Parts Manual

[jdits7]

Was wondering what program people use to create parts manuals for the Inventor models. Trying to figure out the best solution.

Thanks in advance

[blair]

We use Adobe's Indesign for our parts manuals and brochures.

[mcgyvr]

I use Word for our customers "installation guides"..

Publisher sometimes too when Word hates me..

Indesign is even better if you have it and are experienced with it..

Basically whatever you've got that gets the job done that you are familiar with..

Heck all our "internal" assembly steps are just done on a Joomla based website/intranet using screen captures right out of Inventor and its hands down MUCH better than any drawing.. 

We have found that there are very few who can actually read/understand a 2d drawing anymore..

[jdits7]

We are basically trying to find something that integrates with Inventor. When something changes in Inventor, you just need to open the parts manual and it updates automatically. Also, something that integrates the BOM's so they don't have to retype them or export them out, which also gets updated automatically. 

[mcgyvr]

---

@jdits7 wrote:

We are basically trying to find something that integrates with Inventor. When something changes in Inventor, you just need to open the parts manual and it updates automatically. Also, something that integrates the BOM's so they don't have to retype them or export them out, which also gets updated automatically. 

---

Then do them in the idw/presentation environment I guess.

No idea what your "parts manuals" look like but delete a title block and its just a regular piece of paper waiting to be filled up.. 

[blair]

The problem will be with "binding", trying to get it into a manual. There is not to my knowledge any "publishing" software that will maintain a "link" with Inventor and use "Live" data. All publishing software works with Word or PDF and JPG/TIFF/BMP files which are stagnant. Once you update Inventor, you will have to generate new source files such as the PDF and JPG/TIFF/BMP files. The publishing software can maintain links to these files so as they update your manual will update. 

[jdits7]

We actually looking at trying to use Inventor Publisher to do some of this but wanted to see what everybody else was using.

[blair]

It will still output to something such as MS Word. Once it hits word to get your pages the update stops

[graemev]

---

@Blair wrote:

... Once it hits word to get your pages the update stops

---

Actually, for revisions' sake, that's not a bad thing.

[jdits7]

That is kind of what we are looking for, open up the Publisher file, update and then output new version to word. Not sure what the best option is though.

[jeremy_wasserstrass]

We use La-Tex for our parts/machine manuals. When an update is made we export a new PDF/image to the folder for the document, and as long as the new PDF/image has the same name it is inserted into the document the next time the document is rebuilt.

[blair]

I'm not sure what the "link" ability is in MS Word, I believe that you have to place the document as it doesn't have a link-manager that will check links and update the document if linked files update.

[jdits7]

Still checking out options. Will let everyone now what we end up with.