Category: Inventor
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Guardrails for Using AI in Autodesk Plugin Development
This post outlines curated guardrails for the effective use of Copilot and other agentic AI tools when developing plugins and extensions for Autodesk authoring applications such as AutoCAD, Revit, and Inventor. I used ChatGPT to help refine the wording. Consider it quiet LLM cannibalism. :) These guardrails can be enforced by placing them in your…
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Resolving Ribbon Icon(.bmp) Rendering Issues in Autodesk Inventor Dark Theme
A recurring issue was observed in Autodesk Inventor where ribbon icons appeared distorted when using the Dark Theme. Developers reported icons looking fuzzy, losing transparency, or displaying unwanted white edges. This affected .bmp image formats across Inventor 2024, 2025, and 2026. After detailed analysis, it was found that the problem originated from how icon images…
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Introduction to Inventor.IPictureDisp Interface in Inventor 2026 API
The Inventor.IPictureDisp interface is a COM-based image representation used in the Inventor 2026 API for assigning images to user interface elements. It plays an important role in the development of Inventor add-ins, particularly when creating custom commands and ribbon controls that require button icons. When defining custom commands in Inventor add-ins, developers typically create buttons…
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Handling Dark and Light Theme Support in Autodesk Inventor Add-ins
Introduction As modern CAD environments continue to evolve, visual consistency and interface readability have become essential for delivering an optimal user experience. Autodesk Inventor — one of the leading 3D design and engineering platforms — introduced a Dark Theme starting with Inventor 2021 as a preview feature, and expanded it in subsequent releases such as…
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Missing Autodesk Inventor Templates in Visual Studio?
by Chandra shekar Gopal If you’ve recently installed Autodesk Inventor DeveloperTools but can’t find the expected Inventor Add-In project templates in Visual Studio, you’re not alone. This guide explains why the templates may not appear and how to ensure they’re properly installed and visible—whether you’re working with C++, C#, or VB.NET. 📦 Inventor Wizards Are…
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Understanding BOM Delegation in Autodesk Inventor API
by Chandra shekar Gopal, Bill of Materials (BOM) management is a cornerstone of effective digital design and manufacturing workflows. With the advent of Model States in Autodesk Inventor, the management of BOMs—especially across legacy designs and substitutes—has evolved significantly. One powerful yet often misunderstood concept introduced in this context is BOM Delegation. 🔄 What is BOM…
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Adapting to Change: Inventor Design Automation 2026 Engine Moves to .NET 8
<?xml encoding=”UTF-8″>by Chandra shekar Gopal, With the release of Inventor Design Automation (DA) 2026, Autodesk has taken a decisive step into the future by exclusively supporting a .NET 8-based Inventor Server. This transition marks a pivotal evolution for developers working with Inventor’s automation capabilities, especially those maintaining legacy workflows based on the older .NET Framework.…
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Introducing Sketch-Based BreakOperations for Drawings in Autodesk Inventor 2026 API
by Chandra shekar Gopal, Autodesk Inventor 2026 continues to expand its API capabilities, offering even greater flexibility for developers and design automation experts. A notable enhancement in this release is the introduction of the new BreakOperations.AddBySketch method and the BreakOperation.BreakLineSketch property. These features empower users to define drawing view breaks using custom sketch geometry—improving automation…
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Autodesk Inventor 2026 API Now Supports IFC4x3: Here’s How to Automate BIM Exports with VBA
by Chandra shekar Gopal, In the world of Building Information Modeling (BIM), interoperability is no longer a nice-to-have—it’s essential. With growing contractual requirements and cross-platform collaboration across tools like Revit, Navisworks, and Tekla, users of Autodesk Inventor have long requested better support for IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) exports. 💡 The Problem with Legacy IFC Exports…
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Parameter-Driven Sketch Dimensions in Autodesk Inventor Drawing Sketches: Limitations and a Practical Workaround
by Chandra shekar Gopal, Overview Autodesk Inventor is renowned for its robust parametric modeling capabilities, allowing engineers and designers to drive geometry using parameters. While this works seamlessly in part and assembly environments, users often encounter challenges when trying to apply the same principles in .idw drawing files—particularly in associating drawing sketch dimensions with user-defined parameters.…
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