Inventor 2013 Drawing, Using Item Number as Base View Name

[JDBrowell]

At my company, we do a large amount of work with sheet metal parts and assemblies. On our drawings, we like to do "detail" views of the flat patterns of each part of the assembly. Basically, how we do it now is insert a base view of the assembly and the BOM onto the first sheet and then on separate sheets, we place base views of the flat patterns for each of the components that will be cut on our cnc plasma table. We use the item number to denote which part it is in the assembly. Is there any way to pull the item number from the assembly BOM and use it as a parameter that can be inserted into the view label? Right now, it's a nightmare if the assembly BOM is modified because we have to go back in to each view label and manually change the item number.

Any help would be great!

Thanks

[jtylerbc]

Do these parts get used in multiple assemblies, or are they project-specific?

The problem is that the item number is in no way present in the part file itself.  It is purely a designation that the assembly assigns to the part, and so it only exists in the context of the assembly.  When you are placing views of the parts, there is no way to connect back to that item number.

If they aren't being used in multiple assemblies, you might be able to develop an iLogic rule which, when run from the assembly, writes each item number to a custom iProperty in the corresponding part.  It could then be set to trigger before a save, or whichever other trigger seems appropriate.  Rather than directly using the item number itself, you would then use that copied property.  This obviously won't work if parts are reused in different assemblies, since the "item number" property would always show the part's Item Number from the most recently saved assembly.

Would using the Part Number be an acceptable alternative?  Labeling views with the part number would be easier to set up and would work whether the parts are single or multiple use.

[JDBrowell]

For our assemblies that consist of mostly plate steel, I think that would work. Sadly, we do have certain parts that get re-used, so creating a specific iProperty for those would be out of the question. The part number won't exactly work either. For the assemblies that we'd like to use this for, the part number is actually our stock number for the plate steel, so they'd end up being the same part number. It's looking like this is more an issue of how our drawings are done and part numbered than anything.

Jarod Browell
Mechanical Engineering Design Specialist
jbrowell@mclanahan.com

McLanahan Corporation
200 Wall Street
Hollidaysburg, PA 16648 USA
Tel +1 (814) 695 9807
Fax +1 (814) 695 6684
www.mclanahan.com

[Description: Description: Description: MC Logo eSig]

[jtylerbc]

Not sure how this affects the way you currently have things set up, but are you aware there is also an existing "Stock Number" iProperty?  You might be able to change the way you're setting up your properties a little and be able to get both.

[andrewspence]

If you ever figure this out, please update this post...we do the same thing here.

It would also be nice to link notes to an item number - (ex "Leave item X loose for shipping")

[EBurke]

What would the ilogic code to push item numbers back to the part iproperty look like?

[ryanrileywelding]

Any updates on this?

I'm looking to be able to do the same thing. 

I think another iproperty would be needed for the part.  Let's use 'MARK' for example.  In the part file, 'MARK' would be left blank and only generated once a BOM is populated in an assembly.  The BOM would set 'MARK' to equal 'ITEM' and save 'MARK' back to the part.  So when you create the base feature of a part in your drawing, you could add the custom Iproperty 'MARK' to the View Label.

This is how I'm thinking of it logically. 

Am I way off base here?

[mcgyvr]

Just use the part number in the view labels.. Problem solved.. 

When we were doing 2d drawings, the best thing I ever did was edit my balloons to call out the part number instead of item number.. I never had to worry about matching item numbers across multiple sheets,etc...  

[ryanrileywelding]

I've tried that, but when you use the part number for the balloons, it takes up valuable paper space. Especially if you have a large assembly.

[EBurke]

I think you are thinking about it the same way i am ryanrileywleding.  

the other problem with using part numbers as balloons is my company uses the same "part number" for all parts cut out of 3" plate stock and the detail of those parts is what we are putting on the drawings.  Yes, I could give each part that gets cut it's own detail drawing (thus its own unique number) but that triples the number of pages that my shop has too keep up with.

[Curtis_Waguespack]

Hi ryanrileywelding,

Have a look at this link, it shows the steps to work through this:

http://www.cadsetterout.com/inventor-tutorials/autodesk-inventor-creating-coordinated-bom-for-large-...

And possibly this link might be helpful if weldments and frames are in the mix:

http://inventortrenches.blogspot.com/2011/03/detailing-frame-generator-weldment.html

 Note also, that you can use some iLogic to push the information to each view label in your sheet set:

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/Inventor-General/Inventor-2014-Detail-Multiple-Parts-on-a-Single-sheet...

I hope this helps.
Best of luck to you in all of your Inventor pursuits,
Curtis
http://inventortrenches.blogspot.com

[mcgyvr]

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@eburke wrote:

I think you are thinking about it the same way i am ryanrileywleding.  

the other problem with using part numbers as balloons is my company uses the same "part number" for all parts cut out of 3" plate stock and the detail of those parts is what we are putting on the drawings.  Yes, I could give each part that gets cut it's own detail drawing (thus its own unique number) but that triples the number of pages that my shop has too keep up with.

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You should really be using the "stock number" iprop to indicate the part number for the steel plate not part number field...

part number is... well the part number.. The number you use to track that part you make/buy,etc...

I've also never allowed the use of multiple detailed parts in a single drawing or sheet or putting a whole machine into the same idw file.. Thats silly. It makes reuse/standardization a joke and can increase the amount of work for a drafter.. Not to mention if a file gets lost/deleted you don't loose EVERYTHING in one swoop..

No one department/machine/operator needs ALL drawings.. 

but whatever... 

[ryanrileywelding]

Curtis, the first link is what I'm looking to do.  Now I just need to automate the process.  Probably through some iLogic. 

Now I know what direction to head in.  Thanks!

[Curtis_Waguespack]

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@mcgyvr wrote:

I've also never allowed the use of multiple detailed parts in a single drawing or sheet or putting a whole machine into the same idw file... No one department/machine/operator needs ALL drawings.. 

but whatever... 
 

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Hi mcgyvr,

Just as an FYI in case you've not dealt with it in the past, the structural steel fabrication industry creates their drawings in this way, as a matter of standard practice (which originates from the world of architectural drawings). This departure from what we normally know as standard mechanical design detailing makes it difficult for users in that industry to use Inventor to create their fabrication drawings, since Inventor was designed to address a more true mechanical design and detailing approach.

Typically in Inventor (and Solidworks, etc.) we try to think in terms of 1 part model = 1 drawing, but that simply is not the standard for the structural fabrication industry.

I hope this helps.
Best of luck to you in all of your Inventor pursuits,
Curtis
http://inventortrenches.blogspot.com