Autodesk Inventor Customization

[#1]

The question to Inventor API experts.
Inventor 2009 SP2

Let’s assume we have an assembly model
with two custom LODs named “State1” and “State2” and
we have to create programmatically two substitute parts
for each of custom LOD (as it is possible in UI from a dialog).

I tried to modify DerivedAssemblyDefinition but failed.

From on-line Help for DerivedAssemblyComponents:
{code}
Public Function CreateDefinition( _
ByVal FullDocumentName As String _
) As DerivedAssemblyDefinition

Parameters
FullDocumentName
String that specifies the full document name
of the assembly document to create the definition for.
If ONLY the FullFileName is specified, the master
document within the assembly file is opened.
{code}
This is a very strange comment because method
has only one parameter (filename).
In which way I can specify NOT ONLY FullFileName
(e.g. custom LOD)?

I failed to change read/write property
ActiveLevelOfDetailRepresentation of the just created
DerivedAssemblyDefinition object.

May be the only way to create DerivedAssemblyDefinition
for a custom LOD is using of the property
InclusionOption = kDerivedExcludeAll in conjunction
with kDerivedIndividualDefined to add unsuppressed
occurrences one by one?

What is the recommended solution?
Any help will be appreciated.

-------------------------
Here is my test sub.
{code}
Sub CreateSubstitutePart()

Dim AssyFilename As String '' source assy file name
AssyFilename = "C:\Temp\TestAssy.iam"

Dim PartFileName As String '' file name for substitute part
PartFileName = "C:\Temp\TestAssy_State1.ipt"

' create new part document (hidden mode)
Dim oPartDoc As PartDocument
oPartDoc = ThisApplication.Documents.Add( _
DocumentTypeEnum.kPartDocumentObject, _
ThisApplication.FileManager.GetTemplateFile( _
DocumentTypeEnum.kPartDocumentObject), _
False)

Dim oPartCompDef As PartComponentDefinition
oPartCompDef = oPartDoc.ComponentDefinition

' Create Derived Assembly Definition for the file AssyFilename
Dim oDerivedAssyDef As DerivedAssemblyDefinition
oDerivedAssyDef = oPartCompDef.ReferenceComponents. _
DerivedAssemblyComponents.CreateDefinition(AssyFilename)

~~~~ OPTIONS ~~~~
'Scale factor
oDerivedAssyDef.ScaleFactor = 1
'RMM flag
oDerivedAssyDef.ReducedMemoryMode = True
'Include all available components
oDerivedAssyDef.InclusionOption = _
DerivedComponentOptionEnum.kDerivedIncludeAll

'------ this doesn’t work ----------
'define nedded LOD - here is error message
oDerivedAssyDef.ActiveLevelOfDetailRepresentation = "State1"
'-----------------------------------

'create derived component
Call oPartCompDef.ReferenceComponents. _
DerivedAssemblyComponents.Add(oDerivedAssyDef)
oPartDoc.IsSubstitutePart = True ''substitute flag

Call oPartDoc.SaveAs(PartFileName, False)
Call oPartDoc.Close()

End Sub
{code}

[#2]

A FullDocumentName includes the name of the LOD as a suffix to the full file
name. So if a file with a particular LOD is to be specified, the
FullDocumentName should be used. If just the full file name is specified,
the Master rep is assumed. See the modified sample below that obtains the
full document name corresponding to the "State1" LOD and uses that to create
the derived component.

Also, you can set the ActiveLevelOfDetailRepresentation property, if you
specify just the full file name. Not sure why that didn't work for you.
Perhaps you got the name wrong (extra space in the name, etc.)?

Sanjay-


Sub CreateSubstitutePart()

Dim AssyFilename As String '' source assy file name
AssyFilename = "C:\Temp\TestAssy.iam"

Dim PartFileName As String '' file name for substitute part
PartFileName = "C:\Temp\TestAssy_State1.ipt"

' create new part document (hidden mode)
Dim oPartDoc As PartDocument
Set oPartDoc = ThisApplication.Documents.Add( _
DocumentTypeEnum.kPartDocumentObject, _
ThisApplication.FileManager.GetTemplateFile( _
DocumentTypeEnum.kPartDocumentObject), _
False)

Dim oPartCompDef As PartComponentDefinition
Set oPartCompDef = oPartDoc.ComponentDefinition

Dim AssyDocumentName As String
AssyDocumentName =
ThisApplication.FileManager.GetFullDocumentName(AssyFilename, "State1")

' Create Derived Assembly Definition for the file AssyFilename
Dim oDerivedAssyDef As DerivedAssemblyDefinition
Set oDerivedAssyDef = oPartCompDef.ReferenceComponents. _
DerivedAssemblyComponents.CreateDefinition(AssyDocumentName)

' ~~~~ OPTIONS ~~~~
'Scale factor
oDerivedAssyDef.ScaleFactor = 1
'RMM flag
oDerivedAssyDef.ReducedMemoryMode = True
'Include all available components
'oDerivedAssyDef.InclusionOption = _
DerivedComponentOptionEnum.kDerivedIncludeAll

'------ this doesn't work ----------
'define nedded LOD - here is error message
'oDerivedAssyDef.ActiveLevelOfDetailRepresentation = "State1"
'-----------------------------------

'create derived component
Call oPartCompDef.ReferenceComponents. _
DerivedAssemblyComponents.Add(oDerivedAssyDef)

oPartDoc.IsSubstitutePart = True ''substitute flag

Call oPartDoc.SaveAs(PartFileName, False)
Call oPartDoc.Close

End Sub

[#3]

Sanjay,
thank you very much!

That’s exactly what I need.
FullDocumentName which includes the name of the LOD works fine.
Nevertheless I failed to change value of the property
ActiveLevelOfDetailRepresentation of new
DerivedAssemblyDefinition object just created for Master LOD.

Will you please modify the above Sub to illustrate
ActiveLevelOfDetailRepresentation property use?

ALink

[#4]

Here you go. This worked for me.

Sanjay-


Sub CreateSubstitutePart()

Dim AssyFilename As String '' source assy file name
AssyFilename = "C:\Temp\TestAssy.iam"

Dim PartFileName As String '' file name for substitute part
PartFileName = "C:\Temp\TestAssy_State1.ipt"

' create new part document (hidden mode)
Dim oPartDoc As PartDocument
Set oPartDoc = ThisApplication.Documents.Add( _
DocumentTypeEnum.kPartDocumentObject, _
ThisApplication.FileManager.GetTemplateFile( _
DocumentTypeEnum.kPartDocumentObject), _
False)

Dim oPartCompDef As PartComponentDefinition
Set oPartCompDef = oPartDoc.ComponentDefinition

' Create Derived Assembly Definition for the file AssyFilename
Dim oDerivedAssyDef As DerivedAssemblyDefinition
Set oDerivedAssyDef = oPartCompDef.ReferenceComponents. _
DerivedAssemblyComponents.CreateDefinition(AssyFilename)

' ~~~~ OPTIONS ~~~~
'Scale factor
oDerivedAssyDef.ScaleFactor = 1
'RMM flag
oDerivedAssyDef.ReducedMemoryMode = True
'Include all available components
'oDerivedAssyDef.InclusionOption = _
DerivedComponentOptionEnum.kDerivedIncludeAll

'------ this doesn't work ----------
'define nedded LOD - here is error message
oDerivedAssyDef.ActiveLevelOfDetailRepresentation = "State1"
'-----------------------------------

'create derived component
Call oPartCompDef.ReferenceComponents. _
DerivedAssemblyComponents.Add(oDerivedAssyDef)

oPartDoc.IsSubstitutePart = True ''substitute flag

Call oPartDoc.SaveAs(PartFileName, False)
Call oPartDoc.Close

End Sub

[#5]

Sanjay,
Thank you for your help.
Will you please answer one more related question.

The components of the assembly in CustomLOD
may change their suppression status.
Substitute part must reflect these changes.

What is the recommended way for Release 2009, SP2
to update existing substitute part which was created
for assembly in CustomLOD in its previous state?

“Assembly Tools” command “Update All Subtitutes”
(and its code) doesn’t solve this problem.

I tried several variants but failed.
Sure it is possible to replace an old substitute part with
an absolutely new one created for the current assembly state.

But may be you know a way to modify an existing substitute part?

[#6]

If the substitute part was created by appropriately specifying the custom
LOD ( using the the ActiveLevelOfDetailRepresentation property), this should
be taken care of automatically. When the LOD is updated, the substitute part
will be as well. This is not what you are seeing?

Sanjay-

[#7]

Don’t know why but I still cannot change
ActiveLevelOfDetailRepresentation property.
Fortunately I can create DerivedAssemblyDefinition
for custom LOD specifying FullDOcumentName.
So this problem is solved.

There is more interesting problem -

If I create the substitute part specifying
the custom LOD =AFTER= some components
were suppressed, then DerivedAssemblyDefinition
doesn’t “see” these suppressed components.

So if these components are unsuppressed
after substitute part creation
automatic update of substitute part cannot
visualize them – definition object knows
nothing about them.

So to have full control on the substitute part
for the assembly with fixed number of known elements
I need to make several steps;

1. Activate custom LOD
2. Unsuppress ALL components ( same as for Master)
3. Create the substitute part with all components active.
4. Suppress unnecessary components in custom LOD.
5. Update the substitute part
6. Link substitute part to the main assembly.

From this moment I can use automatic update functionality in normal way.

But what if some =NEW= components were added
to subassembly AFTER step 6 completion and we have
to modify existing substitute part?

Can you post a sample code which can modify
the DerivedAssemblyDefinition object of the existing
substitute part “on the fly” to include absolutely
new components?
I made several attempts (in R2009 SP2), but failed.
Is it possible with API?

Or we have to create absolutely new substitute part
to replace the old one?

Thanks in advance.

[#8]

What I would recommend is for you to attempt your workflow thru the UI,
rather than trying it thru the API first. If you can get things working in
the UI, you can look into automating it next. If the UI doesn't work as
you'd expect it to, you should post to the main Inventor newsgroup to get
some ideas.

Sanjay-

[#9]

I would like to bring this discussion to surface again.

I am trying similar workflow with iAssemblies.

In Inventor 2013

Manually : I do a rightclick on level of Details and New Substitute > Derived Assembly

That adds the substitute and creates it as I go. I have to again manually Suppress/Exclude

from Derived assembly dialog box.

I tried to automate this BUT

{Code}

Sub Cmd_Substitute_Assm()

' Open the factory document
Dim oFacDoc As AssemblyDocument
Set oFacDoc = ThisApplication.ActiveDocument

Dim oCompdef As AssemblyComponentDefinition
Set oCompdef = oFacDoc.ComponentDefinition

Dim oiPrtFac As iAssemblyFactory
Set oiPrtFac = oCompdef.iAssemblyFactory


'Get filename to get foldername
Dim Filename As String
Filename = oFacDoc.FullDocumentName
Debug.Print Filename

Dim opath As String
opath = Left(Filename, InStrRev(Filename, "\"))
Debug.Print opath

Dim oRow As iAssemblyTableRow
Set oRow = oiPrtFac.DefaultRow

Debug.Print oRow.MemberName

Dim UnitNum As String
UnitNum = oRow.MemberName

Dim MasterLOD As LevelOfDetailRepresentation
Set MasterLOD = oCompdef.RepresentationsManager.LevelOfDetailRepresentations.Item(1)

Call MasterLOD.Activate

1.'Add Subtitute : I think this only adds the existing substitute does not create one. , Correct ?

Dim Subtitute  As LevelOfDetailRepresentation
Set Subtitute = oCompdef.RepresentationsManager. _
LevelOfDetailRepresentations.AddSubstitute(opath & "Substitutes\" & UnitNum & ".ipt", False)

End Sub

{Code}

2.Is there a way by which I can replicate the steps as I do manually ?

Hello Sanjay, In your previous post you had

' ~~~~ OPTIONS ~~~~
'Scale factor
oDerivedAssyDef.ScaleFactor = 1
'RMM flag
oDerivedAssyDef.ReducedMemoryMode = True
'Include all available components ..................(from old code)

3. 'In my case, I want to exclude the excluded components as per the iassembly definition.

' Can you please illustrate that ?
'oDerivedAssyDef.InclusionOption =_
'DerivedComponentOptionEnum.kDerivedIncludeAll

[#10]

Precisely: I am trying to create a Substitute LOD for each member in iassembly.

So that the overall assembly will be easier.

Thanks