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How does one use Inventor with existing file structures?

4 REPLIES 4
Reply
Message 1 of 5
Anonymous
165 Views, 4 Replies

How does one use Inventor with existing file structures?

I've been reading thru the Project File document on the CD, but I'm not sure
how we could set up project files and paths with the file structure we have
now.

In our design process, about the last thing we do is assign numbers to new
unique parts and sub-assy's - along with searching for existing parts that
could work in the new assembly. Any new part numbers are the 'next number'
from our ERP system - the number could be for an assembly, part, or
purchased item. All our (purchased & manufactured) part and assembly files
are filed by part number (2D .dwg and older .tif files). Once the assembly
is approved (done by one person), the new detail drawings are created by the
rest of the department.

Given this system, it sounds impossible to set up an Inventor project to fit
the final results unless you're psychic. This project system sounds almost
architectural where a project is huge and unique (and everything named
referencing the project's name?) How does everyone else handle this?

I'm wondering if anyone just sets up generic names and folders during the
design process and then move/rename everything after finalizing the assembly
(if this is even possible).
4 REPLIES 4
Message 2 of 5
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

I never assign part numbers until the end of a design either.

Here's what I do most of the time - but it may not work for you. I simply
create my parts and assemblies with descriptive file names and when the time
comes, I simply add the p/n's to the Properties of the parts - leaving the
descriptive filenames. This works with small projects but I doubt it will
work for a larger project or for installations with multiple users - you can
only have so many "LH Bracket" 's on your hard drive now right?

What I do with larger projects is after the assembly is complete or even
nearly complete, I open the assembly in Design Assistant and rename all the
files by adding a prefix to the filenames which contains the part number.
At this time I also massage the Properties to conform to my final desires.

HTH,

"tbrack" wrote in message
news:C17592D793C905A6265ED531345D9A3E@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> I've been reading thru the Project File document on the CD, but I'm not
sure
> how we could set up project files and paths with the file structure we
have
> now.
>
> In our design process, about the last thing we do is assign numbers to new
> unique parts and sub-assy's - along with searching for existing parts that
> could work in the new assembly. Any new part numbers are the 'next
number'
> from our ERP system - the number could be for an assembly, part, or
> purchased item. All our (purchased & manufactured) part and assembly
files
> are filed by part number (2D .dwg and older .tif files). Once the
assembly
> is approved (done by one person), the new detail drawings are created by
the
> rest of the department.
>
> Given this system, it sounds impossible to set up an Inventor project to
fit
> the final results unless you're psychic. This project system sounds
almost
> architectural where a project is huge and unique (and everything named
> referencing the project's name?) How does everyone else handle this?
>
> I'm wondering if anyone just sets up generic names and folders during the
> design process and then move/rename everything after finalizing the
assembly
> (if this is even possible).
>
>
Message 3 of 5
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

We do work with larger projects and a PDM system (when it is working). All
that we require is that the filenames be unique.  The PDM system is really
good at rejecting duplicates.  The final part numbers and other attributes
are added into the file properties.  There are also some hidden attributes
added by the PDM interface but not that the user has knowledge or control
of.



Yes, there is a file in the system named Screw.ipt and another named Wire.ipt
but what sets them appart from all the other screws and wires are their object
properties (file properties).



Ron Crain wrote:


cite="mid3D464DD478D81A4BD2EC861FBD8774A4@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb">
I never assign part numbers until the end of a design either.

Here's what I do most of the time - but it may not work for you. I simply
create my parts and assemblies with descriptive file names and when the time
comes, I simply add the p/n's to the Properties of the parts - leaving the
descriptive filenames. This works with small projects but I doubt it will
work for a larger project or for installations with multiple users - you can
only have so many "LH Bracket" 's on your hard drive now right?

What I do with larger projects is after the assembly is complete or even
nearly complete, I open the assembly in Design Assistant and rename all the
files by adding a prefix to the filenames which contains the part number.
At this time I also massage the Properties to conform to my final desires.

HTH,

"tbrack" <tbrackbill@NOSPAMcox.net> wrote in message
news:C17592D793C905A6265ED531345D9A3E@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...


I've been reading thru the Project File document on the CD, but I'm not


sure


how we could set up project files and paths with the file structure we


have


now.

In our design process, about the last thing we do is assign numbers to new
unique parts and sub-assy's - along with searching for existing parts that
could work in the new assembly. Any new part numbers are the 'next


number'


from our ERP system - the number could be for an assembly, part, or
purchased item. All our (purchased & manufactured) part and assembly


files


are filed by part number (2D .dwg and older .tif files).  Once the


assembly


is approved (done by one person), the new detail drawings are created by


the


rest of the department.

Given this system, it sounds impossible to set up an Inventor project to


fit


the final results unless you're psychic.  This project system sounds


almost


architectural where a project is huge and unique (and everything named
referencing the project's name?) How does everyone else handle this?

I'm wondering if anyone just sets up generic names and folders during the
design process and then move/rename everything after finalizing the


assembly


(if this is even possible).









Message 4 of 5
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

We do exactly what you are asking for here. I agree with you on the way
that IV doesn't lend itself well to this type of product development system.
Here's what I do to work with it.

I have a network folder (workgroup) where I do all my initial design work
for a project naming the parts as I go with names like "beam side
plate.ipt." When I create new parts, they are checked out to me so they are
actually on my local machine in my workspace, but I put a placeholder in the
network folder (workgroup). All the folders containing existing parts are
also listed as workgroups in the project file so that I can draw from them
in the new design if I can use them. I check the new drawings into and out
of the network folder as necessary until the design is complete, then I
check them all into the network workspace. This will work for multiple
designers working on one project too.

At this point I begin to assign part numbers. Our part numbers are
sequential, and I have a folder called '3D 500-501' that contains all 3D
drawings from 500000-500999 and another called '3D 501-502' containing
501000-501999 and so on. I open a new assembly from the workgroup, and
perform a Save Copy As on the assembly and name it by the part number. Then
I open that file. I then do Save Copy As and Replace Components for all the
parts in the assembly. (There's a nice macro out there for this) This
continues until all parts have part numbers. It seems tedious, but I
usually find that this helps me create more meaningful constraints than I
may have used in the 1st design. Sometimes, the longest lead time parts get
assigned numbers first, then the others follow. I always have several parts
in the layout workgroup that don't get part numbers because they didn't get
used in the final design, but that's why I didn't assign part numbers from
the beginning.

I also have folders called '500-501', '501-502'... and I store my .idw files
in there. I don't create the .idw until after a part number is assigned,
that way the .idw references the .ipt with the same part number instead of
the 'beam side plate.ipt' These folders are shared with manufacturing so
that they can print drawings whenever they need them using Voloview Express.

"tbrack" wrote in message
news:C17592D793C905A6265ED531345D9A3E@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> I've been reading thru the Project File document on the CD, but I'm not
sure
> how we could set up project files and paths with the file structure we
have
> now.
>
> In our design process, about the last thing we do is assign numbers to new
> unique parts and sub-assy's - along with searching for existing parts that
> could work in the new assembly. Any new part numbers are the 'next
number'
> from our ERP system - the number could be for an assembly, part, or
> purchased item. All our (purchased & manufactured) part and assembly
files
> are filed by part number (2D .dwg and older .tif files). Once the
assembly
> is approved (done by one person), the new detail drawings are created by
the
> rest of the department.
>
> Given this system, it sounds impossible to set up an Inventor project to
fit
> the final results unless you're psychic. This project system sounds
almost
> architectural where a project is huge and unique (and everything named
> referencing the project's name?) How does everyone else handle this?
>
> I'm wondering if anyone just sets up generic names and folders during the
> design process and then move/rename everything after finalizing the
assembly
> (if this is even possible).
>
>
Message 5 of 5
Anonymous
in reply to: Anonymous

Thanks. I'm still working thru the tutorials on the side - I haven't built
a 'project' yet. It's good to know we don't have to scrap our current part
numbering system.

"mpower" wrote in message
news:9F2832C91CA890C1759253E21937BAA1@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> We do exactly what you are asking for here. I agree with you on the way
> that IV doesn't lend itself well to this type of product development
system.
> Here's what I do to work with it.
>
> I have a network folder (workgroup) where I do all my initial design work
> for a project naming the parts as I go with names like "beam side
> plate.ipt." When I create new parts, they are checked out to me so they
are
> actually on my local machine in my workspace, but I put a placeholder in
the
> network folder (workgroup). All the folders containing existing parts are
> also listed as workgroups in the project file so that I can draw from them
> in the new design if I can use them. I check the new drawings into and
out
> of the network folder as necessary until the design is complete, then I
> check them all into the network workspace. This will work for multiple
> designers working on one project too.
>
> At this point I begin to assign part numbers. Our part numbers are
> sequential, and I have a folder called '3D 500-501' that contains all 3D
> drawings from 500000-500999 and another called '3D 501-502' containing
> 501000-501999 and so on. I open a new assembly from the workgroup, and
> perform a Save Copy As on the assembly and name it by the part number.
Then
> I open that file. I then do Save Copy As and Replace Components for all
the
> parts in the assembly. (There's a nice macro out there for this) This
> continues until all parts have part numbers. It seems tedious, but I
> usually find that this helps me create more meaningful constraints than I
> may have used in the 1st design. Sometimes, the longest lead time parts
get
> assigned numbers first, then the others follow. I always have several
parts
> in the layout workgroup that don't get part numbers because they didn't
get
> used in the final design, but that's why I didn't assign part numbers from
> the beginning.
>
> I also have folders called '500-501', '501-502'... and I store my .idw
files
> in there. I don't create the .idw until after a part number is assigned,
> that way the .idw references the .ipt with the same part number instead of
> the 'beam side plate.ipt' These folders are shared with manufacturing so
> that they can print drawings whenever they need them using Voloview
Express.
>
> "tbrack" wrote in message
> news:C17592D793C905A6265ED531345D9A3E@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> > I've been reading thru the Project File document on the CD, but I'm not
> sure
> > how we could set up project files and paths with the file structure we
> have
> > now.
> >
> > In our design process, about the last thing we do is assign numbers to
new
> > unique parts and sub-assy's - along with searching for existing parts
that
> > could work in the new assembly. Any new part numbers are the 'next
> number'
> > from our ERP system - the number could be for an assembly, part, or
> > purchased item. All our (purchased & manufactured) part and assembly
> files
> > are filed by part number (2D .dwg and older .tif files). Once the
> assembly
> > is approved (done by one person), the new detail drawings are created by
> the
> > rest of the department.
> >
> > Given this system, it sounds impossible to set up an Inventor project to
> fit
> > the final results unless you're psychic. This project system sounds
> almost
> > architectural where a project is huge and unique (and everything named
> > referencing the project's name?) How does everyone else handle this?
> >
> > I'm wondering if anyone just sets up generic names and folders during
the
> > design process and then move/rename everything after finalizing the
> assembly
> > (if this is even possible).
> >
> >
>
>

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