This section introduces the Autodesk Inventor - PLM integration.

This section contains the following topics:

This section contains the following topics that describes the tasks to be executed while working with PLM:

The Save to PLM process saves your Autodesk Inventor file in the PLM database. The document is saved with the status Draft. Each consecutive save updates the latest changes performed on the Draft revision of the document in PLM.

The download manager retrieves the latest files from the PLM database and saves them to the local work directory of the user. The following preferences control the behaviour of the Download Manager:

If the preferences specify that no items must be generated for part files on initial save to PLM, you must use the Link to Item option from the PLM menu to create items for the part file that you are working on, or to link the part file to an existing item in the PLM database.

To link existing document:

If a file that you are working on is supposed to be used in a business process, the business process cannot be launched while the file is locked. To avoid this situation, you should save such files using the Save and Unlock command. This automatically updates your data, while relinquishing ownership of the file. The business process can then proceed.

When you have finished working with a file, it can be released. The PLM - Autodesk Inventor Integration enables you to check in any Autodesk Inventor file and its linked documents to the PLM vault.

You must check a file out of the vault in order to change it. The Check Out option is available after the file has been retrieved from PLM using the PLM Integration Query tool.

You can synchronize a working PLM file with Autodesk Inventor.

The Clear Storage Information functionality is designed to enable the user to quickly save the active/selected part to a new project.

Use the PLM menu option Delete Local Files to delete the selected local files. PLM also clears the information about the deleted files from the storage files.

Generally, the Save to PLM process performs the operation on all the editable files within the structure of current file and transfers all these editable files to PLM. However, it is possible that one or more files within the structure of the current file are unchanged even though they are editable; therefore, it is not required to save them into PLM. To save only the modified files, enable the Save only modified files integration preference. The Save only modified files preference is made available in the Save Changes to PLM property.

General mapping enables you to define attribute-based mapping rules for a template. When you create parts, assemblies, or drawings in Autodesk Inventor using a template, the mapping rules are carried over to the parts, assemblies, or drawings based on how you set up the rules.

Use this option to specify an additional format to save the local Autodesk Inventor files to PLM. As a result, if you save a part file to PLM, the part file is also saved in the additional format. The additional file is used for viewing.

Presentation files provide a multi-dimensional view of an assembly. You can use the presentation files to develop exploded view, animations, and other stylized views of an assembly to help "document" your design; where as a drawing, provides only a static view of the assembly. Presentation views are saved in a separate file called a presentation file (.ipn). Each presentation file can contain as many presentation views as needed for a specified assembly. When changes are made to an assembly, the presentation views are updated automatically. A presentation can contain only a single assembly.

Thumbnail is a miniature representation of a Autodesk Inventor part, assembly or a drawing. Autodesk Inventor integration generates the thumbnails in the JPEG or PNG format.

You can now transfer balloon numbers from Autodesk Inventor to the part list table in PLM. This information can be stored to any field of the Part List table, in addition to the Find No. field.

Content center files are standard library components generated from the content center database.

Derived parts are new parts that use an existing part or assembly as their base component.

The PLM Integration for Inventor includes a utility that enables you to convert RELEASED Inventor files from previous Inventor versions to the current version of Inventor.

The Package Assembly feature is to allow a completely new assembly or drawing to be represented in PLM as a single object. This feature can be applied to new files which have never been stored in PLM database or files that are already flagged as package.

An iAssembly is a collection of various members and individual parts.

The PLM preferences control the way the PLM integration for Autodesk Inventor works. To access the PLM preferences, in Autodesk Inventor, click Open PLM Inventor Integration Preferences in the PLM toolbar. As a result, the PLM Integration Preferences dialog box appears.

This option includes the following properties:

This section contains the following topics for the administrator:

The following section lists the best practices in PLM: