Embedding DWF files in Word can make your Word documents come alive. Your readers will not only be able to see your Inventor documents, they will be able to dynamically pan, zoom, and rotate them.

This short exercise will show you how to create DWF files from your Inventor files and embed the DWF viewer into a Word document.

Save a DWF File.
You can create a DWF file from any of Inventor's file types. Simply open a file with Inventor and then go to the File pull-down menu and select Save Copy As.



In the Save Copy As dialog box, click the down arrow on the Save As Type combo box and select DWF Files (*.dwf). Click the Save button to save the file.

Embed the DWF Viewer into a Word Document.
Open a Word document, and then click the Insert pull-down menu and select Object.



Select Autodesk DWF Viewer Control, and then click OK. If the viewer control is not listed in the window, see Limitations on the DWF Viewer within Word near the end of this article.



Autodesk's DWF Viewer will appear in the document.



The next step is to link the viewer to a DWF file. Right click on the viewer and select Autodesk DWF Viewer Control Object - Properties.



Enter the path to the DWF file in the window. The path can be to a local file on your network or a URL. If you would like to try a URL, you can use http://www.trainingtutorial.com/DWF/TEDCF_Publishing_1.dwf . Cut and paste the URL into the window and then click OK.



View the Image.
The last step is to exit Design Mode. When you insert an object into a Word document the object is automatically in Design Mode. In this mode you can resize the object and specify the background color. To exit Design Mode, click the Design Mode icon on the Control Toolbox.  If the Control Toolbox isn't visible on your screen, click the View pull-down menu and select Toolbars - Control Toolbox.



Once you exit Design Mode you should be able to see the image in the DWF Viewer. If the image doesn't appear in the viewer, save and close the Word document, and then reopen it.

If you want to skip all these steps, you can download a Word document that already has a DWF file embedded in it from http://www.trainingtutorial.com/DWF/Word/Embedded_DWF.doc.  If you haven't installed Autodesk's DWF view, wait a few seconds for it to install automatically.  Also note that the page will open in Design Mode.  See View the Image above to learn how to exit Design mode.

Limitations on the DWF Viewer within Word
Another reason you may not see the DWF Viewer is because it may not be installed on your computer. Embedding the DWF viewer in Word does not automatically install the viewer on your computer or your reader's computer. See my Tips and Tricks on Sharing Your Files to learn how to have the viewer automatically install for your readers. You will also learn how to install it on your system.

Why is this Important?
Communication is very important. After all, the true purpose of Inventor is to communicate ideas and designs to others. By extending this ability to Word documents you can enhance your message to your readers.