How do you change library parts.

[Anonymous]

I have directory of hardware I use for all my projects. It is called Standard Parts and I add it to the library of all my projects. I used to be able to make changes to these parts now with Inventor 2009 it won't let me make changes to Library parts. I know I can save a copy of the part outside the Library, make the changes then copy it back to the Library. But, I would like to be able to make the changes like I used to. How can I go about doing that.
Ed

[Anonymous]

Set up a project file with no library, then you will be able to modify the files.

[Anonymous]

I think that John meant...

Set up a Project file with the current library folder path set
up as the workspace...

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[KenGundel]

I had the same problem here as I'm setting up standard parts, so I changed from using a library path to a Workgroup search path. Since I'm the only user, no one else will be modifying the std parts. Any potential problems in my future?? I can always switch back to the library path at any time. IV2008.

[dan_inv09]

Ed,

I apologize in advance, most of this post is going to sound like I'm being a jerk and/or calling you a liar, it's just that it should never have worked the way you describe.
You already know that you can edit library parts by exiting your current project and using a project that does not have that directory set as Library.

The whole purpose of the library, from the very beginning, is to have files that you cannot edit.
Help says a Library
"Shows paths to locations of files that are referenced and used, but not modified as part of the project."
The "but not modified as part of the project" seems to give it away.

Now, you will probably get a bunch of "answers" telling you how to modify Library files, but I don't think anyone knows how to break the Library the way you used to have it. I suspect you may not have had your library set up normally if you were able to edit library parts without either changing projects or copying the files. Looking at Help, it may be possible that you had that directory set up as an Included File rather than a Library.

You might want to look back at an old project to make sure how you have it set up.

Again, I'm sorry for the way all that sounds.

[Anonymous]

Only that library folders are using an absolute path,
therefore searched faster when opening large assemblies. Workgroup paths are
relative paths and are searched slower when many folders are created in the
workgroup. However, I would still use two different projects.

Adding another user in the future will be
problematic.

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[KenGundel]

Thanks for the input Dennis. I still don't quite have the "big picture" of the project concept yet, eventually in time! Aside from the search speed (or lack of), how does the two project plan work? what is different and when to use which. One of the on-line tutorials recommended one project to ease the future transition to Vault, that's my current setup (without using Vault for now). Also what problems with adding new users? Sorry if I'm asking alot, but while we are on the subject...

[Anonymous]

No offense taken. I will look back and see if the path had been something other than a library. What I remember doing specifically is in the properties of bolts and nuts under stock number changing a description to what the customer on the current project uses. Everybody has different ways of specifing things and I match up with the current project. The nature of my work is diffenent projects amoung different customers and the current project is the only one that matters. Once I finish a project and it is built and installed it is history so the change in stock number is irrelevent.
Thank all of you for all your suggestions.
Ed

[Anonymous]

Short tutorials on projects...

href="http://teknigroup.com/AU2007">http://teknigroup.com/AU2007

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[KenGundel]

That was actually the tutorial I was refering to, found it in a search on the old forum. So can you elaborate on the use of two projects, is one setup to allow editing of library parts and one is not, still not sure...

[dan_inv09]

The recommended practice is to set up the content center to use your part/stock/etc. numbers/descriptions/etc.

There have been many posts in the past from people trying to edit the content center. From them I got the impression that it wasn't easy. Plus our numbering system is not the best and would require paying careful attention to each nut and bolt, etc.

I also edit the iProperties on a bolt by bolt basis, so I know that still works. Are you opening the cc parts? I do it in the assembly environment, right click the bolt (it's a pain when they're patterned you have to go into the browser and expand the pattern to select one) and pick properties then type in what you need and close that window. Then when you save the assembly click the "No(Library)" to change it to yes.

Do you have "Do not list referenced files that default to "No" in the Save dialog" checked on the save tab of application options? That might prevent you from saving them.

Now, I have a problem with this method. It might just be fasteners I haven't changed since we upgraded but it seems like it doesn't stick. Just about every job I come across one or two fasteners with the default description, etc.. They usually have a coworker's name in Designer and/or Author so I'm assuming that when he is placing them they are overwriting my corrected properties in the community cc.

[KenGundel]

I used cc during essentials training, but for some reason it wasn't set up correctly here by the previous user. Our instructor was cautioning against editing the standard parts, even just the properties, that bad things could happen. He said make a copy of what you wanted but I couldn't get too deep as it was outside the scope of training. We don't use a lot of commercial parts, other than some structural hw with our steel fab. I've made templates for what I need so far as my hw library grows, Maybe the steel shapes could come in handy, again with the templates (fill in the parameter table). I'm probably missing the boat on cc and may get into it with the IV2009 upgrade.

[Anonymous]

Did you read the AU Handout and the tutorials?  There's
also a Smaple Directory structure installer on th eweb page.

In the paper and the example there are three specific folder
is located at the same folder level in your directory structure they
are:

Content Center

Designs    (locate your project file - IPJ
here)

Libraries

In the above example, Designs is your workspace. Your project
search path is located in subfolders located under the design folder. Both
Content Center and

Libraries may be located anywhere on your system or network OUTSIDE your
project search path. As a result the content center folders and library folders
are flagged as read-only within the current project.

In order to create a project that will allow you to edit those same library
folders, you will need to place a project file (IPJ) in the top-level Library
folder. When that is done, that folder and all subfolders underneath the Library
folder will be editable.

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[Anonymous]

Second Image

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[dan_inv09]

How do you hold things together? I know there are some people who made iParts for all the fasteners they need, and it would probably take less total time then correcting things as needed, but I don't think I could justify it to management. (A word of advice, be careful using the O.D., I.D., and overall width on Content Center tapered roller bearings those dimensions might not be accurate, and almost all of the other dim's will be dead wrong.)

[KenGundel]

So far my steel structures in IV had not fallen apart, even without all the fasteners 😉 Our field crews carry boxes of HardWare on their trucks and use as required. If I have a close clearance or something special I put it in the assembly.

[KenGundel]

The handout was very imformative when I was setting the file structure up. I have "designs" and "std parts" at the same level on the network. My one and only project just has the std parts under the "workgroup search paths" vs. "libraries". That makes it easier for me to finetune not being read-only.

For a test, I just removed it from the search path and added it into the library path. The one assy I tried opened fine but the std parts were read-only as expected. Should be ok to do this for good in the future with more users involved.

Thanks for your patience, Ken

[Jason.Webster]

Ed/Dan, Until I upgraded to R2009, I was mostly working in R10. I was ALWAYS able to modify the custom properties of my library files. This mostly related to the custom p/n field I used (past upgrades reset the p/n field on ipart children so I started using my own custom property) and another custom field (sheet number or 'PUR' for purchased since my customers like split ballons).

Once I upgraded to R2009, I could no longer modify the custom properties of my library files. I had to use the trick of setting up a project where the library directory was the project.

My problem now is that I cannot EASILY alter the properties of fastener iparts (don't use content center - I use a handful of iparts for what I need). When I open the child, there are NO properties to modify. I can see them in the assembly (from which I cannot alter them now) but cannot access them when I open the file.

I know for certain that all of my past projects had my standard components as LIBRARY files not as included files. My local VAR was surprised that I was able to modify these custom properties. I showed him on my actual computer and he agreed that I was indeed editing the library file properties which should not have worked.

I was happy with how it worked (could change custom properties but not the actual design of a part) - this made BOM editing much easier. I don't know when this 'feature' was 'fixed' by Autodesk (recall I used mostly R10 until jumping up to R2009) but I wished they had not 'fixed' it.
Thanks, Jason

[Anonymous]

Libraries in projects have always been Read Only..... as
designed.

Possibly a look at your R10 project might provide a
clue.

Here's my Projects tutorial from the R8 days. You can see that
back then it was just like IV2009.

href="http://teknigroup.com/courseware/Inventor%20Level-I/iv8module1/index.htm">http://teknigroup.c... 
size=2>
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[dan_inv09]

Yesterday, I was able to change iProperties for Library files.

Today I can't!

Now I have to try and find the "Plain Washer (Inch )Type A and B" that is in my assembly without my assembly open so I can fix the description.

It worked yesterday, what the heck happened?

Now I see what Ed was talking about, I didn't change anything, and all of a sudden I'm experiencing the problem I didn't believe he had.

(The network was kind of slow all day yesterday, I think IT screwed something up without telling anyone.)