Including idw files when adding files

[shastu]

How do I get the vault to include all related idw files when adding my files to the vault. See attached avi file. Why does it not pick up the 555.idw. Surely I don't have to open up every idw file and add one at a time. For big assemblies that would take a lot of time.

NOTE: On the avi file you may have to view it full screen so that it isn't distorted.

[Anonymous]

You can use "Add Project" to add drawing, assembly, part, and presentation files to the vault in a single operation. All new files under the local project structure that are not in the vault will be added. You can access this option from Inventor: File >> Vault >> Add Project...

Hope this helps,
Shane McGuinn
QA Engineer

[Anonymous]

Add project works in this case, but, it would be nice to have this ability
in other cases. For example:

I make changes to an assembly. As I make my changes IV asks if I want to
check out the parts that need to change - I say yes. Now I need to get
updated prints out to the shop so the parts can be changed. Which idws do I
need to open and update?

If there was some sort of switch that would allow me to work with an
associated idw file when I work with an ipt, it would be a huge time saver.

Also since we are wishing - we need the ability to shift/ctrl select in the
Vault browser within Inventor...

--
Cory McConnell
Autodesk Inventor Certified Expert
www.mechanixdesigns.com
wrote in message news:4851780@discussion.autodesk.com...
You can use "Add Project" to add drawing, assembly, part, and presentation
files to the vault in a single operation. All new files under the local
project structure that are not in the vault will be added. You can access
this option from Inventor: File >> Vault >> Add Project...

Hope this helps,
Shane McGuinn
QA Engineer

[shastu]

I guess you are going to have to give me more than this, because I wasn't ever able to get that to work. See attached avi file (full screen): First of all there are only four files in the project folder that I am trying to add. Notice that as soon as I select to "add project" it says scanning local files 1 or 2549. Then it gives me the message about the 16005-02.iam which isn't even a part of this project. And then after I select O.K. it bombs out and Inventor disappears.

[shastu]

that should have been 1 of 2549

[Anonymous]

The definition of a project is not based on a folder, rather it is based on the currently active Inventor IPJ file.

The command "Add project" scans the entire folder structure that is under the influence of your ipj file. It looks for resolution problems and adds all the files found in your local workspace (as defined by the ipj) that are not currently in the vault.

Based on the numbers you have described >2500 files, you have alot of files in the workspace. It sounds like you have current copies of your entire vault on either your local or a network location.
BTW, cute kid!

[shastu]

Thanks for the info, and the complimate about my 2 year old son. What a blessing he is.

So is there no way to do it based on a folder? I can't imagine any way that we would ever use the "add project" functionality. We are using the single project theory as described in the Brian Shanen white paper so that we don't have to set up so many individual projects. From what I understand, the "add project" functionality would only work if you have a seperate project for every work order that we get. The problem that I have experienced with that is not being able to effienciently share parts and assemblies among several different projects. Maybe I misunderstood, or set things up wrong, if so please tell me now for I am in the design phase of getting Vault to work for our company.

[Anonymous]

Here is what I have for set up for my company.

I use the recommended single project method (A standard ipj is used by everyone & the only thing they allowed to edit is their personal favorites folder list) All files are vaulted and in the file store. All users have identically named workspaces on their local machines & these workspaces match the folder name in the vault. (ie. Vault = $Vault/Company CAD DATA; Local = C:\Company CAD DATA)

When a user wants to use, reference, or make edits to a file they "check out" or "get latest" which makes a copy of the file on their local workspace. (excluding library files which are on a shared network location & are read only) They make their edits & check the files back in. They may or may not delete the local copy(s) but are encouraged to delete as it keeps the local smaller & cleaner.

For new work, they create the file(s) in their local workspace and either "add file(s)" to the vault from the inventor interface as they are created. (Choose the highest item of a set ie the idw. It will add all the files associated with it (ipt, iam, ipn).

Or they can choose to "Add project". The Inventor Vault Add-in will scan all the files in all the folders that are currently on your LOCAL workspace and add any not in the vault AND build all the required Inventor file resolution/relationships.

From what I saw on your avi file, add project is overkill for simply adding 2 idw's & the associated ipts. The last thing I do after the save but before closing, is add files or check-in.

If you had an entire new design on your local, "add project" would be perfect. You would only have the current files required by that design in your local workspace & it is ONLY those that were on your local that would have to be scanned for addition to the vault.

I am guessing that your problems mostly stem from having too many files copied to your workspace or are trying to use a shared network location as a "Shared" workspace which is not the intent of a Vault system except in the case of library parts.

If the only folder(s) on your local was the "project folder" containing the design you want to add to vault (Plus any other existing files/folders required for file resolution, Add project will do exactly as you want. You CAN do it based on a folder in this way. You just have to be good about cleaning up your local work directory.

The add project command is invaluable to whomever works as CAD manager and has to do the initial load to vault & handle batch processes like migration.

I strongly suggest you read Managing your data if you have not already done so.

[shastu]

Thanks again for the info. Please hang with me until I get this straightened out. I am glad that you are also using the single project method. That puts us in the same playing field. What I don't understand is this. You said that my problem probably is "having too many files copied to your workspace". You are exactly right. That is my problem. My question is, how do you prevent that. Earlier you said that "When a user wants to use, reference, or make edits to a file they 'check out' or 'get latest' which makes a copy of the file on their local workspace. Here is where I wish vault worked differently. If you are getting copies of different "projects" than what you are working on your workspace is going to get cluttered. (let me pause to explain what I mean by that). It is normal for someone to be working on workorder 456 and someone comes to you and ask about workorder 123 which has already been put in the vault. So you "get latest" of that without checking it out. If you don't immediately delete that from your local working directory, we now have a problem. Also it is not uncommon around here for someone to be working on multiple workorders at the same time. Therefore they would have to be able to select the one that they are ready to send to the Vault, not everything in there workspace. I hope that makes sense. I wish that "get latest" would go to a "read-only" directory that Inventor would look at to resolve links, separating them from my workspace. That way I could periodically select everything in the "read-only" directory. The way it is now, I have to look up every file up in the Vault to make sure I don't have it checked out, before I delete it. So as you say, if you keep your project folder very clean, and never have more than one project at a time, it works very well. From my standpoint, that will never be the case, not with the employees I work with. I do appreciate your last statement though about the initial load. That is valuable.

[Anonymous]

It is mostly a matter of self discipline to clean as you go. I too have to work multiple projects at a time. How easily you can clean up your local depends entirely on how your company organizes the files & their relationships.

Example:
If you have a different folder for each of your design projects, and all of the files required for resolution of the assemblies & drawing for that design reside in that folder (or a sub of that folder). You can temporarily move other project design folders to a location outside of the influence of the master ipj file (move C:\cad data\unwanted project folder(s) to C:\ temp storage) leaving ONLY the folder you want to add to vault then run add project. After you have finished, move the other folders back under the workspace folder.

Keep in mind that NOT keeping up with checking your files into the vault not only gets messy, but keeps your other users from having visibility to the latest changes AND in most IT scenarios, the files on your local hard drive are not backed up to tape on a scheduled basis. If your computer or hard drive goes "belly up" you & your company will have lost all of the data you have been working on.

If things on your local have gotten out of control:
From Vault Explorer you can search for files you have checked out (or sort by icon) & generate a list of what you need to check back in. Then clean up your local & delete what you don't need to keep on hand. After that, just check things in as you are done with them. Just like cleaning your desk at the end of the day.

[Anonymous]

Do you not have sub folders under your workspace? I generally don't delete
anything from my workspace when I check it in, but since they are all in sub
folders it doesn't clutter anything up as far as I am concerned. Maybe I
am just misunderstanding?

--
Kent Keller
Autodesk Discussion Forum Facilitator


wrote in message news:4852050@discussion.autodesk.com...
That puts us in the same playing field. What I don't understand is this.
You said that my problem probably is "having too many files copied to your
workspace". You are exactly right. That is my problem. My question is,
how do you prevent that. Earlier you said that "When a user wants to use,
reference, or make edits to a file they 'check out' or 'get latest' which
makes a copy of the file on their local workspace. Here is where I wish
vault worked differently. If you are getting copies of different "projects"
than what you are working on your workspace is going to get cluttered. (let
me pause to explain what I mean by that). It is normal for someone to be
working on workorder 456 and someone comes to you and ask about workorder
123 which has already been put in the vault. So you "get latest" of that
without checking it out. If you don't immediately delete that from your
local working directory, we now have a problem.

[shastu]

I think you maybe misunderstanding. Yes I do have sub folders under my workspace. That is the problem when I try and use the "Add project" command. It would add everything in all of the sub folders in my workspace.

[shastu]

Does anyone else have any other ideas on this thread. I don't see us using the "add project" functionality based on the way the engineers work around here. So is my only other option to open every single idw file within my assembly and add file for each and every one?

[cristiano.oliveira]

Since 2005 I see this case.
Do not have a easy way for this?
Why, do not have a simple tool than the "checkin Project", similar to used in PackandGo,
Where the "Search for files referencing", so we could define the path of search,
or
They use the new method of search equals the "Open Drawing".

Does anyone have any idea?

Note: I need know easy way for checkin first time a IDW of Master IAM, with your all dependencies in all levels..(iam's, ipt's, idw's ...)

I tested autoloader... -> I needed selecting one-to-one.. very slow..
I tested Checkin Project... -> My project contain 120,000 files, the scanning very slow...

[Madhan_T]

Hi,

For large dataset, Autoloader is the easier way to get the files in to vault. I would suggest splitting the upload task in to multiple clients that would save some time. For more information about Autoloader (Multiple Instances of Autoloader), please refer the following link.

http://mfgcommunity.autodesk.com/blogs/blog/view/5/autoloader_2010_whatsnew/


Alternatively, you may use "Check In" task from Inventors' Task Scheduler.

Hope that helps.

Regards,
Madhan