Assembly Base Quantity as Length

[LFMarshall]

I have an assembly of some wood and corrugated sheet metal in several length configurations.  In order to match how the different configurations are sold I need the Base Quantity of the Assembly to be a given length (in ft).  In a part I could use a parameter for the length or make a User Parameter and use the Bill of Materials dialog under Document Settings to change the Base Quantity to that parameter.  I tried to do similarly on an assembly document, but when I apply the change, it just turns the Base Quantity back to Each.

I did a search and didn't see anything regarding this, only topics pertaining to parts with length quantities.

[johnsonshiue]

Hi! It sounds like something is not set correctly. If possible, could you share an example exhibiting the behavior?

Many thanks!

[jhackney1972]

Try using "Unit QTY" instead of "Base QTY". 

[LFMarshall]

Attached are two inventor files.

The .ipt file is capable of having a length unit quantity.  Using the exact same methodology as described in Original Post the .iam file does not produce a length QTY and reverts to an Each QTY on Apply.  There is no model geometry in either file because it is irrelevant to this practice.

I am not looking to get part (.ipt) lengths into an assembly BOM or Parts List, I know how to do that.  I need an assembly (.iam) to have a length unit QTY when I put it into another assembly (.iam).

Thanks

[johnsonshiue]

Hi! I see the issue now. In older releases, the BOM Base Quantity attribute in assembly document setting cannot be changed. But, now it can be changed but it does not really work. I will need to follow up with the project team and find out why it behaves this way.

Many thanks!

[awatt]

I'm interested in this also.  I have a piano hinge (.iam) that is inventoried by the foot.

[johnsonshiue]

Hi Guys,

I did not get any further update on this. The behavior seems to start in 2015 or 2016 for no apparent reason. In the past, the fields were blocked for editing. I do not see any reason unblocking it and also it does not seem to work well. It looks like a bug to me.

Many thanks!

[tomasz.sztejka]

In 2021 i can select as anassembly base quantity any parameter  with is numeric and which is NOT unit less . It stays set, but:

- if I change it to unit-less, the unit stays at previous selection;

- the value (in my case 3,45) IS shown as quantity in BOM in assembly view and on drawing;

- but if assembly is PHANTOM then then this value is NOT used to MULTIPLY quantities of parts contained within an assembly.

For an example I made an assembly in following way:

 - crated a "paint" with 1 mm^2 base quantity (notice it was tricky, because there is no mm^2 unit, you must create parameter with mm unit, and then set it by typing  "1 mm^2" and just then You can select this parameter as base quantity);

- created an assembly, assigning to it some parameter with a value 3,45mm^2 as a base unit.

- then changed this parameter to unit-less. Notice, I am unable to neither select base unit as "unitless" nor select a parameter which is unitless. So this parameter is kind of "sucking value from void now".

- when in Document settings I tried to click the arrow aside of base quantity AND selected the same unitless parameter then this tab in dialog became kind of frozen not letting any changes to be made.

- then made this assembly to be phantom, since it is just my way to use a standard paint in this specific project. I do want paint to be read-only library part shared in many project, so no sire, no way to change it's quantity in ipt file. I do want updates made by admins to propagate to project so, no, copying part to project is out of question.

- I put this assembly into an another assembly and inspected it's bom and drawing. Remember, it appears once but with 3,45 unitless parameter as base quantity with base unit "mm^2".  The "parts only" BOM in assembly or "BOM table" on drawing the quantity for paint shows 1 mm^2 (ONE) instead of 1 mm^2 x 3,45 what I was aiming for.

Is it a designed behavior?

Workaround for now is:

1. Paint in my case is an IPT file without any geometry.

2. I do set it's base quantity as 0,01 mm^2 ( due to necessary accuracy in this example)

3. I do insert it in "painting assembly". Leave this assembly base quantity as EACH, make it phantom.

4.Do insert this assembly in "painted part assembly"

5.Enter BOM in assembly view and override quantity to an integer number representing best possible approximation of what You like to see in "parts only" assembly, in my case 345.

6.Now paint amount should be as expected.

Should it be that cumbersome?

[johnsonshiue]

Hi Tomasz,

This could be a limitation or a bug. If possible, please share an example that I can take a look. I would like to understand the behavior better.

Many thanks!