In this blog, our Consultant James Lodge looks at what’s new in Inventor 2026. This release focuses on improving the performance and transitioning further workspace commands with the modern look and usability of the browser panel‑theme and enhancing interoperability with Revit, especially as metadata and model placement become increasingly critical. You’ll also find a range of customer-driven improvements rolled out across the entire platform.
Opening File
One of the first and foremost updates you will likely notice is to the open dialog box. When selecting open from the Autodesk inventor Professional Home Page or File Menu, user are now greeted with a very familiar dialog box. Autodesk have finally moved to a more windows approach style.
Keeping the general shortcut selection methods defined in the inventor project (.ipj) such as workspace, frequently used sub-folders and libraries etc, users now have access to recent folders and other windows related file locations stored on the computer or network.
Options when opening an Inventor related file have been consolidated inside the new open dialog box making it easier for users to select options such as load in express mode, selection of model states, design view and position view and even a tick box selection to skip all unresolved files without having to open a sub-dialog to access these commands.
Create New File
Additional options have been added to the Create New File dialog box where users now have direct access to the templates folder location. The new options are more aligned with the Microsoft default options, offering features such as Open File Location which directly opens a Microsoft windows browser at the desired location of your template files. Users can also quickly select Copy Path of the template folder location and Change View with a helpful dropdown menu allowing users to view template details, list view, medium, small, large and extra-large icons.
Parameter Grouping
A new feature has been added to the Parameter dialog box for both parts and assemblies, allowing users to organise and manage model and custom user parameters into named groups. If you are a parametric focussed design engineer who heavily relies on parameters in your general workflow, this helps contain key parameters for ease of access when design changes are required making it a much more efficient way of working with parameters as a whole.
Sheet Metal Design
Multiple Sheet Metal commands have been moved to the new browser panel modern interface, improving the create and edit workflows, providing easier access to the sketch by means of breadcrumb methodology and direct access to the sheet metal rule. Also with the enablement of presets for flange and contour flange commands, users can streamline their workflows and apply better, more standardised design practices throughout.
Direct Sheet Metal Rule Selection
Selecting the sheet metal rule directly in the face, flange and contour flange commands, dramatically reduces clicks when creating sheet metal sketch-based features, improving the performance and efficiency of your design workflow, both for single and multi-body designs. Users still have access to the Sheet Metal Defaults dialog boxes and styles but with the introduction of this feature creation and editing techniques have a much leaner approach.
Flange/Contour Flange Presets
With the introduction of preset functionality to the flange and contour flange commands, users can now create presets that store sheet metal default information, directional offset parameters and other behaviours that can be saved and easily selected from the preset dropdown menu, speeding up repetitive design tasks used by individuals or throughout the team. This feature helps build better design standardisation within the sheet metal design environment. Multiple presets can be saved and accessed from the presets dropdown making the workflow much more user and design team friendly.
Punch Tool Enhancements
The Punch Tool command has also been transferred to the new properties panel UI and has had functionality introduced to allow users to select a punch template folder and visualise the contents of the folder via a dropdown menu showcasing thumbnails of the folders contents.
Users also have direct access to direct size manipulation via the browser panel for any given Punch tool, allowing key dimensions to be updated if required, making it easier to create size and edit punch details should the need occur.
Also, users can allocate the Advanced Flat Pattern settings directly inside the browser panel and no longer need to select this from the flat pattern environment. This UI transition and tool enhancement gives the Punch Tool workflow a much more user-friendly approach and gives better control of how individual punch features are placed and visualised in the graphics window.
Corner Rounds Enhancements
Corner rounds command has had an overhaul. Not only has it transitioned to the new browser panel UI, but users can also build multiple corner rounds in the same command, each selection is individually highlighted in the graphics window including the reference selection and edge count, making it easier to visualise and edit rounded sheet metal features.
Rectangular and Circular Patterning
Autodesk Inventor 2026 rectangular and circular pattern tools have had an extra feature added to them. Welcoming irregular distance control options. These options allow users to define selected members with an irregular distance or angular dimension. This means that users can create pattern instances and have access to move specific members into irregular positioned location, making the pattern feature more customisable than ever.
Not only has the irregular member distance has been added, but the ability to select an origin related direction directly from the browser panel makes pattern direction selection much more efficient as you don’t have to rely on model geometry or long-winded selections from workflows from the Origin Folder found in the design browser. These are applied to the general direction selection forms.
Mirror Enhancements
The Assembly Environment Mirror functionality has been enhanced enabling users to select an option that allows both geometry and position of the source components available in the resulting mirrored components/assemblies. These target components remain associative and therefore any changes made to the source components are reflected as expected in the target components.
Create Mirror Pattern
Create Mirror Pattern enables the user to mirror the geometry and position of selected source components. This option preserves the associativity between source and target components. This command selection places the newly generated mirrored components in a newly created mirror browser node. All styles associated with the source component are synced with the new target components and the need for mirror relationships and grounding of new components are greyed out and therefore no longer required. Users will still see the MIR post or Prefix naming convention showing that specific components are a true mirrored version of the source component.
Create Flat Structure
Create Flat Structure creates mirrored geometry only and has no associativity between the source and target components. Also, no browser node is generated. Users will also need to ensure that the mirrored relationships, ground new components and link sheet metal styles are selected to ensure the target components fully match the source components in style and position.
However, if you have used parametric modelling techniques and derived sketch geometry between components correctly when building reusable source components, any changes made to those source components are reflected in the target component should a size change occur.
Model State Enhancements
Model States have had a well needed upgrade driven by Autodesk Inventor Ideas Station submissions. Users can now perform edits to multiple models states at once, perform edits using the table editor similar to the iPart factory editing capabilities with also options allowing users to share or break shared Bill of materials (BOM) relationships.
Model state functionality for assemblies, found inside the design browser has been consolidated into one menu and is found under the Representations design browser folder.
Now users have access to create New Model State and Duplicate, the New Model State as Child of [Primary] option and access to Edit table and Edit via Spreadsheet functionality.
Interoperability
Revit Interoperability Enhancements – Autodesk Inventor Professionals 2026 BIM Content Environment has been restructured and improved as new commands have now been added, further closing the design information gap between Manufacturing (MFG) and Architectural, Engineering and Construction (AEC) users heavily dependent on BIM related workflows.
Coordinate System and Component Placement.
With the introduction of the new Coordinate System ribbon panel, users now have the option to select either the UCS or enhanced Placement feature.
Placement allows the user to select the Inventor model orientation and insertion point that is then aligned with he selected Revit location in any exported RVT file. This command supports Revit versions 2023 and above.
BOM Property Enhancements.
Cross Industry workflows just got an upgrade where Inventor Designers can now assign Revit Categories to BOM Items. This functionality helps prepare model property data that is then output to RVT or IFC BIM Export. Assigning the Customization property inside the Assembly Template ensures users have access to the category selection tool directly inside the Bill of Materials dialogue box.
Integrated with the new Inventor UI panel style, users can select a Default Category and desired iProperties needed for inclusion within the RVT export. Include Properties functionality is now available for Inventor 2025 and above users. This means that if a category was selected in the BOM related workflow, all other components can be quickly assigned a default category to ensure the correct category data is exported quickly and efficiently where needed.
Include Properties gives users greater control over additional meta data being shared throughout the RVT export process. Linked directly to all variations of iProperties including Custom, Instance, Standard and Factory, important meta data needed to bridge the gap between visual design and the data needed for the execution and lifecycle management of a given project just got easier.
To help standardise the workflow further, Autodesk have introduced presets into this workflow, allowing engineers to save preset information, accessible via the preset’s dropdown at the top of the browser panel. This ensures a much leaner approach to the include properties workflow where key data is not missed in exported BIM related content.
Autodesk Inventor Professional 2026 delivers meaningful improvements, from file management and parameter control to advanced sheet metal and assembly tools.
With the transition of more commands into the modern browser panel interface, users benefit from enhanced usability, better visualisation, and fewer clicks in daily workflows.
Sheet metal tools have become more flexible and standardised, with new presets, direct rule selection, and enhanced punch workflows. In Assembly, features like mirrored associativity and improved model state editing offer greater precision and efficiency. Additionally, Inventor's strengthened interoperability with Revit through BOM category assignment, improved placement tools, and metadata presets helps bridge the gap between design and construction. This release reinforces Autodesk’s commitment to user-driven innovation and cross-industry integration, ensuring Inventor evolves to meet the demands of today’s engineering professionals.
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