incredibly frustrated with pack and go function

[ivanjoiderpus]

One thing that has always frustrated me with autodesk and every program that falls under its umbrella: they take something tried and true, and try to "make it better" which means in typical autodesk fashion it becomes so nuanced and complex that you need a goddamn degree in computer engineering just to maintain basic functionality.

Take this pack and go function for example.  I have an assembly that I wish to make 5 small changes to, and then save everything linked to that assembly under a seperate file, completely unlinked and seperate from everything that has ever come before it, or will come after it.

Now why. why why why, under God's blue sky, would the pack and go function maintain a link to previous files?  I know it has something to do with project files or something, but frankly I don't give a **** about project files.  I have neither the time, nor the inclination to become familiar with them.  I just want to make a simple assembly, export it as something completely seperate and be done with it.  I am not a master cad expert, that's not my job, or my role, or even what I want to do with my life.  

Yes, project files are probably very useful.   They probably save a ton of time for people working with assemblies that have 2000 parts.  Why isn't this project stuff an opt in option? Why can't I just hop on and make a simple assembly and export it by default?

So please, someone help me understand Autodesk's logic behind taking such a simple concept like "pack and go" and making it 10 times more complex than it needs to be.  Or please link me to a patch file where I can nuke this stupid "project" bull**** from my C/ drive.

[MariaManuela]

Hi..

🙂

Hey..Relax man. You're too nervous... but you made me laugh by the way.

What is the problem of loading a simple project file for your Inventor project dialog box? Need not be an expert to use a IPJ file.

Look....

Close all the Inventor files

File \ Manage \ Projects

Browse for your IPJ (its automatically included in Pack and go folder, with the assembly name)

And voilá.. you never have similar problems

[LT.Rusty]

I think it's possible you're missing the point of pack and go.  It's intended to help you pack up your files ... and go somewhere with them. 

If you want to make a duplicate of a design so that you can branch off and go a different direction with it, you want to use the Design Assistant instead.  Look in Start --> All Programs --> Autodesk --> Autodesk Inventor 20xx.

[ivanjoiderpus]

It's going to make me packup my things and go leap off a building.

[ivanjoiderpus]

Thanks for the reply Maria.

I've been working with cad a long time. I'm by no means an expert, I've just used it for basic part design and been happy doing so.

This project stuff is all new to me, and frankly scares/infuriates me in equal measure.

[jletcher]

This is not a pack and go issue. Pack and go is a very woderful tool..

 Sounds like project files is your beef.

 It souds like you would be better off using Design Assistant seeing you want to make assemblies simular to the 1st assembly and not use projects. This way you can copy, replace, and rename the files so the originals don't get changed...

 I use project file for many reasons but you don't have to use them but you have to know same file names will make changes as well so renaming those would be your best bet..

[MariaManuela]

Well..... Autodesk Wiki says... now time to some reading.

Pack and Go:

Packages an Autodesk Inventor file and all of its referenced files under a single location.

Use Pack and Go to archive a file structure, copy a complete set of files while retaining links to referenced files, or isolate a group of files for design experimentation.

Uses for Pack and Go

You can use a packaged Autodesk Inventor file in a number of ways:

• Package files on a CD-ROM or other media for archiving.
• Package a complete set of files to send to a vendor or contractor.
• Isolate referenced files from other files in the same source folders. The log file created by the packaging operation provides a list of the files that are referenced by the packaged file.
• Test alternate configurations or changes with the packaged files without changing the source files.
• Copy an assembly to use as a starting point for a variant design or new release of a similar project.
• Coalesce a project with multiple locations so that it can be used with the Autodesk Inventor Vault or as a library for another project.

Projects and Pack and Go

If all referenced files reside in a path under the location of the selected file, you can use the default project file. When you initiate a Pack and Go session, the session uses the active project file. You can then change the active project file.

If the files are stored in multiple locations, you must use a project file that specifies all the locations. When you package files, a new project file is created. All the files are copied to a hierarchy under the folder containing the new project file. Upon completion of the Pack and Go session, the active project file is reset to its present settings.

[falkmassmann]

hey Ivan,

I completely understand your frustration with the task if you´re not familiar with project files. But unfortunately project files are an integral part of Inventors working methodology. So my suggestion is to start learning about project files and what they do.

I will give you a little bit of info why pack & go needs informations from the project file.

When you´re working with Inventor you always work with a selected (active) project. You cannot work without a project file even if you have no clue what it does.

What kind of information is stored in a project file?

A project file mainly holds information about file locations, being it library parts, style library definitions or locations where newly created CAD-files will be stored.

Obviously you can have many project files for different projects.

To include all files that are neccessary to create a working copy of an assembly and other related CAD-files pack & go needs to know where all these files are located, hence it wants to know the project file that has been used during creation of the project.

If you don´t use the correct project file you might end up with files missing in your package.

I hope that makes sense to you and you learned a bit about project files and why they are important to an Inventor User.

I´m happy to help more if neccessary.

Cheers Falk

[ivanjoiderpus]

Thanks for the reply falkmassmann.

Is there any way to make a completely isolated group of files from a project?

I want all the part files, the assembly file, and the drawing file all in one place and completely seperate from anything else that happens to the originals.

[LT.Rusty]

---

@ivanjoiderpus wrote:

Is there any way to make a completely isolated group of files from a project?

---

If you want to keep using the same project file but have a completely separate copy of your design, use Design Assistant.  It'll copy your design, automagically assign file names, keep links intact. 

If you want to change projects, use Pack and Go, and then in your Projects browser, find the IPJ file that was created by the PnG operation.

[johnsonshiue]

Hi! I am very sorry to hear that the tool is hard to understand. Indeed, I agrees with you that it should not be as confusing as it is right now. There is room for improvement.

If I understand your workflow correctly, you want to make a copy of the entire design and make it independent of the source. You might want to select

"Include Linked Files" option. So all the linked files will be copied to the destination folder. Then, the files in the destination folder should be independent of the source files. If this is not the behavior you are seeing, there is something wrong and I need steps to reproduce the behavior.

The other option is to use iLogic Design Copy. You can start up Inventor (R2012 and later) without opening any file. Then go to Tools -> iLogic Design Copy. It will help copying the files from one folder to another without breaking inter-dependency.

Thanks!

[88nwilson]

Ivan,

If the projectfiles are troublesome to you, just try using Autodesk Vault instea. It makes moving files, migrating, experimenting, etc. much easier.

...Just kidding, don't try Vault. It's like a project file on cocaine.

[LT.Rusty]

---

@88nwilson wrote:

Ivan,

If the projectfiles are troublesome to you, just try using Autodesk Vault instea. It makes moving files, migrating, experimenting, etc. much easier.

...Just kidding, don't try Vault. It's like a project file on cocaine.

---

hah.

I prefer to think of Vault as a dead whale packed with explosives that your landlord bought for you.

It cost a tremendous amount of money (they didn't just buy you a basic whale!), but now that it's parked in your living room, all it's really doing is getting in the way.  Most of the people who live in your house just try to avoid it and pretend that it's not there, but it's getting hard because it's starting to really smell terrible.  Everyone's being really careful around it too, because it's packed with unstable explosives, so if you do the wrong thing it's going to blow apart and splatter stuff everywhere.

At this point, people just want it gone, but the problem with this is that you can't get rid of it - the people that spent the money on it keep coming by and looking over your shoulder and asking how the whale is doing.  You just have to grit your teeth and tell them that it's great, you love the whale.  You have to do it, because, well, you don't have any other whale-free place to go.  You can't just tell them that the whale is awful: it smells bad and it's so full of explosives that you're afraid to sneeze in the same room with it. 

You're not sure why your landlord seems to think your need a dead explosives filled whale in your living room ... but it's there, and you just have to live with it until a better place to live comes along.

[88nwilson]

I've actually really enjoyed having Vault, believe it or not, mostly because I can rename entire projects without losing my associations.

But yeah, it's packed with explosives. Don't try cramming anything in there too hard.

[jletcher]

88nwilson Wrote:

I've actually really enjoyed having Vault, believe it or not, mostly because I can rename entire projects without losing my associations.

This can be done with design assistant also without the pain..

Vault is a nightmare and so many issues...

I would not suggest Vault to anyone. I turned down a client because he was using it..

[falkmassmann]

Hey Ivan,

of course you can, that´s the purpose of pack & go.

I´ve attached an image to clarify how you get your independant files.

I start pack & go mostly with the context menu on the assembly. At position 1. the path to the document you choose will be displayed.

2. let´s you choose the location where you want to copy the files to.

Important Note, don´t choose a location that´s inside your project or otherwise included in the project folder structure.

3. Here you have to select the project file which has been used during creation of the original data. Right below this folder path is a button which

is called "Jetzt suchen" on my german system whichmeans search now.

This will trigger a search for all the referenced files from the original assembly. Successful search will list all those files down in the bottom window.

That´s it for determining the source files.

Under 4. you configure how the data is copied to the target folder. Let´s you decide if you want to combine all the files in one path or keep the original folder structure.

5. Let you select if you want to copy just the model data (parts, assemblies) or if you want to include linked files which are mainly drawings but can be other files as well.

They are not included automatically, you will have search for them again under 7. You can choose where to search for them as well, either in the project structure or in a specific folder which you would have to specify.

I know this is an older version of pack & go I´m referencing here but I´m still on 2012, so I hope you can translate the description to later versions.

All the best

Falk

[ivanjoiderpus]

I've attached a powerpoint showing my issue.

I use the pack and go function, but the newly created assembly is still tied to the original project.

What do.

[jletcher]

If the tube names are the same in both they will update no matter where they are because you are not using projects so it will search and find all parts with the same file name and change them.

 How are you using the between fuction? Do you have two planes you are using? if so How was the planes put in? From the assembly?