External iLogic rules and templates

[arlania415]

Hi everyone,

I am seeing an odd issue with external rules. It sounds like a bug ("it is a feature" jokes would really have to be explained...). The best way for me to present it is to explain how I came to it and why, so here it is:

I am trying to build a set of scripts (aka iLogic rules) into templates. So far, quite a common task. One extra requirement is that the scripts need to be updatable after parts have been instanciated from the template. That is, we do not want to update all of the ipt each time a new material option is added to the script. That means that external rules are the only way to go, right? This is the road I tried and it seems to work on my machine.

One extra requirement is that the whole project must be shared between several workstations. We went the Subversion road for that (for all the Vault comments, this is simply not what we need here. No flame war please). The scripts are distributed properly and in the same absolute location on the two test machines, all good (I checked the md5 on both side and they all match). The application options on all the machines are all set the same way (export the xml file, check it in the source control, import on all the machines restart). The iLogic search path is also updated, but manually this time, since it is not included in the application options export. It should all work perfectly right? Well, sort of....

I did create a tiny assembly from the templates. On my source machine, all looks good. The ilogic rules are both listed in the ilogic browser and the triggers are set when I instanciate from the template. This is the intended behavior. Now, I close inventor, copy the whole directory to a new machine, open inventor there and open the project. The rules do not appear anymore in the browser, but they are still listed in the trigger list (wtf?). The best part is that if I do not touch anything, stuff still works! The scripts are found and run properly!! Now, if I have to change the triggers or even find the rule in the browser to run it manually, well, bad-stuff-happens (tm).

All the files in question are indentical on both machines, the ilogic files, the ipt files, the application options export, all with the same hash. The ilogic search path is also set the same as are the absolute paths. It should work the same (tm).

Me sending a copy of the files is not likely to help though. Since the problem happens when you copy. I could try to "pack and go", but that would break reason #1 for doing that, which is keeping only one version of the script and adding materials at only one place for all the projects.

Thanks

J.

[PaulMunford]

Sounds like you are doing great!

Unfrotunately, the path to where the iLogic rules are stored must be set on each machine manually. This is currently controlled in the iLogic options only, and there is no way to set it programatically.

Here are a couple of resources you might find useful:

http://cadsetterout.com/guest-posts/ilogic-playing-by-rules-augiworld/

http://autodeskmfg.typepad.com/blog/ilogic/

[HermJan.Otterman]

My problem is that for some reason my server is hidden, when I type \\servername\ in my windows explorer I can find the right path where my external rules are stored. The problem is that I can't see the server path in the iLogic Configuration / Browse For Folder dialog.

I also searched the registry, to put in the path manually but I can't find in there either.

So is there a way to type the path in manually, in a ini-file or so?

Thanks

[SBix26]

The external rules path is stored in the following file (on my XP computer- should be similar on 7): %user%\Local Settings\Application Data\Autodesk,_Inc\DefaultDomain_Path_2awpc0kafrjcv03lo0bxxge1dqftrp20\Autodesk®_Inventor®_2012\user.config.  This is an .xml file with lots of other settings for iLogic also.

[HermJan.Otterman]

Thanks Sam,

I work with Windows 7 and Inventor 2013, the path is than:

C:\Users\Admin\AppData\Local\Autodesk,_Inc\DefaultDomain_Path_auy0uw3qwqde4zs0rm1cz1fkj5cf54lq\Autodesk®_Inventor®_2013\user.config    ....  where Admin is the username.

fould the path settings and changed them, and it work!

Great!!

Thanks again

HJ