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Display appearance settings control how a document displays in the graphics window when it is opened. To open all documents with the same display appearance, use Application appearance settings.

For example, using control at the document level, you can open one dataset as wireframe and another as shaded. You can open documents in different visual styles without having to alter the appearance settings at the application level.

The document appearance settings are available for New documents. The document appearance settings for migrated documents are seeded from the application options appearance settings. After opening a migrated document, you can adjust the display appearance.

When you modify the document appearance settings, you can use the document settings for display. To take advantage of these document settings, turn on the application option Use document settings.

Legacy documents without document appearance settings open with the application options appearance settings. Thereafter, you can specify the document appearance settings to use for the document.

The default units are set when you create a file. However, you can change the units at any time.

In part and assembly files, the units system is set in the document settings.

In drawings, the dimension style and the active drafting standard set the units system. Edit the dimension style or drafting standard to change the units system.

When you change the units system, all existing values in the file are converted to the new units. All subsequent entries are assumed to be in the new units.

The default units system is specified in Application Options. To change the settings, click the Configure Default Template button on the File tab of the Application Options dialog box. To set units for model files, select the desired units in the Configure Default Templates dialog box. To set units for drawings, select the desired Drafting Standard.

As you enter values into dialog boxes they are assumed to be in the default units system for the file. You can override the default units for a single entry by adding the unit name after the value. For example, 0.05 in. or 3 mm.

When you override the units, the software displays your entry in the default units. However, when you open the dialog box for editing, the units shows as you entered them.

A project also defines the:

• Directory where you edit files (Workgroup, or Workspace local to the computer of each designer.)
• Number of versions retained when you save a file.
• Content Center configuration settings. We recommend that you share the same Content Center Library folder for all projects.
• Project type (Single-user, or Autodesk Vault.).

When you install Autodesk Inventor, it intalls a "Default" project automatically. If you do not create a project or specify a different project, when you start working in Inventor a default project is automatically active. You can use it to create designs immediately and save files anywhere without regard to projects and file management. Your files are saved to the default project.

The default project does not define an editable location. However, you can use it to create designs immediately and save files anywhere without regard to projects and file management. Your files are saved to the default project. Generally, you use the default project for experimentation only, not actual design work. It is easier to set up a project before you start designing. It is more difficult to migrate your files to a project after the design becomes complex.

• Single-user project For an individual designer. We recommend that you make the workspace local to your computer.

Autodesk Vault Projects

• Recommend for managing files in a shared environment. Files are maintained on a server, and are checked out to the local workspace of a designer. When checked back in to the vault, the changes impolemented by a designer are available to other designers.

Legacy projects

• Semi-isolated master projectSpecifies the workgroup for shared files and one or more libraries.
• Semi-isolated workspace projectFor each designer sharing a workgroup in a master project. Each designer creates this personal project that includes the path to the master project (automatically allowing access to the shared workgroup and one or more libraries) and specifies a personal workspace for editing.
• Shared projects For small design groups, where all files are stored on a server and are accessed by all designers.

You can search for specific objects, such as constraints, components, features, sketches, and welds in all Autodesk Inventor file types. You can refine your searches by including additional criteria such as and/or operators, properties, conditions, and values. You can specify the location in which you want to search.

Find is useful when you want to locate sick constraints, suppressed components or features, sketch parameter names or values, or references, as well as any other combination of criteria you select.

You can use an Included file to add a path to a second project, and gain access to its files. An included project is often a master workgroup project located on the network. Any project type can use an Included file.

• You can use only one included file in the project.
• The project type in the included file overrides the type in the recipient project file.
• For a semi-isolated project, a master project can include the needed workgroup and library search paths and settings for the entire project. Each workgroup member can create a semi-isolated workspace project to set a personal workspace and specify only the Included file. Then workgroup members all have the same project settings and search paths from the Included file.
• If you work on a project with files in only a single project, do not use an included file.

You can include the search path to another project file in the selected project. An included project is often a master workgroup project located on the network. Using this method, you can access all file locations from the included file.

A personal workspace created in a project is where you create and edit files, and is accessible only by you. In a shared environment, changes you make to files in the workspace are not visible to other designers until you check them back in to the Vault. Other designers must refresh or reload the files to see the edits.

In most cases, when you create a project, the workspace is already created for you by the Project Wizard. The default location is at the root level (where the project file is located).

• The workspace can contain only one location.
• To maximize portability of your datasets, define only one workspace for the project folder (which contains the .ipj file), in addition to any libraries you use.
• If the project type is shared, a workspace is not required.
• Do not set up library search paths as subfolders of the workspace, and do not create any other subfolders in the workspace folder.
• Maintain the same relative path to a file from the workgroup folder that would first be found when you copy the file to the workspace.
• Workspace is the first location searched for non library references.
• A workspace is not defined for shared mode.

If you use a separate project file for each project, and locate the files specific to that project in the workspace folder, including the project file, copy the entire project folder back and forth between your local disk and the shared server. If you have sufficient space, you can also copy the necessary or frequently used libraries to your computer. Use Pack and Go to create a local copy of the libraries that contain only the library files referenced from your project.

Avoid the use of Workgroups altogether where possible.

The number of Workgroup search paths defined affects the time it takes to search. If your environment necessitates the use of Workgroups, limit the number as much as possible.

A workgroup comprises the shared network locations where Autodesk Inventor searches for nonlibrary files. The workgroup designates the master storage location for data files for both shared and semi-isolated projects, but not single user projects.

Each project has only one workgroup. When you create a shared or semi-isolated master project, a workgroup is automatically designated.

• Set up only one workgroup per project. It is adequate for almost all situations. Do not specify its location as a subfolder of the workspace.
• You can organize your files into subfolders beneath the workgroup folder, and move the folder without breaking links to referenced files, if the path to the new location is specified in the project.
• If you plan to change the existing workgroup path, add the new one first before you delete the old workgroup path.
• Workgroup search paths are searched after the workspace is searched.

A library is a storage location for read-only files that are referenced. You cannot edit the files in a location that you specify as a library, but you can reference them.

You can specify paths to standard and custom libraries of read-only files for a project. Each project can have multiple libraries.

• When you add a library search path, the folder in the path is considered a library.
• Any project type can include one or more libraries.
• A single library can be used in one or multiple projects.

Libraries for iParts require two folders: one for the iPart factory file and one for a corresponding proxy file that contains linking information. The folder names are the same except that the proxy folder has a leading underscore character (such as iParts and _iParts). Do not make iPart proxy libraries read-only, because the factory has to create new files there.

To reference a location on a server or remote workstation, use a Universal Naming Convention (UNC) path (such as: \\server_name\our_folders). Ensure that our_folder is shared with everyone who accesses the project location.

Avoid using different drive mappings or different UNC paths to the same file. In the Open and Place Component dialog boxes, you can navigate using arbitrary UNC paths to network locations. Avoid using this general capability, and instead use only the project shortcuts in those dialogs to the folders in your project.

Remove any mapped drives that no longer exist.

• To increase performance when you work with large assemblies, create libraries for read-only parts such as fasteners or purchased parts.
• Assign a meaningful unique name to each search path and library to avoid confusion when using File Open and Save and to maximize the usability of your datasets.

References to library files include the library name, as well as the relative path from the library folder to the referencing file. When resolving library references, only the named library is searched. Avoid using duplicate file names whenever possible, even for parts in different folders or different libraries. If you cannot control where referenced parts originate or how they are named, files in different libraries might have the same name. Autodesk Inventor can resolve the reference because it knows which library to search in.

You can eliminate the need for each member of a design workgroup to set the names and paths manually in their individual projects for the libraries to share.

1. An administrator creates a common project with one or more library paths.
2. Each team member creates a personal project, using the common project as a template.

   When you create a project using the project editor, select the common project before you click the New command. By default, the new project created by the wizard uses the selected project as a template, and has the same library definitions as the template project.

A project can include several kinds of libraries:

Standard content

iPart Factory

Material and Appearance Libraries

Styles library

Proxy libraries

Other design sets

Several actions happen automatically when you save a file.

• A new version is written to a new file, in the same folder.
• When the new file version is successfully on disk, the original file moves to a subfolder of the folder it was in named OldVersions\, and is renamed to file name.version.ext, where version is a decimal version number. For example, file name.0003.ext would be the name for version 3 of file name.ext. If there are versions 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 in the OldVersions\ folder, and you restore version 3 to be the current version, it is numbered version 7 to avoid conflicts with the existing versions 4, 5, and 6. Do not delete files from the OldVersions\ folder using Microsoft Windows Explorer. You could cause a problem in other Autodesk Inventor sessions.
• Finally, file name.newVer.ext is renamed to file name.ext.

Every save writes a new globally unique version ID to the file to identify it. Each Autodesk Inventor session remembers which version ID it is accessing. If you try to reopen the file at the normal location but the version ID has changed, Autodesk Inventor assumes someone else saved or checked it in, so the appropriate version of the file is opened from the OldVersions\ folder. The version of the file that is opened is used from that point forward to access additional information. Note the old version of the file is restored, but not the state of an assembly.

In a project, an option controls the number of versions saved in the OldVersions folders. In the lower pane of the project editor, click to expand Options. Click Old Versions To Keep On Save, and then right-click and select Edit from the pop-up context menu. Now enter a value in the field and press Enter to set the number of versions to keep.

After you save a file, other designers who reference the file continue to see the old version of the file until you check in the file to the workgroup.

If you work in a Shared or Semi-Isolated project, designers must use the Refresh command or reopen the assembly to update files that are referenced from the server.

Previous file versions can be restored when they are needed, but it is not possible to restore the previous state of an assembly.

The files in OldVersions\ are used for:

• A manual form of error recovery or backups.
• Opening earlier versions of files to load segments. If the earlier version of a file is not found, a message is displayed, and you Browse or Cancel:

  Browse	Browse to the OldVersions\ folder to find the file. Open old version (Save not allowed): Open the old version. Keep in mind that you cannot save it. Restore old version to current version: Restore the old version, and then open it. Not available when the current version is checked out to someone else. Open current version: Open the current version. The open is redirected to the current version.
  Cancel	Cancel the Save command.

A facility provided through the PDM API allows some added control over the creation and management of OldVersions\ to accommodate the controls in PDM systems.

Create an Autodesk Vault Basic project

1. Click Manage Projects.
2. In the Projects dialog box, click Projects, and then click New to start the Project wizard.
3. Select New Vault Project, and then click Next.
4. Name the vault project and specify the project location. Make sure it is a new folder that does not contain any data. By default, the Project wizard creates a folder for the project file (.ipj), but if you browse to a different location, the located folder name is used. Click Next.
5. Select existing libraries, add them to the project, and then click Finish.
6. In the Project Editor, double-click the new vault project name to make it the active project.
7. Enter the following information:
   • Server The name of the computer housing the vault where this project is added. The name can be a computer name or an IP address.
   • Database Identifies the database used by the vault project.
   • Name The name of the vault where this project is added.
   • Vault Project The name of this project preceded by $/. The name should match the name you entered in the Project wizard.
   • Virtual Folder Optional. The location of the folder used to publish data to share with customers. This location should be on a common server and mapped with a UNC path (for example, \\Server\\Share\).
   • Click Save to save the project file, and then click Cancel to close the dialog box.
   NoteAny settings except the Virtual Folder can be left blank and is entered automatically the first time you successfully log into the vault.
8. After you create the project, you can open it in the project editor to set further options.

When working in a semi-isolated environment, you store shared files on the network in a workgroup. A semi-isolated master project specifies the Workgroup for shared files and one or more libraries. Each design team member creates a personal project (Semi-Isolated Workspace) to define where to create and edit files that are checked in to the shared workgroup. In each personal project, a path to the master project is included, automatically giving access to the shared locations and libraries.

Designers check out files from the workgroup shared by the whole design team, which automatically copies the file into a personal workspace (specified in the personal project) for editing.

Components that are not in the personal workspace are referenced from the network locations. After you open a file in Autodesk Inventor, use the file status browser to see the status of all saved files in the project, and check files in and out. Workgroup members do not see edits to files until they have been checked back in, and then they must refresh or reopen files to see the changes.

To avoid file resolution problems, projects always use relative paths rather than absolute paths so that paths are relative to the project file location (the workgroup for the master project; the workspace for personal projects).

We recommend that you use Autodesk Vault Basic to manage multi-user projects. If you have a requirement to create legacy projects types, click Tools tab Options panel Application Options General tab. Select the Enable creation of legacy project types check box.

The default multi-character command aliases are not enabled by default. In Application options - General tab, under Prompting interaction, you can enable or disable functionality for:

• Dynamic Prompts
• AutoComplete for command aliases
• Command Alias Input dialog box

In any Autodesk Inventor environment, enter a shortcut key or an alias to start a command. If the model or drawing is not in a state where the command can be used, the alias is inactive.

For example:

Command alias You can assign the key combination QC to the Quality Check command. But if you are not working in the Construction Environment, the command is not activated.

Shortcut keyTo define the plus sign on the numeric keypad (Num +) to the perpendicular constraint, a sketch must be active. If a sketch is not active, the command is not activated.

If you enter the shortcut or alias when the model is ready to use the command, the command starts normally.

In general, a command alias is assigned to modeling and other tasks. Command aliases are not used while a dialog box is active.

Shortcuts are used primarily for transparent commands (such as zoom, pan), and for file utility functions, such as printing, and so on. In general, shortcuts can be executed when a dialog box is active.

A shortcut can be defined using any of the following keys or key combinations:

• A punctuation key (including ` - = [ ] \ ; ' , . /), or the Home, End, Page Up, Page Down, Up Arrow, or Down Arrow key.
• A combination of Shift and a numeric key (0-9), punctuation key, or the Home, End, PgUp, PgDn, Up Arrow, or Down Arrow key.
• Any combination of Shift, Ctrl, and Alt along with an alphanumeric character.

Other keys, including function keys, can have reserved shortcuts assigned to them, but these keys are not user-definable.

Some shortcut keys are active only in specific environments. For example, B is not active in a part document because the associated command is active only in a drawing.

You can see the predefined shortcut key or command alias when you pause the cursor over a command. You can see all predefined shortcut keys and command aliases by selecting Tools tabOptions panel Customize and clicking the Keyboard tab. In most cases, you can edit the shortcut or command alias and assign a custom value.

The strategy for assigning default shortcut and command alias keys is to:

• Assign command aliases to modeling and other general-purpose tasks.
• Assign custom shortcuts for transparent commands (for example, zoom, pan), and for file utility functions, such as printing, and so on.

Yes. You can override any command alias.

You can use only alphanumeric keys to define command aliases. Use any of the following single key or combination of keys:

All other keys are ineligible. Spaces between characters are not permitted. Command aliases are not case sensitive.

Yes. While each command can have only one assigned alias, the same alias can be assigned to multiple commands. One assigned alias is useful where commands in different environments have the same name and you want to remember only one alias. For example, the mirror command in sketching differs from the mirror command in assemblies and parts. You can assign the same alias (for example MI) to all three mirror commands.

Duplicate aliases can exist in the active environment. Duplicate aliases are prioritized by the command name, not by the alias. For example, if M is assigned to Move and Mirror, Move is the first listed in the AutoComplete drop-down list. Thus, it is the command executed by default when you enter M and Enter or spacebar. If there is ambiguity at the time an alias is entered, the AutoComplete list box displays the category of each command in parenthesis. For example: CP Copy (Drawings) CP Copy (Sketch).

In the Application Options dialog box, you can import and export settings in an .xml file.

The Import button displays the Open dialog box, where you can navigate to a file to open.

The Export button displays the Save Copy As dialog box, where you can select a file location, enter a file name, and then Save.

Installation locations for both import and export operations

Microsoft Windows XP: Program Files\Autodesk\Inventor [version]\Preferences

Microsoft Windows 7: : Users\[login]\AppData\Local\Autodesk\Inventor [version]\Preferences

• A Shift key in combination with a letter (A-Z) creates a command alias. Shortcuts require the use of either Ctrl, Alt or both as a modifier. Shift can be used in addition to Ctrl and Alt. Shift can also be used alone with numeric and punctuation keys. Existing R11 shortcuts are available, however, R11 shortcuts that involve only Shift are changed to Shift+Ctrl combinations.
• If a key combination is already in use as a reserved shortcut, you can assign an alias to the command, but not a customized shortcut.
• In the Customize dialog box, Keyboard tab, use Copy to Clipboard to copy a list of command names and their assigned aliases and shortcuts to the clipboard. You can paste this data into an Excel spreadsheet or any word processor.
  NoteIf you use Copy to Clipboard while editing a shortcut, any changes to the shortcut are discarded and reset to the last value.

The strategy for assigning default shortcut and command alias keys is to:

• Assign command aliases to modeling and other general-purpose tasks.
• Assign custom shortcuts for transparent commands (for example, zoom, pan), and for file utility functions, such as printing, and so on.

Some keys are reserved for specific purposes. For example, all of the F-keys (function keys) are reserved for global operations, and are not eligible for use in custom shortcuts:

In addition to the function keys, the following keys are reserved, and not eligible for use in custom shortcuts:

Other nonstandard keys such as multimedia keys or Internet keys are also ineligible.

• Do not use Alt with the A-Z keys or the 1-0 keys. This combination can interfere with the Microsoft Windows standard accelerator keys for accessing menu commands.
• We recommend that you use Alt in combination with other modifier keys such as Shift and Ctrl plus a letter or number key.

In the Customize dialog box, you can click Export to export the shortcuts to an XML file. Then you can share your custom shortcuts with other users. You can save ribbon and marking menu customization settings in the same XML file. You can import the shortcuts and other customization settings when you open a new release of Autodesk Inventor.

Default installation locations for Import and Export operations:

Windows XP: Program Files\Autodesk\Autodesk Inventor [version]\Preferences

• Shortcuts assigned to the numeric keypad are sometimes unavailable on laptop computers.
• A key combination or character sequence can already be in use as a default shortcut or alias. In the Customize dialog box, you can override an existing assignment, and assign the key combination or character sequence to the command of your choice.
• A key combination can already be in use as a reserved shortcut. In this case, you can assign an alias to the command, but not a customized shortcut.
• In the Customize dialog box, Keyboard tab, use Copy to Clipboard to copy a list of command names and their assigned aliases and shortcuts to the clipboard. You can paste this data into an Excel spreadsheet or any word processor.
  NoteIf this command is selected while a shortcut is being edited, any changes to the shortcut are discarded and reset to the last value.

The first time you pause your cursor over an Inventor file name, the systems generates the file InfoTip.config. The default configuration includes all property items supported in the iProperties dialog box, as follows:

<PropertySetInformation>
<SummaryInformation>
<Property id="2" name="Title" exclude="yes"/>
<Property id="3" name="Subject" exclude="yes"/>
<Property id="4" name="Author" exclude="no"/>
<Property id="5" name="Keywords" exclude="yes"/>
<Property id="6" name="Comments" exclude="yes"/>
<Property id="9" name="Revision Number" exclude="no"/>
</SummaryInformation>
<DocumentSummaryInformation>
<Property id="2" name="Category" exclude="yes"/>
<Property id="14" name="Manager" exclude="yes"/>
<Property id="15" name="Company" exclude="yes"/>
</DocumentSummaryInformation>
<DesignTracking>
<Property id="4" name="Creation Date" exclude="yes"/>
<Property id="5" name="Part Number" exclude="no"/>
<Property id="7" name="Project" exclude="yes"/>
<Property id="9" name="Cost Center" exclude="yes"/>
<Property id="10" name="Checked By" exclude="yes"/>
<Property id="11" name="Checked Date" exclude="yes"/>
<Property id="12" name="Eng. Approved By" exclude="yes"/>
<Property id="13" name="Eng. Approved Date" exclude="yes"/>
<Property id="17" name="Status" exclude="yes"/>
<Property id="23" name="Web Link" exclude="yes"/>
<Property id="29" name="Description" exclude="no"/>
<Property id="30" name="Vendor" exclude="yes"/>
<Property id="34" name="Mfg. Approved By" exclude="yes"/>
<Property id="35" name="Mfg. Approved Date" exclude="yes"/>
<Property id="36" name="Estimated Cost" exclude="yes"/>
<Property id="40" name="Design State" exclude="yes"/>
<Property id="41" name="Designer" exclude="yes"/>
<Property id="42" name="Engineer" exclude="yes"/>
<Property id="43" name="Authority" exclude="yes"/>
<Property id="55" name="Stock Number" exclude="no"/>
<Property id="67" name="Last Update With" exclude="yes"/>
</DesignTracking>
<DesignTrackingControl>
<Property id="5" name="Reserved By" exclude="no"/>
<Property id="6" name="Reserved Date" exclude="yes"/>
<Property id="8" name="Unreserved Date" exclude="yes"/>
</DesignTrackingControl>
</PropertySetInformation>

In the configuration file, you can add or delete property elements, and change the attributes in elements. Before you start to customize an info tip, understand the meaning of each attribute in a property element. For instance, in:

<Property id="8" name="Unreserved Date" exclude="yes"/>

id

Assigns a unique internal ID for each property.

name

Sets the property name to display in the Info tip. You can change the name.

exclude

Controls whether to display the property in the info tip. "Yes" turns off the display of the display in the info tip.