Recent Error - Encountered an Improper argument

[Anonymous]

We upgraded to Vault Basic 2015 last week from 2014. Since then, one of users keeps getting the error a couple times a day and is forced to restart everytime. It's only one of our users and we've never had this issue in the past, any suggestions? All our computers are the same as far as hardware goes so I am confident that's not the issue.

[JeffPaquette6500]

Try deleting the following key in the registry:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Autodesk\Inventor

We have seen this error, and deleting that key cleared the error.

[Anonymous]

Hello Jeff, Could you please clarify which key to delete? The item you specified is an entire folder in the registry, with myriad settings nested under it. Does this information get re-created the next time I start Inventor? Thanks, David Fletcher

[Anonymous]

Hello Jeff,

I tried some other things (but did not delete the registry key as you suggested) and here is what I found.

The InventorVault "Encountered an improper argument" error always comes up right after I click "Generate Files" in an iAssembly Factory.  The drawing was telling me that the member was out of date, so like a good little CAD monkey, I go into the drawing view, select "Open", then find the member in the table list, and click "Generate Files."

Commence infinite error loop of hell.

So, I looked at the Vault view of the files in my iAssembly Factory.  I noticed that one iPart Factory member had a "*" beside its name, meaning that Inventor had already updated this part.  It was not checked out to me, however.  So I checked it out.  I then opened that iPart Factory, and selected "Generate Files" for the member that was included in my iAssembly.  No problem.  Save.  Go Back to iAssembly and click "Generate FIles" for the member in my drawing.  No problem.  Go back to the drawing.  Everything is rosy!

Save.  Check in.  Using Vault is kinda picky.  And, you guys at Autodesk could handle errors a bit better.  I mean, a simple, "You're attempting to over-write a file, named "XYZ" that you don't have checked out.  Would you like to check it out?" window would have saved me hours, and writing this post.

If others are having this problem, and if this solution works, please comment a yea or nay.

David

[mark.trotter]

I have been having the same issue for the last month. What we found out (my Inventor guru and I) was that if Ihad several large associated assemblies open and I tried to refresh a part in one of the assemblies (usually the lowest), Inventor would lock up an present the dialog box "improper argument...".  When I closed all but one assembly, the refresh works fine.

Also, here is a comment from our contact at Hagerman;

Autodesk suggests deleting the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Autodesk\Inventor key from the registry.  That actually solves a lot of issues.  The down side is that any customizations you’ve made to the UI or the Application Options would be lost; Inventor will look and behave like it did when it was first installed.

This did not work with several assemblies open and I have not tried it with just one assembly open.  Worth a try though.

Mark

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your reply, Mark.

I have come up against this issues specifically when working with iAssemblies and Drawings of iAssembly members.  Here is the scenario to avoid:

1. Create an iAssembly Factory with some members.

2. Create a drawing of one of the members.  Keep this drawing file open.

3. Change something in the iAssembly Factory Table for the member that is in the open drawing.

4. Return to the drawing. "This view is out of date..." error pops up, and nothing seems to shake it; no amount of rebuilding, saving, etc. helps.

5. Return to the iAssembly and select the member in the Table Tree browser, and select "Generate Files"

6. This will commence your infinite error loop of hell, "Encountered an Improper Argument".  It could just say, "Oops, you have the drawing of this member open, and we can't refresh the file right now until you clost that drawing file."  Interesting note:  if it does happen to you, it IS possible to furiosly hit <Enter> and click the <Close> button unitl you by some random chance actually close the document.  Inventor will then ask you to save before it closes, and the files just close.  Usually takes about 100 tries to get it.

So all you have to do to avoid THIS error, is close the drawings before you click "Generate Files".  Then when you re-open the drawings, they are all good.

Happy CAD-ing!

David Fletcher

Autodesk, please fix this error!  It says "InventorVault" at the top of the error message.

[Breeze104]

David, 

Just to add a different twist to the post...  I am getting the same error in Inventor 2015, but, I can't close any files, I am going to have to totally shut Inventor down.  Also, all of the items that once were in an iPart are no longer associated and there is no iASS'Ys in the model.  I was breaking a larger assembly into smaller assembly for production dwgs purposes.  This is a functiojn that I do on an almost daily basis so why it decided to throw this error today I am unsure.

Oh  now I remember why it is doing this today....IT'S MONDAY!!!!

[mtu]

I had the same error in inventor 2018

i delete this folder

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Autodesk\Inventor\RegistryVersion22.0\DockingAreasRibbon]