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Tube and pipe run problem inserting parts into runs and routes

14 REPLIES 14
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Message 1 of 15
rmirzage
4517 Views, 14 Replies

Tube and pipe run problem inserting parts into runs and routes

I will start a tube and pipe run in an assembly and make a run with a couple routes.  I will then add parts from content center or authored parts on my c drive and have them automatically connected in the route or replace a part in the route.  This usually work right the first time.  After saving and closing the assembly and then coming back to it later or even when I continue to work on the runs and routes I will sometimes come to a point where I will try to put a content center part or authored part into a run or route and it doesn't allow it.  I have to then manually constrain the parts to the run or route for it to work.  Why does it allow me to connect parts one time and then another time I can't connect parts.  Also those runs and routes, that I can't automatically insert parts into, will not automatically delete the parts when I try to delete the route, and if I delete the route separately and then try to delete the individual components it wont allow me to.  I am using Inventor 2014 pro.  This seriously has been slowing my work.  Any help is appreciated.

 

Thanks,

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14 REPLIES 14
Message 2 of 15
bob_holland
in reply to: rmirzage

Reza,

 

The part that you are having an issue with on your pipe run, was it published to your Custom Tube and Pipe Library?

One of the best ways to test this is to try and republish it to you Custom Tube and Pipe Library.

If nothing is there or if it throws a warning that it’s been authored for another application you will know it wasn’t set up for T&P use.

 

I have included a couple of older skill builder PDFs to assist you in publishing Tube and Pipe content.

 

Thank you.

 


Bob Holland
Autodesk Product Support
Message 3 of 15
cbenner
in reply to: rmirzage

Reza,

 

Can you post screen shots of the routes in question?  Would adding these fittings cause you to violate any of the rules set up in your tube & pipe styles, such as minimum segment length?  Are you copy and pasting any of these fittings? (this does not work well in T&P) Do you have the problem only with certain fittings, or is it a fitting that works in one spot and not in another?  Are there any end treatment issues?  (eg. welded vs threaded)

Message 4 of 15
jasonh70
in reply to: cbenner

Bumping this as I'm having the same issue.  All the routes within a particular run will not allow me to add components.  All other runs within the same overall assembly work fine.  There aren't any errors in any of the routes.  I also notice that "Edit Fitting Orientation" on all the components within the faulty run is greyed out.

Inventor Professional 2014 Build 222
Dell Precision T3500, Intel Xeon W3550 3.07 GHz, 12GB RAM, Win7 SP1
Message 5 of 15
cbenner
in reply to: jasonh70

I have to give the same answer:  This is nearly impossible to diagnose without at least some pictures. 

 

Can you verify that adding these fittings does not violate Tube & Pipe style rules?  Are there any errors in the active T&P style itself?  Any Content Center errors?

 

Without the files or at least screen shots, this is all just guessing.

Message 6 of 15
jasonh70
in reply to: cbenner

Agree it's tough to diagnose something without seeing it.  I'm not sure how to take a picture of something not happening.  No rule violations, no content center errors.  No route errors.  I can try any fitting from our content center - it works in all the other runs just not in this one. 

I have to correct my statement about the edit fitting connections selection.  It's not available on the fittings in this run.  The fitting that had it greyed out was one that was placed manually with contraints after this issue came up.

Inventor Professional 2014 Build 222
Dell Precision T3500, Intel Xeon W3550 3.07 GHz, 12GB RAM, Win7 SP1
Message 7 of 15
cbenner
in reply to: jasonh70
Message 8 of 15
jasonh70
in reply to: cbenner

Correct.  It won't drop into the line, or attach to the end.  It's like it doesn't see it at all.  That's what I'm doing in the 2nd picture.  The gray valve is hovering over the line and it won't insert.

Inventor Professional 2014 Build 222
Dell Precision T3500, Intel Xeon W3550 3.07 GHz, 12GB RAM, Win7 SP1
Message 9 of 15
cbenner
in reply to: jasonh70

Well, that's just strange.  That's the kind of behavior that gave me most of my grey hair.  Dumb question, but with the opacity in T&P STILL not working properly, it's hard to tell... are you sure you're drilled down to the right level?  I know if you're one level too high in the sub-assembly, fittings will not go into the run.  Or is that what you're showing in picture 3?

 

Is it at all possible to pack n go this assembly and attach it here?  or is it proprietary?  And what version of IV is it?

Message 10 of 15
jasonh70
in reply to: cbenner

No problem, you have to get the dumb questions out of the way to get to the smart ones.  Yes, it's at the correct level.  The third picture is just showing that the route has no errors. 

I could try pack-n-go on this run.  I'm not sure it'll work as a stand-alone run though.  The whole tube and pipe assembly is fairly enormous and probably not something I can share.  This is Inventor Professional 2014 (SP1). 

I'm pretty sure this is an error within 2014.  I'm used to the usual glitches that have work arounds.  This is the kind that usually requires deleting the whole run and starting over.

Inventor Professional 2014 Build 222
Dell Precision T3500, Intel Xeon W3550 3.07 GHz, 12GB RAM, Win7 SP1
Message 11 of 15
cbenner
in reply to: jasonh70

I wouldn't be able to open it in 2014, I'm still on 2013.  But if you want to try posting, maybe someone else can give it a shot.  I HAVE been hearing a lot of negative comments regarding T&P on 2014... but I don't know enough to say that's the cause of this problem.  I hate to say this (always) but you may have to log a support case for this one.  Especially if there is a chance you've struck an actual bug. 

 

Next dumb question:  are you up to date on service packs and updates and such?

Message 12 of 15
jasonh70
in reply to: cbenner

I kind of figured it'd require a support case, but I always like to check here first in case someone has figured it out.  As far as I know I'm up to date.  That's what my product update button tells me.  Thanks for the help.

Inventor Professional 2014 Build 222
Dell Precision T3500, Intel Xeon W3550 3.07 GHz, 12GB RAM, Win7 SP1
Message 13 of 15
rmirzage
in reply to: jasonh70

Wow I asked this question a while ago, I thought that it was going to be archived or something.  However, I am sorry I didn't reply about the solution earlier.  My co-worker helped me discover the solution.  When you start pipe run and then start a route you cannot delete lines in between the 3d sketch lines.  So if you are making a run or route and you select the part that you are beginning from and draw your route lines all the way up to where the route ends and the you populate the route this becomes a set route or run that inventor recognizes and allows tube and pipe to work the normal way where you can just drop an authored part or content center part into the route and it will automatically incorporate and include it.  However, if you decide that you want to change the route or run by removing some pipes and then rerouting from there that is where error occurs.  What I mean is that if you have populated a route and then you go back into the 3d sketch for that route and DELETE a line somewhere in between the route or run, you have broken the loop that inventor recognizes and you will not be able to use tube and pipe the way it is intended.  Instead of deleting a line in a route or run that has been created you can just change the length of those lines to whatever length you want them to be changed to and add lines to the end of the route instead.  This should prevent soft errors or hard errors (giggity) from occurring.

Message 14 of 15
jasonh70
in reply to: rmirzage

Thanks for posting (and for the Quagmire reference).  I'm glad you got your design to work, but we may be dealing with different issues.  What you're saying isn't true for me.  I know I delete and replace segments within the route sketch all the time.  But to verify, I made a couple of simple routes, populated them, saved them, then went and edited them by deleting segments of the sketch and adding different ones and it still works for me.

Ah, the joys of Inventor.

Inventor Professional 2014 Build 222
Dell Precision T3500, Intel Xeon W3550 3.07 GHz, 12GB RAM, Win7 SP1
Message 15 of 15
rmirzage
in reply to: jasonh70

Well that is the funny thing about inventor.  when you get a soft error it really doesn't let you know that you have a soft error, but it will let you keep working.  When you delete a line from a sketch you then have a soft error which will allow you to continue to work with pipe and tube run, but as you continue to do this thats when you will notice later that you will not be able to go back and insert parts into those lines that you deleted before, because you now have multiple soft errors.  At this point inventor does not know how to handle all those errors and continue to run tube and pipe run normally.  tube and pipe run is weird in that way because it continues to work normally after the first soft error or so, but when you continue to make soft errors then inventor is not able to function normally while trying to ignore these errors.  You just need to be aware on how you make runs and routes, because inventor wont notify you until it doesn't work the right way.

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