Instance Number

[mk92]

Hello,

is there a way to get the instance number in any form? If i export my attributes in FDS 2016 i get a cell with the instance id. Is there a way to write this in a ipropertie or in a parameter? I need them to show in my BOM.

Regards

[olegd.prod]

If you place 2 (or more) instances of the same asset into a layout, you'll have different instance IDs, but all they will share the underlying file that represents the asset.
Since there are multiple instances sharing the same file, Instance ID can't be written to an iProperty/parameter in the file ...

Can you help me understand what are you trying to achieve (why do you want the instance ID in the BOM)?

[mk92]

We need them to differentiate between the different asset variants (different configurations/parameter etc). To import them in our system we need the instance id to check if this id still exists or not . So we need the ID in the BOM.

The other way would be to customize the way the attributes are exported because this contains an export of the ID.

[olegd.prod]

differentiate between the different asset variants (different configurations/parameter etc): this should help you: https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/factory-design-suite/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2...

BOM cannot contain instance IDs, since the BOM isn't a per-instance document. If you need to check if an instance ID exists, you'd have to process the results of the property export (which you found already)

[mk92]

Is there a way customize the result of property export ? Like an extra gap for user parameter?

[olegd.prod]

Unfortunately not possible today 😞

[mk92]

So everything in the property export is an iPropertie except the instance id. Thats not good for me 😄 So there really is nothing, no iLogic code or anything to help me with this problem?

[olegd.prod]

If you goal is to examine the list of instances - that is available in the property export.
If your goal is to include the instance ID in the BOM - no, there is no way to do that.

[mk92]

Okay.

Another question: What do you mean in post 5?

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/factory-design-suite-general/fds-api/td-p/4842767

[olegd.prod]

We expose a very limited set of APIs to get and set instance properties.
The "get" APIs can be used to get the data you see in the property export report

[mk92]

So if i dont get anything wrong this is what i need? But it isnt ready yet oder can i get this information?

[olegd.prod]

You can certainly get this info - below. Let me know if you run into any problems.

You'd need to reference the Autodesk.Factory.PublicAPI .NET assembly.
Code would look something like this:
using Autodesk.Factory.PublicAPI;

var instances = API.Instance.GetAssetInstancesFromLayout(Inventor.Document object of the layout);
each instance looks like this:
public interface IAssetInstance
{
string InstanceID { get; }
string InstanceName { get; }
IInstanceProperty[] InstanceProperties { get; }
object NativeObject { get; }
}

Each property looks like this:
public interface IInstanceProperty
{
String Name { get; }
String Category { get; }
String Value { get; }
bool EditableByUser { get; }
PropertyDataType DataType { get; }

}

[XuesongBai]

Hi there,

Which FDS version are you using now? I have checked the Properties Export in FDS 2016 and the Instnace ID is included in the Excel report.

Thanks,

-Xuesong

[AnJanson]

Hi,

I played around with the API and was able to read the asset properties.

But, I tried to change a asset property by using the SetInstanceProperty command.

It seems to work and I can see the new value for this property, but the asset does not update.

Is there any possibility to change the properties of an asset through the API?

Regards Andreas

[olegd.prod]

What does "but the asset does not update" mean? How are you testing that?

Oleg

[AnJanson]

Hi Oleg,

sorry for the late response.

I tested it with iLogic from the layout document. I tried to duplicate it again and now it works.

AddReference "Autodesk.Factory.PublicAPI"
Imports Autodesk.Factory.PublicAPI

Dim instances() As Currency.IAssetInstance = API.Instance.GetAssetInstancesFromLayout(ThisDoc.Document)

If instances.length > 0 Then
  Dim asset As Autodesk.Factory.PublicAPI.Currency.IAssetInstance = instances(0)
  Dim prop1 As Currency.IInstanceProperty = API.Instance.SetInstanceProperty(asset,"Test", 123)
  MessageBox.Show(prop1.Name & " = " & prop1.Value, "")
Else
  MessageBox.Show("No assets in layout", "")
End If

Is there any possibility to modify the asset parameters?

Regards

Andreas

[olegd.prod]

Hi Andreas,
Glad to hear this is working for you.
No API support yet for changing parameters. Can you elaborate on what you are trying to do (what would you do if you could change parameters)?

Oleg

[wezpb]

Do you have a version of this code that will work in VBA?

[olegd.prod]

Hi there,
The API is .NET-only, no VBA support

Thank you,

Oleg

[petestrycharske]

mk92,

Good afternoon!  What if you set up some iLogic code to write your own unique ID (as a custom iProperty) on a project  by project basis.  You could pull in a job code or assembly code from the parent assembly and add that to some simple counting routine.  That way any time that you added a different instance of the of the asset, your counter would increase by one.  Not super sophisticated, but might be able to help out.  Let me know if this would be of some benefit to you.  Hope this helps and have a most blessed day!

Peace,

Pete