Autodesk Inventor

[#1]

I'm using Inventor Pro 2013 as a single user (no vault).  Please see the attached error.  I was placing parts and I think I pulled one outside the project folder??  I got something about changing directories and I accepted it.  That may be what happened but I'm not sure.  I also noticed that in the projects box my project says (read only).

How do I get out of this?

[#2]

Parts that are not in the Work Directory of the Project file and are in Libraries are write protected. If you wish to edit this file, either place it in the Work Directory as defined in the Project file or create another Project file that is used explicity to edit Library parts as this directory will now be the Work directory of the Project file

[#3]

Your project may be read-only for two reasons that I can think of: the Windows read-only file attribute is set, or you have files open in Inventor.  Active project files are editable only when there are no files open.  (Note: for this particular purpose, you have to close all open files; undo opening a file is not the same thing in this case).

Sam B
Inventor 2012 Certified Professional

Please click "Accept as Solution" if this response answers your question.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Inventor Professional 2013 SP1.1 Update 1
Windows XP Pro 32-bit, SP3
HP EliteBook 8730w; 4 GB RAM; Core™ 2 Duo T9400 2.53 GHz; Quadro FX2700M
SpaceExplorer/SpaceNavigator NB, driver 3.7.18
still waiting for a foreshortened radius dimensioning tool in Drawing Manager

[#4]

Still lost on this.  I understand that all the parts need to be in one location.  How would I know what parts are open?  Inventor has basically locked me out of my own file.  I can't do anything to it other than look at it.  I figured if a part was in the wrong location it would say part X is missing.  I could go find it or close it if I knew what it was.  This is crazy.

I have attached the project log.  Is there something there that would help figure this out?  Is there a way to reset the entire file? 

[#5]

In your project, click the + sign next to Libraries.  Any folder in that list, while this project is active, is read-only for Inventor.  So, according to the error message you are receiving, the file you are trying to edit is in one of those folders.  As Blair pointed out, you either have to move the file out of the folder, or change the designation of the folder as a Library.  To change the designation of the folder, either edit your project and remove it from the Libraries list, or change to a different project that doesn't have it marked as a library.

The problem is not with your file.  It's just that you are not yet familiar with how projects work in Inventor and what they can do for you.  Your file is in a protected location, so you can't edit it, which is what libraries are for.  But this is all controlled by the project file.

Sam B
Inventor 2012 Certified Professional

Please click "Accept as Solution" if this response answers your question.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Inventor Professional 2013 SP1.1 Update 1
Windows XP Pro 32-bit, SP3
HP EliteBook 8730w; 4 GB RAM; Core™ 2 Duo T9400 2.53 GHz; Quadro FX2700M
SpaceExplorer/SpaceNavigator NB, driver 3.7.18
still waiting for a foreshortened radius dimensioning tool in Drawing Manager

[#6]

I've attached a picture of my files and folders.  I have done a "save as" in the past.  The original file was called "frame_skel" then "frame_skel_error".  It is now named "cnc_table"  but I don't see a folder for that.  It this the problem?  Also, the "frame_skel_error" folder is empty.  Not sure why it's there.

Is it a bad idea to do a "save as"?  I do this from time to time to be able to go back to a old version.  At this point could I just save this assembly in another folder and start fresh?

[#7]

This doesn't appear to be a Library issue-- in fact your Libraries both show red (not found).  But I see you have another project called Autoloader-- are you using Vault?  If so, there might be something in your setup there, but I have no experience with Vault, so can't help.

But, one more thing to check in the project file: Content Center files.  Look in the Folder Options-- if it gives a folder path, what is it?  If it says [Default], what is the folder path in Application Options > File > Default Content Center files?  The reason I'm asking is because this location is treated the same as a Library-- uneditable.

Sam B
Inventor 2012 Certified Professional

Please click "Accept as Solution" if this response answers your question.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Inventor Professional 2013 SP1.1 Update 1
Windows XP Pro 32-bit, SP3
HP EliteBook 8730w; 4 GB RAM; Core™ 2 Duo T9400 2.53 GHz; Quadro FX2700M
SpaceExplorer/SpaceNavigator NB, driver 3.7.18
still waiting for a foreshortened radius dimensioning tool in Drawing Manager

[#8]

Are we sure none of the files got marked as read-only in Windows?

[#9]

Inventor keeps old versions in the "Old Versions" inside each work directory with a version number inserted between the file name and extension name.

[#10]

How about this: try editing your project file (close all files first) and remove the two Library paths.  They show red, indicating (I think) that they are not found or are otherwise invalid.  But one of them has the same name as the folder you are working in, so perhaps Inventor has it tagged as an uneditable.

Sam B
Inventor 2012 Certified Professional

Please click "Accept as Solution" if this response answers your question.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Inventor Professional 2013 SP1.1 Update 1
Windows XP Pro 32-bit, SP3
HP EliteBook 8730w; 4 GB RAM; Core™ 2 Duo T9400 2.53 GHz; Quadro FX2700M
SpaceExplorer/SpaceNavigator NB, driver 3.7.18
still waiting for a foreshortened radius dimensioning tool in Drawing Manager