Main Assembly Show up in Parts List??

[Cadmanto]

Never done this before and in searching I have not found any solutions.

If you have assembly "A" with three components say "1" , "2" , and "3".  1, 2, and tree show up in the parts list automatically.  How do you ge tthe main assembly "A" to show up in the parts list parametrically?

[mcgyvr]

Why would you?.. It can't be a parent and a component at the same time and as such should never show up in the parts list.

You might be able to fake it with a virtual part maybe?

[Cadmanto · Accepted solution]

I agree whole hardedly with what you are saying.  In all of the places I have worked, this is the first place since the first place I ever worked about 25 years ago that actually setup the BOM this way.

What I am faced with is a company that has for many years done things manually in Autocad.  I was brought in to show them the 3D parametric side of things.  With that said, there are standards and methods that have been ingrained and would be like moving mountains to change.  So, I am trying my best to make and develop a parts list that has next to no if any at all any manual intervention.

So, the reason I am asking this question is because in their BOM's for the type of fabrication they do, item one is the complate assembly representing the raw material.  Yes, I could create a dummy (and may end up having to do this) part file that has all of this info in it into the assembly (representing no geometry) and accomplish it this way.  I was hoping there might be a toggle setting within the BOM edit that I might have missed.

Hope this makes sense.

[mcgyvr]

I think you're going to need to do a dummy for those dummies 😉

Granted Adsk does some silly things sometimes I think this request is even too silly for them to have put it in the software.

I f-in HATE companies that can't change even the simplest of things. The request to have a parent show up in its own parts list is just plain wrong. 

[cbenner]

The biggest enemy of creativity and innovation is the phrase: "We've always done it like that."

[cwhetten]

The only way I can think of to do it parametrically (not that it should be done at all...) is to create another assembly file, then place your main assembly in that file, then use that in your drawing for the parts list.  Essentially, the main assembly shows up as a sub-component of the super-main-dummy-assembly.

Eww...  I hate having to do stuff like that to appease the cavemen.

Cameron Whetten
Inventor 2014

[Cadmanto]

Yeah guys, trust me I get it.  Don't think I don't.

Cameron, that is a lot of work!!!    I think If I am going to do that I might as well do the dummy part like I suggested.  Either way a dummy file is created.

Don't see changing policy of a large company an option at this point.

Thanks for comfirming what I think I already knew would be the answer.  Just wanted to see what others thought.

[jletcher]

I had a client that wanted the same what I did was this.

He loved it.... I have an ilogic to rename the part list to the Main assembly...

[Cadmanto]

Thanks James for your suggestion.  I have the BOM pretty much there in how it needs to look.  Placing the main assembly number in the title is not really what we are looking for.  I did do what I suggested in my earlier posting and that is adding a dummy part.  That worked just fine.

Wasn't that hard to do and appeared in the BOM just like what we were looking for.

[cbenner]

Hey,

Would you mind sharing that ilogic code?  I might have a use for it.

[-niels-]

Wouldn't it be possible to use iLogic to create a virtual part that copies over the assembly's properties?
That would automate your "workaround" somewhat...