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Autodesk® Inventor® 2025
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Advanced Assembly Modeling
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Part 1
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Learning Guide
Mixed Units - Edition 1.0
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Cover Page
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 ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge®
Autodesk® Inventor® 2025
Advanced Assembly Modeling
Mixed Units - Edition 1.0

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Prepared and produced by:
ASCENT Center for Technical Knowledge

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630 Peter Jefferson Parkway, Suite 175
Charlottesville, VA 22911

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866-527-2368

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www.ASCENTed.com
Lead Contributor: Jennifer MacMillan
Copyright

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ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge (a division of Rand Worldwide Inc.) is a leading developer of
professional learning materials and knowledge products for engineering software applications. ASCENT

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specializes in designing targeted content that facilitates application-based learning with hands-on

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software experience. For over 25 years, ASCENT has helped users become more productive through
tailored custom learning solutions.

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We welcome any comments you may have regarding this guide, or any of our products. To contact us
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please email: [email protected].

© 2024 ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge

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All rights reserved. No part of this guide may be reproduced in any form by any photographic, electronic,
mechanical, or other means, or used in any information storage and retrieval system without the written
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permission of ASCENT, a division of Rand Worldwide, Inc.

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The following are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or
affiliates in the USA and other countries: 3ds Max, ACAD, ADSK, Alias, Assemble, ATC, AutoCAD LT,
AutoCAD, Autodesk, the Autodesk logo, Autodesk Construction Cloud, Autodesk Flow, Autodesk Forma,
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All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.
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General Disclaimer:
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Notwithstanding any language to the contrary, nothing contained herein constitutes nor is intended to
constitute an offer, inducement, promise, or contract of any kind. The data contained herein is for
informational purposes only and is not represented to be error free. ASCENT and its agents and employees
expressly disclaim any liability for any damages, losses, or other expenses arising in connection with the use
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of its materials or in connection with any failure of performance, error, or omission, even if ASCENT or its
representatives are advised of the possibility of such damages, losses, or other expenses. No consequential
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or incidental damages can be sought against ASCENT or Rand Worldwide, Inc. for the use of these materials
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thereto. ASCENT does not warrant that the document or information will be error free or will meet any
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Rand Worldwide, Inc. specifically disclaims any warranty, either expressed or implied, including the warranty
of fitness for a particular purpose.

AS-INV2501-AAM1MU-SG // IS-INV2501-AAM1MU-SG
 Contents

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Preface .............................................................................................................................ix

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In This Guide .....................................................................................................................xi

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Practice Files ..................................................................................................................xiii

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Chapter 1: Advanced Assembly Tools 1-1
1.1 Assembly Motion Constraints ............................................................................... 1-2

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1.2 Assembly Transitional Constraints ....................................................................... 1-5

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1.3 Working with Assemblies...................................................................................... 1-7

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Multiple Component Placement......................................................................................1-7
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Assembly Folders.............................................................................................................1-8
Save and Replace Components ......................................................................................1-9
Alpha Sort Component.....................................................................................................1-9
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Rename Browser Nodes ..................................................................................................1-9
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1.4 Working with Assembly Relationships................................................................. 1-10

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Expanded Constraint Options........................................................................................1-10

Constraint States............................................................................................................1-11
Constraint Display Preferences.....................................................................................1-12
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Relationship Highlighting...............................................................................................1-12
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Degree of Freedom Analysis .........................................................................................1-13

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Show Relationship Name...............................................................................................1-14

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Assembling Using a UCS and Constraint Sets .............................................................1-15

Place at Component Origin............................................................................................1-15
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Ground and Root Component........................................................................................1-16

Assembly Restructure....................................................................................................1-16
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Practice 1a: Motion and Transitional Constraints .......................................................... 1-17

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Practice 1b: Assembly Tools......................................................................................... 1-23

Chapter Review Questions ............................................................................................ 1-29
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Command Summary ..................................................................................................... 1-31

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© 2024 ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge i

 Autodesk Inventor 2025: Advanced Assembly Modeling

Chapter 2: Introduction to Top-Down Design 2-1

2.1 Top-Down Design Process .................................................................................... 2-2
Top-Down Design Process ..............................................................................................2-3
Planning ............................................................................................................................2-4

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Enforcing...........................................................................................................................2-4
Changing ...........................................................................................................................2-8

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2.2 Top-Down Design Tools ........................................................................................ 2-9

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Chapter Review Questions ............................................................................................ 2-12

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Chapter 3: Derived Components 3-1

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3.1 Derived Components............................................................................................. 3-2
3.2 Modify Derived Components ................................................................................. 3-9

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Practice 3a: Derived Components ................................................................................. 3-10
Chapter Review Questions ............................................................................................ 3-16

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Command Summary...................................................................................................... 3-18
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Chapter 4: Multi-Body Part Modeling 4-1
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4.1 Multi-Body Part Modeling ..................................................................................... 4-2
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Creating the First Solid Body ...........................................................................................4-3

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Creating Additional Solid Bodies.....................................................................................4-3

Assigning Features to Solid Bodies ................................................................................4-3
Manipulating Solid Bodies ...............................................................................................4-4
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Creating Components from Part Bodies...................................................................... 4-10

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Solid Body Display ......................................................................................................... 4-12

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Solid Body Properties.................................................................................................... 4-13

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Practice 4a: Multi-Body Part Design.............................................................................. 4-14

Practice 4b: Derive Multi-Body Parts............................................................................. 4-26
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Chapter Review Questions ............................................................................................ 4-35

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Command Summary...................................................................................................... 4-37

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Chapter 5: Layout Design 5-1

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5.1 Layout Design ....................................................................................................... 5-2

Make Part..........................................................................................................................5-6
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Make Components ...........................................................................................................5-8

Practice 5a: Layout Design............................................................................................ 5-12
Chapter Review Questions ............................................................................................ 5-27
Command Summary...................................................................................................... 5-29

ii © 2024 ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge

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Chapter 6: Associative Links and Adaptive Parts 6-1

6.1 Associative Links.................................................................................................. 6-2
Breaking Links ..................................................................................................................6-3
6.2 Adaptive Assembly Parts ...................................................................................... 6-4

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Disabling Adaptivity..........................................................................................................6-5
Practice 6a: Break Associative Links............................................................................... 6-6

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Practice 6b: Adaptive Assembly.................................................................................... 6-10

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Chapter Review Questions ............................................................................................ 6-14

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Command Summary...................................................................................................... 6-16

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Chapter 7: iMates 7-1

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7.1 iMates .................................................................................................................. 7-2

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Creating iMates ................................................................................................................7-2
Composite iMates ............................................................................................................7-3

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Creating iMates from Existing Constraints ....................................................................7-4
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Using iMates in an Assembly ..........................................................................................7-4
Match List .........................................................................................................................7-7
iMates in iParts.............................................................................................................. 7-11
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Practice 7a: iMates ....................................................................................................... 7-12

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Practice 7b: Composite iMates ..................................................................................... 7-24

Chapter Review Questions ............................................................................................ 7-31
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Command Summary...................................................................................................... 7-32

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Chapter 8: Positional Representations 8-1

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8.1 Introduction to Positional Representations ........................................................... 8-2

8.2 Create and Edit Positional Representations........................................................... 8-3
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8.3 Use Positional Representations ............................................................................ 8-8

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Opening Files ....................................................................................................................8-8

Representations Browser.................................................................................................8-8
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Drawing Views Using Positional Representations ...................................................... 8-10

Practice 8a: Positional Representations I ...................................................................... 8-12
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Practice 8b: Positional Representations II ..................................................................... 8-15

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Chapter Review Questions ............................................................................................ 8-20

Command Summary...................................................................................................... 8-22

© 2024 ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge iii

 Autodesk Inventor 2025: Advanced Assembly Modeling

Chapter 9: Model Simplification 9-1

9.1 Introduction to Model Simplification ..................................................................... 9-2
9.2 Model Simplification - Simplify ............................................................................. 9-4

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9.3 Model Simplification - Simplify View................................................................... 9-11
9.4 Model Simplification - Define Envelopes ............................................................. 9-13

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9.5 Create Simplified Part......................................................................................... 9-16

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Practice 9a: Create a Simplified Model I ........................................................................ 9-17

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Practice 9b: Create a Simplified Model II....................................................................... 9-26

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Chapter Review Questions ............................................................................................ 9-35
Command Summary...................................................................................................... 9-37

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Chapter 10: Assembly Model States 10-1
10.1 Assembly Model States ...................................................................................... 10-2

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10.2 Substitute Model States...................................................................................... 10-7
10.3 Creating Derived Substitutes............................................................................. 10-10
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10.4 Linking Model States ........................................................................................ 10-13
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10.5 Placing and Opening Assemblies Using Model States ....................................... 10-14
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10.6 Using Model States in Drawings........................................................................ 10-16

Drawing Views ............................................................................................................. 10-16
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Parts Lists .................................................................................................................... 10-16

General Tables............................................................................................................. 10-17
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10.7 Using Model States in Presentations................................................................. 10-19

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Practice 10a: Assembly Model States ......................................................................... 10-20

Practice 10b: Substitute Model States I....................................................................... 10-32
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Practice 10c: Substitute Model States II...................................................................... 10-39

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Chapter Review Questions .......................................................................................... 10-44

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Command Summary.................................................................................................... 10-47

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Chapter 11: iAssemblies 11-1

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11.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 11-2

11.2 Create Basic iAssemblies ................................................................................... 11-3
11.3 Create Multi-Level iAssemblies .......................................................................... 11-8
11.4 Create iAssemblies Using Existing Assemblies ................................................... 11-9
11.5 Place iAssemblies ............................................................................................ 11-12

iv © 2024 ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge

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11.6 Edit iAssemblies ............................................................................................... 11-13

Adding Components and Features to an iAssembly ................................................ 11-13
Practice 11a: iAssembly.............................................................................................. 11-14
Chapter Review Questions .......................................................................................... 11-31

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Command Summary.................................................................................................... 11-33

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Chapter 12: Advanced File Management 12-1

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12.1 Design Assistant................................................................................................. 12-2

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Design Assistant Tools ................................................................................................. 12-4

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12.2 Pack and Go ....................................................................................................... 12-7
12.3 Purging Old Files .............................................................................................. 12-10

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Practice 12a: Manage Files ......................................................................................... 12-11

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Chapter Review Questions .......................................................................................... 12-16

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Command Summary.................................................................................................... 12-18
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Chapter 13: Design Accelerator 13-1
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13.1 Generators.......................................................................................................... 13-2
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13.2 Calculators ......................................................................................................... 13-7

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Practice 13a: Design Accelerator I ................................................................................ 13-9

Practice 13b: Design Accelerator II ............................................................................. 13-12
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Chapter Review Questions .......................................................................................... 13-25

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Command Summary.................................................................................................... 13-26

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Chapter 14: Inventor Studio 14-1

14.1 Rendering ........................................................................................................... 14-2
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14.2 Animation ......................................................................................................... 14-12

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14.3 Video Producer ................................................................................................. 14-23

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14.4 Creating a Standard Room ................................................................................ 14-28

Practice 14a: Render Images and an Animation........................................................... 14-29
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Practice 14b: Puncher................................................................................................. 14-39

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Practice 14c: (Optional) Excavator .............................................................................. 14-41

Chapter Review Questions .......................................................................................... 14-43
Command Summary.................................................................................................... 14-45

© 2024 ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge v

 Autodesk Inventor 2025: Advanced Assembly Modeling

Chapter 15: Frame Generator 15-1

15.1 Frame Generator................................................................................................. 15-2
15.2 Structural Shape Author.................................................................................... 15-25

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Practice 15a: Frame Generator.................................................................................... 15-30
Chapter Review Questions .......................................................................................... 15-56

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Command Summary.................................................................................................... 15-58

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Chapter 16: Assembly Duplication Options 16-1

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16.1 Pattern Components ........................................................................................... 16-2

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Associative Pattern ....................................................................................................... 16-4
Rectangular Pattern ...................................................................................................... 16-4
Circular Pattern.............................................................................................................. 16-5

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16.2 Mirror Components............................................................................................. 16-9

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16.3 Copy Components ............................................................................................ 16-12
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Practice 16a: Mirror Assembly Components ............................................................... 16-14
Practice 16b: Mirror and Pattern Components............................................................. 16-17
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Practice 16c: Copy Components ................................................................................. 16-24
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Chapter Review Questions .......................................................................................... 16-28

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Command Summary.................................................................................................... 16-30

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Chapter 17: Working with Weldments 17-1

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17.1 Working with Weldments .................................................................................... 17-2

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Preparations .................................................................................................................. 17-3

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Welds.............................................................................................................................. 17-3
Machining Features....................................................................................................... 17-5
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17.2 Fillet Welds ......................................................................................................... 17-6

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17.3 Cosmetic Welds ................................................................................................ 17-10

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17.4 Groove Welds ................................................................................................... 17-12

Practice 17a: Work with Weldments I .......................................................................... 17-14
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Practice 17b: Work with Weldments II ......................................................................... 17-23

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Practice 17c: Work with Weldments III ........................................................................ 17-30

Chapter Review Questions .......................................................................................... 17-32
Command Summary.................................................................................................... 17-34

vi © 2024 ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge

 Contents

Appendix A: Working with Spreadsheets and Parameters A-1

A.1 Spreadsheet-Driven Parameters ...........................................................................A-2
A.2 Custom Parameters ..............................................................................................A-6

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A.3 Custom Parameter Formatting and Expressions....................................................A-8
Practice A1: Work with a Spreadsheet...........................................................................A-11

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Chapter Review Questions ............................................................................................A-20

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Command Summary......................................................................................................A-22

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Index........................................................................................................................ Index-1

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© 2024 ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge vii

 Preface

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The Autodesk® Inventor® 2025: Advanced Assembly Modeling guide builds on the skills

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acquired in the Autodesk Inventor 2025: Introduction to Solid Modeling and Autodesk Inventor
2025: Advanced Part Modeling guides to take you to a higher level of productivity when creating

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and working with assemblies.

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You begin by focusing on the Top-Down Design workflow. You learn how tools are used to
achieve this workflow using Derive, Multi-Body Design, and Layouts. Other topics include model
simplification tools, positional representations, model states, iMates and iAssemblies, Frame

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Generator, Design Accelerator, and file management and duplication techniques. A chapter that

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explains how to render, produce, and animate realistic images in Autodesk® Inventor® Studio
has also been included.

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Topics Covered e EN
• Applying motion to existing assembly constraints using Motion and Transitional constraints.
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• Introduction of the Top-Down Design technique for creating assemblies and their
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components.
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• Tools for Top-Down Design, such as associative links, adaptive parts, multi-body and layout
design, derived components, and skeleton models.
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• Creating positional representations to review motion, evaluate the position of assembly

components, or document an assembly in a drawing.
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• Using the model simplification tools to create simplified part models and views of assembly
designs.
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• Creating model states and iAssemblies to create customizable versions of assembly

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designs.
• Creating rendered realistic images and animations of parts and assemblies using Autodesk
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Inventor Studio and the Video Producer.

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• Using the Design Accelerator and Frame Generator to easily insert standard and
customizable components and features into your model.
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• Efficiently duplicating components in an assembly.

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• Adding welds and weld symbols to weldment assemblies.

Prerequisites
• Access to the 2025.0 version of the software, to ensure compatibility with this guide. Future
software updates that are released by Autodesk may include changes that are not reflected
in this guide. The practices and files included with this guide are not compatible with prior
versions (e.g., 2024).

© 2024 ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge ix

 Autodesk Inventor 2025: Advanced Assembly Modeling

• The class assumes mastery of Autodesk Inventor basics as taught in Autodesk Inventor:
Introduction to Solid Modeling. In addition, Autodesk Inventor: Advanced Part Modeling
knowledge is recommended.
• The use of Microsoft® Excel is required for this training course.

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Note on Software Setup

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This guide was written for the 2025.0 release of the Autodesk Inventor software. Future

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software updates that may be released by Autodesk may incorporate changes to workflows that

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will not be reflected in this guide. This guide assumes a standard installation of the software
using the default preferences during installation. Lectures and practices use the standard

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software templates and default options for the Content Libraries.

Note on Learning Guide Content

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ASCENT’s learning guides are intended to teach the technical aspects of using the software
and do not focus on professional design principles and standards. The practices aim to

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demonstrate the capabilities and flexibility of the software rather than following specific design
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codes or standards.

Lead Contributor: Jennifer MacMillan

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With a dedication for engineering and education, Jennifer has spent over 25 years at ASCENT
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managing courseware development for various CAD products. Trained in Instructional Design,
Jennifer uses her skills to develop instructor-led and web-based training products as well as
knowledge profiling tools.
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Jennifer has achieved the Autodesk Certified Professional certification for Inventor and is also
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recognized as an Autodesk Certified Instructor (ACI). She enjoys teaching the training courses
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that she authors and is also very skilled in providing technical support to end-users.
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Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Engineering Degree as well as a Bachelor of Science in

Mathematics from Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Canada.
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Jennifer MacMillan has been the Lead Contributor for Autodesk Inventor: Advanced Part
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Modeling since 2007.

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x © 2024 ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge

 In This Guide

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The following highlights the key features of this guide.

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Feature Description

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Practice Files The Practice Files page includes a link to the practice files and instructions on
how to download and install them. The practice files are required to complete the

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practices in this guide.
Chapters A chapter consists of the following: Learning Objectives, Instructional Content,
Practices, Chapter Review Questions, and Command Summary.

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• Learning Objectives define the skills you can acquire by learning the content
provided in the chapter.

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• Instructional Content, which begins right after Learning Objectives, refers to the
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topic introduces a product feature, discusses various aspects of that feature,
and provides step-by-step procedures on how to use that feature. Where
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relevant, examples, figures, helpful hints, and notes are provided.
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• Practice for a topic follows the instructional content. Practices enable you to
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use the software to perform a hands-on review of a topic. It is required that you
download the practice files (using the link found on the Practice Files page)
prior to starting the first practice.
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• Chapter Review Questions, located close to the end of a chapter, enable you to
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test your knowledge of the key concepts discussed in the chapter.

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• Command Summary concludes a chapter. It contains a list of the software

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commands that are used throughout the chapter and provides information on
where the command can be found in the software.
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Appendices Appendices provide additional information to the main course content. It could
be in the form of instructional content, practices, tables, projects, or skills
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assessment.
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© 2024 ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge xi

 Chapter

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Advanced Assembly Tools

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The use of Motion and Transitional constraints provides added flexibility in constraining

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components and allowing motion between them. This chapter discusses the motion constraint,
as well as a number of additional miscellaneous assembly tools available in the Autodesk®

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Inventor® software. Knowing how to access and use these tools will help you be more
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productive when working in an assembly.
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Learning Objectives
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• Add a constraint that permits movement of one surface relative to another.

• Add a constraint that permits movement of one surface relative to a continuous set of
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surfaces.
• Use various methods to assemble multiple components in an assembly.
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• Clarify and organize an assembly by sorting and changing the display names and folder
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structure in the Model browser.

• Replace a selected component in an assembly with a copy of itself.
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• Access additional constraint options, including assigning specific constraint names and
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limits.
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• Identify assembly components that have degrees of freedom.

• Constrain components in reference to a user coordinate system (UCS), another
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component’s origin, or the assembly’s origin.

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© 2024 ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge 1–1

 Autodesk Inventor 2025: Advanced Assembly Modeling

1.1 Assembly Motion Constraints

In addition to the five assembly constraints (mate, angle, tangent, insert, and symmetry), a
motion constraint can be used to describe the movement of one surface relative to another.

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You cannot apply a Drive to a motion constraint.

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How To: Create a Motion Constraint

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1. Create and place components into an assembly.

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2. In the Assemble tab>Position panel, click (Constrain) to create a constraint
relationship. Select the Motion tab in the Place Constraint dialog box, as shown in
Figure 1–1.

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Figure 1–1

3. Select the motion type and references. References can be applied between linear, planar,
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cylindrical, and conical elements on two components. You can create two types of motion
constraints:
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• Use (Rotation) to constrain one component relative to another, so that one

component rotates when the other rotates (e.g., pulleys or gears), as shown in
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Figure 1–2. To assign the constraint, select the component surfaces.

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Two rotating
components

Figure 1–2

1–2 © 2024 ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge

 Advanced Assembly Tools

• Use (Rotation-Translation) to move (translate) one component when the other one
rotates (e.g., a rack and pinion), as shown in Figure 1–3. To assign the constraint, select
a surface on the rotating component and an edge on the moving component.

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Moving

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component

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Rotating
component

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Figure 1–3

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Note: e EN
(Pick part first) limits the geometry that is available for selection to a single
component. It is useful when components are in close proximity or partially obscured by
one another.
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4. Select the motion type solution.

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• For a rotation motion constraint, the two solutions shown in Figure 1–4 enable you to
define the direction the components rotate relative to one another (forward or reverse).
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Reverse
Forward

Figure 1–4

© 2024 ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge 1–3

 Autodesk Inventor 2025: Advanced Assembly Modeling

• For a rotation-translation motion constraint, the solutions shown in Figure 1–5 enable
you to define the direction the components rotate and move relative to one another
(forward or reverse).

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Reverse
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Figure 1–5
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5. Enter the Ratio and Distance values.
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• For rotation constraints, enter a ratio in the Ratio field to determine how many
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revolutions the second component makes per revolution of the first. By default, the ratio
relative to the circumferences is automatically calculated and therefore the order of
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selection is important.
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• For rotation-translation constraints, enter a distance in the Distance field. The distance
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determines how far the second component moves per revolution of the first. If the first
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component selected is a cylindrical surface, the software sets the distance to the
circumference of the cylinder.
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6. Click Apply to complete constraint placement and continue adding constraints. Once the
component is fully constrained, click OK to close the Place Constraint dialog box.
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Note: Select Suppress in the Place Constraint to suppress the constraint after creation.
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1–4 © 2024 ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge

 Advanced Assembly Tools

1.2 Assembly Transitional Constraints

In addition to the five assembly constraints (mate, angle, tangent, insert, and symmetry), a
transitional constraint can also be used to describe the movement of one surface relative to a

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continuous set of surfaces, such as a cam in a slot of an assembly, as shown in Figure 1–6.
You cannot use the drive constraint tool for transitional constraints.

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Slot

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How To: Create a Transitional Constraint

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1. Create and place components into an assembly.

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2. In the Assemble tab>Position panel, click (Constrain) to create a constraint

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relationship. Select the Transitional tab, as shown in Figure 1–7.

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Figure 1–7

© 2024 ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge 1–5

 Autodesk Inventor 2025: Advanced Assembly Modeling

3. Select the surfaces on both components that are in contact. To display a preview of the
constraint, ensure that (Preview) is enabled.
Note: Use (Pick part first) to limit the geometry that is available for selection to a
single component.

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4. Click Apply to complete constraint placement and continue adding constraints. Once the

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component is fully constrained, click OK to close the Place Constraint dialog box.

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Note: Select Suppress in the Place Constraint to suppress the constraint after creation.

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 Advanced Assembly Tools

1.3 Working with Assemblies

The following topics have been included to provide tips to help more effectively work with your
assembly designs.

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Multiple Component Placement

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Consider the following when assembling multiple components in an assembly:

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• Multiple components can be placed in an assembly at the same time.

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• Hold <Ctrl> to select individual components or <Shift> to select a range of components.
• Components are assembled and sorted alphabetically.

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• When placing, if you right-click and select Place Grounded at Origin, all of the

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components placed are grounded. Alternatively, once placed, you can ground an
individual component by right-clicking its name in the Model browser and selecting

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Grounded.
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To place multiple instances of a single component, place the first instance and then drag
and drop additional instances from the Model browser.
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•
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Any constraints assigned to the initial instance relationships are lost and must be
reassigned.
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• To help maintain the orientation of the last assembled instance, you can select Use last
occurrence orientation for component placement in the Assembly tab, in the Application
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Options dialog box.

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• If using the AutoDrop functionality with the Content Center, multiple components can be
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retrieved into the assembly, provided the selected reference has other similar references on
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the same placement face.

•
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For example, with AutoDrop enabled you can place eight instances of the same fastener
on eight holes on the same face, if they are all the same size. This functionality is
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discussed more in depth with the Design Accelerator.

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 Autodesk Inventor 2025: Advanced Assembly Modeling

Assembly Folders
Assembly folders help organize an assembly by grouping components and simplifying the
Model browser. Unlike subassemblies, folders do not create a component. Folders have no

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impact on relationships or degrees of freedom and do not become a rigid body.
To create a folder, use either of the following:

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• Right-click on the component(s) you want to add to the folder and select Add to New Folder,

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as shown in Figure 1–8.

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• Right-click on the model name at the top of the Model browser and select Create New

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Folder. Once a folder is created, you can drag and drop components into or out of the folder.

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Figure 1–8
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To rename the folder, select the folder in the Model browser (do not double-click), then click on
the folder again and enter a new name.

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 Advanced Assembly Tools

Save and Replace Components

The Save and Replace option enables you to replace a selected component or all instances of
the same component in an assembly with a copy of itself. The newly created copy maintains all

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the same relationships as the original component. This tool can be used to test design
scenarios in assemblies.

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How To: Replace a Component with a Saved Copy

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1. Select the component to be replaced.

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2. In the Assemble tab>expanded Productivity panel, click (Save and Replace).

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Alternatively, you can click (Save and Replace All) to create a single copy and replace

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all instances of the same component in the assembly at once

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3. In the Create Part dialog box, enter a name for the newly copied component and click Save.
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The selected component is replaced with the copy.

Alpha Sort Component

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The Alpha Sort Component option (Assemble tab>expanded Productivity panel> (Alpha Sort
Component)) enables you to sort assembly components alphabetically in the Model browser.
This option does not sort items in subassemblies.
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Rename Browser Nodes

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The Rename Browser Nodes option (Assemble tab>expanded Productivity panel> (Rename
Browser Nodes)) changes the way browser nodes display. Components can be displayed in the
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browser by filename, part number, or in the default configuration. This option enables you to
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quickly change the long names that often display from content center items, as well as switch
from filenames to your company part numbering schemes. Using this option with Alpha Sort
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Component, you can quickly sort Browser nodes as required.

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 Autodesk Inventor 2025: Advanced Assembly Modeling

1.4 Working with Assembly Relationships

The following topics have been included to provide tips to help more effectively work with
assembly relationships in your assembly designs.

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Expanded Constraint Options

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When assigning a constraint using the Place Constraint dialog box, you can click to access
additional options. Consider the following:

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• You can assign a custom name to the constraint to help identify it.

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• Set limit values for a translational or rotational constraint, as shown in Figure 1–9. This
assigns a maximum and minimum allowable range for the Offset or Angle values used when

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assigning a constraint. A constraint with limits has +/- appended to its name.
• The Use Offset As Resting Position option uses the specified Offset value as the resting

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position. If not set, you can drag and move the component within the range of values and
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the component rests where it is dropped.
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Figure 1–9

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 Advanced Assembly Tools

Constraint States
You can identify if components are fully constrained in the Model browser by reviewing the
constraint state icons associated with each of the assembly components, as shown in

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Figure 1–10.

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Constraint
states

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Figure 1–10
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The icons describe the constraint state, as follows:

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• The icon adjacent to a component name indicates that the component is fully
constrained. The (Pushpin) icon adjacent to a component name also indicates that it is
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grounded (fully constrained).

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• The icon adjacent to a component name indicates that the component is not fully
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constrained. To review which degrees of freedom remain, you must review the existing
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constraints.
• The icon adjacent to a component name indicates that the component constraint status
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is unknown. To attempt to resolve, in the Manage tab>Update panel, click Rebuild All, or
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review constraints and assign as needed.

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Hint: Enabling the Display of Constraint States

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Constraint states were introduced in Inventor 2022, and the default 2022 templates have
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them set to display by default. If they are not displayed, the assembly may have been created
in an older version. To turn on constraint states, expand (Advanced Settings Menu) and
select Display Preferences>Show Constraint State. Alternatively, you can set the Show
Constraint State in Browser option from the Tools tab>Document Settings>Modeling tab.

© 2024 ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge 1–11

 Autodesk Inventor 2025: Advanced Assembly Modeling

Constraint Display Preferences

You can manipulate the display of the Model browser using the Display Preferences options
shown in Figure 1–11 and described below.

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• Use Hide Fully Constrained to quickly turn off the display of components that are fully
constrained in the assembly.

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• Enable the Show Constraint State option to display the icons ( , , ) to help you identify

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the constraint status of a component. You can disable this option to turn off the display of

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the icons.

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Figure 1–11
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Relationship Highlighting
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When you select or hover the cursor over a constraint or joint connection in the Model browser,
the assembly references are highlighted on the screen. The first and second references
uniquely match their color indicator under the respective arrow in the Place Constraint and the
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Place Joint dialog boxes.

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 Advanced Assembly Tools

Degree of Freedom Analysis

In the Assemble tab>Productivity panel, click (Degree of Freedom Analysis) to open the
Degree of Freedom Analysis dialog box.This tool provides a summary of the degrees of freedom

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remaining in all assembly components.
• Information on the remaining translational and rotational degrees of freedom for each

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component is presented.

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• Select a component in the dialog box to graphically view the remaining degrees of freedom,

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as shown in Figure 1–12.

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• Select the Animate Freedom option to visually animate the degrees of freedom remaining
on the selected component.

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Select the component in the

dialog box to display the
remaining degrees of freedom
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Figure 1–12
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 Autodesk Inventor 2025: Advanced Assembly Modeling

Show Relationship Name

You can display the names of components next to the applicable constraint and joint listings in
the Model browser, as shown in Figure 1–13. To display the component names, select Display

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component names after relationship names in the Assembly tab in the Application Options

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dialog box (Tools tab>Options panel> (Application Options)). This command is especially
useful when the Assembly browser is in Modeling View because you can see the component

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names listed in the Relationships folder.

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Figure 1–13
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 Advanced Assembly Tools

Assembling Using a UCS and Constraint Sets

A user coordinate system (UCS) consists of three planes, three axes, and a center point. The
only difference between a UCS and the Origin is that you can have multiple UCSs in a model,

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which can all be oriented differently. Once created, a UCS is listed in the Model browser at the
point it was created. It is identified by a special triad icon, as well as a sequential number

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associated with its feature name.

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A UCS can be used as a reference in constraining components using the Constraint Set tab in
the Place Constraint dialog box, as shown in Figure 1–14. UCS Constraint Sets match Plane to

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Plane, Axis to Axis, and Origin to Origin to locate two components relative to one another. To

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constrain the components, select the UCS in each component. This tab only enables you to
constrain one UCS to another UCS. UCS references cannot be used as references for Joint
connections.

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Figure 1–14
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Place at Component Origin

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The Place at Component Origin option enables you to quickly constrain a newly added
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component to an existing assembly component. The system automatically creates three mate
flush constraints to align the YZ, XZ, and XY Planes from each component.
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How To: Place a Newly Added Component at an Existing Component’s Origin

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1. In the Assemble tab>Productivity panel, click (Place at Component Origin).

2. In the graphic window or Model browser, select the existing component to which the newly
placed component is going be constrained.
3. In the Open dialog box, select a component or multiple components to be added to the
assembly and click Open.

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 Autodesk Inventor 2025: Advanced Assembly Modeling

Ground and Root Component

The Ground and Root option (Assemble tab>expanded Productivity panel> ) enables you to
do all of the following in a single operation:

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• Ground a selected component (Ground at Origin).

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• Align the origin of a selected component with the origin of the assembly (Create origin flush
constraints). Three flush constraints are added to mate flush the YZ, XZ, and XY Planes in

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the selected component and the assembly.

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• Reposition a selected component as the first component in the Model browser (Reposition

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to the top of the browser).

Note: If existing relationships are in conflict, the icon displays and must be manually

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resolved.

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Assembly Restructure
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You can promote and demote components in an assembly structure without losing their
relationships. To promote or demote, right-click on a component and select Component>
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Promote or Component>Demote.
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When demoting you are prompted to create a new subassembly. If a subassembly already
exists, select and drag the component into the subassembly to demote it. Dragging and
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dropping can also be used to promote a component.

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 Advanced Assembly Tools

Practice 1a
Motion and Transitional Constraints
Practice Objectives

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• Relate the motion of one component to another component by adding motion and

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transitional constraint relationships.

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• Simulate motion in an assembly by driving an angle constraint relationship.

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In this practice, you will use motion and transitional constraints to relate the motion of one part
to another part in an assembly. You will apply an Angle constraint to two assembly components
and simulate motion in the assembly by driving the angle constraint. The assembly is shown in

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Figure 1–15.

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Figure 1–15
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Task 1: Open an assembly file.

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1. On the Home page, select (Projects and Settings)>Settings to open the Projects dialog
box. Project files identify folders that contain the required models.
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2. Click Browse. In the practice files folder, select Advanced Assembly.ipj.

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Note: The suggested default extraction location for the practice files is C:\Autodesk
Inventor 2025 Advanced Assembly Modeling Practice Files.

3. Click Open. The Projects dialog box updates and a checkmark displays next to the new
project name, indicating that it is the active project. The project file tells Autodesk Inventor
where your files are stored.
4. Click Done. This project file is used for the entire guide.

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 Autodesk Inventor 2025: Advanced Assembly Modeling

5. Open drive.iam from the top-level practice files folder. Textures have been added to the
roll1 and roll2 components so you can easily identify that they rotate in the exercise.
6. Examine the existing relationships in the assembly and display the components’ degrees of
freedom. To display the degrees of freedom, switch to the View tab>Visibility panel and

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click (Degrees of Freedom). The drive_base component is grounded. The roll1 and
roll2 components are free to rotate about their central axes, and the sliderarm is free to

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slide in one direction only.

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7. As an alternative to simply displaying the degrees of freedom for the components, you can

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run an analysis. In the Assemble tab>expanded Productivity panel, click (Degree of

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Freedom Analysis). The Degree of Freedom Analysis dialog box opens, as shown in
Figure 1–16. The sliderarm can translate, and the roll1 and roll2 components can rotate.

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Figure 1–16
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8. Select Animate Freedom at the bottom of the dialog box.

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9. Select the sliderarm component in the dialog box and note the translational movement of
the component.
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10. Select the roll1 and roll2 components in the dialog box to see their rotational freedom.
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Using the Degree of Freedom Analysis command enables you to visualize more easily the
available degrees of freedom in an assembly.
11. Click Cancel to close the dialog box.

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 Advanced Assembly Tools

Task 2: Place and constrain trans_cam.ipt.

1. Place one instance of trans_cam.ipt in the assembly.

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2. Apply a Mate constraint between the center line of the trans_cam rod and the center line of
the round hole in drive_base.ipt, as shown in Figure 1–17. The (Axial Mate) symbol

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displays adjacent to the Mate node in the Model browser when the Mate constraint is used
to align the axes of cylindrical or conical features.

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Mate the central axis of the

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trans_cam and the hole

Figure 1–17
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3. Apply a Mate constraint between the surfaces shown in Figure 1–18. Note that one of the
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surfaces is hidden in the figure. One rotational degree of freedom remains.

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Mate these surfaces

Figure 1–18

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 Autodesk Inventor 2025: Advanced Assembly Modeling

4. Open the Place Constraint dialog box, if not already open, and select the Motion tab.

5. Apply a (Rotation) motion constraint between the outside cylindrical faces of roll1 and
roll2. Select roll1 (the smaller cylinder) first and roll 2 (the larger cylinder) second. Based

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on the order that you selected, the default ratio is .40. The ratio determines how many
revolutions the second component makes per revolution of the first.

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6. Set the parts to rotate in the reverse direction, as shown in Figure 1–19, by clicking

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. Click OK.

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roll1

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Figure 1–19
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7. Select the roll1 component and drag it to simulate motion.

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 Advanced Assembly Tools

8. Apply a (Rotation-Translation) motion constraint between roll2 and sliderarm. Select

roll2 first and the sliderarm edge second, as shown in Figure 1–20. Set the motion to rotate

in the forward direction by clicking . Click OK.

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Select the sliderarm

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edge second

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Select this face

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on roll2 first

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Figure 1–20
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9. Select the roll2 component and drag it to simulate motion. When roll2 rotates, sliderarm
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translates and roll1 rotates. You can also select and drag sliderarm or roll1.
10. In the Place Constraint dialog box, select the Transitional tab.
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11. Place a (Transitional) constraint between the cylindrical portion of the sliderarm and
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the round face of trans_cam, as shown in Figure 1–21. Select the cylinder first and a
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surface on trans_cam second. Click OK.

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Select these
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faces
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Figure 1–21
12. Select and drag trans_cam back and forth to rotate it. The other constrained parts should
move according to their relationships.

© 2024 ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge 1–21

 Autodesk Inventor 2025: Advanced Assembly Modeling

Task 3: Drive a constraint.

In this task, you apply an Angle constraint between sliderarm and trans_cam, and then use this
relationship to simulate motion.

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1. Apply an Angle constraint between the XZ Plane of sliderarm and the YZ Plane of
trans_cam.

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2. Click (Directed Angle).

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3. Type 0.00 as the angle between the two planes, and click OK to apply the constraint

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relationship.
Note: When you apply the Angle constraint, you might lose the transitional constraint

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references. Edit it and reapply the references in the Edit Constraint dialog box.

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4. In the Model browser, right-click on the Angle constraint relationship and select Drive. The

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Drive dialog box opens.
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5. Type -60.00 in the Start field and 60.00 in the End field.
6. Expand the Drive dialog box, select Start/End/Start, and type 10 in the Repetitions field.
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7. Click to start the simulation.

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8. Close the dialog box once the simulation has finished.

9. Save the file and close the window.
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.
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End of practice
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 Advanced Assembly Tools

Practice 1b
Assembly Tools
Practice Objectives

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• Investigate the remaining degrees of freedom of components in a constrained assembly.

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• Vary the display and organization of the Model browser by adding an assembly folder,

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and renaming and sorting nodes in the Model browser.

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In this practice, you will use some assembly tools to perform a variety of tasks on the
mechanical pencil assembly shown in Figure 1–22.

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Figure 1–22
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Task 1: Open an assembly and view the model.

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1. Open Mechanical Pencil.iam from the Mechanical_Pencil_Assembly Tools folder.

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2. Select the View tab.

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3. In the Visibility panel, click (Half Section View), as shown in Figure 1–23.
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Figure 1–23

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 Autodesk Inventor 2025: Advanced Assembly Modeling

4. In the Model browser, expand the Origin node, select the YZ Plane, and click . The
model displays as shown in Figure 1–24. Review the model, noting the internal detail.

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Figure 1–24

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Task 2: Investigate the degrees of freedom of the components.

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In this task, you will investigate the degrees of freedom remaining in the assembly, using the

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Degree of Freedom Analysis dialog box. This productivity tool provides an overview of all
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remaining degrees of freedom for the entire assembly.
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1. In the Assemble tab>expanded Productivity panel, click (Degree of Freedom Analysis).
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The Degree of Freedom Analysis dialog box opens, as shown in Figure 1–25.
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Figure 1–25

The Degree of Freedom Analysis dialog box lists all of the components in the assembly and
their degrees of freedom. The components are fully constrained translationally, while some
still have a rotational degree of freedom remaining.

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 Advanced Assembly Tools

2. In the Degree of Freedom Analysis dialog box, select the Cone:1 component. The rotational
degree of freedom highlights on the model.
3. Select Animate Freedom.
4. Zoom in on the tip section of the pencil, as shown in Figure 1–26, and select the Spring:1

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component in the dialog box. The degree of freedom remaining for the spring is animated
on the screen.

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Figure 1–26
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5. Select other components to observe their remaining degrees of freedom. Maintaining a
rotational degree of freedom in the components is acceptable for this assembly.
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6. Click Cancel to close the dialog box.
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Task 3: Create an assembly folder.

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In this task, you will create an assembly folder. Assembly folders help organize the Model
browser and quickly manipulate features inside the folder.
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1. In the Model browser, right-click on Mechanical Pencil.iam and select Create New Folder.
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2. Type External as the folder name and press <Enter>.

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 Autodesk Inventor 2025: Advanced Assembly Modeling

3. Press and hold <Ctrl> while selecting the Clip, Cone, Eraser Cap, Eraser, Lead Guide, Upper
Shaft, Sleeve, Grip, and Ring components. Drag the selected components into the External
assembly folder, as shown in Figure 1–27.

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The order of the

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components might
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Figure 1–27
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4. In the Model browser, right-click on the External folder and clear the Visibility option. The
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model displays as shown in Figure 1–28. All components were cleared at once.
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Figure 1–28
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5. Toggle the Visibility of the External folder back on.

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 Advanced Assembly Tools

Task 4: Reorganize the Model browser.

In this task, you will use two productivity tools to reorganize the Model browser: Rename
Browser Nodes and Alpha Sort Components.

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1. In the expanded Productivity panel, click (Rename Browser Nodes).

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2. In the New Name drop-down list, select Filename, as shown in Figure 1–29, and click Apply.

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The Model browser updates to display the full filename of each component.

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3. In the New Name drop-down list, select Part Number and click Apply. The Model browser
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updates to display the part number for each component.
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4. Click Close.
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5. In the expanded Productivity panel, click (Alpha Sort Component). The Model browser
is reordered by part number.
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6. Expand the External assembly folder. The components inside the folder were also sorted.
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Note: A limitation of this command is that it will not sort subassemblies. For
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subassemblies, you must activate a subassembly first and then sort it.
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7. Right-click on the External assembly folder and select Delete Folder. The folder is removed
from the Model browser and the components in it are placed back into the top level of the
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browser.
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8. Run the Alpha Sort Component command again.

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 Autodesk Inventor 2025: Advanced Assembly Modeling

9. The grounded part is now buried in the Model browser. To correct this, drag PP-09 back to
the top of the browser, as shown in Figure 1–30.

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Figure 1–30
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10. Save the file and close the window.

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End of practice
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 Advanced Assembly Tools

Chapter Review Questions

1. What is the purpose of using an assembly folder?

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a. To store component files.
b. To promote components.

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c. To help organize an assembly.

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d. To demote components.

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2. Assembly folders have an impact on the relationships/degrees of freedom of the
components in the folder.

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a. True
b. False

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3. What is the purpose of the Constraint Set tab shown in Figure 1–31?
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Figure 1–31

a. Adds multiple constraints at the same time.

m

b. Enables you to constrain components using a user coordinate system (UCS).

Sa

c. Enables constraints to be grouped together.

d. None of the above.

© 2024 ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge 1–29

 Autodesk Inventor 2025: Advanced Assembly Modeling

4. (Alpha Sort Component) sorts all of the components that exist at the top-level
assembly and in subassemblies and assembly folders.
a. True

n. nly
b. False

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id w
5. What do Motion constraints enable you to do?

rb ie
a. Describe the movement of one surface relative to another.

fo rev
b. Describe the constraints that keep components from moving.
c. Restrict the motion of components.

tly r
ric fo
6. If a Rotation motion constraint enables one component to rotate when another rotates,

st T
what does the Rotation-Translation motion constraint do?
e EN
a. Enables two components to rotate when another rotates.
b. They are the same.
us C

c. Enables one component to move translationally when another rotates.

re S
d yA

d. Enables one component to move translationally when another moves translationally.

an b

7. What do Transitional constraints enable you to do?

d

a. Describe the movement of one surface relative to a continuous set of surfaces.

ng e
yi vid

b. Describe the movement of one surface relative to another.

c. Change constraint options depending on a component’s other constraints.
op ro

d. Transition from one type of constraint to another.

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1–30 © 2024 ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge

 Advanced Assembly Tools

Command Summary
Button Command Location

n. nly
N/A Add to New Folder • (context menu in the Model browser)
Alpha Sort Component • Ribbon: Assemble tab>Productivity panel

de o
id w
Application Options • Ribbon: Tools tab>Options panel

rb ie
fo rev
Constrain • Ribbon: Assemble tab>Position panel

tly r
N/A Create New Folder • (context menu in the Model browser)

ric fo
Degree of Freedom • Ribbon: Assemble tab>Productivity panel
Analysis

st T
e EN
Ground and Root • Ribbon: Assemble tab>Productivity panel
us C
Place • Ribbon: Assemble tab>Component panel
re S
d yA

Place at Component Origin • Ribbon: Assemble tab>Productivity panel

an b

Rename Browser Nodes • Ribbon: Assemble tab>Productivity panel

d
ng e

Save and Replace • Ribbon: Assemble tab>Productivity panel

yi vid

Save and Replace All • Ribbon: Assemble tab>Productivity panel

op ro
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Sa

© 2024 ASCENT - Center for Technical Knowledge 1–31