drawing window

[Crompton]

Hi All

Don't know if anybody can help.

When I open a ,dwg drawing/part in inventor you get two windows open 1 is part the other is a window just labelled drawing consisting of a beige square with some red lines on it. what is this window for?

bit of a newbie so not too sure on this.

Thanks
David

[JD Mather]

It sounds like you are opening both a part file (*.prt) and a drawing file (*.idw). Attach the orgininal file here so that I can see what you have to work with.

[Crompton]

I have included two drawings saved in a zip file.

Hope this helps

[JD Mather]

When I said, "Attach the original file" I meant the dwg file.

It looks likes you can delete this idw file.
Why not create something this simple in Inventor rather than importing from AutoCAD?

In Inventor there are three basic file types that mimic their real world counterparts.
*.ipt = a part
*.iam = assembly = a collection of parts (linked *.ipt(s))
*.idw = sheet of paper = drawing of part or assembly

Some people coming over from AutoCAD have real trouble with this concept of logical files, but somehow the guys out on the shop floor have no trouble with the difference between parts, assemblies and drawings.

In your case it appears (but since you didn't include the original file I can only guess) you had a dwg with both 2D and 3D geometry. Therefore the default was to translate the 2D as an idw and the 3D as an ipt. You can set Inventor to translate the 2D to ipt for construction purposes.

I suggest you step away from AutoCAD and learn Inventor first. then you can go back to learn how to translate existing AutoCAD data to Inventor. Trying to work in a dual environment is just going to cause frustration during phase of learning the new software. It will be much easier to translate once you know the basics of Inventor (I am assuming you already know AutoCAD).

[Crompton]

Sorry i thought you meant the Inventor file, but I see the logic now.
Attached anyway.

I am not an expert in Autocad but when I got to the college and see the tutor there to ask him something with Inventor or such like I end up getting dragged around by the students with "How do I do this".

When I started to use Inventor it was wierd way to draw.
in ACAD you draw a line from to such lenth.
In Inventor you draw a line. you dimension it. you position it.
But at times Inventor better way to draw you rough sketch an item and dimension it and hey presto a part.

I am importing the files from ACAD as that was where I can make the parts easier.
I still try to make some parts in Inventor but i get so frustrated that I cannot put this face here or I want to extrude there not here.
In time i will need to find out about faces planes and ucs in Inventor but just learning for now.

Thanks
David