Autodesk has released Inventor 2023, but before we cover what’s new with this widely used manufacturing and product design software, we highly recommend Autodesk’s Inventor 2023: What’s New webinar (April 20 or 21) to have your questions answered by Inventor experts.
So what’s new? Plenty. A major focus of Inventor 2023 is its inoperability with Revit and Fusion 360, so that’s the best place to start. Even the new home screen display is consistent with the interface of other Autodesk applications so you can easily transition between them and easily access recently opened files and more.
Revit Inventor Data Exchange
For custom fabrication, some architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) pros need to share Revit. Inventor could already open Revit data and select specific design portions, but now they won’t have to export a separate Revit file and email it to the Inventor user because the Revit user can select the data and create a data exchange that gets uploaded to Autodesk Docs. In turn, the Inventor user can simply access the data exchange to load into their project. If the Revit file gets updated, it will also be associative inside Inventor—and you won’t have to email a new revision file.
Inventor to Fusion 360
In the updated Fusion 360 ribbon menu, there are a number of tasks that can be accomplished with a single click. These include creating tool path strategies, advanced simulations, electronic design, or running a generative design study. The result is greater interoperability between Inventor and Fusion 360.
Part Modeling Enhancements
Inventor 2023 includes a new mark feature (displayed in both 2D and 3D) that relies on sketch geometry to add marking features to standard or sheet metal components. It can also be exported within a flat pattern as a DXF or DWG file. Speaking of sheet metal, Inventor 2023 offers several enhancements for it, like asymmetric contour flange extrusion, extended information in the browser, and a new option that makes it possible to export curved edges as tangent arcs. More good news? In your components, you can change the tolerance settings of each of the model states. Inventor 2023 also allows you to configure the tolerance, text, and Boolean parameters in an Excel spreadsheet.
Assembly Modeling Enhancements
When you click BOM Settings in Inventor, you’ll now see these options:
- Hide Suppressed components in BOM
- Automatically number items sequentially
This new bill of materials settings option allows you to control zero quantity visibility and item number sequencing.
Documentation Enhancements
As an Inventor user, you’re probably well aware that when adding a 3D annotation, the application allows you to reference iProperty information to the item selected using a leader. However, previous versions didn’t provide a way to choose iProperties from the subassembly level or part level. That has now been corrected so you can reference the iProperty from any of the subassembly levels associated with the selected object.
When editing a detail view, you can go to the view context menu in either the browser or the sheet and Edit Detail Properties lets you change the detail view boundary shape from circular to rectangular. You can also add datums on irregular surfaces as the Datum Target command is now featured on the general annotation panel. Just create point, circle, and rectangle datum targets. There are also a number of enhancements added to the weld and surface finish symbols for more options in the command dialog and updates to industry standards.
Performance Improvements
- Improved performance when displaying a significant amount of thread in assemblies.
- The Punch Tool (especially when adding several in sheet metal components).
- When working in Express Mode for large assemblies, a performance boost when changing the visibility of components.
GPU Ray Tracing
With previous versions of Inventor, the ray tracing display option in a viewport would use Autodesk Raytracer (ART), which relied solely on the CPU. Now you can choose either CPU or GPU ray tracing (and potentially achieve higher performance and quality with the latter). However, according to Autodesk, the new GPU ray tracing display option in Inventor 2023 is in a “pre-release state and will be improved in future updates.” Regardless of timing, it will be a great addition to Inventor.
As creative software applications like Inventor upgrade, be sure your hardware is keeping pace so you can take advantage of all these new features and capabilities. Contact a BOXX performance specialist at 877.877.BOXX to configure the ideal Inventor workstation or visit our Inventor solutions page.