CAD designer David Edward Gaskill shares a trick for converting Inventor files to AutoCAD files.

"I have had issues with the conversion from Inventor to AutoCAD; it converts some of the views but not all the views. Use Save As to save the file as a DXF file, then dxfin the file into AutoCAD and save the file as a DWG. This will convert all the views to single line editable objects — it works nicely. This method will even convert the shaded views a single line drawing. Hope it helps."

Notes from Cadalyst tip reviewer Brian Benton: Converting files from one program to another can be tricky; sometimes it just doesn't work. Many design programs have a convert feature, and they typically work — but when they don't, it's great to have options. Using the Save As feature can often save you.