Copy Design: Reuse File but different name in other folder. Help!

[Anonymous]

Dear all,

I have a problem when using Copy Design command. I want to reuse same file but insert it into another folder with different filename (e.g. ABCD.ipt and 1234.ipt). Is there any way to let both files (ABCD.ipt and 1234.ipt) have link with each other? In other words, ABCD.ipt will be updated once 1234.ipt is modified.

Thanks in advance!

Best regards,

Patrick

[swalton]

I'm not sure you can do that with Vault, but you can with Inventor.

Make 1234.ipt.  Use the derive command in ABCD.ipt to make a dependant copy of 1234.ipt.  Save ABCD.ipt into the new directory and check it into Vault.

You will have to repair/replace any constraints in any assembly where you replace 1234.ipt with ABCD.ipt. 

[mikel_martin]

I am unclear on your goal.

Are you starting with two parts and want both refferences to point to a new single file?

Are you starting with two refferences of a single part and you want them to be pointing to two new files?

If either of those are the case, you should try the new Copy Design released with 2015 R2.

[Anonymous]

Hi Mikel,

Swalton has provided us a briliant alternative way to start a part (ABCD.ipt) and let another part (1234.ipt) to point to it by using Derived function before we check all in.

In this case, we are only able to do it externally in Inventor rather than in Vault itself?

And we are only able to have feature history in ABCD.ipt rather than 1234.ipt?

Please advise. Thanks in advance!

Best regards,

Patrick

[swalton]

I don't think that Vault knows enough Inventor commands to create a derived copy of a component during a Copy Design operation.  That could be a good feature request on the Vault Ideastation. 

In your first post, you wanted to make ABCD.ipt a dependant copy of 1234.ipt.  The derive workflow does that at the expense of removing the feature history from ABCD.  You can go ahead and add more features to ABCD if you want, but any changes you make to 1234 might break your new features. 

Another option is to create an iPart, WXYZ.ipt that has two member rows: 1234.ipt and ABCD.ipt.  If you do that, 1234.ipt and ABCD.ipt will be the same except for the differences that you define in the ipart table.  Note that you will edit WXYZ to make changes to 1234 or ABCD.  1234 and ABCD are derived from WXYZ, so no feature history in either child part. Also, ABCD and 1234 will be located in a sub-folder under WXYZ.  I don't know if Autodesk has added the ability to move iparts and their members in Vault.

Basically, if you want a component to be a dependant copy of another component, the copy will not have a separate feature history.  It does not need one.  If you want to make an independent copy, you get the full feature history.

[Anonymous]

Hi Swalton,

This is also a good idea to have ipart feature in this practice.

Many thanks for it.

Best regards,

Patrick Teo