topic Re: FYI - Multiple Instances of Inventor in Inventor Forum

FYI - Multiple Instances of Inventor

Anonymous — Tue, 29 Jan 2019 13:47:03 GMT

This is more of an FYI as opposed to a question/issue.

Those of us who have been on Inventor for a number of years recall how if and when a user would open a file of Inventor from Win Explorer or Vault Explorer it would open a new instance of the application. I think that stopped around the 2012 release???

Anyways, imagine my surprise when this morning I got a support ticket request saying this was happening.

Found not only was the user opening files in the above mentioned, improper way, but at some point he changed the default setting to open files as something other than Inventor (or at least that's how he explains it).

Once he changed that file opening setting back to Inventor, the problem is resolved. He is also now opening files in the correct manner, from within the application.

Anyways, I know it's a very small possibility you'll run across this, but it can happen. I just wanted this "fix" to be on the record here in case someone performs a search and maybe this can help them troubleshoot it.

Re: FYI - Multiple Instances of Inventor

Frederick_Law — Tue, 29 Jan 2019 14:05:57 GMT

Interesting.

I don't recall that at all.

I open files in File Explorer all the time.

Re: FYI - Multiple Instances of Inventor

Cadmanto — Tue, 29 Jan 2019 14:07:25 GMT

Jim,

Yes, I want to say it stopped about 2015. But because I use Vault I habitually will RC on the file in Vault and select open. Been doing that for years through many versions. It was only on certain occasions did what you described happen. When it did, it was usually after a new/fresh install or a service pack update. There was never a concrete solution as to what caused it, but it was annoying. I will tell you that I am not a big fan of opening files from windows explorer.

My 2 cents.

Windows 10 x64 -16GB Ram
Intel i7-6700 @ 3.41ghz
nVidia GTS 250 - 1 GB
Inventor Pro 2018

Re: FYI - Multiple Instances of Inventor

jtylerbc — Tue, 29 Jan 2019 14:28:01 GMT

@Frederick_Law wrote:

Interesting.

I don't recall that at all.

I open files in File Explorer all the time.

Same here, and have been doing so since version 2006. The only times I've ever seen it open another instance of the program were entirely my fault. If you get impatient (or forgetful) and try to open a second file while the first is still loading up, another instance will start. I'm a little fuzzy on this, but I think it may do the same thing if Inventor is otherwise busy (processing a feature, has a dialog box open, etc.). Never had any trouble with it otherwise.

Re: FYI - Multiple Instances of Inventor

Anonymous — Wed, 30 Jan 2019 12:45:17 GMT

It was always my understanding that by opening files by double clicking them in Win Explorer or Vault Explorer, you run the risk of corruption and in the case of assemblies, breaking links.

I just never cared to be bothered going outside of the application to open a file for that application, the menus are there, why not use them? Just seems silly to me, especially if and when you are working with only one monitor, such as a laptop.

Re: FYI - Multiple Instances of Inventor

Cadmanto — Wed, 30 Jan 2019 13:20:29 GMT

I agree when it comes to Windows Explorer. Vault on the other hand is a different animal. I always RC and select "Open" from within the Vault Client. Never double click though.

Windows 10 x64 -16GB Ram
Intel i7-6700 @ 3.41ghz
nVidia GTS 250 - 1 GB
Inventor Pro 2018

Re: FYI - Multiple Instances of Inventor

Anonymous — Wed, 30 Jan 2019 13:14:18 GMT

I think that stopped around the 2012 release???

I am on 2018 and it still can open a new instance of Inventor when double clicking an IPT from Windows explorer.

Re: FYI - Multiple Instances of Inventor

Mark.Lancaster — Wed, 30 Jan 2019 13:54:04 GMT

@Anonymous

You need to run the Inventor reset utility to resolve this

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/inventor-products/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/How-to-use-Inventor-Reset-Utility-to-reset-the-local-environment-for-a-Windows-User-Account-Inventor.html and also make sure the following registry entries are correct https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/inventor-products/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Opening-inventor-file-opens-new-instance-of-inventor.html

Re: FYI - Multiple Instances of Inventor

Anonymous — Wed, 30 Jan 2019 13:58:06 GMT

It doesn't bother me, besides, what am I going to reset if doing so... everything?

Re: FYI - Multiple Instances of Inventor

Mark.Lancaster — Wed, 30 Jan 2019 14:01:02 GMT

@Anonymous

It removes your Inventor profile under the registry as though you just installed Inventor and launching it for the first time. But if you backup application and menu options as indicated in that article you can restore them later once you reset (meaning nothing is lost).

Re: FYI - Multiple Instances of Inventor

jtylerbc — Wed, 30 Jan 2019 14:57:00 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:

It was always my understanding that by opening files by double clicking them in Win Explorer or Vault Explorer, you run the risk of corruption and in the case of assemblies, breaking links.

Can't speak for Vault, as I don't use it here. But as for Windows, the only problems I've ever experienced were with double-clicking a file when Inventor isn't already running. When you do that, Inventor just starts up with the last active project file, which may or may not be correct. Never had a problem with it if Inventor is already running with the correct project file active, aside from the previously mentioned case of Inventor being busy (which still doesn't damage the file, just causes an unwanted second instance of Inventor).

@Anonymous wrote:

I just never cared to be bothered going outside of the application to open a file for that application, the menus are there, why not use them? Just seems silly to me, especially if and when you are working with only one monitor, such as a laptop.

Equally silly would be to already be looking at the file's location in File Explorer (organizing / renaming files and such), and then have to go browse to find it again through Inventor's Open dialog box. I don't exclusively open by double-clicking the file. But I haven't worked on a single monitor in years, and often the folder I'm working in is already open on the other screen.

Re: FYI - Multiple Instances of Inventor

Anonymous — Wed, 30 Jan 2019 15:02:02 GMT

@Cadmanto wrote:

I agree when it comes to Windows Explorer. Vault on the other hand is a different animal. I always RC and select "Open" from within the Vault Client. Never double click though.

Windows 10 x64 -16GB Ram
Intel i7-6700 @ 3.41ghz
nVidia GTS 250 - 1 GB
Inventor Pro 2018

While I agree the Vault access from within Inventor is not as "user friendly" as it is in Vault Explorer, it's still better than getting out of the Inventor window and opening the Vault Explorer window. Honestly, the general user should seldom ever need to be in Vault Explorer. 95% of what a user needs to do with files in Vault are all on the Vault ribbon menu. I enforce this and that the only reasons a user should be in Vault Explorer is to perform a Copy Design, File name change or relocation of files.

Re: FYI - Multiple Instances of Inventor

Frederick_Law — Wed, 30 Jan 2019 18:36:41 GMT

Inventor behave differently when files are open from Windows Explorer.

I think it won't ask for missing files.

When open in Inventor, it'll ask for missing files.

I could have mixed up the above.

I use single project, so IV won't open wrong project.

So I do switch between jobs a lot.

There are multiple Explorer open on different folders, with thumbnails.

Easier to find the file I need and double click.

Or drag and drop into Inventor. I think this is another behavior beside the other two.

Re: FYI - Multiple Instances of Inventor

jtylerbc — Wed, 30 Jan 2019 19:03:10 GMT

@Frederick_Law wrote:

Inventor behave differently when files are open from Windows Explorer.

I think it won't ask for missing files.

This is not the case. Inventor still asks about unresolved references if you open from Windows. It skips them if you open multiple files simultaneously, but that is true even when multi-select files while opening from within Inventor.

@Frederick_Law wrote:

Or drag and drop into Inventor. I think this is another behavior beside the other two.

Drag and Drop doesn't behave any differently than double-clicking in Windows, with one exception. If you have multiple instances of Inventor open at the same time (on purpose this time, using different project files), Drag and Drop gives you the chance to control which one the file will open in. Double-clicking in Windows will open the file in the last Inventor instance to open a file.

This conversation is bizarre to me. All these warnings of dire consequences for double clicking, all these suggestions of different behavior depending on how you open files. I've been doing it this way, switching situationally back and forth between opening from within the program or from Windows, and sometimes dragging in, for about 12 years. I've never had any issue from doing it, or seen any difference in behavior that wasn't explained by a busy program or a project file conflict. Most of my company's users do basically the same thing (they learned Inventor from me, so it makes sense) - they've never had any such issues that I'm aware of either. Am I talking to you guys from some sort of parallel universe where these problems don't exist?

Re: FYI - Multiple Instances of Inventor

blair — Wed, 30 Jan 2019 19:43:56 GMT

I've always opened files through Inventor. We have basically 3 project files, one for our own product, a second one for customer "custom" work and a third for our jigs. We don't use Vault and I'm the primary user.

Any of our supply items generally reside with a read-only library. For our "custom" work, our own parts and supplier parts reside within read-only libraries. This eliminates the chance of our stock parts from being modified. The last is for our production jigs. This again allows protect our stock files being is a read only library.

We use OneDrive to maintain the files across a couple of locations. I do need to have different project files for each of the locations as the address locations are somewhat unique to each machine. I know immediately if I have the wrong project file or try opening the file through Explorer.

Re: FYI - Multiple Instances of Inventor

Coras_Alin — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 11:30:36 GMT

becouse it doesn.t have search comand, and you must know exactly the name , not just few name letters for example