topic Re: Parts List Style missing from Format dropdown. in Inventor Forum

Parts List Style missing from Format dropdown.

andrewdroth — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 21:05:36 GMT

I made a new parts list style in a drawing template, and saved it to the styles library.

Now when I create a drawing from that template I don't see the style in the format dropdown.

If I do a save as with the template file it exists as shown.

But this is the list I see when creating a drawing from the template file.

Here in the Styles Editor you can see it has been saved to the Library.

I've been using Inventor for a long time, but these styles are the least intuitive part of the program.

It seems like every time I have to deal with them, I'll google forum posts, and find my own post from years ago. LOL. Maybe It's just my bad memory.

Re: Parts List Style missing from Format dropdown.

Frederick_Law — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 21:28:30 GMT

Styles under ----------- are not in current Standard.

Hence Style Library won't load it into new files.

Try stick with one Standard.

Re: Parts List Style missing from Format dropdown.

andrewdroth — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 21:31:14 GMT

Ah, it's this right?

It's confusing that the standard shows up in the local list of the template file, but not in a file created from a template.

Re: Parts List Style missing from Format dropdown.

Frederick_Law — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 21:40:02 GMT

Not in use because it's not in current Standard.

Expand the Standard on top left and see all Standards.

Click on your Standard and select Available Styles on the right.

Re: Parts List Style missing from Format dropdown.

andrewdroth — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 21:40:32 GMT

@Frederick_Law wrote:
Try stick with one Standard.

What do you mean by that? Because I use different standards for different clients, based on what they want to see. Surely that is the proper way to handle that requirement?

I guess it's my misunderstanding of "in-use", because I can add the parts list style to the template and sync with the library, I can also save the standard to the library at that point, but it doesn't make that style "in-use".

The only way I could figure out how to make it "in-use" was to add it to an object default for the standard, but that doesn't seem right. I should be able to have styles available that are not set to standard.

Re: Parts List Style missing from Format dropdown.

Frederick_Law — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 21:53:21 GMT

You can have one Standard with different Object Defaults.

Add the Style to Available in Current Standard should work.

I never used multiple Standards, so not sure how IV will behave.

I don't have not used Style also.

I do know.

If Style Library has same Standard/Styles as Template, IV will not save them in new file.

Looks like it won't save not used Styles also.

Gotta go. Will be back tomorrow.

Re: Parts List Style missing from Format dropdown.

pcrawley — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 22:19:56 GMT

@andrewdroth - I think the bit you're missing is making the Parts List Style available to the Standard(s) you are working with.

In the Styles Editor, you can see the active Style (see "1" in the image below):

If you switch the filter (top right) to "All Styles" and look at the "Available Styles" you can now tick the Parts Lists Styles you want available to your active Standard.

To make the parts list style available to another standard, activate the standard (1) and tick the styles you need.

Re: Parts List Style missing from Format dropdown.

johnsonshiue — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 23:54:31 GMT

Hi Andrew,

On of what Peter and Frederick already mentioned, the issue here is that the style in the standard is not used by any other setting or object in the template. The standard is standalone by itself. Such standard in the template will be removed on starting a new file.

Many thanks!

Re: Parts List Style missing from Format dropdown.

Frederick_Law — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 12:56:31 GMT

One way to "cheat" the system.

Keep all your standards in template.

NOT in Style Library.

IV will not delete them on new file.

Files will be larger because of all the standards in it.

Anyone has the file will have all the Standard Styles.

ie, they know all your customers.

You'll need to work out how to handle different Standard for different customer.

1 Standard, different Object Defaults, 1 Template.

Different Standards in different Templates.

Any other combinations.

Re: Parts List Style missing from Format dropdown.

andrewdroth — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 16:49:58 GMT

@pcrawley wrote:
@andrewdroth - I think the bit you're missing is making the Parts List Style available to the Standard(s) you are working with.

Yep, this is what I was missing. I figure that because I had copied the style from the library to the local document, that it would be associated with the current standard. Not that easy.

It makes sense that you would get to pick and choose which style goes with what standard, but I'm not sure I've ever done that before.

Re: Parts List Style missing from Format dropdown.

andrewdroth — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 16:51:25 GMT

@Frederick_Law wrote:
You can have one Standard with different Object Defaults.

Is that true? It seems to me that the object defaults are tied to the Standards?

Re: Parts List Style missing from Format dropdown.

Frederick_Law — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 17:05:36 GMT

It may not make is easier .....

You can pick Object Default in Standard.

Need to change it in the file.

Standard in Style Library will have "Object Default 1".

Templates can use "Object Default 2" or other.

Maybe Standard for each customer easier.

Re: Parts List Style missing from Format dropdown.

shallN6L5D — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 20:39:39 GMT

@andrewdroth "It seems like every time I have to deal with them, I'll google forum posts, and find my own post from years ago. "
Exactly this! Thanks for suffering the same grief with Styles I was about to suffer. Now that I found this post, I can create a 'how-to/how-not-to' reference for myself.
Styles are a needlessly complicated admin nightmare. I would far prefer some settings baked into a file template and a collection of separate files for tables, notes etc.
Also, brilliant workstation specs. I'm running Inventor on a Commodore 64 myself.