Autodesk Inventor

Create a circular (rotational) pattern of a feature around a work axis. Ideal for bolt holes around a flange — one hole + add_circular_pattern instead of 8 holes. Args: feature_index: Index of the feature to pattern (from list_features()). count: Number of instances (total including the original). angle: Total span angle in degrees (360 = full circle). axis: Rotation axis — X, Y, or Z (default Z for flanges).

Round sharp sheet metal corners (Corner Round — carried into the flat pattern). Use on exposed corners people handle, e.g. mounting plate tabs. Args: edge_indices: Comma-separated indices of the short edges through the thickness at the corners. radius: Corner radius in mm.

Add a Sheet Metal Flange (bent wall) to one or more edges. Real sheet-metal feature (vs Extrude) — supports Flat Pattern unfolding, has proper bend radius, depth ties to Thickness. Put ALL edges of a loop (e.g. the 4 edges of a base panel) in ONE call so the corners are auto-mitered; separate calls leave open corners. The flange bends toward the side of the face the edge belongs to: for an inward flange on a wall, pick the wall's inner-face edge. Args: edge_indices: Comma-separated edge indices (use find_edges to locate). distance: Flange height in mm (default 25 = Inventor default). angle: Bend angle in degrees (default 90 = perpendicular). auto_miter: Miter the corners between the edges (default True). miter_gap: Corner gap expression; "GapSize" = from the sheet metal rule (default). height_datum: "outer" (from outer intersection, default), "inner", "tangent", "outer_ortho" or "inner_ortho".

Build a steel frame: structural profiles laid along skeleton lines in the active assembly — what Frame Generator does (it has no API). Each member is a Content Center custom-length part (one file per profile and length, reused), turned so its length runs from start to end. Returns the placements and a saw cut list. Check with capture_view. Args: members: [{"start": [0,0,0], "end": [0,0,2000], "name": "Post_1"}, ...] in mm. Per member, optional: "family", "size", "category" (override the call's), "roll" (degrees, turns the section about its line), "anchor" ("center" = the section's middle on the line, default; "origin" = the profile's own origin), "extend" ([at start, at end] mm, negative to shorten — e.g. to stop at a crossing member). Horizontal members keep their section level; roll 90 turns a U to face sideways. category, family, size: Default profile, as use_content_center lists them, e.g. "Structural Shapes/Channels", "DIN 1026-1", "U 100". folder: Where the member files go (default: project workspace /Content Center Custom).

Add a native hole feature to the active part (drilled, tapped ISO metric 6H, counterbored). Fails — instead of leaving an empty feature — if no material was removed. Placed one of three ways: - `point` + `direction`: absolute model coordinates, e.g. point=[30,0,12], direction=[0,0,-1] (the way the drill travels). Safest: no sketch axes involved. - `linear`: dimensioned from two edges of a face, associative — preferred for fastener holes: {"face_axis": "Z", "face_value": 20, "ref1_axis": "X", "ref1_value": 0, "dist1": 10, "ref2_axis": "Y", "ref2_value": 0, "dist2": 15}. - `x`, `y`: on the XY plane, drilling into +Z. Args: diameter: mm (thread nominal if tapped, e.g. 5 for M5). depth: mm; 0 = through all. tapped: Thread it. pitch: mm; 0 = standard coarse. cbore_diameter, cbore_depth: Counterbore seat (with linear), e.g. 10 and 5.5 for M5.

Create the first flat panel of a sheet metal part from a closed sketch profile; add_flange bends walls from its edges, sheet_metal_cut opens holes in it. Needs a part made with create_document(kind="sheet_metal"). Set the rule first (manage_sheet_metal_rules): the panel takes its thickness from the active rule, so it has none of its own to pass here. Args: sketch_index: Sketch number (0 = latest sketch).

Look at the model: pictures of the active document, returned as images you can see. Use it to check your work — a flange on the wrong side, a door opening the wrong way, a part floating off the frame — which the numbers alone don't show. Args: views: Comma-separated: iso, iso_left, iso_bottom, front, back, top, bottom, left, right, current (the user's view). E.g. "iso,front,top". width, height: Pixels per picture (keep them modest — each picture costs tokens). background: "inventor" (its gradient) or "white". fit_to: Assembly component paths, ","-separated — zoom to them, keeping each view's direction. isolate: Component paths, ","-separated — show only these (and what is inside them); the others are hidden for the picture. For details buried in an assembly. sketches: Show sketches and work features too (hidden by default; restored after). up: "y" = Inventor's own view names (its default templates have Y up); "z" for a model built with Z up (frames, buildings): front looks along +Y, top down -Z.

Add an equal-distance chamfer to edges of the active part's first body. For rounded edges use fillet; on sheet metal corners, add_corner_round. Give ALL edges in one call: edge numbers change after every feature, so a second call with old numbers hits the wrong edges. Returns the feature name. Args: distance: Chamfer distance in mm, e.g. 2. edge_indices: Comma-separated edge numbers from find_edges, e.g. "1,2,3".

Check overlap between occurrences of the active assembly: full paths of both, volume and bounding box of each. Touching faces are not reported. Intended overlaps (gasket compression, thread in thread) show up too — read the volume and bbox. Args: set_a: Comma-separated names, paths or patterns: "DOOR:1", "Sub:1/Part:2", "*BRACKET*". set_b: The same, to test against; empty = everything else. ignore_fasteners: Set aside overlaps with small Content Center members (bolts, nuts, washers, under 150 mm) — threads overlap by design. They are counted.

Why won't it extrude? Checks a sketch for what a closed profile needs: open ends, gaps (two ends a hair apart, not joined), points where 3+ curves meet (overlaps, stray lines), lines drawn twice — with sketch coordinates in mm — and whether Inventor builds a profile, with how many closed loops. extrude / revolve report the same when they fail. Args: sketch_index: Sketch number (0 = latest sketch).

Connect to Autodesk Inventor. Starts Inventor if none is running. Working on a project? Pass project=<full path of its .ipj>: the server uses the Inventor that already has it — also one a previous server started (after a restart of Claude Desktop) — or the running one if it is free to switch, or else starts a separate Inventor for it — so two agents on two projects each get their own. The answer names the instance; when several Inventors are connected, pass instance=<that name> to every later call. Args: visible: Show Inventor window (default True). project: Full path of an .ipj to work in. new_instance: Always start a separate Inventor. pid: Connect to this kept Inventor (list_instances shows them) — e.g. two in one project.

Constrain two components, at any depth — by origin geometry, faces or circular edges. Prefer origin geometry: it survives part edits; face and edge numbers change with the topology. References: "Part:1#XY" / "#XZ" / "#YZ" / "#X" / "#Y" / "#Z" / "#ORIGIN" (origin geometry), "Sub:1/Part:1#F12" (face, from find_faces), "Sub:1/Bolt:1#E4" (edge, from find_edges). A list index works as the component: "2#XY". Says which OTHER components the constraint moved — one can drag parts you didn't mean to touch. Args: a, b: References; a is the one meant to move. kind: "mate" (faces against each other, axes in line), "flush" (faces the same way), "angle", or "insert" (two circular edges: a bolt into a hole). offset: mm for mate / flush / insert. Its sign is easy to get wrong — give a_at too. angle: Degrees for kind="angle". a_at: Where a's face must end up, e.g. {"Z": 182.5}. If it lands elsewhere, the offset is tried with the other sign. axes_opposed: For insert: True = the components face each other (normal bolt / hole case).

Turn surfaces into solids — imported vendor models (x_t, IGES, STEP) that came in as faces with no volume, so no mass and no booleans. Stitches the part's visible surfaces, patches the holes left in the shell, and closes it into a solid; a shell that is already closed becomes a solid directly. Reports each step, the solids' volumes, and the open edges it couldn't close (coordinates in mm). Run it in the part that holds the surfaces. Args: work_surfaces: "all", or WorkSurface numbers "1,2,5" to convert one group at a time (e.g. one component of a multi-part import). tolerance: Largest gap to stitch over, mm. patch_holes: Fill loops of open edges with a boundary patch.

Create a new document — a part with its material and part number right away, so no part is left "Generic" for the BOM and the mass. Args: kind: "part", "sheet_metal" or "assembly". name: Display name (optional). template: "metric" (mm, default), "english" (inches), or a full path to a template file. material: Parts: from the library, e.g. "Steel, Mild". part_number, description: Parts: iProperties for the BOM.

2D drawing of the active part or assembly (saved to disk) → PDF for the shop floor. A base view, projected views around it, overall dimensions on the base view (between its outermost straight edges — check them on assemblies), the model dimensions Inventor can retrieve, and the template's title block (filled from properties()). Read the PDF back to check the layout. Args: pdf_path: Output .pdf. views: First is the base view (front/top/right/left/back/bottom); the rest are projected from it: top (placed below), right (beside), iso (shaded, half scale). template: Drawing template name (ISO, DIN, ANSI (mm) …) or a full .idw path. scale: 0 = largest standard scale that fits; or e.g. 0.2 for 1:5. flat: Sheet metal part: draw the flat pattern (one view). drawing_path: Also keep the drawing as .idw / .dwg (otherwise it is closed).

Create a new sketch on a work plane, a body face, or an offset work plane. Args: plane: Work plane — XY, XZ, or YZ. Ignored if face_index > 0. face_index: Index of body face to sketch on (1-based). 0 = use work plane. Use list_faces() to locate. offset: mm — sketch on a hidden work plane parallel to 'plane' at this distance (positive = along plane normal: XY→+Z, XZ→+Y, YZ→+X). For ribs/bosses at a height.

Draw an open arc from (x1, y1) to (x2, y2) in mm — e.g. to close a profile drawn with draw_line. Either through a point on it (xm, ym), or around its center (cx, cy) running counter-clockwise in sketch coordinates. For closed shapes prefer draw_closed_profile. Args: x1, y1, x2, y2: Start and end. xm, ym: A point on the arc between them. cx, cy: The center (start and end must be equally far from it). sketch_index: Sketch number (0 = latest sketch).

Draw a circle in a sketch with an automatic diameter dimension. Dimensions in mm. Args: x: Center X coordinate in mm. y: Center Y coordinate in mm. diameter: Diameter in mm. A diameter constraint is added automatically. sketch_index: Sketch number (0 = latest sketch). construction: If True, draws a reference (construction) circle — not part of profile. Useful for showing bolt PCD (pitch circle diameter) without cutting.

Draw a closed profile of lines AND arcs. All coordinates in mm. Segments share their end points, so Inventor sees one closed loop for extrude/revolve. Never approximate a curve with many short lines — round corners and arcs are built in: [x, y] a corner [x, y, r] a corner rounded with radius r (tangent arc, lines trimmed) {"through": [x, y]} the segment from the corner before to the corner after is an arc through this point (after the last corner: the closing one) Examples: plate with R10 corners "[[0,0,10],[200,0,10],[200,100,10],[0,100,10]]"; a D shape "[[0,-50],[0,50],{"through":[50,0]}]". Arcs go through three points, so the sketch's axis directions can't flip them. Args: points: JSON array (or list) of the entries above. sketch_index: Sketch number (0 = latest sketch).

Draw one straight line in a sketch, in the sketch's coordinates — an open line, or a construction line for a revolve axis. Lines drawn one by one don't join into a profile: for a closed shape use draw_closed_profile or draw_rectangle. Args: x1: Start X in mm. y1: Start Y in mm. x2: End X in mm. y2: End Y in mm. sketch_index: Sketch number (0 = latest sketch). construction: If True, line becomes a construction line (used as revolve axis, not part of profile).

Many copies of one shape in one sketch — vent slots, hole grids, bolt circles — then one cut makes them all. mm. Grid: the first copy at (x, y), `rows` x `columns`, pitch `dx` (between columns) and `dy` (between rows). Circle: `count` copies on a circle of diameter `pcd` around (x, y), the first at `start_angle` degrees; slots and rectangles turn with the circle. Args: shape: circle (diameter), slot (length, width — overall), rectangle (length, width, corner_radius). angle: Turn every slot / rectangle by this many degrees (length along X at 0). sketch_index: Sketch number (0 = latest sketch).

Draw a regular polygon in a sketch. Dimensions in mm. Args: x: Center X in mm. y: Center Y in mm. radius: Circumscribed radius in mm. sides: Number of sides (e.g. 6 for hexagon). sketch_index: Sketch number (0 = latest sketch).

Draw a centered rectangle in a sketch. Dimensions in mm. Args: x: Center X coordinate in mm. y: Center Y coordinate in mm. width: Width in mm. height: Height in mm. sketch_index: Sketch number (0 = latest sketch). corner_radius: Round all four corners with real arcs (half the short side = a slot).

Draw a slot (oblong hole / rounded-end profile) centered on (x, y), mm. Args: x, y: Center. length: Overall length, end to end. width: Width (= the end radius x 2). angle: Direction of the length in degrees, in sketch coordinates. sketch_index: Sketch number (0 = latest sketch).

Read — and optionally set — the active document's iProperties: part number, description, stock number, vendor, revision, title, cost center, material, mass and custom properties. These feed the BOM and the drawing's title block. Args: values: e.g. {"part_number": "BRS-101", "description": "Side panel 2 mm", "stock_number": "DKP-2.0"}. Unknown keys become custom properties. material: Material name as in Inventor's library (e.g. "Steel, Mild"; manage_materials(action='list')). mass_kg: Override the mass — for vendor models made of surfaces, which have no volume (a 1.23 kg motor showed 0.23 kg). manage_materials lists them.

Execute Python code against the live Inventor connection. Pre-bound objects (re-resolved fresh on every call): inv — InventorConnection wrapper (all high-level methods, mm units) app — Inventor.Application COM object doc — active document comp — its ComponentDefinition body — comp.SurfaceBodies.Item(1) (or None) tg — TransientGeometry math — math module progress(msg) — status line manage_call shows while a long job runs cancelled() — True once manage_call(action='cancel') asked to stop: poll it in long loops Variables you assign persist between calls until the server restarts or reload_api runs — get_status shows the namespace's age and names. Each connected Inventor has its own namespace. Helpers you need every time: put them in a file and load_library it (or in ~/.inventor-mcp/startup.py) — they come back by themselves in a new namespace. Internal COM units are CENTIMETERS — divide mm by 10. Objects are late-bound: a Document from Documents.Open exposes ComponentDefinition directly. Don't use CastTo / gencache.EnsureDispatch (they create a gen_py cache). Runs with SilentOperation on, so Inventor answers its own prompts instead of opening a dialog. Save with the save_document tool or inv.save_document(): a plain doc.SaveAs also writes every dirty dependent, protected and Content Center files included. A call longer than the wait limit keeps running; follow it with manage_call(wait_seconds=30), which shows the prints so far; manage_call(action='cancel') stops it. Returns captured stdout + stderr (print your results!), or the traceback from your own code down on error (COM errors named: E_INVALIDARG, RPC_E_DISCONNECTED …). Args: code: Python source. undo_on_error: Run inside one undo transaction on the active document and roll it back if the code raises — no half-built sketches or work planes left behind. timeout: Seconds; then cancelled() turns True, and the run is interrupted CANCEL_GRACE s later i…

Bill of materials of the active assembly: item, quantity, part number, description, material, stock number, mass, file. For purchasing / ERP — set part numbers and descriptions first with properties(). Args: view: "parts_only" (every part once with its total quantity) or "structured" (sub-assemblies with their parts indented). path: Also write a CSV (UTF-8, ';'-separated) — opens in Excel.

Write the active document to a neutral CAD file, for a customer, a vendor or a printer. An existing file at path is replaced; the file is checked afterwards and its size returned. The Inventor document itself is unchanged — save_document saves that. For the laser use export_flat_pattern, for a parts list export_bom, for a PDF create_drawing. Args: path: Output file, e.g. "D:/export/part.step". format: STEP, IGES, SAT or STL.

Flat pattern of the active sheet metal part: flat size, thickness, bend count — and with a path, a DXF/DWG for the laser / punch (layers OUTER = contour, INNER = holes and cut-outs, IV_BEND* = bend lines; tangent lines, sketches etc. left out). Creates the flat pattern if the part has none. Args: path: Output file (.dxf or .dwg). Empty: just report the flat size. format: DXF or DWG. bend_lines: Include the bend lines (on their own layers).

Turn a sketch's closed profile into 3D: add material, cut it, or start a new body. For a turned shape use revolve; for sheet metal, add_sheet_metal_face and sheet_metal_cut. Returns the feature name and the change, e.g. "V 23497 (-503 mm³) | F7 E14": read it — a cut showing no volume change went the wrong way or missed the body; try the other direction. Without a closed profile it fails and says where the gap is (as check_sketch does). Args: distance: mm. Ignored when extent_type="all". direction: "positive" (along the sketch normal: +Z on the XY plane), "negative" or "symmetric". operation: "join" (add), "cut", "intersect", "surface" or "new" (a separate body). sketch_index: Sketch number (0 = latest sketch). extent_type: "distance", or "all" to go through the entire body.

Round edges of the active part's first body. For an angled edge use chamfer; to round a profile's corners before extruding, use draw_closed_profile radii. Edge numbers change after every feature: run find_edges again before the next fillet, and give all edges of one radius in one call. Tangent edges are followed automatically. Fails if the radius doesn't fit the geometry — fillet the big radii first. Returns the feature name. Args: radius: Fillet radius in mm, e.g. 2. edge_indices: Comma-separated edge numbers from find_edges, e.g. "1,2,3".

Find edges, filtered by position or type. Without `path`: the active part (the `index` feeds add_flange, fillet, chamfer). With `path`: a component at any depth, with a `ref` ("Sub:1/Bolt:1#E4") — circular ones feed constrain(kind="insert"). Args: path: Component path (manage_occurrences list, depth=2). Empty = the active part. at: Edge midpoint coordinates to match (circle: its center), e.g. {"X": 50, "Z": 1.5}. circular: Only circular edges. diameter: Circle diameter in mm. min_length: Skip edges shorter than this (mm). max_count: Most results to return.

Find faces, filtered by type, direction, position or size. Without `path`: the active part (the `index` feeds create_sketch, sheet_metal_cut). With `path`: a component of the active assembly at any depth, in TOP assembly coordinates, with a `ref` ("Sub:1/Part:1#F12") for constrain; a sub-assembly path searches every part in it. Args: path: Component path (manage_occurrences list, depth=2). Empty = the active part. surface: "plane", "cylinder", "cone", … (empty = any). normal: Outward normal of a plane, e.g. [0, 0, 1] for faces looking up. at: Face center coordinates to match, e.g. {"Z": 182.5}. diameter: Cylinder diameter in mm. min_area: Skip faces smaller than this (mm²). max_count: Most results to return.

Check connection status, active document info, and the execute_python namespace (age, names you defined — gone after a server restart or reload_api). If Inventor is busy or showing a dialog, says so instead.

Import a vendor STEP file (hinge, lock, gland...) as Inventor files in dest_folder. The STEP is copied into dest_folder first, because Inventor writes the parts of an imported assembly next to the .step file (e.g. into Downloads or a synced folder). Returns path, type, overall bbox and per-component bbox/volume — use them to find mounting faces and axes before placing it with place_components. Args: step_path: The downloaded .step / .stp file. dest_folder: Project folder to hold the Inventor files. name: Base name for the .iam/.ipt (default: the STEP file name).

Snapshot of the active document in one call. Part: volume, bounding box, face and edge counts, feature tree, sketches, sheet metal thickness, warnings (faceted curves, surface bodies). Assembly: components with positions, constraint count, mass, volume.

The Inventors this server is connected to — name, project, open documents — and any other running Inventor it can't reach (opened by hand). Answers even while they are busy.

Run a Python file into this Inventor's execute_python namespace and keep it there: after reload_api, a new namespace or a new server it is loaded again by itself (remembered per project). For helper functions you would otherwise redefine every time. Says how long it took and which lines were slowest — a COM call at module level is the usual culprit. A file at ~/.inventor-mcp/startup.py (or INVENTOR_MCP_STARTUP) is loaded for every Inventor.

Follow or stop a call that outlived the wait — a long execute_python, a Content Center scan, one stuck behind an Inventor dialog. "status": elapsed time, any open dialog's text, output so far, progress() line — and the result once it has finished. wait_seconds waits (at most 45 s) and returns as soon as it ends. "cancel": cancelled() in execute_python code turns True at once; code still running after 2 s gets a KeyboardInterrupt, repeated until it stops. That lands at the next Python line: a call stuck INSIDE one COM operation or behind a dialog stops only once that returns. Args: action: "status" or "cancel". wait_seconds: For "status".

List the active assembly's constraints with their numbers, flagging any in an error state; or delete one. To add one use constrain. Deleting frees the components it held, and the numbers after it shift — list again before deleting another. Args: action: "list" or "delete". index: For "delete": the constraint's number from list.

Open documents of this Inventor. "list": name, type, dirty, active; protected (library / Content Center) ones marked. "open": a file by path. "activate": switch by name or path. "close": one, without saving unless it is yours and dirty (discard=True closes it anyway). "close_unsaved": documents never saved (Part12… left by failed attempts). "close_all": everything; refuses while your own files have unsaved changes, listing them (discard=True closes anyway; protected files never count). quit_inventor=True quits after. Args: action: "list", "open", "activate", "close", "close_unsaved" or "close_all". name_or_path: For open / activate / close. include_active: "close_unsaved" also closes the active document. discard: Close without saving your changes. quit_inventor: "close_all" then quits this Inventor.

List, delete or suppress the active part's features. Args: action: "list", "delete", "suppress" or "unsuppress". indices: Feature indices from list, comma-separated, e.g. "3,4,5".

Materials of many parts at once. "report": material and mass of every part of the active assembly (or part): counts per material, total mass, and what needs a look — parts left on Generic, vendor models made of surfaces (no volume, mass too low), parts with no mass. "list": material names in Inventor's libraries (`search` narrows them). "set": give `material` to every part whose name matches `parts`. Content Center and library parts are left alone. Save afterwards. Args: action: "report", "list" or "set". material: From the library, e.g. "Steel, Mild". search: For "list", e.g. "steel". parts: Name patterns, ","-separated, e.g. "*PLATE*,*BRACKET*". only_generic: "set" only parts still on Generic / Default. path: Limit "report" / "set" to a sub-assembly. only_problems: "report" without the per-part rows.

Components of the active assembly. "list": a table with positions; depth=2 also lists what is inside sub-assemblies, with paths. "find": components by what they are and where — definition name pattern, the direction of their Z axis, distance from a point. E.g. definition="*ISO 4017*M8*", axis=[0,0,1]. "ground": fix a component in space (grounded=False releases it). Ground the first one. "delete": says first what depends on it (patterns, constraints) and stops; force=True deletes, cascade=True also deletes pattern members. Reports components that moved. Args: action: "list", "find", "ground" or "delete". path: Component name, path ("Sub:1/Part:1") or list index. depth: For "list". definition: For "find": name pattern on the part / file name. axis: For "find": direction of the component's Z axis, either way along it. near: For "find": a point [x, y, z] in mm. within: For "find": largest distance from `near`, mm. grounded: For "ground". cascade: For "delete". force: For "delete".

Read, change or add parameters of the active document. Args: action: "get" (all), "set" or "add". name: Parameter name, e.g. "width". expression: Value or expression, e.g. "50 mm", "width * 2". units: For "add": mm, cm, m, deg, …

Sheet metal rules of the active part. Shops encode their tooling in rule names (e.g. 'T15-V10' = 1.5 mm sheet, V10 die): prefer "set" — it sets thickness, bend radius and unfold method together; "thickness" changes only the thickness. Args: action: "list", "set" or "thickness". name: Rule name for "set" (case-insensitive). thickness: mm, for "thickness".

Minimum distance in mm between two occurrences (0 = touching/overlapping). Names as in manage_occurrences; "Asm:1/2" reaches a part inside a sub-assembly.

Offset every closed loop of a sketch by `distance` mm — a gasket groove, a wall, a lip, an inner cut-out with a margin. Lines, arcs and circles stay lines, arcs and circles. Args: distance: Offset in mm. side: "inside" or "outside" of each loop. sketch_index: Sketch number (0 = latest sketch).

Place parts / sub-assemblies into the active assembly — one or hundreds in one call. Files must exist on disk (save_document first); all are checked before anything is placed. Args: components: [{"path": "C:/.../beam.ipt", "x": 0, "y": 0, "z": 0, "x_axis": [1,0,0], "y_axis": [0,1,0], "grounded": false, "name": "Beam_A1"}, ...]. mm. "origin": [x,y,z] works too. Axes and name are optional (where the part's own X/Y point; give both). Ground the first component of every assembly. atomic: One undo step: if any placement fails, none stay. skip_if_exists: Don't place one where the same file already sits at the same place — safe to run a list again after an error.