State linkage: Separate Sheet Metal Flat/Folded and LOD simplified variants into Model States, and pick a different state per view

4. Dimensions and Hole/Thread Notes

Use General Dimension (D) as the default, and only add Baseline/Ordinate/Chain when you need alignment or continuous dimensioning. Menu path: Annotate → Dimension.

• General Dimension: auto-detects type (line-line, circle-circle, angle, etc.)
• Baseline / Ordinate: dimensioned from a reference line or origin. Beneficial for sheet metal and drilling jig drawings
• Chain Dimension: continuous dimension. Causes tolerance accumulation, so prefer Baseline on functional faces
• Hole/Thread Note: select a circle to auto-generate annotations like M6 THRU or ⌀10 DRILL ⌀16 C'BORE
• Model Dimension Retrieve: pulls model sketch constraint dimensions directly into the drawing. No retyping, integrity preserved

5. Annotations and GD&T

Symbols required for manufacturing — surface finish, weld, geometric tolerance frames — are grouped under the Annotate ribbon.

Key Annotations

• Centerline / Centered Pattern: auto-generates centerlines for circles and patterns
• Surface Finish: surface roughness (Ra/Rz) symbol. ISO 1302 compliant
• Weld Symbol: weld symbol. Supports both ISO 2553 and ASME styles
• Feature Control Frame (FCF): GD&T geometric tolerance frame
• Datum Feature / Datum Target: datum designation
• Text / Leader Text: plain text and leader text

GD&T Authoring Principles

• The datum scheme reflects how the part is fixtured. The 3-2-1 rule (3 points primary, 2 secondary, 1 tertiary) is the baseline
• Feature Control Frames go in the order: geometric symbol → tolerance zone → modifier → datum. Swapping the order violates the standard
• Modifiers: use MMC (Ⓜ), LMC (Ⓛ), Projected Tolerance (Ⓟ) only when you understand their purpose. Misuse complicates interpretation on the shop floor
• View consistency: the same face is labeled with the same A/B/C in every view

6. Parts List & Balloon (BOM)

Assembly drawings carry a Parts List (BOM) and Balloons (item numbers). Menu path: Annotate → Table → Parts List.

• Parts List columns: Item, Part Number, Description, QTY, Material, Mass by default. Custom iProperty columns can be added
• Structure: Flat (flattens all parts) vs Structured (preserves sub-assembly hierarchy). Structured is more readable for large equipment
• Filter: aggregate only specific subs, exclude derived parts, etc.

Balloon

• Auto Balloon: places balloons on every component in the view. Choose rectangular, circular, or concentric alignment
• Balloon Style: Circular / Hex / Triangle / Split (two-line)
• Realign: right-click → Align to tidy up balloons in one pass

BOM Practical Tips

• Renumbering: Different numbers per view cause confusion. When balloons appear in multiple views of the same assembly, lock the model BOM order first and anchor the Parts List to the sheet
• Merging standard parts: Group Content Center items like bolts and nuts by "Part Number" to sum quantities
• Custom Column: Define in-house fields such as Surface Treatment, Heat Treatment, or supplier codes as custom iProperty and add them as Parts List columns
• Sort: Part number ascending by default. A common field practice is to pin raw materials at the top and standard parts at the bottom

7. Title Block and iProperty Automation

Title Block fields — Part Number, Description, Drawing Number, Designer, Date — are auto-filled from iProperty prompts. Change the model's iProperty and the title block updates in sync. Breaking this link by overwriting with manual text accumulates inconsistencies that become untraceable later, so it's strictly forbidden.

Title Block Composition Tips

• Drawing Number: Mirror the in-house document management rule (ProjectCode-DWG-Seq is common)
• Revision: When using Vault, map the Revision value so it auto-injects into the Title Block
• Scale / Sheet Size / Weight: Declare as Property Prompts to prevent manual entry
• Approval Block: Designer / Checker / Approver — three tiers. Linking them to Vault Lifecycle approval history secures traceability
• Language fields: For multilingual drawings, duplicate the same field in ko/en or split templates per region

8. Drawing Performance Tips

Large assembly drawings slow down during creation, save, and PDF output.

• Raster View: While editing, open views as Raster to keep responsiveness high. Switch to Precise right before final output
• Suppress unused sheets: Suppress draft or reference-only sheets
• Center Mark Only: With thousands of sheet-metal holes, use only Center Marks instead of a Hole Table
• Use Model States: Separate Sheet Metal flat/folded and LOD simplified variants into Model States, and pick per view
• Defer Update: Tools → Application Options → Drawing → Defer Update batches edits and applies in a single Update
• Hidden Line Calculation: When Hidden Line on a large view becomes the bottleneck, temporarily switch to Shaded and only return to Hidden right before export
• PDF Publish: Selecting "All Sheets" under File → Export → PDF produces one file for the whole drawing. With Vault Job Processor, a PDF can be auto-generated at Check-In

DWG Export in Practice

When submitting to external partners or regulators, export as AutoCAD DWG rather than Inventor DWG so the recipient can edit it.

• File → Export → Export to DWG → select "AutoCAD DWG"
• Version: AutoCAD 2018 format has the broadest compatibility
• Layer mapping: Lock the Inventor Layer → AutoCAD Layer mapping as a project standard
• Line Style / Text Style: If these break, Font Substitution warnings recur on every output. Align them at the template level

9. Presentation (IPN) Overview

An IPN visualizes assembly methods and disassembly sequences. It serves as source material for assembly instructions, marketing videos, and training alike.

Menu path: New → Presentation.ipn → Insert Model.

A single IPN can host multiple Scenes (scenarios). Separating "instruction-manual Scene" from "marketing Scene" lets you ship different outputs from a single source.

10. Tweak and Trail

A Tweak moves or rotates components around an axis or plane to create the Explode state.

• Auto Explode: Analyzes assembly constraints and explodes by a specified distance. Use the Create Trails option to add path lines in the same step
• Manual Tweak: Select axis or plane, then type a value or drag. Essential for fine adjustments
• Trails: Path lines showing component movement. The most intuitive way to convey assembly order on a drawing

11. Storyboard and Animation

Presentations build motion by placing Tweaks and Actions on the Storyboard timeline.

• Tweak on Timeline: Set start time and duration. Instant-jump option available
• Action: Non-motion events such as visibility on/off, camera movement, Appearance changes
• Multiple Storyboards: Multiple storyboards within a single Scene. Reverse-play an explode into an assembly, or split step-by-step views

Video Export

• Publish Video: AVI, MP4 (H.264), WMV
• Resolution: Full HD 1920×1080 by default, up to 4K. Render time scales with the square of resolution
• Quality vs Size: H.264 codec recommended. Sufficient quality and reasonable size for internal sharing

12. IPN-IDW Integration

Once you have a Presentation, you can drop it straight into a drawing. In an IDW Base View, select the IPN instead of a model to create a view in its exploded state.

• Parts List is pulled from the source IAM. IPN only handles display
• Balloons also work normally: Use Auto Balloon over IPN views
• Trails: Projected into the IDW view as-is. The basic material of assembly-order documentation

13. Example Assembly Manual Workflow

A standard flow for combining IDW and IPN into an assembly manual.

1. Clean up iProperty, Material, and Part Number in the source IAM
2. Create an IPN → Auto Explode (35 mm) → add Manual Tweaks as needed
3. Build stepwise Scenes in the Storyboard (Pre-assembly, Step 1, Step 2, Final)
4. In the IDW, insert one Scene per sheet as a Base View
5. Add Auto Balloon and a step-by-step Parts List (with Filter) on each sheet
6. Link the Title Block Revision to Vault Lifecycle
7. Export the final PDF and publish the assembly video from the IPN

14. Drawing Automation with iLogic

iLogic dramatically reduces repetitive work at the drawing stage. Representative automation points.

• Title Block iProperty validation: Check empty fields and format errors in the Before Save event
• Automatic PDF Export: Before Check-In, export the drawing as PDF into a fixed Vault folder
• Revision Bump: Auto-increment the revision letter when Lifecycle changes to Released
• Parts List filtering: Check a box on an iLogic Form to make specific subs appear in the BOM

A simple PDF Export snippet (adjust GUID and options to your Inventor version when applying).

Dim oDoc As Document = ThisApplication.ActiveDocument
Dim oPath As String = "C:\Export\" & oDoc.DisplayName & ".pdf"
Dim oPDFAddIn As TranslatorAddIn = _
    ThisApplication.ApplicationAddIns.ItemById( _
        "{0AC6FD96-2F4D-42CE-8BE0-8AEA580399E4}")
Dim oContext As TranslationContext = _
    ThisApplication.TransientObjects.CreateTranslationContext
oContext.Type = IOMechanismEnum.kFileBrowseIOMechanism
Dim oOptions As NameValueMap = _
    ThisApplication.TransientObjects.CreateNameValueMap
Dim oDataMedium As DataMedium = _
    ThisApplication.TransientObjects.CreateDataMedium
oDataMedium.FileName = oPath
oPDFAddIn.SaveCopyAs(oDoc, oContext, oOptions, oDataMedium)

→ iLogic overview and Event Trigger details: /cad-tips/inventor/ilogic-vault-troubleshoot/

15. Common Mistakes

• Placing a Section Line by drag only, without a Sketch → you won't notice when it shifts later
• Directly editing Part Number in the Parts List → next Update reverts to the model value
• Releasing after Auto Balloon without manual cleanup → duplicate/overlapping numbers print as-is
• Exporting PDF while Base View is still Shaded, not Precise → lines go fuzzy and the shop floor can't read them
• Setting IPN Auto Explode distance too large → components fall outside the drawing frame
• Upgrading IDW first during Migration → referenced models are still old, breaking the views. Always go .ipt → .iam → .idw

Field Checklist

• The drawing template is a single company original stored on network/Vault with a locked path
• External deliverables are exported to DWG at the end; internal drawings are IDW
• Section Lines are fully constrained inside Base Views with Sketch + Dimension
• Hole/Thread Note formatting is standardized at the template level
• Datum letters A/B/C are consistent across all drawing views
• Part Numbers in the Parts List match the model iProperty (no manual drawing overrides)
• The Title Block is auto-filled via iProperty prompts
• Large-assembly drawings are edited as Raster View and switched to Precise right before output
• IPN Auto Explode distance is limited to what fits in the drawing frame
• Before recording animation, Shadow/Reflection are off and the model is loaded in Master
• Manual-Scenes and marketing-Scenes are kept separate