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Inventor project file keeps switching to default

14 REPLIES 14
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Message 1 of 15
jacob.gondek
5174 Views, 14 Replies

Inventor project file keeps switching to default

I run inventor with Vault. I have a project file set up in my vault directory. Each time I close everything and restart my computer inventor switches the Project back to default. I have deleted every .ipj I could find. Below is a screen shot of what I see every morning. It should be on vault but it is not. If I start by checking out a file from vault it checks it back in because the .IPJ is not set in inventor. Does anyone else have this problem?

14 REPLIES 14
Message 2 of 15
karthur1
in reply to: jacob.gondek

 
Message 3 of 15
innovatenate
in reply to: jacob.gondek

In the Tools ribbon > Application Options > File tab > the "Projects folder" directory usually contains shortcuts to the project files listed in the project editor. If you browse to that location, do you see a shortcut associated to the VAULT.ipj?

 

Do you have read/write access to the "Projects folder" directory?

 

 

 




Nathan Chandler
Principal Specialist
Message 4 of 15
craigzcool
in reply to: innovatenate

Im having a similar problem. I have 2 computers sharing an external hard drive over windows 7 hmoegroup sharing (read/write access)

 

When one computer clicks projects on inventor, All the short-cuts are deleted straight away and only the default shows... i then browse and add some shortcuts back.

 

on the 2nd computer when I click Projects on inventor, the newly added short-cuts are instantly wiped from the physical hard drive,  and only the default project is visible. This loop keeps repeating!

 

Please help

 

Message 5 of 15
craigzcool
in reply to: craigzcool

just to add. the shortcuts are being deleted from the main projects folder and not the individual project folder. each time I click browse, go into the project folder and re-point to the original ipj file.. inventor then places a shortcut in the main projects folder but is deleted by the other computer

Message 6 of 15
craigzcool
in reply to: craigzcool

another consideration, At our main office we have the same system worknig perfectly with our external project storage being a server (using single-user projects) but the example I'm refering to here is using a standard USB hard drive plugged in, im not sure if that has anything to do with it.

 

any help will be much apreciated, 

 

Thanks, Craig

Message 7 of 15
innovatenate
in reply to: jacob.gondek

In my experience, working directly off of an external USB hard drive is a bad idea. You are more likely to corrupt data working over a network drive, especially if it is a USB external drive. A great feature of Vault, is that data can be edited from a local hard-drive, while be managed from a centralized location.

 

Some things to consider about saving files in Inventor:

 

  • Inventor handles no I/O directly, it depends on the Microsoft Windows API for all file handling
  • Inventor does not store and work off of a local copy like Autocrat does, all work is done on the live copy of the file
  • The file is only locked during the actual read/write process
  • Lock is released immediately after I/O is done
  • Read as last save wins. This is a major advantage of a Vault.
  • Inventor makes heavy use of the Microsoft structured file system
  • Structured Storage provides file and data persistence in COM by handling a single file as a structured collection of objects known as storages and streams
  • The purpose of Structured Storage is to reduce the performance penalties and overhead associated with storing separate objects in a single file. Structured Storage provides a solution by defining how to handle a single file entity as a structured collection of two types of objectsā€”storages and streamsā€”through a standard implementation called Compound Files. This enables the user to interact with, and manage, a compound file as if it were a single file rather than a nested hierarchy of separate objects.
  • Inventor takes advantage of features in the MS Structured File System to increase I/O performance.
  • Inventor files are different than most Windows files. Each of the files could be considered a database collection of different files. 
  • Inventor only reads the information that is needed for the task at hand.which reduces file read and write time
  • When Inventor writes the file back it makes use of the structured file system clone feature. It clones the sections of the file that were not read and creates the newly updated file form the cloned information and the modified information.
  • Inventor Saves to a temporary file and then moves the original into old versions and then renames the temp file to the original name.

 Some of these bullet points are not ideal for an external storage device environment.

 

The project files disappearing may be a signal that there is significant latency working on the USB drive. When initializing the project editor, a maintenance procedure will occur. Any projects that have been deleted or moved, we be removed from the project editor as part of a house-cleaning procedure, designed into the project editor. For example, I generally have a separate .IPJ file for each support case that I'm working on. If I delete the data and the associated project file, the next time I initialize the project editor, Inventor will remove it automatically.

 

I suspect for this issue, latency through the USB connection is tricking Inventor into thinking the project file has been deleted or moved during initialization of the project editor. Next, the shortcut is deleted and the project is removed from the project editor. Anti-virus software may be the primary cause of this latency; most likely, there is a hardware performance limitation generating this issue.

 

You may consider testing with your anti-virus disabled. However, I suspect that the USB connection is to blame.

 

Hope this helps.

 

 

 




Nathan Chandler
Principal Specialist
Message 8 of 15

Still having this problem.  Use a local server to store files.  Do not use vault.  Every day the software changes the project to "default".  Very annoying like many things inventor.

Message 9 of 15

Hi! I am not aware of an Inventor process deleting project shortcuts automatically. Could it be a system script triggered by Admin? Or, did somebody use the same computer reset the profile or use Inventor Reset Utility?

Many thanks!



Johnson Shiue (johnson.shiue@autodesk.com)
Software Test Engineer
Message 10 of 15

It's not that there is a shortcut involved. When inventor is started, the project is "default".
Message 11 of 15

Hi! When it starts, Default project is active. Are there any other projects in the dialog to choose from? Or, Default is the only one?

Many thanks!



Johnson Shiue (johnson.shiue@autodesk.com)
Software Test Engineer
Message 12 of 15
TONELLAL
in reply to: johnsonshiue

Hi,

I had this problem when ipj file is in a network folder. For unknown Windows reason, when starting the computer, some network folders are not automatically connected. So, if you ipj fil is on one of these folders, Inventor cannot find it ad switch to Default.

To check if it is the same problem :

-When you start your computer, do you have a tooltip at the right bottom corner, with a message like "All networks folders are not connected" ?

-Launch an Explorer, if some network folders are not connected you have a red cross on it. Click on the folder, it should connect and Inventor will find the ipj.

 

Hope this help !

Message 13 of 15
JamieVJohnson2
in reply to: TONELLAL

Our systems all use dual drive machines where vault caches all the configuration files to each local PC.  SO, no network settings involved.  We only have 2 ipj files we use 1 for vault (Designs.ipj) and 1 for everything else (Default.ipj).  Default.ipj is located in its original location: C:\Users\Public\Documents\Autodesk\Inventor 2018\Default.ipj (and accessible by shortcut in the root vault working folder).  Designs.ipj is in the actual Vault working folder root, where it also has a shortcut to the designs.ipj right next to it).  Having only 2 to choose from, Inventor tends to get it right 50% of the time.  But we only use default on rare circumstances (to modify library files), and always switch it back and carefully close Inventor to ensure it saves the user settings.  Inventor tends to change it (set active without user intervention) anyway, for some more than others.  What could be the reason?  Vault is set to use Designs.ipj by force, so it should be doing it properly, but not always.  In some cases, the side effect is multiple Inventor's attempt to open from Vault Explorer's open file command (error message follows).

 

Any other ideas of what is causing this or how to fix it?

jvj
Message 14 of 15
karthur1
in reply to: JamieVJohnson2

I have seen this happen (switch to Default.ipj) but I have never been able to put my finger on exactly what causes it.  I do know that for a special case, if you (or anyone else) use Inventor view from Vault Explorer to view Inventor files, it can cause Inventor to change to the Default.ipj.

 

Here is the special case:

1. With Inventor closed, right-click on a file in Vault Pro and choose "View in Window" on a part in Vault. Vault will copy several files to the C:\temp folder for this instance of "View in Window".  The folder will be named something starting with your server location.

2. Close the file that it just opened.  In windows explorer, browse to the C:\temp folder and delete the folder created in the previous step.

3. Open Inventor.  It will now be set to the "Default.ipj".

 

What actually happens:

1. In the first step, the files that are copied out to the c:\temp folder.  If you were to open Inventor now, Inventor .ipj will be set to the this .ipj file.

2. When you delete the folder and then open Inventor, since Inventor can't find the Designs.ipj it is looking for, it reverts back to the "Default.ipj".

 

Maybe something like this is happening on your side.  I know that if I never close Inventor, then the ipj never gets mysteriously changed.

 

Kirk

Message 15 of 15
tschaeferZNBXX
in reply to: karthur1

Have you checked your default start up actions in the Application options?

 

 

Thomas "Matt" Schaefer
Engineering Tooling and Vault Manager for Material Handling Systems MHS


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