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Area units in Base Quantity

Area units in Base Quantity

I would like to see area units (in^2) added to the allowed options for Base Quantity for sheet metal work.

24 Comments
PaulMunford
Autodesk
Here's a workaround. Create an area parameter - but don't set the units to M^2 yet. Set the tools > document settings > BOM to your area parameter - then change the units. It works. I don't know why!
dan_szymanski
Autodesk
Status changed to: Accepted

Accepted idea [US-50291]. Thanks!

Maxim-CADman77
Advisor

Dear PaulMunford

You've written "create an area parameter - but don't set the units to M^2 yet ... It works"

Could you clarify^

1) which unit should be set to the perameter initially?

2) which version of Inventor it applies to? 

Thanks in advance for your answers.

astarnes
Enthusiast

Other CAD systems have this functionality and I use it quite often and have seen many hits online striving for work arounds.  I'd like the ability to have square footage in the BOM as a unit of measure.  Any squared parameter would do really.  

 

I am able to have a user parameter called "SQFT" and give it the unit "ft^2".  I then define this parameter as my height and width mulitplied together so it is driven by a formula.  Problem is I can't select this from the drop down menu when selecting a user parameter to be the Unit of Measure for the BOM.  I can use cubed parameters just fine for volumes like fl_oz or gal.  I guess Inventor only allows linear and some cubic parameters?

 

Attached is a pic of the BOM Unit of Measure

Tags (3)
PaulMunford
Autodesk
You can work around this. Multiply your length and width values. Don't change the units yet. Inventor will throw an error - ignore it! Go to the BOM settings and pick your area parameter. Now go back to the parameters manager and change the units. Your area parameter will be retained in the BOM settings.
astarnes
Enthusiast

 

 

I really thought you had given me the Holy Grail I'd been looking for!!! Unfortuantely it's not quite working.  I know there has to be a way, and haven't given up yet... I created some parameters on a piece of wood.  This is actually an iPart if that makes any difference for whatever reason.  Also i'm using Inventor 2014.

 

1.png

 

Then I left the units to its default (in), and changed the BOM settings to my SQFT Parameter. Notice the Nominal Value is definitely wrong (I assumed would be with bad units for conversion).

 

2.png

 

I set SQFT as the unit of measure, then applied and closed the dialog box.  I went back to the parameter manager and set SQFT to its proper units (ft^2).

 

3.png

 

No more red letters, so units match up for inventor to properly perform the equation. Great! But when I went back to my BOM settings the units and value had not updated to the parameters new correct units and value.

 

4.png

 

Also my SQFT parameter has diappeared like I imagined.  The units still show in "in" and the value is still incorrect.  However when i instantiated this iPart into a drawing and used the first 9x11 piece and a second 9x44 piece the parts lists tallied the quantities up just fine, but it showed 1165.860 in so the units and conversion is still wrong.

 

Currently i'm using a parameter "SQFT_Cubic", units: ft^3, and equation [= SQFT * 1 ft]... I seriously am confused as to why cubic units can be used as the BOM unit of measure just fine, but not squared units.  When I hand other people the parts list to an assembly the wood is in ft^3 and then they have to do manual edits from there, but at least its a unit that resembles ft^2.

 

5.png

6.png

dan_szymanski
Autodesk
Status changed to: Gathering Support

Hello, this is a duplicate Idea of the following:

 

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-ideastation/area-units-in-base-quantity/idi-p/4387795

 

Please be sure to cast your kudo to the Master Idea as to not split votes.  Thanks! -Dan

timdown73
Collaborator

Don't mean to hijack this thread but I feel this is related...Often times we need to calculate the total area or rigid board insulation we will have in an assembly.  Is there a way to get the outside area of a complex .ipt (part) in sq. ft. to show in the drawing BOM, other than using the "measure area" + "add to accumulate", +"measure area" + "add to accumulate" process, then typing the total in manually?

dgeldard
Contributor

Yes this works, but its a realy painfull workaround.  The follow on question i have is, how do you get this to map all the way to the item master?  The unit for item master is sqft not ft^2.

cbenner
Mentor

... how do you get this to map all the way to the item master?  The unit for item master is sqft not ft^2.

 

Looks like you can create your owm Units of Measure in 2015 Pro... not sure about 2014.  units.PNG

Just set it to be a base unit, and there will be no conversions to worry about.  I haven't tried using this in a BOM, but I imagine it should work like any other.

astarnes
Enthusiast

@Anonymous 

"Looks like you can create your owm Units of Measure in 2015 Pro... not sure about 2014."

 

So this ability to create custom squared parameters for Unit of Measure is only a functionality in Inventor Professional 2015?  My company has considered updating to 2015, but hadn't seen any good reason to. This would be a perfect reason.  I also see it has a default unit of measure called "Square Foot".  Is this a standard unit of measure such as: in, mm, oz, gal, etc.?

 

 

ascott_shipco
Enthusiast

I created an iLogic rule which gets the flat pattern area and writes it to a custom iProperty. Be sure to use with the "Before Save Document" trigger so that it updates automatically. 

 

'Gets flat pattern area in in2
extents_area = SheetMetal.FlatExtentsArea

'Creates Custom iProperty named QTY and sets it to the flat pattern area in in2
iProperties.Value("Custom", "QTY") = (CStr(Round(extents_area, 0)) & " in2")

'Updates the Document
InventorVb.DocumentUpdate()

'Use With Event Trigger "Before Save Document"

'BOM must be set to override typical quantity with the iProperty "QTY"

 

Then I set the BOM to grab the custom iProperty instead of the regular QTY.

  • double click on BOM in a drawing
  • right click QTY, format column
  • substitution tab, click "Enable Value Substitution"
  • Under "When exists, use value of", browse properties and create a new property
  • type "QTY" and hit ok until you're back to the drawing
  • the QTY value for your sheet metal part will be overwritten with (area) in2

 

dan_szymanski
Autodesk
Status changed to: Future Consideration

We are refining procedures around idea status.  Changing this to Future Consideration.

inv.ideareview
Autodesk
Status changed to: Archived
 
dan_szymanski
Autodesk
Status changed to: Future Consideration
 
jamie.emmart
Contributor

The area units (m^2, mm^2, in^2, etc) need to be available in drawing parts lists so we can sum them.

Inventor 2017 SP0

BrandonW9
Advocate

FYI/ Question...

 

The workaround for this seems to be broken on Inventor 2019.

 

I've successfully used it in the past... change my parameter to a unit that is supported like 'ft', then set the base qty to the parameter, then go back and change the parameter to ft^2. I've got part files around that have the unit set to ft^2 and calculate correctly.

 

But this morning i tried and tried and could not get it to work on a new part file that didn't have it set. I even took one of my old part files that had it and unset it and tried resetting it, and no go. Maybe something changed in inventor 2019?

 

Anyway, the ONLY way I can make this happen now is to recycle one of my old part files that has it working. Can we get an official fix for this yet?!?!

johnsonshiue
Community Manager

Hi @BrandonW9,

There is a trick to use the workaround. You do need to click the Edit Parameters button next to Base Quantity dropdown. There, click Export checkbox to give it a kick. Then the unit will be updated. Please try it out. Many thanks!

dgeldard
Contributor

This issue has been floating around for at least 7 years. Is there any plan for Autodesk to address it?

caroline.ccc
Enthusiast
Hello. Here is one alternative way to do it. Actulally @astarnes went to middle of the process but didn't finish. This should be fixed. but here is the way, https://go.d3tech.net/inventor-blog/set-area-base-units

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