Repeatable Error - iMate Loss Issue

[Tom_WH]

Repeatable error

Issue Description:

Accidental deletion of iMate folder inside a IPT files.

Error Method:

1. Open attached file 'DeleteAllFeaturesBelowEOP.ipt'
2. Right click in browser window on "End of Part"
3. Select "Delete all features below EOP"

Congratulations! You have now deleted "Extrusion2" and the "iMates" folder at the top of tree.

DANGEROUS SIDE EFFECT

I have not looked into this same issue inside assemblies.

Inventor Hotfix?

TomPy

[Curtis_Waguespack]

Hi Tom_WH,

Thanks for the clear steps and example file with which to test this.

I don't have an explanation as to why using delete all features below EOP would delete the iMates folder and all of the iMates contained within, but I was able to reproduce it using Inventor 2010 and 2012. It appears you're currently using 2011, so I didn't test that version, but I assume the issue is present in that version as well.

I think someone from Autodesk will have to have a look and tell us why this is happening, but it doesn't seem like this would be an as designed behavior. So I'll go out on a limb here and say that you've found a bug.

Thanks for sharing this with the rest of us. I think this could be a particularly problematic bug for an organization that uses iMates a lot.

As a work around, I would suggest to just delete features by selecting them (one at a time or using CTRL select) and deleting them, rather than using delete all features below EOP.

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

[Curtis_Waguespack]

Just to be clear on this, I tested for the dependencies to ensure that the issue was not just that iMates created based on a feature are being removed when that feature is removed. The original test file posted by Tom_WH demonstrates this, but just to be sure you can see the iMates folder and all of the iMates getting deleted regardless of dependencies by following these quick steps:

1. Create a new part file
2. Place an iMate on the XZ origin plane
3. Create a sketch on the XY origin plane
4. Create an extrusion from the sketch
5. Roll the EOP above the extrusion
6. Delete all parts below EOP

The iMates folder is removed, even though the sketch and feature are not related to the geometry being deleted.

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