Need help - migrating data from desktop inventor to vault

[jagadishyerra]

Hi,

Currently we have a single seat of Inventor. So all the data(parts, assemblies, content center lib) is currently stored on my local computer. We decided to add one more inventor seat in our company. So we decided to use vault for sharing the data between the two seats. We got the vault server, client installed and they are communicating well.

Now it is the time for transition. I would like to know how can I transfer the desktop content center libraries to vault. I would also like to know once I transfer all my parts, assemblies to vault should I delete the all existing data on my computer?? Also when I transfer the everything on to vault will the relations between assemblies and parts still exist without any problem? I would really appreciate if anyone can guide me in this transition process.

Thanks,

Jagadish   

[Andy.Spivey]

Jagadish,

Regarding the standard Inventor libraries, you will not need to transfer those from Inventor Hosted Content to the Vault server as they are standard libraries.  As long as you have the libraries installed to the Vault server (can be done at the time of the Vault Server installation, or after by re-launching Setup), you will just need to point Inventor to retrieve the Content Center data from the Vault server (Tools ->Application Options -> Content Center from inside of Inventor)

The Custom CC library can be copied from Inventor Hosted to Vault Hosted by using the Library Transfer Tool (Highlited here)

I hope that helps

[jagadishyerra]

Andy,

Thank you for the reply. You mentioned that I really don't have to transfer the content center library from desktop to vault as it already comes with CC library. I understand this but the issue is that we had changed few part numbers in the content center libraries to our company part numbers, so that the BOM's show our company part numbers. So I want this library to be hosted on the vault. I tried to transfer desktop CC library to vault server, but its not letting me do that as it is 'Read-Only'.

We weren't aware if we were doing the right thing or not when we edited the CC library part numbers to our company part numbers.I would like to know if there is some way to transfer our CC library (read-only) to vault so that we don't have to rename the part numbers again.

Thanks in advance,

Jagadish

[Andy.Spivey]

You will not need to transfer the standard libraries - as they are the same whether or not they are Inventor Hosted Content or Vault Hosted Content. 

The library you will want to transfer from Inventor Hosted to Vault hosted is your custom CC library - it will be listed as a Read/Write library when looking at the libraries configured for your project file.

[jagadishyerra]

Hi Andy,

I would like to thank you for your help. I really appreciate it.

Adressing my issue again-  I want to transfer the Inventor hosted content library to vault because in the inventor hosted library (which is READ-Only and not a custom CC) I changed the part numbers of few parts to our company part numbers. I am assuming that the content center installed on vault server has the original part numbers that autodesk (or supplier) provides. So I want to have a content center on vault which has our company part numbers. Please tell me how could I accomplish this?

Is there a way to change property of Inventor hosted CC library to Read/Write and then transfer it vault.

Plese have a look at the attached image which shows edited part number in "iProperties". 

Thanks in advance. Your advice will be of great help.

Jagadish

[cwhetten]

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@jagadishyerra wrote:

...inventor hosted library (which is READ-Only and not a custom CC) I changed the part numbers of few parts to our company part numbers.

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If a library is READ-Only, then you didn't change any of the parts.  That's the definition of read-only.  Any changes you made must have been done in a Read/Write library.  Attach a screenshot of the available libraries from your project file (like Andy posted above).

[jagadishyerra]

cwhetten,

Hi

Please have a look at the screenshot of the list of libraries attached. There is a read/write library named "CTR Parts". Im not sure when that library was created and if am using this.

Let me explain you what I do in Inventor.

When I'm in need of some part from content center I place it from CC lib using "Place from Content Center" option.

After placing a part from CC the BOM in Inventor shows the part # that Autodesk has provided. 

In order to show our company part # I go to the folder "C:\Users\jagadish\Documents\Inventor\Content Center Files\R2012\en-US\" and select the part and change its part number by editing it in IProperties (Please look the second attachment). When I restart the Inventor the BOM picks up the updated part numbers. Have a look at the third attachment(bom) which shows the library file with changed part # and its file path.

My problem:

So now,  I have a feeling that I had edited the part number of a ipt which is in a CC library. So when I transfer all my assemblies to vault, the assemblies will look for ipt's created by CC lib on the vault. But the CC lib in vault doesn't have our company part numbers, and thus the BOM's will show the original part numbers. 

Please help me understand if I am thinking right or not.  Thanks in advance.

Jagadish

[jagadishyerra]

Srry third attachment.....

[cwhetten]

I think I understand better what is happening here.  Here's a quick explanation of how content center libraries work, and how vault uses them.

The content center library is a database of information on how to create a component, for example a bolt.  The first time you place this bolt into an assembly, Inventor accesses the database to get instructions on how to build the part.  A new part file is created on your local hard drive using the instructions from the library database.  So, the part that is inserted in your assembly is not a part that resides in some database, but is found on your local computer (in the path specified under Application Options > File tab > Default Content Center files, or in your project file if you have changed it from the default).

THIS is the file you have been editing.  The database still has the Autodesk part number info, you are just editing the local copy of that part.  After the first time you place the part and edit the iProperties, each subsequent time you place that part, Inventor checks the CC files path to see if the file already exists.  If it does, then Inventor doesn't create the part again, it just uses the local copy (the one you edited).

Now, if you are using the vault, the CC library database is instead stored on your vault server.  It is exactly the same database as with Desktop Content, and Inventor accesses CC files the same way.  The only difference appears when you check your assembly in to the vault.  The CC files path on your local space is mapped to a folder in your vault, and the local CC files get checked into that vault folder.  So long as you don't delete your local CC files (the ones you have edited), and you set up your folder mapping correctly, switching to vault should have no effect on your current work flow.

I hope this makes sense and is helpful.

[jagadishyerra]

cwhetten,

Your explanation was very clear and crip, thank you very much.

As you said (please correct me if I am wrong), the CC file path on my computer will be mapped to a folder in vault and these CCfiles get checked into vault. Also you mentioned that the local CC files (edited ones) shouldn't be deleted. I would like to ask if I can delete the local CC files once they are checked in vault?? Because there will be an additional inventor seat being added to our company and he should be able to use the same edited CC files off the vault server.

I would like to thank you again for you help.

Thanks,

Jagadish

[cwhetten · Accepted solution]

Yes, that is correct.  Once the files have been checked in, you can delete the local copies, although it is not necessary.  Any other users that want to use the edited parts can simply place them from the vault, instead of placing them from the content center.