When collaborating with designers who do not use the same software as you do, you will find yourself having to do some sort of import/conversion to utilise the models that they have created. Historically you would save the fie as an IGES or SAT or STEP file. This was the result of the software not being able to import native files of the other software into Autodesk Inventor. Fast forward to today and Autodesk Inventor is now able to not only import the IGES,SAT or STEP files but also most native files from other CAD software programs.

When importing these files you have a few filter options. These filter options control which created geometry you will bring from the other CAD package or exported file. As you can see in the below image you can sort by Solids,Surfaces,Meshes,(3D) Wires,Work Features,Points or Graphical PMI.

It is very important to be aware of what filters you have selected as I have seen many situations where the model does not look “correct” after the import but it is is because the filters were active.

In the below image you can see a part that has been imported which does not look correct. If you were looking at it and asking but it was solid. I saw it when it was designed in the other package. Something has definitely gone wrong here in the conversion or a few surfaces were deleted before saving and then sending it along.

One of the options to see the part more clearly is to turn the translucency off in Autodesk Inventor.

Once this is done and you can see the object a little more clearly, you can use the repair environment to add additional surfaces and then stitch everything together into a solid.

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