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Plot Date Expression ?

19 REPLIES 19
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Message 1 of 20
jyothissurendran
1657 Views, 19 Replies

Plot Date Expression ?

Hi,

i have created Template as per my compnay standards and would like save its as my company standard template (*.idw) file. Everything is done but i need add PLOT DATE on the template file. In autocad its possible by adding fields in text.So i followed the same procedure to add PLOT DATE in inventer template. But i dont find any option for adding PLOT DATE. There is any option available to add field expression or something to get the output plot date ????

 

Plot.png

Jyothis Surendran
Autodesk Autocad 2014 & Inventor Professional Suite 2010
Windows 10
19 REPLIES 19
Message 2 of 20

Not sure there is an Inventor property for this. Swift Printes (http://cadtoolbox.com/swift-prints/) can do this (and is a very nice printer config tool).

Brendan Henderson

Web www.blhdrafting.com.au
Twitter @BLHDrafting

Windows 7 x64 -64 GB Ram, Intel Xeon E5-1620 @ 3.6 GHz
ATI FirePro V7800 2 GB, 180 GB SSD & 1 TB HDD, Inv R2016 PDSU SP1 (Build 210), Vault 2016 Professional Update 1 (Build 21.1.4.0)
Message 3 of 20

Thanks,

 

But i was actually searching for something like in autocad, field expressions.

 

If somebody have any idea please do advise...

Jyothis Surendran
Autodesk Autocad 2014 & Inventor Professional Suite 2010
Windows 10
Message 4 of 20
karthur1
in reply to: jyothissurendran

Jyothis,

You will not find an expression for this (wish there was though). What we have been using for several years is a "Last Saved on...." stamp. It looks like this on the idw.

 

2012-10-23_0755.png

 

 

If that would work for you, post back and I will explain how to set this up.

Message 5 of 20
nmunro
in reply to: karthur1

An option that does give you the exact plot time, plus more.

 

http://www.c3mcad.com/ProductPages/Drawing/ProductPlotStampPlus.aspx

        


https://c3mcad.com

Message 6 of 20
karthur1
in reply to: nmunro

C-Cubed has done a great job at filling this void that AD left open. I just really wish that AD would include this with Inventor. (Yes, I have requested this on the AD contact page)

 

The OP was probably thinking that he could add this easily to the idw like in Acad.

Message 7 of 20
BLHDrafting
in reply to: karthur1

The only real problem I have with any of the add-in type options is when used in a Vault environment. generally plotting the IDW requires a change to a custom iProperty which then makes the IDW file dirtied. This is why I have stopped using this part of the Swift Prints add-in.

 

I agree that Autodesk just need to bite the bullet and make this a useable function out of the box.

Brendan Henderson

Web www.blhdrafting.com.au
Twitter @BLHDrafting

Windows 7 x64 -64 GB Ram, Intel Xeon E5-1620 @ 3.6 GHz
ATI FirePro V7800 2 GB, 180 GB SSD & 1 TB HDD, Inv R2016 PDSU SP1 (Build 210), Vault 2016 Professional Update 1 (Build 21.1.4.0)
Message 8 of 20
BLHDrafting
in reply to: nmunro

I haven't seen this one before. The website boldly says "All Plot Stamp Plus actions are completed without dirtying the Autodesk Inventor document" and is this is the case then I might just buy it!

Brendan Henderson

Web www.blhdrafting.com.au
Twitter @BLHDrafting

Windows 7 x64 -64 GB Ram, Intel Xeon E5-1620 @ 3.6 GHz
ATI FirePro V7800 2 GB, 180 GB SSD & 1 TB HDD, Inv R2016 PDSU SP1 (Build 210), Vault 2016 Professional Update 1 (Build 21.1.4.0)
Message 9 of 20
jyothissurendran
in reply to: karthur1

Thanks for the reply. But i dont find any option like "last saved on", i am using INV 2010.

 

 

Jyothis Surendran
Autodesk Autocad 2014 & Inventor Professional Suite 2010
Windows 10
Message 10 of 20
karthur1
in reply to: jyothissurendran

Jyothis,

I have a macro that adds a custom property named "SysDate" and "SysTime".  The code is attached.  Here is how to get this to work:

 

1. Open your idw template.  Go to Tools>VBA Editor.

2. Under the Autodesk Inventor Node is a "This Document" module, right click on this and choose "View Code".

3. Now copy/paste the code in the attached txt to this node.

 

Now when you save the idw, you should have a "SysDate" and "SysTime" variable under the custom iproperties that you can use in your expression.

 

It should look something like this when you are done.

 

Kirk

 

2012-10-24_0723.png

 

 

 

Message 11 of 20
jyothissurendran
in reply to: karthur1

Thanks man, it works well. Thank you very much for your time.

Jyothis Surendran
Autodesk Autocad 2014 & Inventor Professional Suite 2010
Windows 10
Message 12 of 20

I always use quick fixes for this kind of stuff. 

 

Did you find this reply helpful ? If so please use the Accept as Solution or Kudos button below.

___________________________
Message 13 of 20
karthur1
in reply to: machiel.veldkamp

Machiel,

That is an interesting way of doing that. So each time you print the idw, you have to go into the iproperties and check the date box.... right?  Just trying to figure out how you get this to update.

 

What I am doing does it automatically when the idw is saved.

Message 14 of 20

Yes indeed. 
That is exactly how I do it. 

I use the iProperties a lot this way. Semi-Automated text, is how we call it here. It's is very handy when you want to update a lot of sheets at the same time, and in the meantime still want to have that control.

 

 

Did you find this reply helpful ? If so please use the Accept as Solution or Kudos button below.

___________________________
Message 15 of 20
karthur1
in reply to: machiel.veldkamp

Seems liike a bunch of work... but if it works for you, go for it.

 

BTW, Here is another way to add the plot stamp using iLogic.

 

All of these methods stores variables in the iproperties of the idw when the file is saved.  Problem with that is if you are using Vault, the file has to be checked out, then saved, then printed. Otherwise, the date/time will not be updated.  that is why we use the terms "Last Saved on..." instead of "Printed On...".  To bad they do not have a "Before Print" event Trigger in iLogic.

 

Anyone familar with ACAD's plotstamp tool knows that is not the case with it. Really wish AD would add this functionality into Inventor.

 

Kirk

Windows 7 x64 -12 GB Ram
Intel i7-930 @ 3.60ghz
nVidia GTS 250 -1GB (Driver 301.42)
INV Pro R2013, SP1.1
Vault 2013

Message 16 of 20
BLHDrafting
in reply to: karthur1

Hear hear Kirk. It's just bloody annoying for something this simple to not already be in Inventor. We should all add this as a Wsih List request. The squeaky wheel gets the grease (or replaced Smiley Wink)

 

Glad you clarified the macro interaction with Vaulted IDW's. It's fine the first time the IDW is created and printed, but future opening of the IDW and printing it would dirty the file, forcing check out /in which can have implications.

Brendan Henderson

Web www.blhdrafting.com.au
Twitter @BLHDrafting

Windows 7 x64 -64 GB Ram, Intel Xeon E5-1620 @ 3.6 GHz
ATI FirePro V7800 2 GB, 180 GB SSD & 1 TB HDD, Inv R2016 PDSU SP1 (Build 210), Vault 2016 Professional Update 1 (Build 21.1.4.0)
Message 17 of 20

Thanks Members,Thanks for all your  valueable suggessions.

Jyothis Surendran
Autodesk Autocad 2014 & Inventor Professional Suite 2010
Windows 10
Message 18 of 20
tstabile
in reply to: karthur1

karthur1,

 

I've used your macro since I found it and it worked great on 2013 but for some reason it has stopped working on 2014. Do you know if there are any changes to the VBA that I can make it work again? Or what can I do.

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Tony

Message 19 of 20
karthur1
in reply to: tstabile

I had not noticed that it doesnt work... but you are correct.  It doesnt work here with 2014 either.  In 2014, I can run the macro from the VBA editor or from the Tools>Macros button and it will update the parameters. So, the macro is working.

 

Problem is that it does not run the macro when the file is saved.  Havent figured out why just yet, but this MUST be resolved before I can roll out 2014 here.

 

Thanks

 

BTW, Look at this on the IdeaStation.  Its under review... so hopefully it will make the grade. Kudos if you want it.

Message 20 of 20
karthur1
in reply to: karthur1

Figured out the problem.  Inventor 2014 does not support the "Auto-run" functions in macros.  To resolve this, the macro has to be "converted" to an add-in.  Attached is an add-in that will add the "SysDate" and "SysTime" varialbles to the custom properties in an idw. Wayne Brill wrote this add-in and made a blog about this.   You can read the blog here.

 

In order to get this add-in to work:

 

Put the AddIn_With_Document_Saved_Event.addin in this directory:

C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\Inventor 201x\Addins

 

And put the AddIn_With_Document_Saved_Event.dll in this directory:

C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Inventor 201x\Bin 

 

When you save the idw, it writes these variables.

 

Hope this helps,

Kirk

 

 

 

 

 

 

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