With the release of Inventor 2025, Autodesk has started to move away from feature creation dialog boxes to Properties panels for Sheet Metal features. As with the standard features in a part modeling environment, the transition will likely take several releases, but I am excited that it has started. As a content developer and instructor, I find this interface to be more intuitive for new users as options are either made available or removed as needed. In previous feature creation dialog boxes, many of them showed options that didn’t pertain to all uses, which made it more difficult for new users.
With the 2025 release, the Face feature is now presented using the Properties panel. Here are a few comments that I have on creating face features, whether they are the first face or secondary faces.
-
As was previously the case, if the model has a single closed loop sketch, it will be selected by default to create the face. Additionally, you can still flip the direction of face creation and change the Sheet Metal Rule (SM Rule drop-down list), if required. Of note is that for the first feature, the Properties panel is much simpler. You are not presented with options (new solid, unfold options, bend radius, and relief settings) that you cannot customize for the first feature in the model.
-
For a secondary Face in Inventor 2025, the Properties panel again will only present options that are possible with the geometry.
-
By default, the Boolean operation is set to join the new geometry to the existing body and therefore you are not provided with an option to change the Sheet Metal Rule.
-
The Bend Edges field also becomes active by default once the profile is selected. This was not the case in 2024, when you had to locate and select the Edges option.
-
Once you select the edge to attach the new face to existing geometry, the Properties panel updates similarly to that shown below. All the same options that were available in 2024 are still available and work in the same way in 2025.
-
The
(Flip Fixed Edge) option, which is available for some Double Bend options (depending on the geometry), also only appears when applicable, making it really obvious when you can use it. For example, in the following illustration of a 45 Degree Double Bend setting, the Flip Fixed Edge option is disabled on the left and enabled on the right to create different results.
-
And finally, it is worth mentioning that the preview in Inventor 2025 shows the model as a transparent solid versus a green wireframe. This change definitely makes it easier to visualize the end result, as shown below.
I hope that you enjoy this new and subtle change to the Face feature interface. In 2025, Autodesk has also transitioned the Flange and Cut features to their own unique Properties panels. Keep an eye out for my next blog on those!
About the Author
Follow on Linkedin More Content by Jennifer MacMillan
