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Copy content center parts to model

19 REPLIES 19
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Message 1 of 20
killbox
1803 Views, 19 Replies

Copy content center parts to model

How do you copy content center referanced parts to the model?  I would like to render my model in Showcase but the nuts and bolts are missing because they are referenced parts.

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19 REPLIES 19
Message 2 of 20
pcrawley
in reply to: killbox

Not quite sure what you mean by "referenced" parts.  Are you talking about their BOM structure - or something else?

(Not that BOM structure makes any difference as far as Showcase is concerned.)

 

After selecting the Inventor assembly to import into Showcase, you should have been prompted for your Inventor Project file.  Assuming the project file specifies the correct location for Content Centre files, all should be good.

 

 

Peter
Message 3 of 20
blair
in reply to: killbox

As previously posted, you have the option to select the Inventor Project file. This must contain the path for the CC parts. If not then only the parts in the current directory that the assembly resides in will be loaded and converted into Showcase.


Inventor 2020, In-Cad, Simulation Mechanical

Just insert the picture rather than attaching it as a file
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Delta Tau Chi ΔΤΧ

Message 4 of 20
killbox
in reply to: pcrawley

Thanks for the reply!  I'll check the Showcase project file and see what it's doing.  This is a new program for me.

 

I call them referenced parts because that are not on my computer.  They are being pulled from the content center.  If they were on my computer they would be in showcase like the rest of the parts I created.  Correct?  Referenced parts is probably the wrong way to say it.

 

 

Message 5 of 20
blair
in reply to: killbox

When doing your model, if you save the parts as "Custom" using the custom radio button, you will have the oportunity to save them with a file name of your choice in your working directory.

 

If you follow this mode, then the Project File is not as important if you import into Showcase and all your parts will then reside in the working directory.

 

I would still recommend using a proper Project file than defines all the directories for files and seachs for Inventor. It will reduce assembly and drawing load times.


Inventor 2020, In-Cad, Simulation Mechanical

Just insert the picture rather than attaching it as a file
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Delta Tau Chi ΔΤΧ

Message 6 of 20
LT.Rusty
in reply to: blair

Your Inventor project file is irrelevant when it comes to getting Content Center parts to appear in Showcase.  You're only getting them into Showcase if they're actually present in your workspace,* which means save them as custom rather than standard.  Content Center parts that are inserted as standard don't go into your workspace.  They go into a different directory that, although it is set in the project file, does not get found by Showcase.

 

If you've already built everything out with standard content, then your best bet will be to pack-and-go your assembly into a single directory, making sure not to skip content center stuff, and then render that in Showcase.

 

 

 

* Parts located in libraries named in the project file will also be found by Showcase, but it might be a bad idea to designate your content center location as a library, since then it would be read only and I don't think you could even generate the Content Center files if that were the case.

Rusty

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Message 7 of 20
pcrawley
in reply to: blair

Content Centre files are actually on your computer. When you "Place from Content Centre" - Inventor checks the folder defined by your project (and if that says 'default' it uses the path in App' Options > Files). If Inventor doesn't find an ipt of the selected part in that path, it creates one. So the ipt is there somewhere 🙂
(You only have 2 places to look).
Peter
Message 8 of 20
pcrawley
in reply to: LT.Rusty

I guess we all have different experiences.

In my experience, specifying the CC path in the project file DOES make the difference between CC parts appearing - or not - in Showcase. (This assumes you actually specify the IPJ during the import process.)
Peter
Message 9 of 20
LT.Rusty
in reply to: pcrawley

When you send your model from Inventor to Showcase it uses the project file you've got active.  There's no options to change anything.

 

 

 

 

workflow settings.JPG

Rusty

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Message 10 of 20
pcrawley
in reply to: LT.Rusty

Ah - and there's the difference.

Try opening Showcase and importing an Inventor model.

(You are using the "Workflow" tool in Inventor.)
Peter
Message 11 of 20
blair
in reply to: LT.Rusty

If you are using this workflow, you already have Inventor Opened and are using the active Project File.


Inventor 2020, In-Cad, Simulation Mechanical

Just insert the picture rather than attaching it as a file
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Delta Tau Chi ΔΤΧ

Message 12 of 20
killbox
in reply to: blair

Wow, you guys are way ahead of me!  All I did was open Showcase and clicked on open file.  I found the top assembly file of my model and opened it.  It all came in except the CC stuff.  

I do have a project file and I did not load the entire folder.  Some of that stuff I don't want anyway as it's been removed from the assembly.

I do not see any CC parts on my computer.  They are not listed in the project file.  I did a search on a bolt and found nothing.  That's why I thought that they were being pulled from the cloud or something.  I have very little experience with Inventor and may have it set up wrong.  I have never used workflow.

Message 13 of 20
pcrawley
in reply to: killbox

Assuming the model opens OK in Inventor, find one of the CC parts - right-click it and select iProperties.  Make a note of the path.  If you ever need to make a backup of your models, make sure you include this set of folders - because without it, your models will continually fail to find CC components.  Suggest reading up on "projects" and their importance to Inventor.  Getting your project wrong and not understanding where your files are is a recipe for disaster!

 

Again - assuming you can open the model in Inventor without any errors (like "Resolve link") then go to the big "I" icon in the top-left of Inventor, go down to "Suite Workflows" and pick the most appropriate Showcase option.  This should leave you (eventually) in Showcase with a complete model.  This is the "Workflow" option described in earlier posts.

Peter
Message 14 of 20
killbox
in reply to: pcrawley

Okay, I found the CC file location by doing the right click iProperties.  So it looks like I do have the files after all.  I then did the workflow to run Showcase in realistic mode.  Showcase started up and the CC stuff is still missing.  Do I need to move the CC files to the project folder?  We're getting closer!

Message 15 of 20
blair
in reply to: killbox

As long as the location of your CC files resides in the Project File, Showcase and Inventor will find them without any problems. As previously posted, You really need to read up and understand the requirements of a properly structured Project File

Capture.JPG


Inventor 2020, In-Cad, Simulation Mechanical

Just insert the picture rather than attaching it as a file
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Delta Tau Chi ΔΤΧ

Message 16 of 20
pcrawley
in reply to: blair

This is a bit weird. Are you sure you can open the assembly in Inventor without any problems? No sign of the "Resolve files" dialog box whilst opening?

Anything unusual at all? (Clutching at straws to help you now!)
Peter
Message 17 of 20
LT.Rusty
in reply to: killbox


@killbox wrote:

Okay, I found the CC file location by doing the right click iProperties.  So it looks like I do have the files after all.  I then did the workflow to run Showcase in realistic mode.  Showcase started up and the CC stuff is still missing.  Do I need to move the CC files to the project folder?  We're getting closer!


 

 

I already told you how to do it on page 1.

 

If you're going to want to see the concent center parts in Showcase, the part needs to be located in your workspace.  When you insert content center stuff into an assembly that you think might get used in Showcase, insert it as custom, rather than standard.  This will ensure that the parts will be located in your workspace.

 

If you've already got an assembly that uses content center parts that were inserted as standard, rather than custom, use Pack-and-Go to collect all your files together.  Make sure that you tell it not to skip libraries, and tell it to do a single path so everything is all collected in one place.  Use this for your render, then you can delete it when you're done if you're short on HD space.

 

 

Rusty

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Message 18 of 20
LT.Rusty
in reply to: blair


@Blair wrote:

As long as the location of your CC files resides in the Project File, Showcase and Inventor will find them without any problems. As previously posted, You really need to read up and understand the requirements of a properly structured Project File

 



If I have time when I get home tonight, I'll use Camtasia and record this for you.  I'll go through my project file settings so you can see that it is set up, and then I'll run a part into Showcase.  It will not find the parts unless they're in the workspace.

 

Rusty

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Message 19 of 20
killbox
in reply to: LT.Rusty

I would like to see that.  Obviously, I don't know much about the project files.  I just let Inventor put the files where it wanted to.  I'm new to Inventor and have learned quite a bit.  I like it better every day.  After spending 16 years on Unigraphics / NX it's quite a change.  I had AutoCAD in college (release 10 I think in 1990) but Inventor is nothing like it.  That's a good thing! 

 

I'm not getting any errors.  So I probably just need to get all the files in one place.  Then make sure Inventor knows where to look.

Message 20 of 20
ColinReeve
in reply to: killbox

I've got the same problem, no CC parts in Showcase. Following the project file help you guys mention does no good. Many moons ago I set my CC to get backed up with the rest of my Inventor files, as I got sick of upgrades loosing bolts/seals and everything else. So a new install of Inventor means that the first thing I do is set up the directories.

My CC directory setting inside the application options-file is F:\GoogleDrive\Inventor Backup\Content Center Files\

Inside the project file - folder options it has the standard CC setting as Default. Hovering the mouse over it shows the GoogleDrive folder.

And the parts do not import.

So showcase does not see the folder options. However it does see the libraries settings. Adding another library that points to the CC folder, makes inventor display messages that this is a strange thing to do, but it'll let you do it anyway and place it in red. Try and import now and all the CC stuff is there.

I'm going to check out the "Custom" place thing mentioned earlier as well as the "Pack and Go" which I have never heard of, but geeeez its a big program with lots of options to find 🙂

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