Inventor Assembly

Use

You can import and view Inventor Assembly (.iam) files.

Supported

Hierarchical structured Scene Tree
File properties, Model properties
Object attributes; for example, color, opacity, visibility (components and geometry nodes), and object names
Solid or Mesh Import:
- Tessellation control with mesh import and dynamic tessellation option for solid import
- Normals and UV coordinates

Limitations

Animation
BoM support based on part names
Configurations
Textures
PMI is not supported
Metadata in the Scene Tree sorts in alphabetical order so the original order is not preserved.
Initial view is not respected when loaded in SAP 3D Visual Enterprise Author or SAP 3D Visual Enterprise Generator
Drawing format (.idw) is not supported
Construction geometry; for example, Surfaces, Points, Planes, and Wireframes not supported
Assembly-level color and assembly-level features not supported
Persistence Identifiers and CAD Identifiers not supported
Positional Representations not supported
Flexible Assemblies not supported

Extra Load-specific Limitations

Valid for Solids Mode

Where an assembly has subfolders, and files with the same name across different subfolders, conversion fails.

Valid for Quick View

Surface Bodies not supported
Face color not supported. Part color is applied to all faces.

Features

This format contains import options. You can use them to customize the way in which your file is opened.

Import Interface

Field	Functional Description
Load Approach	Establishes the way in which to import the file Approach: The method in which the file is imported. Each method utilizes differing import options to import the file. Quick View (Inventor Tessellation): Imports the file using the last saved tessellated geometry Load Inventor Solids: Imports the file using the solids information, rather than tessellated geometry
Common	Defines the general settings including tessellation (arrangement and density of the polygons) Note If you enter 0 (zero) for any of the tessellation settings, they are not taken into effect during the tessellation process. Geometry: Defines the geometry settings Import Hidden Objects: Imports all hidden objects. If you modify any visible objects that contain hidden subobjects after import, those hidden objects are also modified. Display Hidden Objects: Displays all hidden objects in the viewport after importing the file Import Metadata: Imports file metadata from the original CAD file (stored inside the file as the metadata category CADMetadata) Tessellation Settings: Defines the tessellation settings Note Tessellation settings are only available when you use the Load Inventor Solids load approach. Import Splines, Surfaces and Solids: Determines whether splines, surfaces, and solids are imported Tessellation Level: Applies different resolutions based upon preselected values for chord height ratio and normal tolerances. If you select User-Defined, further options become available. Angular Tolerance: Determines the maximum angular deviation (in degrees), allowed between an analytical surface and its triangulation. Pairs of triangles do not incorporate a dihedral angle greater than this amount. For example, this setting dictates the minimum number of facets around a smaller circle or cylinder regardless of the Surface Deviation setting. This parameter gives you added control over faces with small radii. Lower values result in finer tessellations, while higher values produce coarser tessellations. Chord Height Tolerance: The value between the analytical surface and its triangulation that determines the distance and accuracy of the tessellation. The lower the value, the more accurate the result. 0.00001 is the minimum unit (high detail), and 1 000 000 is the maximum unit (low detail). Chord Height Behavior: Determines how accurately the chord height tolerance is applied. Absolute applies the chord height tolerance as it is. Scaled adjusts the values depending on the scale of the object being tessellated.
Geometry Transformation	Transforms (rotate, position, and scale) the scene along the X, Y, and Z axes: Rotation: Sets the degrees of rotation around each axis from 0 degrees to 360 degrees. The rotation values can be entered with up to 6 decimal places. Scale: Scales the object along the X, Y, and Z axes Position: Sets the position of the scene along the X, Y, and Z axes

Field

Functional Description

Load Approach

Establishes the way in which to import the file

Approach: The method in which the file is imported. Each method utilizes differing import options to import the file.
- Quick View (Inventor Tessellation): Imports the file using the last saved tessellated geometry
- Load Inventor Solids: Imports the file using the solids information, rather than tessellated geometry

Common

Defines the general settings including tessellation (arrangement and density of the polygons)

Geometry: Defines the geometry settings

Import Hidden Objects: Imports all hidden objects. If you modify any visible objects that contain hidden subobjects after import, those hidden objects are also modified.
Display Hidden Objects: Displays all hidden objects in the viewport after importing the file
Import Metadata: Imports file metadata from the original CAD file (stored inside the file as the metadata category CADMetadata)

Tessellation Settings: Defines the tessellation settings

Import Splines, Surfaces and Solids: Determines whether splines, surfaces, and solids are imported
Tessellation Level: Applies different resolutions based upon preselected values for chord height ratio and normal tolerances. If you select User-Defined, further options become available.
- Angular Tolerance: Determines the maximum angular deviation (in degrees), allowed between an analytical surface and its triangulation. Pairs of triangles do not incorporate a dihedral angle greater than this amount. For example, this setting dictates the minimum number of facets around a smaller circle or cylinder regardless of the Surface Deviation setting. This parameter gives you added control over faces with small radii. Lower values result in finer tessellations, while higher values produce coarser tessellations.
- Chord Height Tolerance: The value between the analytical surface and its triangulation that determines the distance and accuracy of the tessellation. The lower the value, the more accurate the result. 0.00001 is the minimum unit (high detail), and 1 000 000 is the maximum unit (low detail).
- Chord Height Behavior: Determines how accurately the chord height tolerance is applied. Absolute applies the chord height tolerance as it is. Scaled adjusts the values depending on the scale of the object being tessellated.

Geometry Transformation

Transforms (rotate, position, and scale) the scene along the X, Y, and Z axes:

Rotation: Sets the degrees of rotation around each axis from 0 degrees to 360 degrees. The rotation values can be entered with up to 6 decimal places.
Scale: Scales the object along the X, Y, and Z axes
Position: Sets the position of the scene along the X, Y, and Z axes