Opening an idw from vault

[KingsKorna]

I've moved all files from my project into vault. Now i need to do a revision on an .idw. I open vault and get latest version. when I try to open it I get the resolve link dialog box. I've tried to use the "open from vault" button in Inventor and still the same thing. Do I have to check out the assembly and every part that references that .idw before I can open it? Can't I just check out the .idw and have all the assemblies and parts come with it?

Thanks - Jim

[Anonymous]

an "open from vault" should be a pretty fool proof way of opening the
DWG - you shouldn't have to "check out" anything.

you might want to investigate what is failing to resolve:

1) is the file in the vault (grab the file name and search the whole
vault for it...)

2) is the file in a library (depending on what version of vault you are
using it may or may not pull library files automatically...)

3) have you moved the file in the vault to a different folder - if you
have, vault doesn't automatically repair references so you need to "fix"
this one time by browsing to the missing file - alternately you can use
the "using unique file names = yes" in the Inventor project file to make
Inventor find these missing references automatically.

what you are doing is correct - there just seems to be something
missing. Dig around a little bit and you'll probably be able to track
this down...
--
Thanks,

Brian Roepke
Product Manager, MSD
Data Management

[Squeezer]

How did yo put the files into the Vault in the first place?

If you did "Add Files" from Vault Explorer, or a drag 'n drop, all you did was add the files into the Vault as file objects without capturing the file dependencies. This results in the behavior you have described. You should have recieved a warning message about this during the add files process. "You are attempting to add Inventor files... relationships may be lost". This method should only be used when adding files that have no dependencies.

When loading Inventor files to the vault it should ALWAYS be done from within the Inventor environment. For just a few files, while they are open in Inventor, change to the Vault mode in the browser, (you'll see ?'s next to the files not in the vault) RMB on the browser & "Add Files" This adds them to the vault w/ all relationships intact.

To load large batches to the vault without opening them, from within the Inventor environment File>Vault>Add Project. This will read all of the files in the workspace of the active vault ipj (plus any mapped libraries) into the vault complete with all relationships. This is the most common method to do the initial load of files into the vault when starting out.

Again, when loading Inventor files to the Vault, you should always do so from within Inventor & not from Vault explorer. Only in this way can the file resolution dependencies be "read" into the vault. Once there, vault can manage them very well.

Personally, I'd start over from scratch and reload the stuff to vault. Read up on how to setup etc (Managing Your Data) and be sure you understand how Vault handles different types of files. Be sure you back up your data before starting so you don't lose anything.

To get back to where you started before trying to use vault....

1. Retrieve the files from Vault, From Vault Explorer, "Get" everything out of the vault to the workspace (libraries to the library locations). "Use the "Get Entire folder" command

2. Change to Read Write. Once all files are copied back out of the vault to the workspace ( & libraries), use Windows Explorer to change all files from "Read Only" to Read/Write".

3. Clean out the Vault. Delete all of the Vault files to start over (or create a new vault). You are now back to the No Vault (pre-load) system you started out from.

4. Review the set-up. Check that your ipj is properly designed, with libraries planned etc. Check that the vault folders are mapped correctly(Inventor>File>Vault>Map Folders) This is ususally Root=Top Workspace folder & Library = Top Library folder and content Center files reside under this.

4. Load the Vault, From Inventor, with vault ipj active, Run "Load Project".

5. Set Workfolders(s), From Vault Explorer, highlight The top workspace folder (not $root), RMB set workfolder, choose the local top workspace folder. Do the same for the Top Library folder.

6. Test the system. From Vault explorer, get or check out a file with dependencies (ie. an idw/ipt). Test from Inventor, Get, Checkout or Open from Vault, a file with dependencies. It should get all needed files to your local.

[KingsKorna]

To answer Brian.
1) yes the files are in vault
2) No the file is not a library part.
3) I have'nt moved anything in vault once I added them.

Squeezer.
I did add them buy Vault Explorer. I added hundreds of files this way. It seems strange to have this option if it's only good on files without dependcies.

This is going to be one bad Monday.

I'm going to give your advise a shot (after another cup of coffee).

Thanks for the advise.

On another note. I have a semi-isolated project that I keep getting a error message saying "The reference document blah blah blah..can not be resolved" they tell me to resolve them before opening it. It's always a library part. My search paths are fine.
The parts are library iParts and I discovered the some of the children are corrupted (kids today...sorry, it's early). I delete the corrupted children and recreate them and the assemby will open now....but my .ipn's are not opening cuz it's a different part. Does this have anything to do with some of my parts being in the Vault and some still in Semi-isolated?
This is crazy cuz now I have to recreate many top assembly drawings cuz they are referencing .ipn files. aaauuugghhhh

[Squeezer]

I don't use iParts or semi-isolated so I'm sorry, but I cannot give much advice or input on that other than to say that it is not a good idea to try & run in both semi-isolated & vault mode. Semi-isolate can leave you with locked files that have to be cleared before you can load them to vault.

Add files from VE is a good tool to use. Remember that some folks are using Vault for AutoCAD files & Office Docs and more. Also, that it why the warning message comes up during Add Files, To let you know that Inventor files will not have their dependencies captured.
For Inventor files, you can use it to quickly add all of the ipts (not derived ipts with links). Doing so will get alot of files pre-loaded quickly & reduce the memory required to upload the files during the "Load Project" command since Inventor will not try to upload the files if they are already there. (But do not delete the ipts from the local cause the iams & idws will need them for resolution during run project.)

So you can leave your hundreds of ipts as they are in the vault, have them on your local as read only and run load project on the iams, idws & ipns to get them into the vault w/dependencies. (But you will have to get the iams, ipns & idws either checked out or deleted from the vault before running LP)

[KingsKorna]

Ok, sorry I'm a little slow on this one.
1) So I check out an entire project to my harddrive using "get entire folder". Even the .idvs?
2) open windows explore and change all my files except .ipt to "read/write".
3) Delete all files in vault except .ipt.
4) In Inventor "load project".
5) Set working folder.

I'm trying to get my coworkers to switch to Vault but they are in the middle of some big projects and don't want to get involved in this until I iron out the details.

[Anonymous]

Hi there - when you added the files with vault explorer you get this
warning: Did you not get / see / read these?
--
Thanks,

Brian Roepke
Product Manager, MSD
Data Management

[KingsKorna]

Yes, I did get that message, but I assumed that when it said that "you MAY loss relationship" that I MAY also be alright. I realize it was my fault...I just need to fix it.

[Anonymous]

Good - Point - I'll make sure this warning is changed to be more strict:

Checking out a model and checking it back in with Inventor will update
the relationships. Try this with one assembly - you can check it by
viewing the children in the "uses" tab. Shouldn't be too much work.
--
Thanks,

Brian Roepke
Product Manager, MSD
Data Management

[KingsKorna]

That worked on a small assembly. It shows me the children under the "uses" tab where as before there was nothing. Should I do that with my .idw files?

[Anonymous]

Yes - actually the same process applies.

If the IDW is for an Assembly then you don't need to do both the IDW and
the Assembly - just do the IDW and the assembly will be cleaned up as well.
--
Thanks,

Brian Roepke
Product Manager, MSD
Data Management

[KingsKorna]

Thanks Brian, that seems to be working.
Would it be best for me to "check out entire folder" rather than opening one assembly at a time? This way the references would be checked out also.

[Anonymous]

Yes - A "Check Out Folder" is a safe operation here to dump everything
to your disk and check them out too. As long as you are checking "in"
via Inventor you should be safe.

As you have found -

1) Add files
2) (and) Check In

do not update references - basically we need to "ask" Inventor how
assemblies are put together, and therefore the reason we need to do it
from the application.

--
Thanks,

Brian Roepke
Product Manager, MSD
Data Management