I remember when Inventor Worked

[jletcher]

Ok I remember the days when Inventor worked now not so much. One complaint getting from clients is the BOM

and Part list.

When I teach Inventor in the assembly I tell my clients to reorder the BOM in the assembly and when they go to do the drawing part list it will be in the correct order they wanted it to be.

Well this is no longer true and is very frustrating. They can spend 5 to 10 minutes reordering the BOM in the assembly just to find out they have to redo it in the drawing Part list.

I have notice my Don't add anything till you fix it is not the best idea any longer.

What I don't understand is we have a the opportunity to tell Autodesk we are not happy with thing not working when they did before. But yet votes for this lack.

Here is JPG's for you..

But now not correct

Now this is a small assembly but the next one he has to do has about 40 sub assemblies and 150 parts.

Please go vote for the bugs to be fixed before we add anything else...

Thanks for your support..

[Rory_M]

I think it's always been this way. I'm pretty sure of it.

I always sort and renumber in the BOM, then edit the now mangled parts list and click the Sort button, select Sort by Item and it's done.

It's a few extra clicks, but I'd be very happy if it became an automatic feature. Maybe a tick box in the Edit Parts List dialog that said "Keep sorted in item order"

Rory

[jletcher]

Rory

 No from the day I was shown this back in Inventor 4 it has always worked for me never ever an issue. I have done thousands and always works till this release 2012 I will not update to 2013... I will have to see about 2014 if I don't find an alternative software to start using.

Now about 75% of the time it works.

Like he did that one I posted so I went and did the next assembly and it did not work.

So the next assembly I did it and it worked.

The next assembly worked but the next after that did not.

No that is why that option is in Inventor so you can reorder it in the assembly than give it to a drafter and it was in the order the engineer wanted it to be in.

So this is a bug.

Never ever had this issue in any of the other releases.

I have one client I told him not to use Inventor he will have better luck with his Autocad 2008. But I will keep him informed if Autodesk gets back on track.

[mpatchus]

In the drawing, simply edit the parts list and SORT without selecting any criteria.  This will put items in the order defined by the BOM.

[jletcher]

Yes, I know of this but it is another step that should not have to happen.

 CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK 

My darn finger is killing me from all the CLICKS...

I did a test 2011 classic and 2011 new interface Did the exact same on both.

Classic= 87 clicks

New interface= 124 clicks

Classic= 20 minutes

New Interface= 36 minutes

16 minutes added not good....

[ampster401]

replied to this yesterday then deleted it.

I said something to the effect of confirming what James seen previously, it used to work that way.

The reason I deleted the 1st post was because of the first part of this next comment was similar to,

My vote is for Autodesk to create yet another forum where people can go complain about what ever they want to in order to be able to use this forum for what it's intended for, assisting with problems and such.  Maybe not a "complaint" forum per say, maybe more something along the lines of "bug reporting" forum.

Just a suggestion, please don't take it wrong James.

[4donwan4]

I understand your frustration with possible limitations or what would have seemed to worked in the past. I would tend to agree with the extra click in IDW, but since that is not what you want then I suggest going here and adding your two cents. If you would like to enter a wish list item asking for this to be considered as an enhancement please use the following link.
http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?siteID=123112&id=1109794

This can also be used to report regressions within the products.

Don

[jletcher]

Ampster,

 No I will not take it wrong no worries,

 But the only bad thing about it is no one will go look at that forum, I want everyone to know and start to unit and get this crap fixed.

Now if you link a new forum that is link to the investors emails than you may have something. But as Autodesk does not care about the end user they will produce more bugs and junk most don't need in a manufacturing software,

Some clients I have ask me to come in and see if 3D would be the best thing for their company. Now when Inventor was a software for manufacturing I would tell them yes it would. But now I tell them autocad seems to be working great for you I would stay in the 2d world. When asked why I let them know when Inventor 1st came out it was the best thing I have used and as they added more features for manufacturing it was getting better. Than they decided to screw it all up with Vault, rendering crap, Mold design, and now is no longer a manufacturing software but a rendering software like viz and max.

Autodesk need to realize we need to design parts and make drawings and not render. I have talked to about 2000 users and not one used the molding or the rendering. Their comment was we need to make parts not pictures.

I have yet to see a firm that have enough time for their engineers to render a picture most the time when you finish the part and the drawing you are on the next job not making renderings.

Than when they went to this crappy new interface and added time to designing I have a whole new list of clients that want to change from Inventor to something the need and works, four clients have now went completely back to autocrat after the release of 2012. Drop their subscription.

[cbenner]

James,

If you can believe it or not, the Idea Station forums that were recently started on this site ARE looked at quite regularly by Autodesk people.  These are set up for very specific recommendations for fixes, enhancements etc. to various software packages.  As you well know, there is a lot of stuff that needs to be addressed.  Autodesk knows this too, and wether it looks that way or not, they do listen to the users.  But the task at hand is often more overwhelming than we users realize.  Are they perfect at hearing and responding?  Of course not, and they know that too.

My suggestion is to take a look at the idea stations and start posting very specific issues, with very specific proposed solutions.  Then come back in here, and post a link to what you posted in the idea station and ask for users to "kudo" and leave feedback on your ideas.  You will see that some ideas have been implemented, others are being reviewed for implementation... some are set as needing more feedback... etc.  I have place many ideas in there and gotten direct contact from the product developers to ask for more information.  Be specific and be positive... that will draw more atention.  The more kudos your ideas get, the more attention the draw.  A positive and even humorous (hard when you're angry) feel to your posts will cause more people to want to give it kudos.

Just my humble opinions...

[jletcher]

cbenner

 I do have one there called Don't add anything.

 There is only one suggestion stop and fix it. Stop chasing other software Inventor is Inventor not solid works not viz not max not Microsoft Office.

But as they developed Inventor they have moved away from manufacturing software.

As far as listening to users sorry but not so they may make you feel like they do but not a chance. They know how to get a hold of me I use to work for them so this is how I also know they don't care about the end user but only the stock holders.

Plus I tried the polite approach for years when I seen them moving away from the end user and to the stock holder. This is where I draw my line in the sand with being polite and go into my rant.

Point in hand the one thing that Autodesk drove into my head when showing Inventor was that there will be one package Inventor the main selling idea one software for the manufacturer. But now you have what 8-9 Inventors?

 Maybe if they went back to one type of Inventor and develop the one there would not be so many bugs. Plus stop coming out with two releases a year slow down take your time make it right. I don't care if they took 2 years to come out with new release just make it work. I understand that you will have a bug or 2 but when you come out with a patch that is the same size as the software itself you have issues.

When they started coming out with this new interface there was so much dislike for it so what did they do they toke out the classic. So tell me where did they listen to the end user here?

 I don't want to get going on the crap they did to 2013 so far I have 6 clients after showing them 2013 they  have decided to stay with 2011.

Inventor was the only thing I would praise about loved it all the way up to 2011 only one thing I hate is multi user cannot be used without vault.

Now vault is a good example AutoDesk does not care about the end user but the stock holder. Multi user worked before they came out with this Vault junk but then they seen how no one was using it so they decided to force you to use it by making it so multi user no longer works unless you use Vault.

Then to make you buy full version off the crap Vault they make it so the vault that came with Inventor only works up to 5 users. Another stock driven feature.

But then you find out the server that you had is no good for vault so now they have to go by a new server.

So I do have one in the idea section but as for Autodesk is for the end user no sorry not one bit.

[CelticDesignServices]

Maybe I'm missing something here but I don't see the issue. I do this all day long without problems. Mind you, the parts of these assemblies I'm working on more often than not were not created by me and even some assemblies, so they always need adjusting, especially on the parts lists. Typically I'll create the views, then insert the parts list, edit as needed and then I select the sort by item option. (see attached) and all is well on the drawing and in the parts list. Works like a charm as far as I've seen.

[jletcher]

Yes I know of this.

But if you read my statement the engineers set up the way they want the parts list they do this in the assembly then it gets handed off to the drafter. The drafter makes views and dimensions and attached balloons.

The reason they do this is for the excel sheet they need before handing it to the draftsman.

And the draftsman is not to mess with the parts list this is their procedure and now it is a buggy one and is not making my clients happy at all.

Worked like this for 6 years until they came out with 2012 and now bugs have invaded.

And if you all show autodesk there are work around this crap will never get fixed..

[CelticDesignServices]

Wow...now that's a process.

If I get a chance I'll see if I can duplicate that process and see what happens in 2013.

[cbenner]

I've said my peace, and I'm sorry you disagree.

[cwhetten]

I don't really want to get involved in this "discussion", but for the benefit of other readers, something jletcher said needs to be corrected:

---

@Anonymous wrote:

...the vault that came with Inventor only works up to 5 users. 

---

This just isn't true.  We have been using the basic Vault that comes with Inventor for 6 years (since Vault 4), and our number of users has grown from 3 to about 20, and we are soon to add another 15 - 30 users.  All without ever needing to upgrade to a higher, paid version of Vault.

-cwhetten

[jletcher]

@cwhetten

Then you have a SQL server? If so yes you can go up in clients but 80% of people don't have a SQL server they are to expensive.

But if you do not Autodesk says Vault will only handle 5 clients.

I will find a link for you when I get a chance too.

Reason I know this is one of my clients was being told by autodesk to go to Vault but in the meeting found out they would have to upgrade the server and was told over 5 clients in the standard would not be best and need to upgrade to full Vault.

So when calling me out make sure you get all facts involved. I read what I put and I do have it backwards.

It should say if you want more than 5 clients you will have to upgrade the server to SQL and Autodesk recommends more than 12 clients upgrade to full version.

.

[jletcher]

Here is a link go to page 6

And my bad it was 5 users without upgrade now it is 10. I have not been following it because to me it is a waste of time.

 (But only with SQL server upgrade.)

http://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/best_practices1.pdf

I am surprise you have not had issues yet but again I don;t know if you do have issues.

[jletcher]

Here is another link

http://www.synergis.com/uploads/resources/tutorials/To_Vault_or_Not_to_Vault_Part_II_010408.pdf

[CelticDesignServices]

OK Jim,

I attempted to follow the steps you specified in hopes of duplicating what you are seeing and for the life of me I can't get it to do as you claim.

(See my attached pics (can anyone explian why I no longer have the ability to insert pics here?)

The first two are of an assembly prior to modifying the BOM and the PL on the drawing. Note the Item Number versus the Part Number for each. I will then change the Item Number to correspond with the Part Number, i.e. Item 1 = Part -001, Item 2 = Part -002, etc.

The next two pics (in the reply post) show the changes prior to sorting.

The next two (in the next replay post) are showing the reordered BOM of the assembly file and then the PL on the drawing.

Everything seems to be fine. Am I missing something in your process?

[CelticDesignServices]

Reply post 1 for pics to above post