Best practices for file/folder structure?

[Anonymous]

Are there any general guidelines or pieces of advice that anyone can offer on how to best configure a file/folder structure for Autodesk Inventor?

There could be variance depending on how a company works (by job, product, part number, etc.) but would like some advice.

-Steve

[hoser_71]

I would suggest the "one folder" strategy. Brian Schannen wrote a great white paper on setting it up. You can search through the discussion group for it. I stronlgy suggest setting up the vault and using it.

I've attached a sample folder structure that I've used.

Joe Bartels

[rick495]

I'm a one seat operation using IV10 for 6 months. Have no need for Autodesk Vault. Project files are on company server. Templates & Design data are on my workstation Program Files\Autodesk\Inventor 10. Content Center files are in My Documents\Inventor. Trying to set up proper directory structure. Know just enough to really screw things up. I like your example and have 2 questions:
1. Is your Vault directory AD Vault or just a folder named Vault?
2. Is there a next diagram for Engineering Documents folder structure?

[Anonymous]

wrote in message news:5009263@discussion.autodesk.com...
I'm a one seat operation using IV10 for 6 months. Have no need for Autodesk
Vault. Project files are on company server. Templates & Design data are on
my workstation Program Files\Autodesk\Inventor 10. Content Center files are
in My Documents\Inventor. Trying to set up proper directory structure. Know
just enough to really screw things up. I like your example and have 2
questions:
1. Is your Vault directory AD Vault or just a folder named Vault?
2. Is there a next diagram for Engineering Documents folder structure?


-------------

Hey Rick,

One suggestion...pull the templates you're using out of the Autodesk
directories and create a templates directory out wherever you keep your
data. The problem with keeping templates in their default location is that
if you uninstall the software they get axed too.

I just revised our file structure for the move to Vault. This is not
necessarily Vault-specific; I'd have set it up this way regardless. The
file structure in Vault is mirrored to a local workspace, and the attached
is a screencap of mine. Our structure is based on projects that have
three-digit monikers, and we also have stock parts, iParts, etc. Parts and
assemblies from one project often get used in subsequent projects, so they
need to be easily accessible, which is why those directories aren't buried
under the "XXX Project" subdirectory. There's a 'conceptual' folder in each
project for messing around with prototype stuff, and a documents folder for
non-Inventor files that we want vaulted. We use a single project file, and
with the shallow directory structure, it's set up so navigation isn't a
headache. If we had hundreds of thousands of parts, I'd have to deepen the
directory structure to keep things organized, but it's always a good idea
with Inventor to keep it as shallow as your situation allows.

Even for a single user, there are reasons to use vault. Remember that
Vault's singular purpose it to protect the integrity of your data. That's
something that anyone could use. Plus, Vault's file management tools are
where Autodesk is putting it's development efforts. Design Assistant hasn't
seen any noticeable improvements in a long time....and it never was very
good. One more: with Vault, the files are stored on the server, but worked
on locally. Depending on how fast (and how busy) your server connection is,
the time savings from working locally can be significant.

Cheers,
Walt

[Anonymous]

steveing,

Here's the folder structure we use

2D (holds all ACAD files, basically a mirror of 3D folder)
3D (root workspace directory for IV)
- Addins (our company addins)
- iFeatures (library of iFeatures)
- Standard Products
-- Department (could also be 'Customer', there are many of these)
---Product (there are many of these. IV part, assembly, drawing files for the specific product are here)
----CNC (holds cnc files for making product)
- Standard Parts (library for all purchased/standard parts/assemblies, iparts are also here)
-- Supplier
--- Product
- Styles (our style library)
- Templates (our templates, customized for our needs)
- Textures (our textures, customized for our needs)


Every CAD drafter uses their own single-user project for the Standard Products. There are specific single-user projects set up for the Standard Parts and iFeatures library. We only have 3 drafters working on different projects so we don't have much problem with file collisions (i.e. two people opening and editing the same file at the same time). Message was edited by: Josh_Petitt